Ross
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Ross sits on the banks of the Macquarie River, and is one of Australia's most appealing convict-built stone villages. Ross was settled in 1812 and many of its original sandstone buildings have been restored. The population is around 300 people. The Ross Female Convict Station Historic Site is a significant archaeological site.
What’s special about Ross?
Walk down to the Ross Bridge, designed by John Lee Archer, possibly the most beautiful of its kind left in the world. The detail of its 186 carvings by convict stonemasons was deemed of such high quality that it won the men a free pardon. Like other parts of Tasmania's Midlands, the Ross area is famous for its superfine merino wool. Visit the Tasmanian Wool Centre where you will find a Heritage Museum and Wool Exhibition. Another attraction not to miss is the Ross Bakery, with its original semi-scotch brick '3 bag' wood-fired oven. In a scotch oven the fire is lit inside the oven; in a semi-scotch oven it's lit in a chamber to one side of the oven. The bakery, which has the capacity to bake more than 300 loaves of bread, has been operating on the site for more than a century. Ross enjoys a daily average maximum temperature of 23.5 degrees Celsius (74.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 11.5 degrees Celsius (52.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in June. Ross is about an hours’ drive from Launceston (78 kilometres/48 miles) south along the Heritage Highway. The main highway bypasses the town; rather than being a disadvantage, this has enabled Ross to maintain its very special qualities. 
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