NEW NEW NEW

A familiar space inside Hadley’s Orient Hotel has been given a fresh identity with the launch of the Art Bar at Hadley’s (34 Murray Street, Hobart). Celebrating a decade of the Hadley’s Art Prize, the new concept reflects the hotel’s long-standing connection to the arts and continues the evolution of one of Hobart’s most loved gathering places. Influenced by the seasonal, local flavours of Tasmania. Signature cocktails, beer, wine and a range of share plates are available daily from 4pm with live piano every Saturday from 5pm-8pm, and Happy Hour from 4pm-6pm daily. The Standard (449 Main Rd, Glenorchy) heads north, opening in Glenorchy and now offering breakfast. Alongside The Standard’s signature smashed beef burgers, south­ern fried chicken and classic thick­shakes, the Glenorchy location will introduce a full breakfast menu, with a family-friendly format designed to serve the local community from early morning through to dinner, seven days a week. Head Chef Sam Chang and his team make their bread and burger buns fresh daily, alongside house-made pickles and sauces. Following a suc­cessful Dark Mofo launch, GOTHAM at The Still (30 Argyle St, Hobart) is officially becoming a permanent fixture in Hobart. Since opening in early June, the reimagined whisky bar has wel­comed more than 5,000 guests, serving up 3,070 oysters, 1,139 martinis, 446 Negronis, 309 cheeseburgers and 200 nips of Dark LARK. It’s becoming one of Hobart’s most-loved venues, blending whisky, cocktails, food and live music into one experience. North Hobart has welcomed Hobart Beer Culture (50 Letitia Street, North Hobart), as they open a taproom in an old pump factory. With taps showcasing local brews, coffee, food trucks and events. Next month Small Wonder Wines (530 Auburn Rd, Kay­ena) is opening a new cellar door and welcoming chef, Konstantin Putkin. A new chapter begins. He shared, “I’m incredibly excited to announce that I’ve joined the OVERSTORY family as Head Chef at Small Wonder Wines in Tasmania’s beautiful Tamar Valley. I’ll be building an incredible team to bring a new food offering to life, built around the produce, people and seasons of Tasmania.” Konstantin’s career has included the former Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows in London and the hatted Wintergarden Restaurant in the Blue Mountains. Also set to open next month is Gelato Messina and Shadow Baking, as part of the Elizabeth Street Pier redevelopment project. Jackson Forthing (Corner Main and Derwent Park Road, Derwent Park) has opened in Tasmania, with their first showroom at Derwent Park. Part of the Dongfeng Motor Group – one of China’s largest and longest-established automotive manufacturers – Forthing combines large-scale engineering capability with contemporary design and intelligent technology.

STAMP DUTY

Australia Post will apply a price increase to reserved ordinary letters, subject to completing remaining regulatory processes, which includes a 15-cent increase to the Basic Postage Rate (BPR), up from $1.70 to $1.85, and an increase in the price for ordinary large letters, delivered at the regular timetable. The proposed effective date for the price change is 1 September 2026. The changes will help Australia Post address the in­creasing cost of providing the letters service. There is no change to the price of concession stamps, at $3 for a booklet of five stamps, or to seasonal greeting card stamps, at $0.65 for a small letter.

HADLEYS ART + BAR

It’s been a busy month for Hadleys Orient Hotel – not only is the Hadleys Art Prize on but to celebrate the prize’s 10th birthday they’ve also launched the Art Bar. The bar will be part hospitality space, part art gallery, hosting a permanent public display of winning entries from over the years. The menu includes hot and cold share plates along with classic cocktails and the usual alcoholic and non-alcoholic offerings. The exhibition of the final­ists for this year’s Hadley’s Art Prize is on until 23 August. Admission is free and it’s open daily 10am-4pm.

NEW GLENORCHY YOUTH HUB

Young Glenorchy residents have a new dedicated place to connect, have fun and relax with the opening of the Glenorchy Youth Hub. The hub offers young people aged 12-17 a safe, wel­coming and inclusive space to spend time after school, make new friends and connect with Council’s youth workers. There is hot food, comfy spots, 8 ball, video games and more. The Hub is at 370 Main Road, Gle­norchy. Enter from the Glenorchy City Council lawns. Open for after-school drop-ins Monday to Friday, 3pm-5pm.

KUNANYI MOUNTAIN RUN GOES NATIONAL

Many of Australia’s top trail runners will descend on Hobart next March as Kunanyi Mountain Run incorporates the Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships in 2027. Five national championships disciplines, usually held separately, will be brought together in a single event for the first time – a long course trail, short course trail, uphill, downhill and vertical running. KMR founder and director Lincoln Quilliam said organisers had been working with Athletics Australia and AUTRA for several years to secure the event. “We’re so honoured to be hosting the first ever combined Austra­lian mountain and trail running champs at Kunanyi Mountain Run,” he said. “We’ve got an epic mountain on the doorstep of the town. The town is well set up for tourism, so you can’t beat it. It’s just a perfect fit.” The three-day festival attracted about 1300 runners in 2026, with numbers expected to grow significantly once the championships are added. “We’re expecting 1500 for 2027,” Mr Quilliam said. “The champs will increase that again – we might get 1600-1700. Certainly all of the elite runners who are keen to represent Australia at the World Championships later in 2027 are expected to be here.” A new 84 kilometre course featuring 4,800 metres of elevation gain would be introduced as part of the expanded event.

MONA GOES TO BANGKOK

MONA Bangkok is on the horizon, with the team in Hobart working together with Asset World Corp Public Company Limited (AWC) in Bangkok to develop a new art muse­um on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. David Walsh, Mona’s founder, said the time was right. “Having spent most of the last 25 years studying how museums work, AWC has presented us with a remarkable opportunity to take what we’ve learned to one of the great tourist centres of the world.” Leigh Carmi­chael, DarkLab CEO and Creative Director, said MONA Bangkok will take the creative spirit of MONA into a new context. “Like the museum in Hobart, it will be unconventional and unique, and will present work by leading international artists, while also creating opportunities for mean­ingful dialogue with Thai artists, audiences and cultural traditions,” he said. “The theme of light will be explored both as a physical phenom­enon and as a metaphor. Light has long been a source of fascination, reflection and hope across cultures, and it feels especially resonant in Bangkok, with its rich cultural life and traditions.”

BASKETS ON BINS FOR 10-CENT CONTAINERS

New baskets and racks for 10-cent recycle rewards drink containers are being trialled on selected council bins statewide. The baskets and racks are already in place in Launceston’s city parks and malls, Hobart’s Kangaroo Bay, Deloraine, Prospect, Wara­tah-Wynyard along the Wynyard foreshore and on King Island at Cur­rie. Next up will be Hobart’s Rivulet Track and New Norfolk, with more to follow. Instead of ending up as litter or in landfill, containers left in the baskets or racks can then be collected by anyone and taken to a Recycle Rewards refund station. The trial runs for four months.

SING, SING, SING

If you’re an older bloke who loves to sing – in the shower, in the car, in a group – you can join a senior men’s six-week a cappella singing project “Sing. Connect. Belong”. There’s no auditions, no pressure, no expectations – just familiar songs, good company and plenty of individual support. Learn and sing beautiful harmonies with songs like Yesterday, Annie’s Song and Hallelujah. And at the final workshop, you will perform for family and friends. The group meet on Friday 4, 11, 18, 25 September and 2 and 9 October from 10am-12:15pm at Rosny Library.

The project is proudly supported by a Clarence City Council Community Grant, is presented by The Silvertones chorus, and led by a very supportive and encouraging director, Aaron Powell.

For more information contact Trevor on 0488 967 904 or register your inter­est at www.silvertones.hmbhc.intas.net

SANDY BAY PLAYGROUND ACCESSIBILITY

The large Long Beach Reserve playground has a new installation of accessible play equipment and a chat board. There’s now a Smooth Ship Glider and carousel that both accom­modate a wheelchair plus a five-way swing. The chat board features visual symbols, which non-verbal children can use to communicate, and braille. It was suggested by current Hobart Children’s Mayor, Noah Dobson, whose two younger brothers use similar tools. “Long Beach Reserve playground is a perfect example of how inclusive playgrounds around the world should be,” Noah said. “This new upgrade has made the park way more inclusive, and has let my brothers, Caleb and Riley, have more fun, while connecting with people safely. “This amazingly accessi­ble playground should hopefully be the first of lots more inclusive areas in our community.

“In the future, we should see even more communication boards, not just

LOAD BEARING ARTS COMPETITION FOR DERWENT VALLEY

The Bridge Art Prize is back this year following its successful inaugural appearance on the Tasmanian arts scene last year. Derwent Valley Arts were bowled over by the response with over two hundred entries from around the state across many different forms of me­dia. While the inaugural competition was about celebrating and commemorating the construction of the new Bridgewater Bridge, they are now extending the prize beyond the original initiative with a new theme which can be seen as adjacent to last year’s structural inspiration. ‘Load Bearing’ invites artists to consider the forces that shape our lives – pressure and balance, support and strain, resilience and care – and the systems, relationships and environments that sustain us. Across disciplines and media, works may reflect on what it means to carry, to be carried, or to hold space for others. From the intimate to the collective, the visible to the unseen, the exhibition looks to the structures that underpin human experi­ence. As well as offering a $25,000 first prize, the competition is also open to junior entrants with both a 15-18 and an under 14 category. This year’s exhibition will be held at The Ladies Cottage in New Norfolk from late October. Entries close 30 August.

SAYONARA, SPIRITS

After two decades of service, Spirit of Tasmania I and II will retire soon, before new Spirits IV and V arrive for summer. Fares for the final months of travel on SoT I and II are now discounted, for sailings between 1 September and 23 October, so go pay your last respects.

CALL FOR 1967 BUSHFIRES STORIES

As part of a 60th anniversary project commemorating the 1967 bushfires, Kingborough Council is seeking to record personal stories by those impacted by the fires. Selected stories will be filmed for inclusion in an exhibition to be shared with the community. If you have a story you’re comfortable to share get in touch with them directly at 6211 8200 or kc@kingborough.tas.gov.au

IS YOUR BEACH WATER CLEAN?

Greater Hobart’s beach cleanliness report card has some mixed grades this year. 38 beaches and bays are tested each week between New Norfolk and Kingborough between December and March as part of the Derwent Estuary Program. CEO Ursula Taylor says the results have shown some improvements at popular beaches and some declines at others. “Water samples are analysed for specific bacteria (enterococci) which indicate the presence of contaminants from storm­water run-off and other sources. Each site is classified as having Good, Fair or Poor water quality in accordance with state and national guidelines, based on five years of data,” explained Ms Taylor. Some of the changes include:

• Blackmans Bay north – Fair to Good
• Blackmans Bay mid – Fair to Poor
• Windermere Beach – Good to Fair
• Bellerive Beach west – Good to Fair
• Little Howrah beach – Good to Fair.

Of the 19 swimming sites monitored in Hobart, 17 are suitable for swimming. The 2025-26 Recreational Water Quality Report can be found on the DEP website, publications page www.derwentestuary.org.au/publications/