Taroona (an Aboriginal word meaning sea-shell) is a major residential suburb approximately 15 minutes drive from the centre of Hobart on the scenic route between Hobart and Kingston.
Just before reaching Taroona is the Truganini Reserve, named after the last surviving full-blooded Tasmanian Aboriginal. A steep track leads from the reserve through forest up the side of Mount Nelson to the semaphore station at the summit that offers superb views over the River Derwent. The return walk takes around an hour and a half.
Situated on the Channel Highway, just past Taroona is one of the State's most historic buildings, the Shot Tower. The Shot Tower is a 48m (150ft) tall circular sandstone tower constructed by Scotsman Joseph Moir in 1870 from locally quarried sandstone blocks. Lead shot was made by dropping molten lead through a sieve at the top of the tower and by the time it hit the water at the bottom it was cold and spherical in shape. A climb up 291 steps to the top of the tower gives a wonderful view of the Derwent Estuary.
Taroona Community Association
