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.

251 INVERMAY ROAD - ST FINN BARRS

ST FINN BARRS INVERMAY

The original St Finn Barr's school, established by the Presentation Sisters in 1893 was at the corner of Forster and Holbrook Street, Invermay. It was destroyed by a fire which occurred shortly before 2 am on 25^th March 1925. The blaze was so intense, that according to newspaper accounts of the time “every house on Trevallyn stood out as if in daytime.” This was just one of many unexplained fires that occurred around this time, including several houses and a furniture factory. Some 15 months after the St Finn Barr's fire, the drill hall being leased as a temporary replacement, was damaged by another blaze. The Examiner reported that local residents feared a “fire maniac” was at large.

Funds were quickly raised for the new school, at 247 - 251 Invermay Road, which was consecrated by Bishop Dr W Barry in May 1927. The building, described by the Examiner as “Romanesque”, and by the National Heritage data base as “Inter War Free Classical Style” cost ₤7 000. Speakers complained “bitterly” that despite not making any contribution to the building, the land upon which the school was built was to be taxed by the state government “so that the mud could be taken out of the Tamar.” The architect was “Mr Tandy” and the builders “Messrs Munro and Quinn.”

The Presentation Sisters continued to be involved in the operation of the school until 1993.

(A very readable account of the history of The Presentation Sisters in Australia can be found at http://presentationsociety.org.au/about/our-history/ - its worth noting that this article mentions that the first school established by the order in the southern hemisphere was in Richmond, Tasmania in 1866.)

Additional details (particularly in relation to the building's architecture), as well as a more conventional photo can be found at http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=100199.   

217B INVERMAY ROAD, THE STAR THEATRE

THE STAR THEATRE, INVERMAY ROAD

And yes.....I do requests.......When I asked Marvin (my husband, and not his real name) which building he thought I should look at next, he nominated the Star Theatre without hesitation. This lovely building is in a highly visible spot on a major road, and yet is easy to simply drive past without fully appreciating its beauty.

According to a report in The Examiner , when the theatre opened in Invermay on October 05^th 1937, hundreds gathered outside to admire the neon lighting. It was also truly impressive inside. (Take a look at the description in The Examiner of 01 October 1937 via TROVE!) There were 250 velvet upholstered lounge chairs in “the circle” and 650 rubber cushioned seats in the stalls, and the lighting was provided by amber globes.

The Star was Launceston's first suburban theatre. Guy Crick (from Sydney) was the architect (“in association with Mr A Harold Masters of Launceston”), but the building work was undertaken by local firm J and T Gunn. The design is “a mixture of interwar functionalist and art deco style”...and if you want to know what that means, consult the building's description on the Australian Heritage database

(http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=100071

Alderman Hollingsworth undertook the ceremonial opening, saying that “the management had assured him that a very careful watch would be kept, and that nothing harmful to the youth of the district would be screened.” We are left to ponder what would have been deemed “harmful” but evidently the opening films Roberta (with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers) and The Plot Thickens were judged to be acceptable.

The theatre had a revolving star, which was turned on at 7 o'clock each night, and people would dress in their Sunday best, and book regular seats. The demise of the theatre was attributed to competition from television and the drive-in. (Examiner 27^th July 1999)

The theatre closed on July 26^th 1969. The last movie shown was The Green Berets. The building was purchased by the St Vincent de Paul Society in 1971, and is still occupied by them today.