The southern capital city in Australia, Hobart, is located on the island state of Tasmania. Despite the fact that more than half the population of Tasmania calls Hobart home, it remains the least populated Australian capital.
Known as Nipaluna to its original Mouheneener people, Hobart sits in the shadow of Kunanyi, or, Mt. Wellington. Hobart was founded as a British penal colony in 1804, but it’s believed to have been occupied by the Mouheneener people for up to 35,000 years.
Hobart is the central hub for tourism in Tasmania, welcoming more than 1.9 million visitors each year. It’s also famous for its Salamanca Market, convict-era Georgian and Victorian architecture, and the Museum of Old and New Art. Hobart is filled with opportunities to explore the city’s rich history and culture.
Are you looking to holiday in Australia’s second-oldest city capital? Then, continue reading below to find out where you can store your luggage and start exploring Hobart.
Airports
Hobart contains two airports, the Hobart International Airport and the Cambridge Aerodrome. Most visitors arrive via the International Airport, and anyone planning to take an air tour typically visits the Aerodrome.
Hobart International Airport
First opening in 1956, the Hobart International Airport is just 17.8 kilometres (approximately 11 miles) from the city centre. In addition to servicing regular flights to Australia’s capital cities, it also services flights to New Zealand and Antarctica.
After redevelopment in 2007, Hobart Airport merged its international and domestic terminals into one building. Now, all check-ins and departures share the south-eastern area of the building. While arrivals are in the north-western of the building.
Passengers in both the Arrivals and Departures areas can access the airport’s shops or restaurants. Hobart International Airport also contains a lounge, a bar, a cafe, and offers wi-fi for travellers.
Unfortunately, there are no lockers or bag storage facilities available at Hobart Airport at this time.
Cambridge Aerodrome
Just 2.8 kilometres (1.7 miles) from the Hobart International Airport, and 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from Hobart city centre, this airport is Tasmania’s main general aviation airport. The Aerodrome, also known as Cambridge Airport, sits on the edge of Barilla Bay. It used to serve as the area’s primary airport until the construction of the International Airport in the 1920s.
Today, Cambridge Aerodrome is utilised as the base of the Aeroclub of Southern Tasmania and two other private companies. Par Avion offers scenic tours and day trips above Tasmania’s beautiful South West and Hobart. At the same time, Heli Resources provides flights to Antarctica and other work related to the Antarctic region.
That said, tragically, the airport is mostly known for being the departure airport for a doomed flight in 1946. On this flight, all 25 passengers and crew perished. At the time of the accident, it was deemed the worst civil aviation accident in Australia.
Currently, there are no luggage storage facilities available at the Cambridge Aerodrome.
Piers
The first site of European settlement in the area, Sullivan’s Cove on the River Derwent, is home to several piers. Mainly used for tourism and recreation, the Cove offers ferry services and is home to multiple historical structures and sites.
Brooke Street Pier
Connected to Hobart’s shore via Franklin Wharf, Brooke Street Pier has existed in multiple forms since the 1820s. Once a tiny wooden pier, then a series of small jetties, and now one of the largest floating pontoon buildings in the country, Brooke Street Pier is a longtime landmark on Hobart’s coastline.
These days, the pier is predominately used as a ferry terminal for tourist cruise vessels. Its main tenants are the Navigators (MONA ferry operators), Peppermint Bay Cruises, and The Glass House (a restaurant with an adjoining cafe and espresso bar). Additionally, Brooke Street Pier serves as a market area for vendors selling Tasmanian produce like dairy, seafood, and wine.
There are self-service luggage storage lockers for use inside the pier, near the MONA ferry terminal. Due to the pandemic, cloaking services have temporarily been suspended on Brooke Street Pier. However, as pandemic-related restrictions change, services are expected to resume.
Train Stations
Unlike the Australian mainland, there are no passenger trains operating in or around Hobart. Instead, the primary way for locals and visitors to get around in Hobart is by bus, taxi, or rideshare.
Bus Stations
Since 1968, buses have been the only form of public transport in and around Hobart. However, in recent years, proposals have been put forth to introduce a light rail system known as Riverline. This light rail would supply locals and tourists alike with greater access to Hobart and other destinations in Tassie. Until then, though, for anyone looking to take public transit in Hobart, it’s off to the Hobart Bus Mall.
Hobart Bus Mall
Currently, in the midst of a massive upgrade to the mall, the Hobart Bus Mall is Metro Tasmania’s primary bus terminus in Hobart’s Central Business District. So far, the city’s installed new bus shelters, street lighting, and seating for passengers on one side of Elizabeth Street.
Next, crews will be working to increase the size of paved walkways and sidewalks in the area and install new bus shelters on the opposite side of the street. Fortunately, the works have not impacted the bus routes and travellers can expect busses to run as scheduled.
Unfortunately, there are currently no luggage storage services available through the Hobart Bus Mall. If you don’t mind taking a short walk, though, you can easily store your luggage nearby at the Brooke Street Pier or at Hobart Central YHA, a nearby backpackers hostel on Argyle Street.
Stadiums
Hobart offers a variety of athletic and entertainment event venues for locals and tourists alike to enjoy. There’s always something to see or do in the city.
Blundstone Arena
Colloquially known as Bellerive Oval, the Blundstone Arena is an Australia rules football and cricket ground on Hobart’s eastern shore. The only venue in Tasmania to catch an international cricket match, the Bellerive Oval, is the Hobart Hurricanes’ and the Tasmania Tigers’ home field, the state’s two cricket teams.
The area on which Blundstone Arena sits held its first recorded football match in 1884 and remained essentially unchanged until the 1980s. In recent decades, though, the Bellerive Oval has undergone massive redevelopment to accommodate crowds of up to 20,000 people, making it the second-largest capacity stadium in Tassie.
Blundstone Arena does not offer any facilities for luggage storage or cloaking at this time. But, if you’re staying at a hotel or hostel, check-in with the front desk attendant as many accommodations offer luggage storage for free or a small fee.
TCA Ground
Less than a kilometre from Hobart’s CBD, the Tasmania Cricket Association Ground offers fans a chance to enjoy a seaside game of footy or cricket. The TCA Ground’s charming white picket fence boundary and incredible views of Mount Wellington dominate the skyline in the distance, giving it the distinction of being one of the most picturesque pitches just about anywhere.
Primarily utilised for Australian rules football during winter months and local Grade competition cricket during summer months, TCA Ground seats up to 8,000 fans. Since it opened in 1882, the TCA Ground has also dabbled in playing host to a litany of other sports such as tennis, baseball, and even once held a ‘Japanese Sports Day’ in 1902, with sumo wrestling, kendo, and Japanese martial arts.
Currently, there are no baggage storage options available on the TCA Ground for fans or event attendees.
North Hobart Oval
The North Hobart Oval is an icon in Tassie’s football history, with quite the history of its own to boot. Formerly the site of Hobart’s brickfields, housing for female convicts, an immigration depot, and a rubbish dump, the stadium hosted its first football match on 6 May 1922.
The capacity for crowds at the North Hobart Oval is 20,000 people. However, the stadium has, on occasion, surpassed that number by more than 4,500 people. To date, the grounds have hosted 74 Tasmanian Football League Grand Finals, and 3 Australian football carnivals, in addition to various State games and VFL/AFL matches.
While there are no luggage storage or cloaking facilities available at the North Hobart Oval, you may be able to safely stash your stuff at a nearby hotel for a small fee. Just make sure to call ahead and ask the desk attendant.
Tourist Attractions
Whether you decide to make a day of climbing Mount Wellington, take the ferry to the MONA, or enjoy some shopping at Salamanca Market, there’s no shortage of exciting things to do in Hobart. And, here’s where you can securely store your stuff while you do.
The MONA
The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest privately sponsored museum, the Museum of Old and New Art, has been described by its creator as a “subversive adult Disneyland.” A self-described “really expensive kitchen garden,” the MONA’s constantly changing angular architecture juxtaposes the pristine natural beauty of the vineyard it occupies.
Although it’s often touted as a museum, the MONA may be more accurately described as a hodge-podge of art, music, food, drink, and experiences. Its revolving door of ever-changing exhibitions means that guests are always in for something new.
Typically, staff ask that visitors leave any umbrellas, water bottles, backpacks, bags, and items bigger than 30cm x 40cm with the visitor information desk for free cloaking. However, with current pandemic-related restrictions in place, visitors are instead encouraged to store their items at the luggage lockers available at the MONA terminal on Brooke Street Pier before embarking on the ferry.
Mount Wellington
About a half-hour drive from Hobart, or 17.1 kilometres (about 10.6 miles), the peak of Mount Wellington awaits, jutting 1271 metres (4166 feet) into the sky above. Known as Kunanyi and unghbanyahletta poorawetter to the indigenous people of Tassie and the aboriginal nation’s people, respectively, the mountain sits on the Wellington Park natural reserve.
In addition to climbing the mountain, visitors to the surrounding park area can traverse via mountain bike, horseback, or along any of the historic walking tracks. And, the park is littered with well-maintained picnic areas, barbeque sites, and play areas to keep the family occupied all day long.
Unfortunately, there are currently no cloaking or luggage storage facilities available in the park or in the general vicinity of Mount Wellington.
Salamanca Market
By far one of Tasmania’s most popular tourist attractions, the Salamanca Market runs each Saturday on Hobart’s gorgeous oceanfront. The market operates in historic Salamanca Place, offering Tasmania’s most comprehensive array of locally produced products.
While operated by the City of Hobart, the Salamanca Market allows vendors to line the street with tents offering their wares from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every weekend. With over 300 stalls present each week, shoppers can choose from locally sourced produce, clothing, spirits, hot foods, artworks made by artists in the area, and much more.
While the Salamanca Market does not offer any luggage storage or locker services on-site, patrons can use the lockers available at the MONA ferry terminal located on Brooke Street Pier. Or, for any visitors staying in a nearby hotel or hostel, be sure to check in with services at the front desk, as you may be able to store your baggage for a nominal fee, if not free of charge.