Sullivans Cove

Sullivans Cove is on the River Derwent adjacent to the Hobart City Centre in Tasmania. It was the site of initial European settlement in the area, and the location of the earlier components of the Port of Hobart.

The cove was the initial landing site of what is now the city of Hobart. It was founded on 21 February 1804 by Lieutenant Governor David Collins, who travelled to the shore via what was then a rocky island named Hunter Island. The connection to the shore was developed and is now known as Hunter Street. The island now has a building directly above it.

Although the first European settlement in the state was further up the river at Risdon Cove by John Bowen a year earlier, that settlement was abandoned and relocated to join the Sullivans Cove settlers.

Collins named Sullivans Cove after John Sullivan, Permanent Under Secretary to the Colonies.

By 1916, several piers had been constructed: from north to south:

In 1933, the Argyle Street and Elizabeth Street Piers were replaced with a single concrete-reinforced structure at Elizabeth Street Pier.

In 1947 there was a proposal to replace Queens and Kings Pier with an extra wide pier, but this was never realised.

In 1948, Ocean Pier was destroyed by a fire.