Hollow Tree
From the early 1800's Hollow tree was a road junction and meeting place. The ford can clearly be seen across the Dew Rivulet near Hollow Tree Bridge.
In 1826, the Land Commissioners of Tasmania considered Hollow tree to be a "settled area" but the roads then were bridle tracks and often in bad weather they changed direction to make a detour around a stony outcrop or a wet marsh.
From Hollow Tree, the Marked Tree Road took travellers past Longwood, Bloomfield and Allanvale towards Gretna and southwards. Another track branched off to go south-east past Espies Craig and over Pelham Tier, to Broadmarsh and Black Brush, and south to Hobart Town. Yet another track went from the Pelham cross-roads, down thousand acre lane to Hamilton (as it does today).
At this time the track from Bothwell to Hamilton went through Montacute, Emu Bottom, and Katrine Vale, thence across the Clyde River, up the Boomer and Jacky Oliver's Hill and so on to Montford before reaching Hamilton. At one time early settler Mr Bradbury kept changing the track through his Hollow tree farm which greatly annoyed his neighbours.
In June 1833, a committee of local landowners met, with the intention of connecting the towns of Bothwell and Hamilton with a properly constructed road. The road, much as we know it now, was finished in 1842, and it came under the New Roads Act.
The hills of Hollow Tree hid from sight many settlers and workers cottages and huts. There was a sprinkling of many larger homesteads built in the first sixty years of settlement, mostly sandstone, quarried close to where it was needed. The early Hollow Tree post office still stands, but it is now a cottage on Rathmore. A school was built near the Hollow Tree bridge and a large hall added to it for community use. Many people remember stories told of the wonderful dances held in the hall, people travelling many miles to attend, bringing trays of food for supper time.
It is interesting to note that well-known early settler, Dr Crowther had a son and grandson who both became Premiers of Tasmania - Hon W L Crowther, FRGS (1878 - 1879) and Hon J B Hayes, CMG (1922 - 1923) who was also president of the Senate, 1938 - 1941.