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A white weather board home at the bottom of the Stanley Nut.
Lyons Cottage

Lyons Cottage Historic Site

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About

Lyons Cottage is a simple, single storey weatherboard home that tells a fascinating story. This quaint Victorian Georgian dwelling beneath The Nut in Stanley was the original home of Tasmania’s first and only elected Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons, in the late 1800s. From humble beginnings, ‘Honest Joe’ went on to become one of Australia’s most popular political figures, winning three consecutive Federal elections.

Meander along Stanley’s Church Street and you will find the old cottage behind a classic picket fence, the exterior restored to reflect the original appearance of the home. Upon stepping inside, you are transported to Joseph Lyons’s modest childhood abode. Memorabilia from Joe’s childhood, as well as insights into his journey to the top ranks of Australian politics, are found inside Lyons Cottage, offering visitors the opportunity to connect with one of Tasmania’s true political gentlemen.

Opening Hours:

Lyon's Cottage is closed for winter 2024 and will reopen at a date to be advised. ​​

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The cottage itself seems to have originally been part of an allotment that included an adjacent hotel property. The hotel was built by Joe’s father, Michael Lyons, in 1849.  He sold the hotel in 1854 but retained the lot where the cottage now stands. It is not known exactly when the cottage was built but it was certainly constructed before 1870 as it appears in a photograph taken in that year. 

Joseph Aloysius (Joe) Lyons was born in 1879 in the home that is no​w known as Lyons Cottage in Stanley.  Joe Lyons only lived in the Alexander Terrace cottage for the first few years of his life.​

The cottage is just one storey and, when first built, would have only had four rooms – two at the front, one more and a kitchen at the rear. It was also constructed fairly cheaply – from plain timber on the exterior, and with interior paling boards rather than more expensive lath and plaster.  

The cottage was acquired by Parks and Wildlife (PWS) in 1976 and, at that time, was in a fairly poor state of repair.  In 1979 PWS undertook repairs of the building in order to retain the original and humble appearance of the home, similar to how it looked when Joe Lyons was born in 1879.

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​Lyons Cottage Historic Site is located at 14 Alexander Terrace in the town of Stanley.  Stanley is about 2.5 hours drive from Launceston, or 4.5 hours from Hobart.​

From Launceston, follow the Bass Highway (A2) to Stanley.  Take Main Road (B21) into the city centre.  This will become Wharf Road (B21) and from there you can turn into Alexander Terrace.

Where possible, please avoid driving in our reserves at night. You are sharing the roads with our native wildlife, so take it slow and watch out for animals on the road.

​Entry fees to the site now apply.

  • $4.00 for Adults
  • No charge for Children
  • ​Price on application for School groups.​

Open to the public from 1 September to the 31 May, 10:00am to 4:00pm

​Find out other essential information for visiting Tasmania's parks and reserves on our know before you go section.