Tasman Cottage

Tasman Cottage was originally part of the Penzance Motel (Australia's first Motel) located at Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula. The building then came into ownership by a Tasmanian family and was used as a shack for over 30 years before finally and recently being purchased my 26 year old local Tasmanian photographer Nick Green in 2020.

"id been living in and out of my van for then better part of 2 years, spending a lot of my time down the Tasman Peninsula, surfing, exploring and photographing. I fell in love with the idea of owning a property down that way, of one day opening a gallery, of spending my days photographing and surfing. Just before Covid I won a photography competition which really opened some doors for me, I managed to get some really amazing opportunities and was able to finally have some money behind me, something I had never really experienced before. I knew that I wasn't ready to settle, to live in one place, but I also knew that the opportunity to purchase in Tasmania was only going to get harder and harder and I knew I didn't want to see the money disappear. I started leaving notes in the letterboxes of some of the shacks that id noticed laid dormant for the majority of the year asking if they'd consider selling. I only got one person write back and not at all to my surprise, they kindly declined my offer. Finally a property popped up; it needed a lot of work, was a little above the price range I was looking at but it was situated right on the water with a view of a surf break through the gumtrees below. After a long and stressful settling process, i had the keys in Febuary 2020."

Green spent the last year and half renovating the property in his spare time, finding inspiration in the history and environment of the Tasman Peninsula.

"I really wanted to pay homage to the original building as well as the local history and environment, id drive around and take in the features of the older dwellings, style of infrastructure and design. I noticed a privately owned saw mill located at the other end of the beach one day, so approached them and asked if they would be interested in milling me some timber of which they were more than happy to do. They told me they had some old Blue Gum logs from way back in the day, harvested in the area and I knew that was what I wanted to do. The original name of the dwelling owned my the Penzance Motel was "Blue Gum." With the help of friends on the weekend we started pulling apart the building, insulating and recladding it with the timber boards. "

Greens photography captures often quite dark, raw and moody landscapes and seascapes, something that Tasmania, in particular the Tasman Peninsula can be known for. The area has a dark history, not only being home to Port Arthur; one of the world’s harshest penal systems and convict settlements but also a significant location impacted during the black war in the 1800's, the genocide of the originally inhabitants of this land.

"I'd like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land of which Tasman Cottage sits on today, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. Sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was and always will be, Aboriginal land.

A huge part of my work with photography lies in trying to find beauty in the darkness, both internally and externally, to showcase something that allows the viewer to appreciate the contrasting emotions and appreciate that they can (and often) coexist together. I think that because of the Tasman Peninsula's often dark and moody appearance as well as its dark history, its been an inspiring place that I've felt connected to. It's important to me that the people that come to stay at the cottage hopefully feel that same connection to place, to not forget what has happened in this part of the world but also appreciate the beauty of it all."