Richmond, town in southeastern Australia, in the state of Tasmania, located northeast of Hobart, the state capital. Lying on the Coal River and the Pitt Water bay, Richmond is a picturesque historical town and the center of the fertile surrounding agricultural area. With well-preserved historic buildings, including Australia's first Roman Catholic church, an old jail (built in 1825), and a general store (1825), Richmond is a resort area popular with tourists.
Richmond was settled in 1825, two years after convicts built what is now the oldest bridge in Australia, across the Coal River. The bridge was an important link between Hobart and the Port Arthur penal settlement. Richmond was designated a municipality in 1861. Trade in farm produce, especially grain, was the town's mainstay, and Richmond's grain was among the first produced on the island. The grain supported the colony, then called Van Diemen's Land, in the early 19th century. Population (1996) 21,317.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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