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Press Release
WALKING TOUR BOOK CELEBRATES LAUNCESTON'S HISTORY
Friday 14 December 2007
Colonial enterprise, convict labour, Victorian grandeur and the spirit of enterprise are all covered in a new walking guidebook launched today, which celebrates the history of Launceston.
Written by well-known Tasmanians Mike Tatlow and Charles Wooley, A Walk in Old Launceston is a sister-book to the successful A Walk in Old Hobart, launched earlier this year.
The Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Paula Wriedt, said A Walk in Old Launceston encourages readers to pound the streets of Launceston and offers revelations about the extraordinary events in the city’s rich heritage.
“Launceston is famous for its well preserved links with its history and a stroll through the streets provides tangible evidence of the city’s past,” Ms Wriedt said.
The walk starts and ends at the Old Launceston Seaport – the spot where the first European settlers established a camp just over 200 years ago.
“The guide takes locals and visitors on a journey to much-admired Launceston landmarks like Albert Hall and City Park, but also introduces some of the characters who helped make Launceston what it is today,” Ms Wriedt said.
“These include the story of former Examiner editor John West, widely believed to have designed the Australian flag, and the tale of the golden hatchets buried in Launceston in February 1959.
“These two, little gold-painted axes were buried by the Town Clerks of Hobart and Launceston in an event supposed to put an end to the hostilities between north and south.
“The walk also includes Morton House, a hospital where progressive surgeon and scientist Dr William Pugh successfully administered ether in 1847 – it was the first use of a general anaesthetic for surgery in the southern hemisphere.”
A Walk in Old Launceston contains 80 old and new photographs of the city, its streets and landmarks – from intact historic cityscapes to homes in Georgian, Victorian, Federation and Edwardian styles.
“The story of Launceston continues to unfold as the city of Launceston keeps on growing,” Ms Wriedt said.
“Tourism is one of those growth areas and this new book gives visitors, as well as locals, the chance to discover and explore this wonderful city.”
The guided tour covers six kilometres and is designed to be wheelchair friendly.
A Walk in Old Launceston also contains a guide to the Tamar Valley Wine Route, the colonial villages of Evandale and Longford and the Cataract Gorge Reserve and First Basin.
For further information contact Tourism Tasmania's
Communications Unit
(03) 6230 8244
email mediainfo@tourism.tas.gov.au