Dry Hills and River Views on Hobart’s Eastern Shore

Overview

Meehan Range is a 1,258-hectare nature recreation area on Hobart’s eastern shore, within Clarence City and only a short distance from the centre of the capital. It protects a broad belt of bushland above the suburbs, giving this side of the city a distinctly rugged backdrop and a sense of open country close to town.

The reserve is known as a long-standing multi-use area, with recreation woven through a landscape that still holds important natural values. Its setting, close to the Derwent and the lower hills around Risdon Vale, Howrah and Rokeby, makes it feel both suburban and surprisingly expansive.

Highlights

The character of Meehan Range comes from its dry, rocky hills and ridgelines. This is a landscape of bush-covered slopes, exposed high points and changing views across Hobart’s eastern shore, with the River Derwent and surrounding hills often part of the wider scene.

What makes the area distinctive is that sense of contrast. One moment it feels close to the city, and the next it opens into broad slopes and scrubby forest with a much more remote feel. The range forms one of the main natural landforms on this side of Hobart, and that elevated, broken country gives it much of its appeal.

Best Time to Visit

Meehan Range can be rewarding at any time of year, but the milder months of autumn and spring are often the most comfortable for spending time in this dry eastern Tasmanian bush. In summer the exposed hills can feel hot and harsh in the middle of the day, while winter usually brings clearer air and softer light across the slopes and river.

Because it sits so close to Hobart, it also works well as a place for short outings when the weather is settled, rather than a destination that needs a full-day commitment.

Plants and Animals

The reserve protects dry eucalypt bushland typical of Tasmania’s south-east, shaped by thin soils and exposed hills. Dolerite and mudstone both influence the vegetation here, and that helps create a patchwork of dry forest and woodland across the range.

Meehan Range is also significant for a number of Tasmanian plants with restricted distributions. The rare Risdon peppermint, Eucalyptus risdonii, is known from the reserve, and so is Hooker’s daisybush, Olearia hookeri. Those records point to the botanical interest of the range as well as its value as everyday bushland on the edge of Hobart.