Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
6 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
6 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
6 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Australia Deloraine Jimmy Possum Chair
AO Edited

Jimmy Possum Chair

A faceless folk hero and his legacy of comfortable, expertly-crafted chairs lives on in a small Tasmanian town.

Deloraine, Australia

Added By
Bonnie
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Girl In The Sublunary / Atlas Obscura User
  Girl In The Sublunary / Atlas Obscura User
  Girl In The Sublunary / Atlas Obscura User
  Girl In The Sublunary / Atlas Obscura User
  Girl In The Sublunary / Atlas Obscura User
  Girl In The Sublunary / Atlas Obscura User
  Girl In The Sublunary / Atlas Obscura User
  Girl In The Sublunary / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Great Western Tiers in Tasmania is a region of dense, dark forests, sleeting rain, and Antarctic winds—at turns wild and beautiful, rugged and unforgiving. It is perhaps because of this harsh environment that one of the most comfortable and well-built chair designs in the world was born. 

The Jimmy Possum chair is simplistic in design and ingenious in function. First appearing around 1875, the chairs were hewn from scrap wood and built with interlocking components, a feature borne out of a lack of building materials—the legs, arms, and back passed through the bottom of the chair, eliminating the needs for nails. This design also allowed for equal weight dispersal; the more use that the chair got, the stronger it became. With no fear of joints becoming loose, or legs going wobbly, the result was a virtually indestructible piece of furniture.

Jimmy Possum chairs, both original and new, can still be found today. The chair’s namesake, however, remains shrouded in mystery. There are no official records of Jimmy Possum ever existing, and the only known photo purported to be of Jimmy Possum is highly contested. In lieu of facts, Deloraine has plenty of folk stories about their mysterious carpenter. One legend holds that Jimmy Possum was a town character who spent summers living in a large hollow tree, trading chairs for shelter during the winter months. Some believe he was an Aboriginal man who earned his nickname snaring possums. Others say Jimmy Possum wasn’t a man at all, but rather a cheeky possum whom locals nicknamed Jimmy after he took a liking to a stick chair that had been placed beneath his tree. Whoever he was, Jimmy Possum created a legacy that has stood the test of time—and provided many a comfortable seat to spin yarn or two about him.

The Deloraine and Districts Folk Museum has a permanent exhibition dedicated to Jimmy Possum chairs. Several are on display, ranging from historic originals (chairs built between 1875 and 1935) to modern builds (chairs built from 1975 onwards).

Related Tags

Woodwork Furniture Museums And Collections Folktales

Know Before You Go

The Deloraine and Districts Folk Museum is located inside the Deloraine Information Centre and is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Entry is $10 and includes the 'Yarn Story' silk artwork panel display.

Community Contributors

Added By

Girl In The Sublunary

Published

June 28, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/attraction/DeloraineFolkMuseum
  • https://www.greatwesterntiers.net.au/deloraine-and-districts-folk-museum
Jimmy Possum Chair
104 Emu Bay Rd
Deloraine, 7304
Australia
-41.523715, 146.651077
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Tasmania's 'Town of Murals'

Sheffield, Australia

miles away

King Solomon's Cave

Liena, Australia

miles away

Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot

Promised Land, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Australia

Australia

Oceania

Places 610
Stories 94

Nearby Places

Tasmania's 'Town of Murals'

Sheffield, Australia

miles away

King Solomon's Cave

Liena, Australia

miles away

Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot

Promised Land, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Australia

Australia

Oceania

Places 610
Stories 94

Related Places

  • The Hull Picnic Table at Avery Park, Corvallis, OR

    Corvallis, Oregon

    Hull Picnic Table

    This 85-foot-long table is made from a single slice of an old-growth Douglas Fir.

  • London, England

    Long John Silver Figurehead Collection

    The world's largest collection of ship figureheads includes figures from legends and history alike, from Sir Lancelot to Abraham Lincoln.

  • Masks on display.

    Innsbruck, Austria

    Tyrolean Folk Art Museum

    Devilish masks, handicrafts, and pieces of old buildings create a snapshot of life in a historic Alpine region.

  • Hanson Log Boat.

    Derby, England

    Hanson Log Boat

    This Bronze Age boat was found buried remarkably intact in an English gravel pit.

  • A variety of tools on display.

    Kobe, Japan

    Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum

    A collection of the specialized tools used to construct Japan’s beautiful architecture.

  • The massive wooden nickel.

    San Antonio, Texas

    Old Time Wooden Nickel Company

    A 2,500-pound wooden nickel makes this woodworking museum easy to spot from the road.

  • The Sam Maloof Compound.

    Rancho Cucamonga, California

    Sam Maloof House

    A living museum dedicated to the legendary woodworker and his soulful furniture.

  • The Chair Wall, from mid-century to Gustav Stikley

    Asheville, North Carolina

    Silver River Center for Chair Caning

    This Asheville chair museum wants to revive a dying art.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.