Finding the Best Hobart Street Art – A Self-Guided Walking Tour

Looking for something a little different to do in Hobart? Exploring the city’s street art is a great way to spend a few hours, and best of all, it’s completely free.

When our cruise ship stopped in Hobart on the way from Australia to New Zealand, we had a day to explore.

We’d visited Hobart only twelve months earlier and had already seen many of the main attractions, including MONA, Port Arthur and Richmond.

This time, we wanted something different that wouldn’t cost much or take us too far from the city centre.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating. Despite it being the middle of summer, Hobart was cold and rainy.

We decided to go for a walk anyway, and it wasn’t long before we stumbled across some colourful street art tucked away in a laneway.

That gave me an idea.

A quick Google search revealed a few more street art locations nearby, so we set off to see what else we could find.

What followed was an enjoyable few hours wandering Hobart’s streets and laneways, discovering everything from huge murals covering entire buildings to quirky little artworks hidden around corners.

Here is some of the best Hobart street art we found, along with the locations and artists wherever I could identify them.

A quick note: Street art is constantly changing, particularly in Bidencopes Lane. Some of the murals in my photographs may have been painted over or replaced since our visit, but these locations are still worth exploring to see what’s there now.

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Where to Find Street Art in Hobart

Liverpool Street

The first mural we discovered was tucked away in an arcade on Liverpool Street, near Argyle Street.

We weren’t specifically looking for street art at this point, but spotting this piece gave me the idea to see what else we could find around Hobart.

Elizabeth Street – CWA Building

After a quick internet search, we headed to the Country Women’s Association (CWA) building on Elizabeth Street.

Down a narrow laneway beside the building, we found a large mural covering almost the entire wall.

The artwork is by Amalea Smolcic, whose name you can see on the mural.

Bathurst Street – Farm Gate Market

Our next discovery was a mural featuring black cockatoos on the Farm Gate Market shed on Bathurst Street.

This was another one we came across as we walked between locations.

Unfortunately, there were bins in front of the artwork, although I did manage to catch them being cleaned!

Mathers Lane – Terraform by Tom O’Hern

Tucked away in Mathers Lane, near Mathers Place, we found a large mural called Terraform, created by local Hobart artist Tom O’Hern.

The artwork was originally painted in black and white, but O’Hern later returned to add colour.

The mural, which measures approximately 4.5 metres high and 11 metres wide, features a collection of unusual shapes and creatures inspired by an overgrown forest.

It faces a small public courtyard, making this a pleasant spot to stop while exploring central Hobart.

Criterion Street – The Lost Giant by Stormie Mills

Just around the corner from Mathers Lane, on Criterion Street, we discovered a huge mural covering part of the side of a building.

Called Lost Giant, it was painted by well-known Australian street artist Stormie Mills.

The giant appears to be using his mobile phone to find his way around Hobart. He has legs too, although I couldn’t photograph them because trucks were parked in front of the lower part of the mural.

Stormie Mills has a distinctive style, using a limited colour palette to create characters that often tell a story.

This wasn’t the only piece of his artwork we found in Hobart, either.

Criterion Street – Artwork by Order 55

On the opposite side of the same building, we found another large piece of street art, this time by Order 55.

The Australian street art duo have created murals in several locations around the country.

With two large murals so close together, Criterion Street is worth including on your Hobart street art walk.

Bidencopes Lane – Hobart’s Street Art Hotspot

If you only have time to visit one place for street art in Hobart, I’d make it Bidencopes Lane.

We discovered it after spotting an alleyway off Liverpool Street that was filled with artwork. This led us through to Bidencopes Lane, where there was even more to see.

It reminded me of Hosier Lane in Melbourne, with murals covering walls, smaller artworks squeezed into unexpected spaces and quirky messages scattered throughout.

Some of the murals were enormous, while others were tucked away in corners or partly hidden behind parked cars.

Bidencopes Lane has become one of Hobart’s best-known street art locations, thanks in part to the Vibrance Festival and ongoing projects bringing artists into the area.

It’s also a place where the artwork changes regularly. Some walls are repainted during organised events, and a designated permission wall allows registered artists to add new work.

That means what you discover on your visit may look completely different from my photographs.

Here are some of the artworks we found as we wandered through.

This one is by Sam Dobransky

Does that say Rerag?

This huge mural is by well known street artist Jamin

Tucked in a tight corner, I did not see an artist on this one.

Like the one above, this owl was half hidden behind parked cars and I did not see the artist.

Is the artist of this one Freekshow?

I particularly liked the variety. There were colourful characters, animals, portraits and abstract designs, all packed into a relatively small area.

I wasn’t able to identify every artist, but that didn’t make the artwork any less interesting.

While exploring Bidencopes Lane, we also stopped at the tiny hole-in-the-wall Staple Coffee.

Simon declared it the best coffee he’d had in months, which is quite a recommendation from him!

Bidencopes Lane is still used by vehicles accessing businesses and parking areas, so keep an eye out for cars while exploring.

You can enter from Liverpool Street or Murray Street.

If you enjoy street art, allow some extra time here rather than rushing through. It’s easy to miss smaller pieces if you’re not looking carefully.

This one was one of my favourites, but again I didn’t get the artist.

This wall was another done by Tom O’Hern

Bidencopes Lane is primarily used as a car parking area behind shops in the local area.

Murray Street – Southern Ocean Mural by TOPSK

After leaving Bidencopes Lane, we turned right onto Murray Street and almost immediately discovered another collection of street art between the buildings, near the Centrepoint Shopping Centre entrance.

These murals were a little different, with a focus on wildlife and conservation.

The artworks are by Hobart street artist TOPSK, who was commissioned by the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition to create a Southern Ocean mural in 2018.

The main mural features marine life including penguins, krill, a leopard seal, a whale and a colossal squid, highlighting the importance of protecting the Southern Ocean.

The original mural location is 70–86 Murray Street.

Collins Street – Rodent Six by Luffy Rae

Around the corner on Collins Street, we found another unusual piece of street art down a narrow laneway beside Sfumato Hair.

Called Rodent Six, this artwork by Luffy Rae features six rather strange-looking heads.

I could only fit some of them into my photograph, so you’ll have to look for the others yourself if the mural is still there.

It’s another good example of why it’s worth peeking down Hobart’s smaller laneways rather than sticking to the main streets.

Victoria Street – Yes Mountain by Ghostpatrol and Bonsai

Just around the corner on Victoria Street, we came across a mural that I initially thought showed a girl diving.

It turns out the artwork is called Yes Mountain and was created by Ghostpatrol and Bonsai in 2015.

The mural was inspired by exploration of Tasmania’s landscape.

Collins Court – Everybody Needs a Hand Sometimes by Stormie Mills

Retracing our steps along Collins Street, we came to Collins Court, a small outdoor public space with several more murals.

Two of these were painted by Stormie Mills, the same artist who created Lost Giant on Criterion Street.

At first, I thought they were separate artworks because the characters are painted on different sections of the wall.

It wasn’t until I researched them later that I realised they were actually one mural, called Everybody Needs a Hand Sometimes.

Look closely and you’ll see that one character is pushing a swing while the other is sitting on it.

It’s a lovely little detail that I completely missed when we were there!

Collins Court – Birds of a Feather by Phibs

Also in Collins Court is Birds of a Feather, a colourful mural by Australian street artist Phibs.

The artwork features local birdlife and is quite different in style from the nearby Stormie Mills pieces.

With several artworks in one small courtyard, it’s worth including Collins Court on your walk.

Kemp Street – Purdy Mart Street Art

Continuing along Collins Street, we crossed to the other side of the road to explore the area around Purdy’s Mart, in Kemp Street, behind the Elizabeth Street Mall.

Here we discovered another three pieces of street art.

The first is called Chairs, by artist Jae Criddle.

It depicts people sitting on antique chairs and is a tribute to Arthur Purdy, who once operated a secondhand furniture business in the area.

Nearby is a large mural called Tasmanian Red Handfish by Amok Island.

The red handfish is a rare and critically endangered species found only in Tasmania. It uses its distinctive fins to move along the seafloor, making it an unusual subject for a mural.

The third artwork decorates a wall leading towards the car park.

It reminded me of Tom O’Hern’s distinctive style, but I couldn’t confirm who painted it.

Weedy Sea Dragon by Ghostpatrol and Bonsai

As we made our way back towards our cruise ship, we discovered one final mural.

Called Weedy Sea Dragon, this artwork was created by Ghostpatrol and Bonsai, the same artists responsible for Yes Mountain on Victoria Street.

It features a weedy seadragon, one of the unusual marine creatures found in southern Australian waters, including Tasmania.

It was a fitting final discovery on our Hobart street art walk.

Keep an Eye Out for Hobart’s Decorated Electrical Boxes

While walking between the larger murals, don’t forget to look out for the decorated electrical and traffic signal boxes dotted around Hobart’s streets.

We spotted several during our walk, each painted in a different style.

They’re a good reminder that street art isn’t always about huge murals covering entire buildings.

More Places to Find Street Art in Hobart

We managed to see quite a lot of Hobart street art during our day in the city, but there were a few other locations I would have liked to explore.

If you have more time, these are worth adding to your list.

Tasma Street, North Hobart

One of the murals we missed was a huge artwork by internationally recognised (and one of my favourites) street artist Smug at 56 Tasma Street in North Hobart.

The mural depicts local identity Cameron Williams, who was known for carving and selling wooden heart jewellery at Salamanca Market.

Smug is known for his large, realistic portraits, and his artwork can be found around the world.

Harrington Lane

Another location worth investigating is Harrington Lane, where local artist Jamin created a large mural in 2012.

Jamin is a well-known Tasmanian street artist whose work can be found around Hobart and beyond.

Elizabeth Street, North Hobart

The section of Elizabeth Street running through North Hobart is another area to explore.

It’s known for its cafes, restaurants and independent shops, and you may come across street art in the surrounding streets and laneways.

It’s a good option if you want to combine looking for murals with a meal or a wander around the neighbourhood.

Discover New Hobart Street Art

Hobart’s street art scene continues to evolve, with new works appearing around the city.

The Vibrance Festival and ongoing street art projects have helped bring more artists and murals to Hobart.

For more locations, take a look at the Vibrance street art map, which covers Hobart and other parts of Tasmania.

The City of Hobart also has an Urban Art Walls map, although some of the artworks shown may have changed since it was published.

Tips for Exploring Hobart Street Art

Most of the street art we discovered was within walking distance of Hobart’s city centre, making this an easy activity to fit into a day of sightseeing.

You don’t need a guided tour or any special equipment. Just wear comfortable shoes, allow a couple of hours and keep an eye out for artwork tucked down the smaller laneways.

If you’re short on time, I’d prioritise Bidencopes Lane and the surrounding streets. It’s where we found the greatest concentration of murals.

If you’re visiting Hobart on a cruise, this is also a good option for a shore day without booking an excursion. You can explore independently and return to your ship when you’re ready.

And don’t forget that the artwork changes. In Bidencopes Lane especially, you might discover completely different murals from the ones in my photographs.

Is Hobart Street Art Worth Exploring?

Absolutely, particularly if you’ve already visited Hobart’s main attractions or you’re looking for something free to do.

We hadn’t planned to spend our day looking for street art, but it turned out to be a great way to explore parts of the city we might otherwise have walked straight past.

Even the cold, rainy summer weather didn’t spoil our afternoon.

Whether you follow the same route we took or simply wander around looking for murals, I’d recommend spending some time exploring Hobart’s street art.

You never know what you might find around the next corner.

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