Bridgewater is located 19 kilometres to the north of Hobart, and has gained a reputation as an important market town due to its location on the prominent crossing point of the Derwent River. The town was originally known as Green Point in its early development, and the completion of the convict built Causeway, 1.5 kilometres in length and completed in 1849 led to rapid development of the settlement.

The railway arrived in Bridgewater in 1876, and the first Congregational Church was constructed in 1833 by a Hobart merchant named Henry Hopkins at the nearby Austins Ferry, in the Glenorchy region. The Black Snake Inn also in this region was constructed by convicts in 1833, and was licensed until 1860.


The main focal point of the town is the Causeway, constructed in the 1830s by convicts who ferried in 2 million tons of clay and stone. The first bridge was opened in 1849, replacing the existing punt service across the river which had operated since 1816. Today's bridge dates from 1946.

Some historic buildings in nearby Pontville are worth visiting, and include the Officer's Mess and Barracks constructed in 1824, and St Mark's Church dating from 1841 - all of which are classified by the National Trust.

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