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Our Story

Tasmanian Heritage Luxury Hotel

Owning a Tasmanian Heritage Luxury Hotel wasn’t even in our wildest dreams when we came to Tasmania on holidays in 2003. But we did fall in love with the Derwent Valley and purchased a holiday house here.

We also saw a magnificent, derelict old mansion by the river, and were upset that the government and ‘heritage’, had not intervened to protect it, and indeed had approved in 1971 that its lands be sold off for a new bridge.

In 2004 we returned to Tasmania for our first holiday in the holiday house, and found that the magnificent Woodbridge was up for sale. It was a matter of ‘if not us, who? and if not now, when?’

Reimagined as a Tasmanian Heritage Luxury Hotel

John asked, “But Laurelle, what are we going to do with it?”

I had to think quickly!

The rest, as they say, is history.
Our history!

We invite you to share our journey.

Laurelle and John Grimley

History of New Norfolk

A LUXURY HOTEL IN TASMANIA’S FIRST CAPITAL

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History of Woodbridge

1825 HISTORIC FAMILY HOME

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History of the River & Bridges

TASMANIA’S HISTORIC BRIDGES

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The Woodbridge is almost 200 years old.

The Woodbridge was built in 1825.

We saved and restored The Woodbridge in 2004-2005 and then repurposed it as a small luxury hotel in 2006.

It won the Tasmanian Housing Industry Association 2005 ‘Restoration of the Year’ Award, and then was submitted by the Tasmanian HIA and won the Australian Award in 2006.