Where We Can Be Ourselves
Nov 21Many of our interviews were with people who had come here from the mainland or other parts of the world. For each of them, Hobart solved a problem.
For philosopher and author John Armstrong, who had come here from London and Melbourne, cities ruled by perceived status and ridiculous real estate prices, Hobart was “the end of envy.” It is relatively easy to live a comfortable life here, without constantly comparing yourself to others.
Others sought a place of relative calm after mad years in the big city. Some wanted to reconnect with nature in a place that also happened to have fabulous restaurants and a great symphony. Some wanted a place where they could get to know their neighbours and let their kids walk safely to school.
But the majority of you who chose Hobart chose it because you could pursue your passions and obsessions, your most honest self, in a city that encourages it. In Hobart you don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not.
Hobart is not for everyone. You used words like fake and pompous to describe people who would have trouble fitting in here. When you spoke of people who succeed here, they tend to come for reasons other than money or status. They work less, or they work more at something they really love — rather than feeling forced to follow a path they don’t really enjoy, to achieve what ordinary cities might call success.
Among other aspects of the city that feel both precious and valuable, you want to retain and improve this quality – this feeling that when people feel at home in Hobart, they also feel at home within themselves. When we invite people to be a part of life here, we can make a more authentic, more honest offer to them. Why Hobart? This is why.
Over the past six weeks, we’ve shared the major themes we heard in interviews with over 180 Hobartians (or Tasmanians who live in Hobart!). In this weekend’s post, we’ll bring all of this together in the story for Hobart, and on Saturday and Sunday we’ll start bringing it to life at the Hobart City Forum.
November 22, 2017 at 2:09 pm
Carrie RiseleyI’ve lived in other cities and countries, and nowhere has it good as here. We’ve got nature right on our doorstep, but we’ve got the facilities and culture of a bigger city (university, culture, festivals, restaurants, the TSO, Parliament House). We don’t have to spend 3 hours in traffic to get to the beach, drive 5 hours to get to the mountains or spend $30 on parking to go to a concert. We don’t have to waste our lives commuting. This is a situation very few other cities have, and it needs to be protected. If the traffic problem or the housing affordability problem gets any worse, we stand to lose this
November 22, 2017 at 9:54 pm
GrahamThis piece resonates incredibly strongly with me…
November 23, 2017 at 7:55 am
DiI agree with the sentiments expressed in this post. I moved to Hobart forty years ago recognising the many natural, cultural and social benefits of living here, which I attributed to its compactness and its protection from rampant development during the 19th and 20th centuries. I have to say that I am now quite concerned about our ability to maintain these wonderful features. Our 20th century love of the car has turned into an unhealthy addiction, and needs to be urgently addressed if we are not to destroy our beautiful home. We need to stop urban sprawl and embrace medium density living.
November 23, 2017 at 10:31 am
Rhys FilbeeI’ve liven in Hobart for my whole life and know what a wonderful city it is. For the past 2 years, I’ve raced my electric car (BMW i3) in the Domain Hillclimb! There’s nowhere else in the entire world where members of the public can race their cars competitively, legally and safely within 1 km. of the city centre.