Hobart

About

• Hobart is the capital city of Tasmania, situated on the River Derwent with Mount Wellington in the background.  At 1,270m high, Mount Wellington offers sweeping views of the city and many cycling and walking trails for nature lovers.
• Hobart has a population of over 220,000, which is just 1% of the total Australian population.
• The total land area of Hobart is1,696 km2.
• Hobart was founded in the 1800’s as a penal colony and became the capital in 1812.
• The Hobart harbour is one of the world’s best natural harbours, considered one of the busiest seaports and home port of the Antarctic expeditions.
• The key industries in Hobart are meatpacking, food processing, textiles, chemicals and glass.
• Hobart is Australia’s second oldest city and the second-driest city, following Sydney.
• Hobart is made up of a beautiful landscapes from spectacular beaches to snow-capped mountains.
• Hobart has been recognized as an extremely safe city, transport is very efficient, with very few traffic jams and low levels of pollution.
• Students prefer to study in Hobart as living costs are a lot more affordable than bigger cities in Australia and provide greater opportunities for finding work. This is because there are fewer international students, which means less competition when it comes to finding accommodation and greater employment opportunities in the city.
• Popular tourist attractions in Hobart include the Cadbury chocolate factory, Cascade brewery and the Salamanca Markets.

Culture

• Hobart has a distinct arts and cultural scene, because they are able to cultivate a unique brand of creativity. Hobart is home to an internationally renowned museum; MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, encompassing one of the world’s largest private art collections.  Hobart is also home to the Hobart Theatre Royal, the oldest major theatre in the country.
• Hobart hosts a number of art and cultural festivals each year, including the Vibrance Festival, Thylazine Fair, Steamfest, The Devonport Jazz Festival, Festival of Voices and the Dark MOFO.
• Hobart offers students a vibrant lifestyle with several cafes, bars, restaurants, music, arts festivals, snowy mountains, adventure sports, spectacular beaches, heritage wilderness and excellent shopping.
• Hobart has a very active community of artists, designers and performers, and most of their work can be viewed at the Tasmanian Museum of Art, the Queen Victoria museum, or at numerous other smaller galleries and museums around the city.
• Tasmania was listed in Lonely Planet’s Top 5 “Must Visit” Destinations in 2015, and one of the Top Five Islands of the world, by Travel and Leisure Magazine 2016.

Climate

Hobart has a cool and temperate climate with four distinct seasons, and shares a similar climate to the UK, New Zealand and Canada.

It experiences mild rainy winters and cool rainy summers. Hobart gets around 570 millimetres of rainfall per year. Summers are generally cool, and winter is mild, but if there is wind then it can get pretty cold during winter. In June and July, cold air sometimes sweeps into the hills and the mountains, enveloping it in blankets of snow and frost. In Winter the temperature can occasionally drop below 0 degrees Celsius at night. The amount of sunshine in Hobart is varied. During summer you could experience up to 8 hours of sunshine, but in the height of winter you wouldonly get about 4 hours of sunshine per day.

Summer (December – February): temperatures range between 11-21 degrees Celsius.. The average ocean temperatures during this time is 15-16 degrees Celsius.  Since it isn’t fully sheltered from the Australian deserts, occasional hot winds blow over towards Tasmania in summer, and temperatures can reach as high as 38-40 degrees Celsius.

Autumn (March – May): average temperatures are between 8.9 – 17.3 degrees Celsius. During this time the city is covered in hues of red and yellow. 

Winter (June – August): In Winter, the city experiences the coolest temperatures, accompanied by southerly winds from the Antarctic. Mount Wellington is covered in snow during this time and daytime temperatures are between 5-12.3 degrees Celsius, while night time temperatures can drop as low as 3 degrees Celsius.

Spring (September - November): temperatures are between 7.9 – 16.9 degrees Celsius. It is also the wettest period in Hobart.

University Education

Hobart is home to several great educational institutions, including one world-class University, offering students a vibrant and multicultural environment to study, work and live.

Hobart’s educational institutions offer students a diverse range of programs and courses in the higher education and VET sector as well as many career-oriented learning opportunities. The city is an excellent hub for vocational education and gives you the opportunity to select from over 375 different qualifications.

Hobart is home to Australia’s second oldest University; The University of Tasmania (UTAS). There are four UTAS campuses across Tasmania as well as 4 TAFEs. The University of Tasmania is ranked amongst the top 2% of Universities worldwide.

More than 1/5th of the student population in Hobart is made up of International students.

The city provides students with a safe and welcoming environment, is very affordable, exudes a vibrant culture and encompasses pristine wilderness and beautiful landscapes.

As a student in Hobart you could never be bored. There are several entertainment options and activities to keep you occupied, from cultural festivals, art galleries and museums, engaging in outdoor sporting activities, hiking, exploring the unique nature and wildlife, beaches, shopping to drinking and dining.

Higher Education Institutions

Universities in Tasmania

• University of Tasmania

TAFE’s and Colleges in Tasmania

• Tas TAFE

Finding Work as a student

International students pursuing higher studies in Hobart can work for up to 40 hours per fortnight during the semester and unlimited number of hours during semester holidays.

There are several ways that students can find part-time and casual work in Hobart.

• Check campus noticeboards for advertised casual and part-time jobs.
• Most of Tasmania’s major newspaper publications carry job offers in the employment sections, including The Mercury, The Examiner and the Advocate. Most of the jobs advertised on The Mercury are also found online on the job site; CareerOne and jobs listed on The Advocate can be found online on MyCareer.
• If you are looking to work for the Tasmanian Government, then you would be able to find available job vacancies in the Tasmania Government Jobs and Careers webpage.
• Visit/consult with local recruitment agencies, who will be able to connect you with the right job for you.