Before 1836 — Muwinina Country
Long before the stone walls and houses, this hill was part of the Country of the Muwinina people, the original custodians of nipaluna / Hobart. The elevated site looked out across timtumili minanya / River Derwent, a place of movement, sustenance, and meaning. These layers of deep time form the foundation for everything that followed.
1836 — Fort Nelson
In 1836 the colonial government established Fort Nelson as part of a chain of defences along the Derwent. Its purpose was to guard Hobart Town against potential French or Russian naval attacks during a period of colonial anxiety. Stone gun emplacements, magazines, and barracks were built into the hilltop. Though never used in combat, the fort remained an active defence site into the late nineteenth century before falling into disuse.
1949 — The First House
Esmond Dorney’s first family home on the site was built in 1949, directly onto the southern gun emplacement. With transparent walls and daring openness, it was quite possibly the world’s first true glass house. This pioneering structure blurred boundaries between inside and out, standing for fifty years before being destroyed by bushfire in 1999.
Early 1950s — Sleeping Quarters
As his family grew, Dorney added sleeping quarters to the southern emplacement. Designed as lightweight pavilions, these structures extended the experimental spirit of the site while meeting practical family needs.
1955 — Tram Studio
In 1955 a decommissioned Melbourne tram was craned to the summit of Porter Hill. Dorney converted it into his architectural studio, where he designed many of his Tasmanian projects. The studio symbolised his ingenuity and flair for the unconventional, embodying his belief that architecture could emerge from unlikely forms. Sadly, the tram studio was later lost to fire.
Late 1950s — The Flat
A small flat was later constructed as part of the Fort Nelson complex. Modest in scale, it served both practical family needs and reflected Dorney’s ongoing exploration of adaptable, compact living spaces.
1966 — The Second House
In 1966 Dorney realised a more expansive vision on the northern gun emplacement. With sweeping arches and dramatic roof forms, this house captured the optimism of postwar modernism. It was a confident statement of scale and invention, yet it was destroyed in the 1978 bushfires.
1978 — The Third House
Within the same year, Dorney rebuilt on the northern emplacement. The new house retained the fireplace from the 1966 home and distilled his architectural ideas into a smaller, more intimate form. Often described as a humble modernist masterpiece, it remains the standing legacy of his decades-long dialogue with Fort Nelson.