Mirror, mirror on the wall, which Aussie town is the most beautiful of them all? Australia has global street cred for its abundance of incredibly picturesque places. With beauty being in the eye of the beholder, making a definitive list of the prettiest spots is almost impossible. However, a new social media analysis has taken on the challenge – and the results are anything but a sight for sore eyes.
Situated in the rolling hills of Tasmania’s Coal River Valley wine region, just a 30-minute drive from Hobart, Richmond is hardly a town that spends much time in the spotlight. However, it’s just earned the title of Australia’s most beautiful town in a ranking by MortgageBroker.com.au.
![Richmond Bridge](https://media.timeout.com/images/106167963/image.jpg)
Richmond scored the most social media attention out of any Aussie town or village, racking up a total of 4,900,000 Instagram hashtags and 1,088 Pinterest pins. With its colonial-era bridge (Australia’s oldest), eerie convict-built gaol and charming Georgian streetscape, this historic town looks like something straight out of a period film. Richmond outpaced the runner-up by a whopping 1,600,000 Instagram hashtags, though we suspect a fair share of these posts come from footy fans cheering on the Richmond AFL team.
Beautiful and Byron Bay are words that just roll off the tongue, so it makes sense that NSW’s dreamy beach haven snagged the spot as Australia’s second most picturesque town. Another East Coast hot spot, Noosa, secured the title as the third most beautiful, with Port Douglas being the only other Queensland town to make the top ten.
Western Australia is home to the highest number of the country’s ten most beautiful towns, with Albany in fourth place, Margaret River in fifth, Exmouth in eighth and Broome in ninth. While there’s no denying the natural beauty of these coastal towns, it’s worth noting that these rankings might say more about each town's social media appeal rather than its actual charm.
If you’re searching for more gorgeous getaways, check out our very own list of the most stunning spots in Australia.
Here are the ten most beautiful towns in Australia:
- Richmond, TAS (4,901,088 combined social media appearances)
- Byron Bay, NSW (3,300,991)
- Noosa, QLD (1,701,024)
- Albany, WA (1,301,019)
- Margaret River, WA (875,014)
- Moonta, SA (768,310)
- Port Douglas, QLD (562,077)
- Exmouth, WA (443,979)
- Broome, WA (433,983)
- Daylesford, VIC (396,047)
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Australia newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.