It was named after Governor Macquarie's wife, Elizabeth Campbell. To complete the familial naming the river was named Elizabeth by Macquarie himself when he passed through the district in 1811. The town site was surveyed in 1823 and it was around that time that a number of Saxon merino sheep were brought to the district. They formed the nucleus of herds which by the 1830s had established Campbell Town as the centre of Van Diemen's Land's fine wool industry. In fact the town's first sheep show was held in 1839 and has continued until the present day.
Locals proudly claim it to be the oldest agricultural show in the British Commonwealth.
The best introduction to Campbell Town is the excellent map which is in Grange Park at the northern end of the High Street. The map lists all the main historical buildings in town and shows exactly where they are located. The town is a feast of delights. For people travelling from Hobart the bridge is a good starting point. If you alight here and walk up into the town you can experience the antiquity and marvel at the buildings.