Hunter Street is where Hobart began. Under the street is the original Hunter Island, where the first settlers kept their food stores from 1804. A causeway built in 1821 allowed construction of these stone buildings to store wool, wheat, hides, timber and whale oil to be shipped to Sydney, Asian ports and England.

Hobart was the mid-point of John Biscoe's epic circumnavigation of Antarctica in 1830-1833. Separated in Antarctic ice and enduring great hardship and loss of life, Biscoe's two tiny craft were reunited in Hobart before continuing their voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula and England. Before the development of Salamanca Place, Hunter Street was the main centre of shipping activity on the Hobart waterfront, and in all likelihood Biscoe used its services to refit his two vessels.

Hunter Street enjoyed a further Antarctic connection in the 1980s and 1990s, when it housed the first world headquarters of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which has since moved to 181 Macquarie Street.

Near the swing bridge is a memorial celebrating 150 years of European settlement.

If you have a fast broadband internet connection, you can also view the media-rich version of this Pathways site, which includes an audio narrative and slideshow.