Bothwell is a small rural town situated on the Highland Lakes Road in the Central Highlands Shire of Tasmania, Australia. In December 1820, Lieutenant Governor William Sorell and surveyor George William Evans identified the area as ideal for sheep farming. The first settlers arrived in August 1821, and the population steadily increased over the following decade. St Luke’s Church, the town’s first place of worship, was opened in November 1831. Bothwell was formally established as a rural municipality in 1862, with the first council elections held in January 1863.

Today, Bothwell is celebrated for its rich heritage, including Australia’s oldest golf course at the Ratho property and the Castle Hotel, licensed since 1829 and still operating. The town is also renowned for its well-preserved colonial architecture, such as St Luke’s Church (completed in 1830), Wentworth House, and the original public school buildings, many of which are heritage-listed.

This website is dedicated to the history of my Smith Family and the broader story of Bothwell. It is a research-based website that documents the people, properties, and daily life of Bothwell, from its early settlement through to 1920. The site brings together original records, newspaper articles, family histories, and property timelines drawn from archival sources.

How to use this site:

• Start with Bothwell Families

  Research into Bothwell families, including timelines and biographical material drawn from parish registers, civil records, newspapers, and archival sources.
  → Explore families

• Visit Property Histories

  Land ownership, occupancy, and valuation histories for Bothwell properties, tracing changes over time using deeds, valuation rolls, maps, and newspaper references.
  → View property histories

• Use Records & Registers

  Transcriptions and summaries from parish registers, civil registrations, and other archival records relating to births, marriages, deaths, and residence.
  → Browse records

• Explore Newspapers & Events

  Selected nineteenth-century newspaper articles relating to Bothwell, its residents, properties, and notable local events.
  → Read newspaper articles

This site is based on original archival research using Tasmanian Archives, land title records, valuation rolls, and contemporary newspapers. Where possible, information has been transcribed directly from original records and cross-referenced across multiple sources. It is an ongoing work and will continue to be expanded and corrected as new information emerges.