Sheffield

Sheffield is a town of about 1,600 people in the foothills of Mount Roland, roughly 30 kilometres south of Devonport in north-west Tasmania. The town was established in 1859 as a farming settlement and served the surrounding timber and agriculture industries through the 19th and 20th centuries. By the 1980s, the town's economy was declining and the main street was struggling.

The mural project started in 1986, inspired by the Canadian town of Chemainus in British Columbia, which had used outdoor murals to revitalise its economy after the closure of a major sawmill. Local residents commissioned the first murals depicting the history and landscape of the Sheffield district, and the project grew steadily over the following decades. Today there are more than 60 murals on buildings throughout the town, ranging from large-scale historical scenes to abstract contemporary works. The International Mural Fest, held each April, invites artists from around the world to paint new murals live over the festival weekend.

The murals cover a wide range of subjects. Early pieces focus on local history, including the timber industry, pioneering families and Aboriginal heritage. Later works are more diverse and include landscapes, wildlife, abstract compositions and cultural commentary. The quality varies, but the best works are genuinely impressive and the cumulative effect of walking through a town where every second building has a large-scale painting on its wall is distinctive and engaging.

Sheffield sits directly below Mount Roland, a 1,234 metre peak that dominates the skyline and provides the town with a dramatic backdrop. The summit walk is a moderately challenging half-day hike that rewards with panoramic views across the surrounding farmland to Bass Strait. The mountain is sacred to the palawa Aboriginal people and is one of the most recognisable peaks in northern Tasmania.

The town is the most common northern gateway to Cradle Mountain, which is about a 50 minute drive to the south-west. Many visitors stop in Sheffield for a coffee and a mural walk on the way to or from the national park. The town has a handful of cafes, a well-regarded bakery, and accommodation ranging from motels to farm stays. The surrounding district produces honey, berries and cool-climate produce.