Description

Take a walk around the town on this self-guided heritage walk, reading about the history of the buildings in Cowell. The first recorded sighting of this area was in 1802, when Captain Matthew Flinders reported a large lagoon visible from the masthead of the 'Investigator'. The 'Lagoon' was named Franklin Harbour by Governor Gawler in 1840, after the eminent explorer and Tasmanian Governor Sir John Franklin, who as a young man had been a midshipman on the 'Investigator'. Although first settled in 1853, the township itself was not given its present name until 1880, when Governor Jervois named it Cowell, after Sir John Cowell, a brilliant English Army Engineer. Until that time it had been known as Lake Flinders, another name conferred by Governor Gawler in 1840. We suggest you start your walk at the Lions Park/Foreshore Area. The route is approximately 4km long, allow 90 minutes to 2 hours. Download a brochure or visit the Visitor Information Centre at 8 Main Street to pick up a printed brochure of the walk.