Tasmania is famous for the thousands of convicts forced to migrate across the mainland’s borders to fend for themselves on a tiny piece of land disconnected from society. Yet few are aware of what remains of the exploited labor and thankless sweat shed under harsh conditions by these inmates. Curving over the Coal River is an arched sandstone bridge, built during the years when Hobart was still a prison encampment. It now holds the title of the oldest functional bridge in Australia, hailing from the year 1823 and at 41m, was the longest bridge for close to 10 years after its construction. Sunny glades and trees with dense crowns of leaves line either side of the bridge, making it perfect for an afternoon picnic. You can walk right up to the edge of the river bank and watch the ducks glide across the water and river birds picking their way through the soil in search of their next meal. Towards the evening, as the sky becomes a painting of cotton candy in a bed of lavender, the image of the bridge seen reflected off the river’s gently flowing waters looks as though it were part of a fairy’s realm. There’s little wonder why the bridge is one of the most photographed landmarks in arguably the Tasmanian region itself. The rustic charm of the Richmond Bridge might appear to have touches of magic infused into it but its tragic origins remain embedded in the very bricks that hold it up.

Said that the bridge is haunted by the ghost of George Grover who was beaten and thrown off the bridge by convicts for abusing them with his whip.