A Sense of History in Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania

There’s something about Eaglehawk Neck’s giant cliffs and expansive waters that inspire a sense of wonder, just begging for a story to be told. Approximately 1 hour travel from Hobart, guests won’t be disappointed when they arrive at Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania. A trip to our part of Tasmania isn’t complete without visiting the Port Arthur Historic Site around 20 minutes away by car. And just outside your Lufra Hotel window is the site of the infamous ‘dog line’ which was instrumental in confining convicts to the Tasman Peninsula.

Port Arthur & The Eaglehawk Neck Dog Line

From humble beginnings as a timber camp to a prison at the forefront of the containment of criminals to what we know today, Port Arthur is a treasure chest of history, both intriguing and infamous.

Between 1830 and 1877, Port Arthur operated as a penal settlement tasked with housing and containment of convicts. The only land passage north from Port Arthur convicts would attempt to escape was via Eaglehawk Neck. In order to prevent this the Dog Line was created—a line of ferocious dogs and group of armed military guards.

The intriging History of Lufra

The full history of Lufra, the Hotel, the Gardens, and it’s place as a health sanitorium is yet to be written, but we at the Hotel treasure those stories we have been able to gather of the story from guest cottage to our current modern hotel.

We appreciate that the site;

had indigenous significance prior to European colonisation
it is connected to the ‘Risby’ family who established a prominent Tamanaian timber industry empire
the original cottage on the site became a guest cottage
at some time the site was known as Lufra Cove, the Lufra Estate to Lufra Hotel At least three credible (but to date inconclusive) storys exist as to why; a dog, a ship, a place?
Dr Ellis purchased the site in early 1900s building a health sanitorium in the pristine environment found
the Nuroo family purchased and licensed the property as a hotel in 1906, continuing to operate till mid 1940s
Reginal Ansett then purchased the property, building the current Lufra Hotel, shortly before the previous hotel burnt to the ground

Today Ansett’s ‘Lufra’ still exists and has been complimented by the addition of 16 Four Star Apartments which were built in 2007.

Local Links

Has the history of our area peeked your interest? We love to work with local attractions and activities from haunted tours to the stunning natural attractions and historic sites. Knowing you’ll get the best of what the area has to offer, here are a few helpful links;