William Bull, convict and colonial builder in Van Diemen's Land

The east coast of Tasmania is home to an impressive variety of colonial buildings, ranging from grand mansions to cottages and outbuildings. Some of the grandest and most elegant homesteads, such as Cambria, Riversdale and Spring Vale, are located north of Swansea on the former estates of the Meredith family. Unexpectedly perhaps, these buildings, plus others in the district, have a link to the crumbling remnants of convict incarceration on Sarah Island, Macquarie Harbour. That link is William Bull, a convict, who after earning two life sentences emerged as a skilled colonial builder and whose legacy has outlasted that of many of the more virtuous citizens of Van Diemen's Land.