Sorell’s historic Carriage Shed has been officially reopened, marking the first stage of a wider plan to transform the town centre into a community cultural precinct.
Sorell Council launched the restored building on Tuesday, calling it “an important piece of our community’s history brought back to life”.
The shed was originally built to support the Bellerive to Sorell railway, a line of more than 23 kilometres that opened in May 1892 and ran until June 1926.
The railway operated separately from the rest of Tasmania’s rail network because there was no bridge across the Derwent at the time.
Passengers travelling to Hobart had to catch a ferry across the river.
The line closed after about three decades due to falling traffic and rising maintenance costs. It turned a profit in only one of those years.
The Carriage Shed went on to serve as the local council depot, becoming one of the last major physical reminders of the railway in Sorell.
The restored shed forms the first stage of the Sorell Community Cultural Precinct, a project that has been shaped by community input since 2020.
Later stages propose the removal of outdated structures, possible soil decontamination and new facilities including an amphitheatre, market space, gardens and seating.
Federal funding for the restoration came through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
Federal Labor MP Rebecca White attended the opening alongside Sorell mayor Janet Gatehouse, Graeme Holt and members of Sorell on Stage.
“It was a lot of fun to recreate some of those earlier memories at the official opening,” White said.
The council thanked the trades, contractors and supporters involved in the project.
“It was wonderful to gather together and mark this special milestone for our community,” the council said.
