Sheffield
Welcome to the town of murals. Here, art and history combine in Tasmania’s outdoor gallery.
A former hub of the hydroelectric scheme, Sheffield has reinvented itself as an arts community. Admire more than 160 murals on its streets that depict local stories and characters, and learn more about the art on a self-guided audio tour. Visit the town’s galleries and studios. And time your visit with the annual week-long Mural Fest painting competition.
Speaking of festivals, check out the annual three-day SteamFest, one of the biggest displays of working steam machinery in Australia. And there’s Taste of the North West, where local produce from the region’s rich soil is celebrated over a long weekend.
Tour the kookily named hamlets of Nowhere Else, Paradise and Promised Land, and get lost in the large hedge maze at Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot at Promised Land. Relax at beautiful Lake Barrington, a great spot to picnic and fish. It’s the site of an international rowing course, where the 1990 world championships were held.
At the foot of majestic Mount Roland, Sheffield is a gateway to Tasmania’s most famous national park, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
Sheffield Murals
Tourism Tasmania, Diane & Lindsay Stockbridge
Sheffield mural
Tourism Tasmania & Supplied Courtesy of Kentish Council
International Mural Fest
Tourism Tasmania & Supplied Courtesy of Kentish Council
Sheffield Mural
Jess Bonde
Sheffield Mural
Jess Bonde
Historic Sheffield
Tourism Tasmania & Kelly Slater
Where
Sheffield is a 25min drive (25km) south of Devonport and a 70min drive (88km) west of Launceston.
Insider tips
- Visit the Kentish Museum, where a collection of local curios includes the world's first coin-operated petrol pump. The museum also runs a genealogy service.
- Head to Mural Park, where the winning works from each year’s Mural Fest are on display for a year.
