Oatlands

Oatlands was laid out in the 1820s as a garrison town on the Hobart to Launceston road, and the sandstone quarried nearby built it: some hundred and fifty Georgian-era buildings survive in the town, described as the largest concentration of Georgian architecture in Australia, including eighty-seven in the main street alone. The Callington Mill, a Lincolnshire-style tower windmill built in 1837, fell into ruin and was restored to full working order in 2010, grinding flour again with sails turning, one of very few operating tower mills in the southern hemisphere. Lake Dulverton beside the town has walking tracks and birdlife, and a whisky distillery now operates in the mill precinct.

What you actually see

• Callington Mill - the restored 1837 tower windmill, grinding flour again.
• The Georgian streetscape - the largest collection of Georgian buildings in Australia.
• The supreme court and gaol - surviving public buildings from the garrison era.
• Lake Dulverton - the lakeside walk and birdlife beside the town.

When to go

October to April for mild weather; the midlands are cold and frosty in winter. The mill operates on set days, weather and wind permitting, and grinding is not guaranteed on any given visit.

Honest expectations

The mill turns only in suitable wind and its operation varies. Many of the Georgian buildings are private homes seen only from the street. The town is quiet, with limited food options, and much closes early.

Nearby

Ross lies north; Hobart is an hour south.