The Wrest Point Hotel Casino is located in Tasmania. The Wrest Point Riviera Hotel was a booming spot during World War I when Australia's largest hotel group, Federal Hotels, bought the hotel. The Federal Group wanted to attract more tourists to Tasmania - which was known by locals for its gorgeous landscape but not a hot tourist destination. At 64 m, this building is the tallest in Hobart. It’s also one of the city’s nightlife hubs. It’s the legendary Wrest Point Casino. Originally, there was another hotel on the site. Built in 1939, the Wrest Point Riviera Hotel was a popular spot in town and became part of Federal Hotels in 1956.
Apart from Mount Wellington and maybe the Tasman Bridge, the most prominent feature on the Hobart skyline is an octagonal tower standing on the Sandy Bay shoreline, just south of the Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club. At 64 m, this building is the tallest in Hobart. It’s also one of the city’s nightlife hubs. It’s the legendary Wrest Point Casino.
Originally, there was another hotel on the site. Built in 1939, the Wrest Point Riviera Hotel was a popular spot in town and became part of Federal Hotels in 1956. During the next decade, the hotel group, the oldest in Australia, wanted to attract more visitors to Tassie and they thought the best way to do this was to open a casino. The problem was that there had never been a legal casino anywhere in the country.
Not everyone thought a casino would be a good idea, though, so in 1968 a state referendum was held to ask the public how they felt. With a ‘yes’ vote of 53%, the casino was given a green light and construction of the new hotel and casino complex started. The grand opening was in 1973 and the Wrest Point Casino set the ball in motion for other casinos to open in Tasmania.
Wrest Point Casino History Wikipedia
Today the complex offers a range of accommodation for different budgets, with the most luxurious rooms in the famous tower. At the top of this 17-floor structure is The Point Revolving Restaurant, where you can have lunch or high tea on Fridays and dinner on Tuesday to Saturday nights, all while enjoying stunning 360-degree views of Hobart.
The hotel and casino complex has several other dining options on offer too, including a waterfront restaurant and bar, a coffee shop and a bistro. There are a couple of bars too, one of which, the Birdcage Bar, has live music on most nights. Wrest Point regularly hosts spectacular shows and big-name acts and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra often performs here.
Other facilities at Wrest Point include a hair salon, a beauty salon, a convention centre and a private pier. There are sports facilities such as a gym, swimming pool, tennis court and mini golf too.
Of course the main reason for Wrest Point’s existence is the casino itself, Australia’s first. This is where you can be the high roller at the roulette wheel or blackjack table, put on your poker face or try and hit the jackpot at the gaming machines.
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Wrest Point Casino History Map
Southern Tasmania
Wrest Point was Australia’s first casino and today it radiates comfort, tradition and excitement. With an absolute waterfront location, Wrest Point is Hobart’s premier choice for accommodation, dining and first-class entertainment. Located on the shore of the River Derwent, Wrest Point has a long and proud place in Tasmania’s history.
In 1936 a local entrepreneur named Arthur Drysdale purchased land the casino now sits on and declared his intention to build “Australia’s finest hotel”. Neither the Great Depression nor the imminent start of World War II was able to dissuade him. True to his word, Drysdale opened the Wrest Point Riviera Hotel and it quickly became the “place to be seen”.
In the early 1950’s when Greg Farrell senior honeymooned at the Riviera with his wife Dolores, the connection that he felt to the property was immediate. The seeds of future possibilities had been planted. He didn’t know it then, but years later he would be the driving force behind the Riviera’s conversion to Wrest Point Casino and Hotel.
The casino was initially conceived to address the seasonal nature of Tasmania’s tourism industry, designed to be an attraction that would entice visitors to the state all year round. Over the ensuing years the development of the casino had a profound impact on the social and economic fabric of the state. It boosted economic confidence, generated publicity for the state and paved the way for Tasmania’s now thriving hospitality and tourism industries.
These days, its waterfront location and close proximity to central Hobart continues to make Wrest Point an ideal location for guests to base themselves while exploring the sights of Australia’s southernmost capital city. It offers a range of accommodation options and dining experiences, from fine dining at the Point Revolving Restaurant to relaxed meals at The Loft bistro.
Wrest Point is the hub of Hobart entertainment and the home of world-class events, catering for private functions through to conferences and concerts for up to 1,600 people.
If you would like to find out more about Wrest Point, please visit www.wrestpoint.com.au