St David's Park is a heritage-listed park in Hobart, Tasmania, bounded by Davey Street, Salamanca Place, and Sandy Bay Road. The site originally served as HobartâÂÂs primary burial ground and is the final resting place of several early settlers, including its founding Lieutenant Governor, David Collins. Today, St David's Park functions as a public park featuring an English landscape garden, memorial walls, and historical monuments.
St David's Park occupies the site of Hobart's original burial ground, which dates to the early 1800s when the island was known to Europeans as Van Diemen's Land. The cemetery was the resting place for many of its early settlers and convicts, including founding Lieutenant Governor David Collins, who played a key role in the British colonisation of Lutruwita. Other notable burials include mid-19th-century Lieutenant Governor Sir John Eardley-Wilmot, 1st Baronet; mariner and explorer James Kelly; and public secretary James Bicheno, who inspired the name for the east coast town of Bicheno.
The cemetery was formally designated in 1804 by Rev. Robert Knopwood, with burials commencing shortly after Hobart TownâÂÂs establishment. The site appeared on early maps, including one by surveyor James Meehan in 1811. Over time, the cemetery fell into neglect, attracting criticism from locals. The Colonial Magazine in 1840 described it as "neglected, naked, and unkind," noting its unkempt appearance and overgrown graves.
By the late 19th century, the cemetery was in significant disrepair. It closed to new burials in 1872, and as conditions deteriorated, public support grew to convert the area into a public space. In 1920, the St. David's Burial Ground Vesting and Improvement Act transferred the site to the Hobart City Council, permitting the reinterment of remains at Cornelian Bay Cemetery upon relatives' requests. Many headstones were preserved along the parkâÂÂs boundary walls, and significant monuments, including Collins' memorial, were consolidated in the park's northeast corner.
The siteâÂÂs redesign was overseen by L. Lipscombe, Superintendent of Reserves, who transformed it into a Victorian-style public park with landscaped lawns, tree-lined paths, and a rotunda. St DavidâÂÂs Park officially opened to the public in 1926. It is adjacent to the Supreme Court of Tasmania and Salamanca Place, the latter known for its iconic weekend market. Today, St David's Park functions as a historical site and recreational area, preserving HobartâÂÂs early history while offering green space within the city.
St DavidâÂÂs Park is designed in the Victorian garden style, featuring lawns, flower beds, and a mix of native and exotic trees. It is enclosed by a historic stone wall and wrought iron gates. The park connects with the adjacent Supreme Court of Tasmania and provides access to Salamanca Place.
St David's Park inspired the poem St. DavidâÂÂs Park, Hobart, by Tasmanian poet Vivian Smith, reflects the park's historical and natural elements. The poem highlights the interaction between the parkâÂÂs natural beauty and historical context: