Nature reserve.
Access locations: Loane Avenue, Sycamore Place, Leatherwood Place, Casuarina Court, John Street, Banksia Court and Canning Drive.
In 1854 Robert Stewart senior began a small settlement on the eastern side of the Mersey River.
The family holding consisted of 364 ha of which 196 ha were designated as Rannoch Estate (east of Caroline Street).
Robert Stewart junior planned a grand development within Rannoch Estate, consiting hundreds of allotments around a major central park to be named Lady Hamilton Park.
It was hoped that such a development would advance the prosperity of Torquay and Formby (now known as East Devonport and Devonport). In 1888 an auction was held to sell the first 90 allotments between Brooke Street and Upper Drew Street. A train brought the 30 piece St Joseph’s brass band from Launceston along with a number of passengers for the land sale. Only 13 alotments were sold that day, 12 of them to one person. The dismal sales that day ended those development plans.
