96 MARGARET STREET- UNITING CHURCH

UNITING CHURCH - MARGARET STREET VIEW

The first Methodist church was built on Margaret Street (near the corner with Balfour Street) in 1837. Sunday School services commenced on August 27^th of that year. 

 The building was expanded using plans by well-known architect Peter Mills in 1858. The current church, however, evolved out of the Wesleyan Sunday School built by J and T Gunn in 1889, and remodelled in 1917-18. Sunday School numbers peaked in 1906 when over 500 attended.

The impressive pipe organ was installed in 1920 (see the previous post). Also within the church is an honour roll, unveiled in 1920, listing members of the congregation who served in WW1. It contains 95 names. Further details, and a picture of the memorial can be found at:http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/ww1/display/70522-margaret-street-methodist-church-roll-of-honour/

I have not seen a copy, but I did find reference to a book compiled by G Iken and Lewis E Barnard commemorating the centenary of the church in 1938. Celebrations of that event extended over nine days. The Methodist Church combined with the Presbyterian Church and the Congregational Union to form the Uniting Church in June 1977.

Both buildings are now for sale...................

UNITING CHURCH BALFOUR STREET VIEW

MARGARET STREET UNITING CHURCH ORGAN

ORGAN, MARGARET STREET UNITING CHURCH

The organ in the Albert Hall is often discussed, but less well known is the impressive pipe organ in the Trinity Uniting Church, 96 Margaret Street (on the corner with Balfour Street)

If you are interested in the specifications of the organ, they are recorded in detail on the Organ Historic Trust of Australia website (ohta.org.au), along with a little of its history.

The organ was originally in the Paterson Street Wesleyan Methodist Church, where it had been installed in 1880. It was not, as one might think a sharing between the sister churches – but a purchase and donation by local businessman J H Hart in 1920, that made its installation in Margaret street possible. Considerable modifications were made during the relocation, including the addition of an electric motor! (All the details can be found in an article published in The Telegraph on September 4^th 1920). The inscription on the organ reads “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.”

In honesty, I have to confess that my brain glazes over more than a little when I read long account of the measurement and construction of pipes and suchlike (although I realize this is of great fascination for some), but I have had the great pleasure of hearing the organ played, and can vouch for its powerful resonance.

UPDATE:  The sale of the property means that it will be used as a fitness studio rather than a church, and in June 2018, it seemed likely that the organ would be purchased by the Anglican Church and installed in All Saints Church in South Hobart.

ST AILBE'S HALL, 46 MARGARET STREET

ST AILBE'S HALL

Most of us who have lived in Launceston for a while have had cause to visit St Ailbe's Hall in Margaret Street, be it for the Library Book Sale, one of the Garden Society's shows or for one of the numerous other events and exhibitions that are regularly held there. It is, therefore, somewhat embarrassing toconfess that I only just realised that there was an “i” after the a in the title!

The hall was built by the Catholic Church and was opened by the then Archbishop of Hobart, Dr W Hayden, on Sunday 22 May 1932. The cost of construction eventually totaled around five thousand pounds, most of which came from bequests from William Dargan, and Miss E. Bourke. The hall was built with the social and recreational needs of the Catholic community. H East was the architect, and H Quinn, the contractor.

Just by the by, St Ailbe was a 6^th century Irish Bishop. The English version of his name is “St Elvis”!!

ROYAL PARK - THE AB BIGGS OBSERVATORY MEMORIAL PILLAR

AB BIGGS OBSERVATORY PLAQUE

At first glance, this memorial to AB Biggs appears a little underwhelming. It should however, be remembered that it was erected in the depths of the depression, and non-commercial societies are rarely flush with funds at the best of time .

It would make great addition to a history-themed scavenger hunt (collecting photos of course, not the actual objects), as its existance is not widely known. I am ashamed to say I must have walked past it countless times without really noticing its significance. (In my defence I did have a very badly behaved dog in tow but still.....) I'll give you a clue – its quite near to the croquet club. (Yes, Launceston does have one, in fact more than one, but that's a story for another post). However lest I complete this entire post with bracketed afterthoughts I'll get to it and add this extract from The Examiner of the 19^th September 1935:

"Many years ago, long before this park was thrown open to the public, on the place where we now are there stood a little octagonal building," said Mr. Meston. (Meston was president of the Northern Branch of the Royal Society, the Governor, who was the state president was prevented from attending due to ill-health)."So insignificant was it that to many it seemed but a kind of shed. This was the observatory of Mr. A. B. Biggs, F.R.S. Here and in the little building adjacent, a transit house presented to him by the American Astronomical Expedition which visited Tasmania in 1874, he carried out his observations. The scope and accuracy of his work soon brought him international repute, and his name was widely known in astronomical circles throughout the world. Many of his observations were published in the "Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania," to which from 1884 onwards he was a frequent contributor. One of his labours was to calculate the latitude and the longitude of Launceston. This he did with the care and exactitude which is characteristic of all his work. At his death in 1900 the observatory and transit house were demolished, and nothing was left to mark the sites. If the official latitude and longitude of Launceston are to have any value or meaning, it is essential to know the exact position where the calculations were made. The erection of this memorial pillar, therefore, has a very definite scientific value, for it marks the site of the observatory.”

The “AB” in the Biggs stands for Alfred Barrett. Quite apart from his work as an amateur astronomer(its hard to imagine any paid positions being available in Launceston at the time), Biggs was a teacher, bank officer, member of the Royal Society, actively involved in the Mechanics Institute and the choir master at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church. One could easily add “among other things” for Biggs seems to have had a varied and very productive life and displayed an interest in many aspects of science including seismology and telephony. There are many online referencesto AB Biggs, if you'd like to know more about him, and there is also an interesting  book by Margaret Giordano called Watcher of the Night Skies  which is a very well-written and interesting account of his life

118 - 120 BRISBANE STREET, BIRCHALLS

BIRCHALLS, BRISBANE STREET MALL

Shopfronts change, businesses move in and out, and the city is almost a living entity in that it grows and evolves over time. Generally I embrace the interest and energy of change, but every now and again I just don't want to let go. I am not alone in feeling a sense of almost personal loss at the looming end of Birchalls, the heart of the mall, and almost everyone's favourite shop. 

Usually I play around with the photos doing things like taking out annoying power lines or accentuating the structure, or just playing for the sake of it, but this photo is just Birchalls as it is in February 2017, early in the morning before the customers arrive. It seems right to present it “as is.”

There are a lot of references on-line about the business, plus of course, you can look up lots of information and early advertising in newspapers of the time via TROVE. Birchall's site contains a brief history as well. I don't know if this website will continue to be available, so if you are interested you should look now! I won't “re invent the wheel” and rewrite it all here but......

In summary the business has operated on its current site since 1844. Prior to that, the Brisbane Street site had been occupied by a pharmacy and later, by a confectionery shop. Birchalls is credited with the invention of the writing pad, and has always stocked books and stationary. Art supplies have been sold since the early twentieth century, and various other sections ranging from toys to cake decorating, giftware to snacks, have been established to cater for local demand. It really has been the very best sort of department store – and I cannot begin to say how much it will be missed.

A LAUNCESTON COOKERY BOOK FROM 1936

JEAN NELSON'S COOKERY BOOK

I'm diverging a bit...but this post is Launceston-related and of historic interest so......I'm going to introduce to Jean Nelson's cook book, published by the Examiner newspaper in Launceston in 1936, and still used today by this Launceston resident over 80 years later.

Jean Nelson was the real or assumed name of the leading light of the Examiner's women's supplement in the 1930s, but the book was actually compiled and edited by Miss Ruth Wing “formerly Domestic Science Mistress of the Launceston State High School, and the recipes were contributed by the newspaper's readers.

Some of the recipes are still very useful today – a special thankyou to Mrs. G Reid of David Street, East Launceston for the Currant Jam recipe we've been enjoying for the last couple fo years. Others have stood the test of time less successfully. I do eye off the occasional wattlebird that breaks a branch of the young fruit trees in the back paddock, but haven't been moved to eat them yet, however I do allow myself a little evil smile, when I remember there's a recipe from Mrs Bates of Liffey on page 19, should I change my mind.

Other recipes are very much a product of the grim economic times that prevailed in Tasmania during the 1930s. The meat section is full of rabbit recipes (my parents, as children of the depression cannot understand why we don't solve our rabbit issues by using some of them). Other cuts of meat not favoured today also feature – a way to prepare three sheep heads, brain pie, liver shape and tripe custard, are just some of the temptations.....or not.

The recipe book sold for one shilling, with 3d of each copy, being donated to Tasmanian public hospitals. Advertising also featured throughout the book - the competition between gas and electric cooking stoves was obvious, although a “natural fuel” (wood/coa)l stove could still be had from the Pheonix Foundry in Wellington Street. Some of the claims were a little worrying, for instance “Only with gas can you leave the oven absolutely alone whilst you go out shopping” The only male portayed in the ads as cooking was Franz the French chef, who was delighted to discover Robur tea when he moved to Australia, and found it a more than adequate substitute for wine with his meals!!

I could go on..............its a wonderful little book.  My daughter bought it at a market, thinking I might like it and she was right!!

157 ST JOHN STREET - MOSAIC MEMORIAL

MOSAIC RAREDOS, ST JOHN'S LAUNCESTON

This lovely mosaic reredos (“an ornamental screen covering the back wall of an altar”), made as a memorial to the fallen of World War One, is located inside St John's church in Launceston. It was made in 1921. The glass tiles were from England, and the construction was carried out by Brooks Robinson and Co of Melbourne. There is no need to say more, but if you'd like additional details, you can use TROVE to read an informative article in The Examiner 30^th June 1921.

136 WELLINGTON STREET

BRITANNIA HOUSE, 136 WELLINGTON STREET

This building is described by the Tasmanian Heritage Council as “A two storey Georgian building with ordered fenestration, a hipped roof, narrow boxed eaves and an articulated corner.” For those who are wondering I'll save you the trouble of looking up “fenestration” which seems to just mean “windows.

There are a lot of comparatively recent additions to the basic structure so its easy to drive by and not appreciate the rather nice structure underneath (rusty roof and all). The Heritage Council's data sheet records the building at 136 Wellington Street as originally being the “Britannic Hotel.” There are several references in early newspapers to the Britannia in Wellington Street, but none that I can find to the Britannic Hotel............so maybe a typo?

The earliest reference I found to an establishment by the former name was an inquest held on the premises in February 1839. In 1840 it is referred to as “Britannia Inn,” in 1843 it was the “Britannia Tavern”. Later that decade it is referred to as “The Britannia Wine Vaults” and later still as the “Britannia Wine Cellar.” Patrick Monaghan was the licensee in 1845. Unfortunately beyond “Wellington Street” there is little indication of precisely where the hotel(s) was/were located.

This extract from the Launceston Family Album (a record of those who attended the Tasmanian Exhibition” of 1891-92) provides some helpful clues: 

“Gertrude Elizabeth Doolan was born in Launceston on 20 May 1868, the fourth child of Thomas Joseph Doolan and his wife Jane Monaghan (died Oct 1920). Gertrude was believed to have stayed at home as housekeeper to her mother and brothers following the death of her father in Dec 1885. She lived out her life at 'Brittania House', which was formerly the Brittania Wine Vaults, with her two brothers Gervase and Arthur. The building was later to become the funeral parlour of the Doolan family”. -Margaret Brown & Janice Fletcher Oct 2005

A quick search confirmed that the location of Doolan's funeral parlour was, indeed, located at 136 Wellington Street.  For the blog photo, 

I photoshopped out an inconveniently located telegraph pole, but there was nothing I could do about the “modern” extensions and all the signage. When you next drive by, though, it's worth looking beyond the obvious exterior to the rather nice nineteenth century building hiding underneath.

LAUNCESTON COAT OF ARMS

LAUNCESTON COAT OF ARMS

This example of the Launceston City coat of arms can be found on the civic buildings in St John Street opposite the town hall and seems to feature an “artistic” interpretation of its formal colours The coat of arms was approved at a council meeting in 1893, although Alderman Barrett was less that impressed with the appearance of the Tasmanian tigers.

The council website provides the following explanation of the elements of its official design: “The gold shield refers to the history of gold mining in districts surrounding Launceston. The top green portion of the shield is symbolic of the city's parks, gardens and surrounding countryside, and the Tasmanian waratah flowers are symbolic of endemic flora. The blue Pall represents the River Tamar and the North Esk River and the South Esk River. The golden centre point represents Launceston's location at the confluence of the three rivers. The two tin ingots on the pall refer to the days when tin smelting took place in the city. The supporters are the famous thylacines. Although possibly extinct, their appearance is ideally heraldic. (The thylacine gained additional significance in the mid 1980s when it was adopted as Council's logo.) The crest is the yellow wattle bird, endemic to Tasmania, resting on a native gum branch and holding a sprig of gum in its beak. The compartment on which the whole rests includes an English heraldic rose on one side of the shield and sprigs of wattle on the other. These were added in 1957 by the College of Heralds as tokens of the city's loyalty to the 'mother country' (United Kingdom).”

A description of the coat of arms published by the Examiner on 25^th August 1936, suggests that the circle at the junction of the rivers is a “bezanit (a gold coin of Eluzantium), symbolic of wealth.” The author also writes that the wattlebird presented sitting on a branch is emblematic of council and that the foliage in its mouth, stands for peace. He suggests that silver is the third mineral to be symbolically included in the coat of arms, and that the rampant presentation of the thylacines is “emblematic of magnanimity”. This article was inspired by the fact that Melbourne had just had its coat of arms officially recorded (at a cost of 130 pounds). Launceston did not apply for registration until the council's centenary in 1953.

PRINCES SQUARE DRINKING FOUNTAIN

When one mentions Prince's Square and fountain, the immediate thought is of the magnificent French creation that graces the centre of the park. I will get around to that eventually, but this week thought I'd write a word or two about the humbler, but still quite sweet little drinking fountain.

An entry on ehive.com which includes a black and white photo indicates that the National Trust suggest the fountain (which appears to be the one in my photo) was a gift from Robert de Little. The date given is “unknown” c. 1960 – 1980. I would assume this date refers to the photo as the fountain appears to be much older. (Not that I would claim to know this!).

Robert de Little did indeed pay for a number of drinking fountains for Launceston – he tried to begin a subscription fund to share the cost in 1869, but when no one else contributed he financed the entire project himself with a hundred guineas. De Little, a builder and civic-minded businessman died in February 1876.

 A letter to The Examiner written in 1892, suggests the need for a drinking fountain in Princes Square (so there does not appear to have already have been one there). The same year, the council decided against the erection of a drinking fountain in the square as there was already one on the corner of St John and Elizabeth Streets. Perhaps this was later re-located into the park. An article in ­of February 24^th 1924, makes reference to a recently erected fountain in Princes Square, and looking at the decoration, I wonder if this is that fountain, despite the details mentioned above? I don't know.......love to hear from you if you do!

TAMAR ISLAND

Tamar Island (located in the Tamar Island Wetlands Reserve, just off the West Tamar Highway between Riverside and Legana) was first noted by Europeans in 1804, when it was named “Upper Island.” Tamar Island has always been crown land, but over the years has been used for a variety of purposes, and sometimes privately leased. 

Convict labour was used to reclaim land in the wetland area as early as the 1820s.  In the 1880s it became the base for an on-going dredging operation to allow ships better access to the Launceston port. (This is obviously not a new issue). Derelict ships and barges were also used to try and block part of the river and increase the flow in the main channel. By this time, the island was known as “Pig Island.”

There was a report in The Daily Telegraph (Launceston) in 1900, that mentioned a man with a suspected case of bubonic plague, being confined to “Pig Island.” This seems to have been a pragmatic rather than planned response to the perceived threat.

THE BOARDWALK TO TAMAR ISLAND

As time went on, the recreational potential of the island was recognized. In 1906 there was a privately funded proposal to erect tea rooms and another name change to “Tamar Island” ensued. (Other suggested names included Panogana (white mud),and Kuawatto (afternoon) but the minister had the final say, and clearly favoured the literal). Various expensive ornamental trees were planted, but eventually the plans foundered due to the unforeseen costs involved in building a suitable jetty. By 1917, such plans had been abandoned but despite applications, the Marine Board was reluctant to lease the ground for grazing as livestock would likely destroy the trees.

There are many stories associated with the island. I'ts easy to find the old oak tree that has now all but consumed, a rusted plough once left behind, legend has it, by a grief-stricken widowed farmer who abandoned the land. and you won't find it hard to find lots of references on-line to Bruno the marooned bull.

The Tasmanian state government purchased it in the 1980s, and incorporated it into the Tamar River Conservation Area

https://www.environment.gov.au/water/wetlands/publications/wetlands-australia/national-wetlands-update-february-2012-15 contains interesting information regarding the wetlands of which Tamar Island is an integral part.

The whole wetlands area is a photographer's dream – its great on a sunny day, but in winter, when the trees are bare, the tide is low and the skies are dark and threatening its even better!

CITY PARK MONKEYS

ONE OF THE CITY PARK MONKEYS

Monkeys were around in Launceston for most of the city's existence, and have been in City Park since the 1800s. Interestingly, there seems to have always been controversy about whether or not it is appropriate to keep the animals as exhibits. As early as the 1890s letters were written to the editor of the Examiner expressing concern for their welfare.

Monkeys were kept as a part of the zoo which existed within City Park, the collection having begun in 1850 with the exhibition of two of the last remaining Tasmanian emus from Circular Head, donated by James Gibson. It seems to have grown into an odd assortment of animals which also included an eagle, hens, deer, dingoes, kangaroos and wallabies. At that stage the gardens belonged to the Horticultural Society, the original aim being to collect representations of both the plants and animals of Australia. Just how or why monkeys were introduced into the mix is still unclear to me

(See http://www.naturalworlds.org/thylacine/captivity/zoos/zoos_7.htm for additional information including the location of the zoo within the park)

The “People's Park” passed into the hands of the City of Launceston in 1863, and by 1895, it was becoming clear that considerable resources were needed to successfully maintain its animals . The council decided to persist with the zoo, the verdict being “if it is to be abolished what will the children say?” A shift in emphasis from scientific curiosity that prevailed when the collections began to its value as an amusement seems to have occurred.

Monkeys remained in City Park in the twentieth century. In 1903 a large African monkey escaped and attacked a tourist from Queensland! By 1913, the council had decided to let the animals of City Park “die out” and a letter to the paper in 1924 confirmed that only one monkey remained, alone and caged, a sad fate for a social animal. The population must however have been replenished at some stage afterwards, as a baby rhesus monkey was born in City Park in 1931. He was named Augustus, and he became a “star” of postcards before he had to be relocated to the mainland because he “became ferocious”.

The Examiner gave the original number of monkeys as five, but by 1954, a single male, known as Joe, remained. The council was hoping to swap him for a couple of “younger and more playful” monkeys from Adelaide!! I don't know the outcome to that particular ambition.

The monkeys in the park today live in a much lovelier enclosure than that endured by those that preceded them. The current residents are Japanese macaques. The original modern population arrived in 1980, swapped for a similar number of wallabies.

Monkeys were always considered a source of entertainment, as well as “specimens” of natural history. Wombwell's Australian Menagerie, for instance arrived in town In 1858. Four lions, a Bengal tiger, a jackal and several monkeys were “on view” on the corner of Brisbane and George Streets! The “American Circus” visited in the 1880s with a “clever” mandrill. Fillis's Circus in 1893 featured pony-riding monkeys, whilst in 1899 Fitzgerald's Circus included a monkey who rode a goat.

Monkeys were also considered suitable pets in the nineteenth century. In 1846 there was an article about a monkey kept in the stableyard of an unnamed Launceston hotel who found money in an old discarded glove – the discovery of the money seemingly more amazing that the existence of the monkey, so one could surmise that whilst not common, they were not unknown in town, Launceston being a major port of call for ships from many corners of the world in the early years.

In 1855, several monkeys were brought to Launceston from Timor and sold for thirty shillings each. I was surprised to read this as it had never occurred to me that Timor was home to a monkey population. A quick consultation with Wikipedia, however, confirmed that macaques do indeed live there.

An 1896 letter to the children's section of the Examiner reads as follows “I must....tell you about my pet monkey. I bought him in Melbourne before Christmas. He was then very thin and miserable looking, but now he is so different and looks so contented and happy. I keep him in a large cage about six feet square, but take him out and nurse him sometimes. I bought a belt and chain for him, but he objects to it just yet. He is very fond of children and has such games with them. It is very amusing to see him with a hand mirror. He feels behind it for the other monkey and feeds it on the glass. His name is Jacko.”

..........and so on.........

This post leads to so many other potential interesting little stories about circuses and exhibitions, about the nineteenth century interest in natural history, about.....well, I could go on and on, but i already have and its time to stop!