TOURS ATTRACTIONS STANLEY

The Discovery Centre contains a wealth of information relating to the history of the Stanley district and many items of interest collected in the area. Some of the items on display include: Antique bric-a-brac, Photographic display, numerous household and farming utensils of settlement days, 1850 wedding gown, marine curios, relics from ships that once sailed in the area. bowsprit of ship Kermandie, mineral display, and locally made souvenirs and handcrafts are for sale. Genealogy search AUD5 which includes your entry fee. Opening hours of the centre are 1000 - 1600 daily from September to June. The centre is closed weekdays June, July, August. It is possible to access the centre by appointment outside of opening hours.

Joseph Aloysius Lyons was born in this tiny cottage in Stanley in 1879. He was a teacher before joining the Workers' Political League and this led him into politics. By 1914 he was deputy leader of the Labor Party. In 1923 he was elected State Premier. The Party lost power in 1928 but Lyons headed to Canberra, where he held a number of offices before resigning from the ministry in 1931. Two months later, "Honest Joe" as he was known, was leader of a new movement - the United Australia Party - and within nine months he was Prime Minister. The school house where he taught for nine years has been restored by the National Trust. Home Hill, the home of Joe and Dame Enid Lyons, in Devonport, remains exactly as Dame Enid left it, and it is open to the public.

Stanley Seaquarium provides a fascinating sea-life experience at the foot of Stanley's Nut, north west Tasmania. At this colourful and vibrant aquarium, the emphasis is on fun and facts as you come up-close with resident sea creatures. Learn how Tasmanian Giant Crabs can grow to an enormous 16 kilograms and get face to face with the six-foot-long Conger Eel, displaying a personality to match! Watch as the female octopus awaits the hatching of her eggs in her cosy house while the Striped Trumpeter seems to want to chat. It's hands-on in the Rock Pool with hermit crabs displaying their beautiful shells. From delicate seahorses to sharks and lobsters, maritime artefacts, shells and ships Stanley Seaquarium provides a unique world of delight for all ages. The Seaquarium is designed for wheelchair access and the friendly staff are happy to answer questions about these varied and fascinating creatures. The aquarium caters for school and bus groups and has a 20 per cent discount policy for pre-booked groups of 10 or more people. Located on the waters' edge alongside Stanley's fishing fleet, housed in a shed originally constructed for crayfish processing, Stanley Seaquarium transforms the building into a fascinating discovery of Tasmanian sea-life.

Mark Bishop, an internationally-renowned designer and furniture-maker works in the centre of Stanley. Working with rare Tasmanian timbers, Mark can be seen at the former Stanley Artworks Gallery. With many previous exhibitions held in Europe and America and as a former artist in residence at the Wood Turning Centre in Philadelphia, USA, Mark is well-known internationally and his commissioned furniture can be found all over the world. The workshop is open weekdays, throughout the year, or by appointment. Stanley is a 90 minutes drive west of Devonport (127 kilometres/79 miles) and an hour west of Burnie (78 kilometres/48 miles).

The Stanley Golf Club is a nine-hole coastal course at Stanley, north west Tasmania. Stanley is a classified historic town, 20 minutes' north east of Smithton (22 kilometres/14 miles) and 90 minutes' west of Devonport (127 kilometres/79 miles). A typical links-style course, the Stanley Golf Club has a relatively flat layout with watered greens and tees. The course is set among sand dunes about 10 metres from the sea and has some interesting challenges including bunkers, a dam and strong Bass Strait winds. The course offers great views of the coast and Stanley's famous Nut - the remains of an extinct volcano rising 152 metres/500 feet from the sea. Visitors are welcome and casual green fees are paid into an honesty box. A Men's competition is held each Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 1pm and the Ladies competition is each Wednesday and Saturday at 10am. You can enjoy a drink in the bar each weekday from 3pm, Saturday from 11am and from 3pm Sunday. Club and buggy hire, practice facilities and showers are also available. The Stanley Golf Club hosts The Nut Major Open Event each year in mid-November. Holes: 9, Par: 66, Length: 4,706 metres, Australian Course Rating: 64.

The Touchwood Craft Gallery is located at Stanley, north-west Tasmania. Stanley is an hour's drive north-west of Burnie (78 kilometres/49 miles) and 90 minutes from Devonport (127 kilometres/79 miles). The Touchwood Craft Gallery specialises in fine Tasmanian artworks. You can browse the Gallery's collection of hand-made pottery, blown glass, pewter, jewellery and fine woodcraft made from Tasmanian speciality timbers. Artisans include Barry Mousley - who is exclusively represented by Touchwood - Crickhollow Pottery, the Tasmanian Kaleidoscope Company, West Tamar Woodcrafts and Tasmanian Glassblowers, among many others. Many of the artworks are for sale and phone orders are also accepted. Treat yourself to aromatic coffee and home-baked treats in the Touchwood café. Sample freshly baked cakes, muffins or scones slathered in fresh cream and fruity jam, or enjoy a gourmet snack or light meal from the menu which features fine Tasmanian produce, including fresh local seafood. Touchwood also offers bed and breakfast, cottage accommodation overlooking the ocean and dramatic Stanley coastline.

The historic village of Stanley, in far north-west Tasmania, is nestled at the base of The Nut, a sheer-sided bluff - all that remains of an ancient volcanic plug. A walking track climbs to the summit of The Nut, or you can take the chairlift, with its spectacular views across Bass Strait beaches and over the town.There is accommodation and an excellent campground in Stanley, and the town is a good base for exploring the forests and coastlines further west. See seals, penguins, sea birds and other wildlife close to Stanley local operators offer a range of observation tours. The town was once the administrative centre for the Van Diemen's Land Company, a royal charter company, formed in 1824 during the reign of George IV. Highfield House, an imposing Georgian home was once the VDL Managers' residence. It is open to the public and overlooks the town below. To reach Stanley, turn off the Bass Highway (A2) 15 km east of Smithton.

Highfield Historic Site offers a historically accurate vision of a gentleman's home and farm of the 1830s. It sits on a hillside overlooking the lands the manager would have once controlled, with views across to Stanley, the Nut and Bass Strait beyond. The house is being restored over time and its elegant Regency design, convict barracks, barns, stables, and a chapel were once surrounded by a large ornamental garden. Edward Curr, the chief agent of the Van Diemen's Land Company, started construction in 1832, and later additions were made by John Lee Archer, the colony's first important architect. Archer retired to live out his last days in Stanley and his grave can be found in the protected cemetary at the base of the Nut. The VDL settlement began in 1826 on 250,000 acres granted under Royal Charter by George IV. Today, the original farm has reduced and covers around five acres, which is open to visitors.