THE PATERSON BRIDGE, WEST TAMAR HIGHWAY

THE PATERSON BRIDGE, WEST TAMAR HIGHWAY

I have a bit of a tendency to personify structures – insofar as one can feel a bit sorry for a bridge, I feel it for this one – the concrete bridge which is now part of the West Tamar Highway at the mouth of the Cataract Gorge . Talk about coming an unloved second – barely noticed, rarely acknowledged, and treated as a bit of a necessary embarrassment, standing beside its handsome historic older brother. Everyone writes about King's Bridge, which is indeed a beautiful structure (which will no doubt feature in the blog in the not too distant future), but have a tendency to call this one “the second bridge”, the “more modern bridge”, the “other bridge” etc., if indeed it's mentioned at all. Although I travel on it each day, I didn't know it had a name, but it is actually called “The Paterson Bridge", and I would guess that I'm not the only “local” who didn't know that!

The bridge was officially opened on 02 November 1972 by the Premier Eric Reece. It took a while to find, but there is a really interesting article at: http://www.stors.tas.gov.au/au-7-0112-00023_1

which tells you more than you could ever possibly need to know about the dimensions and structure of the bridge, and which includes a brilliant photo taken from above the two bridges, as well as construction pictures and plans.

Paterson Bridge is, perhaps not conventionally beautiful, but I love the sweeping line that frames the view in the photo, and always (in admittedly a rather Tasmanian way) feel like it's a sort of unofficial boundary - I'm either arriving in “town” or leaving it when I drive across.

37 GEORGE STREET

37 GEORGE STREET W C OLDHAM

The building pictured, on the corner of Cameron and George Street (37 George Street) As with a great many Launceston buildings, one has to look up to get the most interesting view. There's nothing remarkable about, it but it is attractive, and fairly typical of its time. It was built as a wholesale wine and spirits outlet, but, as The Examiner put it “although of modest of modest dimensions and unobtrusive appearance, it was the centre of a widespread business organisation.” Perhaps surprisingly, I can find no reference to the actual building (other than advertisements for its wares which varied from cigars to scotch and tea!), but I suspect we can trust that it was constructed around 1909 by W C Oldham!

When William Claude Oldham died in 1933,He had been chairman of the Launceston Public hospital board for many years. Prior to this he had stood for state parliament, and had been elected mayor of Launceston in December 1909. In the latter capacity, he had, among other things, formally opened the tramway in 1911, and the Princess Theatre in the same year. William Oldham was involved in a wide variety of Launceston concerns ranging from kindergartens to the Permanent Building Society. More about William Oldham can be found by looking at His obituary, published in The Examiner 12 June 1933 (available via TROVE).

32-36 William Street (Cnr, Esplanade and Shield Streets) TASMANIAN FLOUR MILLS

32 - 36 WILLIAM STREET - TASMANIAN FLOUR MILLS

Although the address Tasmanian Flour Mills in 32 – 36 William Street, this view is of the corner of Shields Street (also known as lower George Street) and the Esplanade. Most parts of the building date back to around 1908, but the earliest parts are from an 1860 warehouse on the site that pre-dated the mill. There is also architecture dating from the 1940s. (Someone more knowledgeable than me can probably identify which bits were built when!).

Still probably best known as “Monds and Affleck” the association with these early names (Thomas Wilkes Monds who founded the Albion Mill on the North Esk in 1865, and Affleck who built the crown mill in Cameron Street in 1897, after earlier ventures in Longford) began when the company formed in 1918 and ended in 1995, when it was sold and renamed Tasmanian Flour Mills. A more complete account of the development and ownership of the mill can be found at http://www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/upfiles/qvmag/imglib/collections/CHS68%20Tasmanian%20Flour%20Mills%20Pty%20Ltd.pdf.

If you look up The Examiner of Saturday 10 September 1927 on TROVE you will find a photograph of the buildings at that time, as well as an article that is very much of its time (to quote: “the age of flapperdom”).

Thomas Affleck migrated to Tasmania in 1860 When he died in 1898, The Examiner noted that the funeral procession stretched on for almost a mile, and was the largest local funeral ever seen. He was buried in a coffin of Huon Pine.  

Thomas Wilkes Monds was born in Tasmania in 1829. A picture, and more information about him can be seen on the “Launceston Family Album” site (http://www.launcestonfamilyalbum.org.au/) which has photographs, and details of people who visited the Tasmanian Exhibition of 1891-2.

The mill he owned at Carrick remains one of the most noteable buildings in that town. The Monds family played an important role in the civic life of the north of the state, and additional information is readily available on-line.

CALEDONIAN PARK, INVERMAY ROAD

CALEDONIAN SQUARE, INVERMAY ROAD.

I've often wondered whether or not there is as story behind this little plot of vacant land on Invermay Road (about number 74, I'm guessing), which is rather grandly signposted as “Caledonian Square”. Unfortunately the answer is....not really....at least not a particularly fascinating one, but a quick search of Examiner articles (via TROVE) yielded a little more information. The land was surveyed and given to the Invermay Town Board by the State Government in 1896. Trees were planted and a picket fence built, and over the years the square was used for a children's playground, band concerts and the odd political meeting. A bandstand was erected in 1946, using materials from the old bandstand in Royal Park, but it is no longer there.

As a park, Caledonian Square never really developed to its potential. Even in the early days there were complaints about blackberries and long grass (replaced today with complaints about oak leaves clogging the drains). The picket fence was replaced with rocks in the twenties. In 1923, a councillor asked for more police supervision as it was a place where boys congregated at night. In 1931 the Examiner reported that “ At a meeting of the Invermay and Inveresk Progress Association last night, mention was made of the repulsive condition of the shelter shed at Caledonian Square and the uses to which it was put. A suggestion was made that the front of the building be open for its whole length, so that the Interior was plainly visible from the street.” (I'm not sure if more information would have been a good or bad thing here!)

The council had to fill in a paddling pool on the site in 1936 due to misuse by “hooligans.” Some of the old trees were poisoned by a vandal in the 1950s. As there was a tramstop nearby, the square became a convenient shortcut rather than a place to sit. Sadly, for those of us who like a good story, there are no real mysteries evident, apart from whether it is Caledonia Square (as appears in some newspaper articles and recent Launceston City Council minutes) or Caledonian Square (as is written on the sign), and why there are no seats!!

The upside of all this, of course, is that as you can see, despite the rather average photography, how neat the square looks (not a blackberry in sight), and how pretty the autumn foliage is on the few remaining trees. Perhaps some places just take longer than others to come into their own.