It is in the hills immediately west of the city centre, and shares the postcode 7000 with that district.

The area was first settled as a farming district, hosting poultry, dairy, hops, orchards and Chinese market gardens.

Various industries have also served in the area, including a brickworks at the top of Arthur Street and coal mines below Summerhill Road.

Many of the houses in the area are older federation-era buildings, prized for their views of the Derwent River.

Schools in the area include Lansdowne Crescent Primary School, Goulburn Street Primary and the Hobart campus of Guilford Young College on Barrack Street.