Arguably the most beautiful of the historic towns in Tasmania, Ross has a rich history in both architectural significance and in the development of Tasmania. Ross was named by an explorer years before it was developed, and the site became important with the development of a wooden bridge over the Macquarie River in 1836.

Ross was developed around the intersection of Church and Bridge Street. The streets divide the center of town into a neat quadrant which was humorously named by the town’s early inhabitants. The “Four Corners of Ross” includes Temptation where the Man O' Ross Hotel is located, Recreation or the Town Hall, Salvation represented by the Roman Catholic Church and Damnation where the local jail was located.

Across the river, Ross housed one of the few women’s penal facilities in Tasmania, the Female Factory. Later the river was spanned by one of the earliest bridges still standing in Australia. Ross Bridge was constructed using convict labor and the amazing stonework and sculpture is especially notable. View the bridge and the Four Corners of Ross as you explore the many historic buildings and churches of the town along Church Street.

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