In Bobby’s Footsteps takes you on a walk around the land that was originally granted to the Reverend Robert (Bobby) Knopwood in 1805 to build his home, Cottage Green, and establish his famous garden.
Knopwood was the naval chaplain appointed to Lieutenant David Collins’ expedition which settled Sullivans Cove in 1804. In 1805 he was granted 30 acres of land which encompassed most of the area between today’s Salamanca Place and Hampden Road in recognition of his role as both Anglican clergyman and magistrate to the fledgling colony.
In Bobby’s Footsteps is not a complete history of Battery Point but rather, the walk takes you on a journey behind-the-scenes to discover how people lived from the time of colonial settlement, and how we have arrived at the point at which we are today. We invite you to look at the signs in the landscape that tell the story of this space through time.
The walk comprises 16 locations and should take about 1½ hours to complete. It is structured on three levels. At each location the text outlines the story of the site and introduces you to the major issues facing those who lived here, the image galleries portray the visual changes to the buildings and landscape through time, and the audio presents the living history – stories of individual people to whom this part of Battery Point was home. Some locations have artistic works by local students included.
Although each location is self-contained, ideally, the walk will start at the bottom of Montpelier Retreat at Cottage Green and follow the suggested sequence. However, by scanning the QR codes at each location, you can start at any point on the route.
In Bobby’s Footsteps was initiated by the Battery Point Community Association and funded by the Tasmanian Community Fund. It was developed by project officers Robert Vincent and Annie Rushton in collaboration with the Albuera Street Primary School.