Hobart's "sacred" place for all avid bibliophiles is the Allport Library and the Museum of Fine Arts, which are part of the State Library of Tasmania's collection. This unique collection was donated to the people of Tasmania in 1965 by Henry Allport, whose distant ancestors arrived on the island in the early 19th century.
The museum consists of many spacious rooms in which, in addition to rare books, there is a wide variety of items such as antique furniture (including the famous English Chippendale style), ceramics, Chinese porcelain, silver and glassware dating back to the 17th century.
The books in the collection have been collected over many years - they are are truly unique specimens that are nevertheless accessible to everyone. There are 7,000 books and manuscripts, 3,000 works of art, 2,000 photographs and about 1,000 items of historical and cultural value. An interesting part of the collection is represented are the works of artists from the prison population.
The Allport Library regularly hosts art exhibitions of works from the 19th century.
