shene tasmania

LoreneOct08

Wednesday - what to do! Go to a homestead not far from Pontville and step back into the times when my ancestor was a convict labourer on properties the same as this. The wonderful sandstone buildings were built by convicts out of the local sandstone.http://shene.com.au/And do the Butler’s Bounty Tour - Guided walking tour with tea, coffee and home-baked cakes served in the 1852 stables.Thank you to the wonderful Myfanwy - Part of an amazing Queenslander family restoring a heritage site in Tasmania- and little Rupert Archibald III. (A very important part of Team Shene)

marya943

Our party was four of us and we purchased a Butlers Bountey Tour, ($35) walking tour including after noon tea This is about a familys dedication to restore a beautiful homestead, stables barn the Dairy and lots moreThe dedication that this family has put into bringing this place back to life is second to none. So please make the effort to visit. Your can also just do the tour with out the afternoon tea, ($25) but I recommend the full package.Mary Arnold

babsfromtas

I fully agree with the previous reviews about this fascinating tour of Shene. The 3 of us greatly enjoyed our personalised tour with Anne who is a fountain of knowledge about the property and it's history and was able to answer all our questions. Highly recommend a tour for locals and visitors alike - you won't be disappointed if you appreciate the history of places like Shene

Moonrock1962

A family visit south to Hobart included a Butlers Bounty tour for four of us of the beautiful Shene at Pontville. Only the four of us on the tour that felt personal and was fascinating. A genuine and warm welcome by Anne Kernke who showed us into the stables for a lovely morning tea and an introduction to the site. This was followed by a tour of the property including barn and homestead where Anne told us of its history and of her families past work on the site (incredible effort) and wonderful plans for the site. What was most impressive was the clear committment to preserving this beautiful property for the benefit of us all. Very inspiring a first class tour. We were really treated as visitors and not just tourists and our sincere thanks to Anne for her hospitality and all the best to Anne and David with there continued work. We look forward to a return visit in a couple of years :-). Shene really is living history, a must see and a real highlight for Tasmania.

SueL690

This is a relatively new attraction and is still a work in progress but it is absolutely worth a visit now. A guided tour of the amazing property - stables, barn, house - and a morning or afternoon tea that was delicious is provided in the cost of the tour. It is about 30 minutes from Hobart and a car is necessary. The history of 'Shene', the families who lived there and the story of the continuing restoration is a wonderful piece of Tasmanian and Australian history and the current owners pay such respect to the amazing past of this wonder and with such passion it is hard not to get enthused by it all.Large and small artefacts found on the property during restoration, hidden convict plumbing, unearthed kitchens and mysterious signs on bricks and doorways all give a great insight into life in very early days of Tasmania. Wonderful to see such work done to look after our heritage and great professionalism in the doing!

GSD14

What an amazing property, we did the Butlers Bounty Tour which is a two hour guided tour of the homestead, barn and stables. This place is fantastic the owners have done a fabulous job of restoring it back to the original condition. Our guide, Myfanwie was wonderful, extremely knowledgeable and shared the whole story of the property from its original beginnings up to their plans for the future of this remarkable place. Normally when these places are opened up to the public generally they only allow you to see certain areas or they are roped off. Not this place you see everything, you are able to touch artefacts that have been found on site. This tour really pulls you in, Myfanwie makes you feel so welcome, you really are included. The afternoon tea which you have in the stables is just lovely, seriously this place is worth a visit. Well done to this family for taking on such an enormous task, the fact that they love this place and are restoring it with care is wonderful.

robcarroll

An amazing opportunity to walk in history. Our guide, Myfanwie, was incredibly knowledgeable and gave a wonderful insight into the history of the site, and also into the challenges faced by her family restoring this property to its present state, and also their aims for the future. It was a real privilege to be given such access to a beautiful, historical home. Afternoon tea, with limitless tea and coffee, was beautiful, and the whiskey soaked fruit cake was given a huge tick of approval from my group. The commitment of this family to restoring the property is to be applauded, and making it available to everyone is real cause to celebrate.

MossM

If you are planning a visit to Tasmania, visiting this site is a must, so include it in your plans. I was absolutely astounded and proud to have historic buildings such as these, kept in such immaculate condition. Anne Kernke and her family have done such a wonderful job in the restoration of these buildings and please make sure you do the guided tour and learn of the history of past Tasmania.

EstherS56

Shene House and stables are a truly remarkable story of history in the remaking.. Anne and her family have poured their hearts into restoring this incredible place and made it a place that is very interesting to explore and learn about our early Tasmanian history and that of the original Butler family that owned Shene. She has also opened her home to visitors to enjoy and created a little microcosm of that early Tasmanian era. To top it off the visitor enjoys a delicious morning tea near the fire in the stables while being regaled with more stories of the restoration. Evidently Shene also can cater for weddings, music concerts and group bookings. I certainly intend coming again! Highly recommended for a visit.

carolc827

My friend and I had the privledge of having a tour of this amazing property. The passion of Anne and Myfawny about Shene is heartwarming. They are saving our heritage for future generations. Rosemary and I spent eight days touring Tasmania and this tour was the highlight and most memorable of our holiday. Shene is a hidden treasure and it is a pity that it does not receive more publicity. I certainly am spreading the word! Thank you so much for making our tour (and the beautiful morning tea) so memorable. I only wish there were more people like you to have such a passion about our heritage.Keep up the good work!Carol Curran

MelanieC212

We booked a tour of Shene and were privileged to be the only visitors on the day. We spent an enthralling afternoon with Anne Kernke touring the stables, barn, servants quarters and house. The work they are doing to preserve this national treasure is astounding and Anne's passion for the property and its history is evident. The Butler's Bounty afternoon tea was another highlight but I'll leave this as a surprise! This is a not to miss piece of Tassie's hustory.

Mary449

I visited Shene yesterday as part of the Tasmanian Heritage Council's Open Doors weekend. It was an absolute delight to be welcomed to the property by the family, to hear about the history of the property and to be shown over the magnificent stable block and then the family home. The family have a real enthusiasm and passion for the heritage conservation work they are doing. This property has quite a different feel to other historic properties I've visited - it's very atmospheric. You somehow expect to see Black Beauty pop his head out of one of the stalls in the stables! To top off the visit, we were treated to home baked cakes with coffee. A really enjoyable day. Don't miss seeing this property.

Debsta

This is a stunning Historical property, proudly shown to my partner and I, by David, Anne, and young Rupert the dog. The love David and Anne have of their property is clear to see, with the hard work they have done, and are still doing, to restore Shene to its former glory. Their knowledge of the early years of Shene is outstanding, and leaves you feeling like you actually lived in that era. Just a fascinating tour, and one of the best I have ever been on.A visit here is definitely worth it, and we plan on going back again in the future, to see more of the respectful restorations being done. Wonderful warmth and hospitality shown from this beautiful couple. Thanks again.Cheers, Deb.

TassieDevil90

Had the absolute pleasure of visiting Shene today and was in awe of the incredible architecture and history. This is a place that people need to be visiting and supporting. Anne and David were absolutely lovely and are doing an incredible job of restoring and preserving some magnificent Tasmanian history. Well worth visiting - so much to see and learn about, plus an amazing afternoon tea made by Anne. Plus Rupert the dog is quite a character! They are doing a wonderful job. The gardens are well maintained and the whole place feels loved and cherished, which is how it should be. I truly encourage people to take the time to visit Shene - you really won't regret it!

Batrouney

Anne & David are to be admired for their devotion& enthusiasm & really need Government assistance to complete their worthy project.They were wonderful hosts & hopefully will be able to continue their good work