Sorell
Sorell is a town in the southeast of Tasmania. It is one of Tasmania's oldest towns, settled in 1808, and officially gazetted in 1821. Sorell has many historic buildings, as well as amenities and accommodation. Sorell is the business and shopping hub of the Sorell municipality, and serves as the gateway and main town for what is sometimes called the Southern Beaches region, famed for its many beaches and shack communities. Sorell also sits at the start of the Arthur Highway towards Port Arthur.
Understand
Sorell is named after William Sorell, Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania. It is just 25 kilometres from Hobart, accessed via the Causeway and McRobies Bridge. It has a long history as one of Tasmania's first towns, primarily acting as a nexus for the agricultural regions around it, and as the first stop on the way to the Tasman Peninsula. In addition, it remains the closest major town for the southern beach communities of Lewisham, Dodges Ferry, Carlton River, Connellys Marsh, and Primrose Sands - historically holiday towns. Today, many people in Sorell and surrounds commute to Hobart for work.
Sorell has both major supermarkets, three pharmacies, a doctor's clinic and most other major amenities. It also features many historic buildings, from its art deco town hall to its three historic churches. Sorell is the regional seat of the Sorell Council, covering 583 square kilometres, which operates from offices behind town hall.
Get in
It is a 30-minute drive from Tasmania's capital, Hobart via the A3 Tasman Highway, and a 13-minute drive from Hobart International Airport.
Get around
Sorell is small enough to be traversed on foot; finding parking is generally not an issue. Crossing its main street, Gordon St (Tasman Hwy / A3), can be a bit of a challenge at times, especially during peak hours.
One thing that can be confusing in Sorell is its route numbers. Before the winter of 2022, things used to be fairly straightforward, but ever since the Sorell Southern Bypass opened, has rerouted the route numbers more conveniently for those bypassing the town. However, if you're following route numbers and are in Sorell, whether a road is part of the A3 or A9 can get confusing. To put it in a nutshell:
- Sorell Southern Bypass: A9 in both directions
- Main Road and Gordon Street (Tasman Highway): A3 in both directions
- Cole Street (Arthur Hwy): A9 eastbound, A3 westbound, with the signs in between showing either.
Navigation applications tend to be inaccurate. If anything, follow the local signs and ignore your GPS – the signs will clearly indicate the focal points and the distance, and these are more accurate than map applications.
See
- 🌍 St Thomas' Catholic Church, 22 Arthur St. The heritage listed St Thomas' Catholic Church was designed by noted architect Henry Hunter in 1864.
- 🌍 St George's Anglican Church, 16 Gordon St, ☏ +61 3 6265 2445. Su 10AM & 3PM. Heritage listed Gothic Revival St George's Anglican Church, built in 1826.
- 🌍 Scots Uniting Church, 43 Arthur St. Considered an unusual example of a Romanesque Church in Australia, built in 1842 to designs by James Blackburn. It is now closed, so please be respectful and only admire it from a distance.
Do
- The Waterway Trail, Pioneers Park, 14 Parsonage Place. Follow the walk along the Sorell Rivulet, with storyboards explaining some of the historic sights of Sorell. It is flat and concreted, and accessible to most people. The walk starts in Parsonage Place. A map is available via the Council website.
- 🌍 Sorell Fruit Farm, 174 Pawleena Rd, ☏ +61 3 6265 3100, sorellfruitfarm@gmail.com. Oct–Apr: 10AM–4PM daily. Fruit-picking.
- Sorell Community Market, Sorell Memorial Hall, 47 Cole st. Every 2nd Sunday from 8am. Running since 1991, with only one brief disruption, Sorell Community Market is a great place for handmade, fresh food and veggies, and vintage. Make sure not to miss the whole market, as it is spread over a carpark, and two wings of the hall, and it is easy to miss one room or the stalls at the front of the hall.
Buy
- 🌍 Sorell Antiques Centre, 15 Somerville St, ☏ +61 3 6265 2805, sorellantiquescentre@bigpond.com. 10AM-5PM except on public holidays. Operated by 12 independent antique dealers from all around Tasmania, the shop has collectables, furniture, glassware and other kinds of antiques.
- Salvation Army Op Shop, 11/21 Dubs and Co Drive (Go past Woolworths, then turn right), ☏ +61 3 6265 3870. M-Sa 9AM-5PM. Voted as Southern Tasmania's best op shop, the Salvation Army Op shop has a huge range of vintage, clothes and cool oddities. Parking is easy. Wheelchair accessible.
- Lifeline Shop, 32 Cole St. M-F 10AM-4PM. Lifeline Shop has a wide range of books and clothes, as well as vintage. Parking is sometimes busy.
- DeadlySisu, 1/15 Gordon St. W-Su 11AM-5PM, Su 11AM-4PM. A vintage and new clothing boutique, focused on size inclusive and sustainable clothes. Also features locally made and designed accessories.
Eat
- Bento Sorell, 32A Cole St.
- Gateway Candy Corner, Shop 17/27 Cole St. M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 10AM-3PM. An old fashioned candy shop with a whole range of older fashioned lollies and Tasmanian-made ice cream. There is a Brum car for the kids to ride on while you get ice cream.
- Trendy Bake, Shop 6/27 Cole St. Local bakers and baristas. Scrolls, bread, cakes and biscuits can be purchased here. Sit and eat or takeaway. The blueberry tea cake is particularly good.
Sleep
- 🌍 Sorell Baracks, 31 Walker St, ☏ +61 3 6265 1572. Built in 1827 for army officers, and today a garden-side B&B near the centre of Sorell. $115 per night and up.
- Flimby Bed & Breakfast, 68 Rosendale Rd, Sorell, ☏ +61 3 6269 3802. Flimby is a Georgian brick farm house, now converted to a B&B.
Connect
Sorell Library, 25 Cole St (Parking in Woolworths carpark). M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-noon. Libraries Tasmania card required.
Go next
| Hobart ← Cambridge ← | W A3 NE | → Buckland → St Helens |
| END ← | W A9 SE | → Dunalley → Port Arthur |