Old Umbrella Shop

A perfectly preserved Victorian shop that has been selling umbrellas from the same premises since the 1860s

The Old Umbrella Shop at 60 George Street is the last genuinely intact Victorian-era shop in Tasmania, and possibly in Australia. The building dates from the 1860s, and the interior — all dark wood, pressed metal ceiling, and glass-fronted display cases — has not been modernised in over a century. The shop is managed by the National Trust and still sells umbrellas, alongside Tasmanian souvenirs and gifts.

The draw is the time-warp quality of the place: standing inside, it is genuinely difficult to remember what decade you are in. The display of antique umbrellas along the walls shows how elaborate umbrella-making was as a craft in the 19th century — parasols with ivory handles, walking-stick umbrellas, mourning umbrellas in black silk. Entry to browse is free; purchases are encouraged.

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A story
The shop on George Street has been selling umbrellas under the same family name from the same building for well over a century. What makes it remarkable is that no modernisation was ever carried out: the shopfront, the interior fittings, the ceiling, the counters, and the storage racks are all original Victorian ironwork and timber, preserved because the various owners simply kept using them rather than replacing them.