2 Paul Davies Pty Ltd
T H E S T U D Y
The Launceston Heritage Study aims to:
• identify and analyse the cultural heritage of the city and suburban areas of the City of
Launceston,
• provide an inventory of information on individual heritage places deemed worthy of entry
in the Tasmanian Heritage Register and in a format compatible with the Register and its
standard data sheet,
• provide historical information on initial construction date of principal structures on each
place, the owner at the time of construction, any information on that owner or any
subsequent owners that makes a case for that individual being important to Tasmania's
history, and
• provide an inventory of precincts worthy of heritage protection under the Launceston
Planning Scheme 1996 and provide a description of the particular heritage qualities of
those precincts. These papers, along with a further
,
papers, provided the main source of information for this study. Sections 1, 2. Provide a list of those individual places that are deemed to contribute to
those heritage precincts, with an assessment on whether or not those places are of high
enough heritage significance to be worthy of entry in the Tasmanian Heritage Register. In particular we would like to thank:
• Staff of the Community History Museum of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery,
Launceston
• Staff of the Local Studies Library, State Library of Tasmania, Launceston
• Elspeth Wishart and Anne McConnell
• Staff of the Archives Office of Tasmania
• Staff of the Central Plan Room of the Department of Primary Industries Water and the
Environment
• Staff of the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts and the Tasmaniana Library, State
Library of Tasmania
• Paul Davies and David Parham
A B B R E V I A T I O N S
Allport Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, State Library of Tasmania
AOT Archives Office of Tasmania
DPIWE Department of Primary Industries, Water and the Environment
HRA Historical Records of Australia
JPPP Journals and Printed Papers of Parliament
QVMAG Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania
Tasmaniana Tasmaniana Library, State Library of Tasmania
Launceston Heritage Study: Thematic History
Paul Davies Pty Ltd
H I S T O R I C C O N T E X T
I N T R O D U C T I O N
After an uncertain foundation caused by divergent views concerning the appropriate site for
northern Tasmania’s major centre, Launceston developed into a city with a rich nineteenth and
early twentieth century industrial history and an outstanding built heritage of late Victorian
and Federation buildings. In particular, the Museum and Gallery of Art Queen Victoria was very active in
, in which they have carried out heritage research into many aspects of Launceston's history over the past 25 years. To this end, the Archives of Tasmania and Libraries of Tasmania Index
were consulted for relevant documents, photographs and maps.
A U T H O R S H I P
The Launceston Heritage Study—Stage 1: Thematic History was prepared by Ian Terry,
historian, heritage and interpretation consultant and Nathalie Servant, consultant historian, for
Paul Davies Pty Ltd, architect and heritage consultant.
This report is intended to frame the historical evolution that characterizes the
study area and will indicate which sites require additional field investigation and contextualize the
sites identified and documented throughout the study.
In particular the thematic history of the study:
• analyses the history and historical geography of the study area, and
• identifies historical themes and the evolution of development of the City of Launceston.