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111-507: The Launceston Gasworks is a former industrial site located in the CBD of Launceston , Tasmania . The site was the principal supplier of gas to the City of Launceston before the importation of LPG in the 1970s. The gasworks produced gas by heating coal and siphoning off the gas that it released before refining and storing it on site in a set of 3, steel frame gasometers . The first buildings on site were

222-473: A flood plain . The last major flood occurred in 1929 when Invermay was completely devastated. More than 4,000 people were left homeless after just one night of flooding. Since then, there have only been minor floods. Work was under way in 2011 on a $ 59 million flood levee upgrade that should protect the city from 1-in-200-year events, that was then expected to take five to six years to construct. The council had acquired land used by eighteen businesses on

333-620: A local man, Doctor William Russ Pugh (a statue of him is located in Launceston's Prince's Square ), produced his own coal gas for his house and a year later Benjamin Hyrons lit the Angel Inn with methane gas. As early as 1854, the Examiner newspaper urged locals to consider the creation of a gasworks in Launceston pointing out the numerous benefits and cheaper costs of coal gas as a means of lighting. In 1856

444-454: A mixture of fear, curiosity and aggression. After several aggressive encounters prompted by bands of Letteremairrener in 1806 , most likely as revenge for the colonists trespassing and hunting on their land without permission, Colonel William Patterson, in charge of the new settlement in Launceston, led a series of putative skirmishes that were ostensibly continued by colonists until 1831. These conflicts intensified from 1827 until 1831 during

555-460: A pre-season cup game at the venue each year since 2006. The record crowd is 8,061. Launceston is not represented by an NRL Football Club, but is expected to be represented by an AFL Team by 2028, as Tasmania was awarded the 19th AFL Licence on 2 May, 2023 when AFL Presidents Unanimously approved the Tasmanian bid Rugby league football is played in the region at junior level and senior level,

666-412: A result, areas of Launceston are subject to landslip problems, while others are liable to poor drainage and periodic flooding. The topography of the area is not conducive to easy dispersion of airborne pollution, due to the phenomenon of thermal inversion . Since the 1990s, the city's air quality has improved. Studies indicate that 73% percent of air pollution in Launceston and surrounding areas during

777-410: A single Carbureted Water Gas Plant with plans for a later second. The plant itself dominated the first 3 levels of the building with its massive steel furnace and generator blocks (steel structures lined with firebrick on the interior). The first floor (ground level) housed many associated machinery items including both electric and steam powered exhausters, a wash box and tram cart. The upper most level

888-426: A total of 8. Today the building is falling into disrepair despite minor restoration work being carried out a few years earlier and most of the sandstone is heavily eroded. The north face of the building is only partially original. The last restoration attempts from the 1980s saw the purifiers removed and converted to conference rooms; closing the originally open air structure with galvanized iron and plate glass bearing

999-501: A venue for international sports events, and in 2005 was redeveloped at a cost of $ 23.6 million. Association football (commonly known in Launceston as "soccer") is also played and watched in Launceston [York Park]—the only place in Tasmania to have hosted national league soccer matches. A National Soccer League game was held at Aurora Stadium in 2002 between Perth Glory and Melbourne Knights . A-League 's Melbourne Victory have held

1110-580: A warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csb ), with mild to warm, somewhat dry summers and cool damp winters with chilly nights. The city is located in the Tamar Valley and is surrounded by many large hills and mountains. With this type of topography, Launceston's weather patterns can change considerably in a short period. The warmest months are in January and February with an average air temperature range of 12.2 to 24.4 °C (54 to 76 °F). Throughout

1221-444: A year. The coldest month is July, with an average temperature range of 2.2 to 12.5 °C (36 to 55 °F). The lowest recorded minimum at Launceston's current weather station, Ti Tree Bend was −5.2 °C (22.6 °F) on 21 July 1991. Launceston very rarely receives snowfall , with snow falling in 1951 and 1986, and again on 3 August 2015, when most of the state received snowfall due to a cold front moving up from Antarctica . On

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1332-454: Is 665 mm (26 in), falling on an average of 88.4 days a year. The most rain Ti Tree Bend has received in a year was 829.6 millimetres (32.66 in) in 1992, though Launceston Airport received 953.1 millimetres (37.52 in) in 1956. As in most of Tasmania 2006 was the driest year when just 394.8 millimetres (15.54 in) fell. The Bureau of Meteorology reported that 2007

1443-551: Is Launceston's 300-bed public hospital, located just south of the city centre. Every year, LGH treats over 24,000 inpatients and over 225,000 outpatients. St Lukes Private Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital are the major private facilities. Launceston was also the location of the first use of anaesthesia in the Southern Hemisphere. Launceston is also the hub for the state's medical retrieval service. The Royal Flying Doctor Service supplies an aircraft and pilots under contract to

1554-581: Is a city in the north of Tasmania , Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, the Launceston urban area has a population of 90,953. Launceston is the second most populous city in Tasmania after the state capital, Hobart . Launceston is the fifth-largest inland city and the ninth-largest non-capital city in Australia. Launceston

1665-456: Is a popular recreational and spectator activity in Launceston and like most of the state, cricket and Australian rules football are popular sports. The city has been the birthplace of two prominent Australian cricketers; the former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting and the retired cricketer and Australian selector David Boon . The first first-class cricket match played in Australia

1776-731: Is also called the Division of Bass , and is one of the five electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly . Both federal and state seats share common boundaries. The Launceston flag design is based on the city's Coat of Arms granted by the College of Arms , Seoul on 11 June 1957. The Brisbane Street Mall, the War memorial at Royal Park, atop the Council Chambers and on top of the Albert Hall are places in

1887-1111: Is currently owned by Nine Entertainment Co (Nine having merged with Fairfax Media in 2018). Another local media site is The Tasmanian Times . Along with the rest of the state, the city has four free-to-air television stations, including two government funded channels from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and two commercial stations; ( Southern Cross Seven ( 7HD ) & WIN ( 9HD ) These services are available in digital format as well as eleven digital-only stations, one carrying Network 10 programming ( Tasmanian Digital Television ( 10 HD ), and nationwide digital-only stations ABC TV Plus / ABC Kids , ABC ME and ABC News (on ABC), SBS Viceland , SBS Food and NITV (on SBS), 7two and 7mate (on SC Seven), 9Gem , 9Go! and 9Life (on WIN), and 10 Bold , 10 Peach and 10 Shake (on TDT). Radio stations aired around Launceston are: LAFM and Chilli FM – part of

1998-486: Is known for its wildlife conservation work, including a breeding program for Tasmanian devils , is located near the city. Launceston's Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery was established in 1891. Now the largest museum located outside a capital city in Australia, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is located at two sites across the city: the original purpose-built building at Royal Park and another at

2109-601: Is now located was previously occupied by the Aboriginal Tasmanian Letteremairrener people. The Letteremairrener country encompasses most of the Tamar Valley region. In 1804, reports from early European voyagers describe a number of Letteremairrener camps, consisting of up to ten bark huts located on either side of the Tamar River. Extensive archeological evidence suggests that occupation and usage of

2220-454: Is now restored and serves as a private residence. The company office is located next to the chief engineer's cottage, and once looked out across the North Esk until the levee system was built over the wharves. The original building was a brick cottage but in the 1880s it had its facade rebuilt in a Victorian style. The headquarters have now been restored along with the other buildings on the site's north facing Boland Street. Out in front of

2331-611: Is regarded as the most livable regional city, and was one of the most popular regional cities to move to in Australia from 2020 to 2021. Launceston was named Australian Town of the Year in 2022. Settled by Europeans in March 1806, Launceston is one of Australia's oldest cities and it has many historic buildings. Like many places in Australia, it was named after a town in the United Kingdom – in this case, Launceston, Cornwall . Launceston also had

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2442-669: Is situated at the confluence of the South Esk River and the North Esk River , forming the Tamar River estuary . It is used for commercial and recreational shipping and boating. In earlier years, oceangoing shipping used the river to obtain access to the Port of Launceston wharves located in the city centre and Invermay. The Port for Launceston is now located at the George Town suburb of Bell Bay , some 40 kilometres (25 mi) downstream on

2553-572: Is sourced from St Patricks River, a tributary of the North Esk River which flows through Launceston. The main retailer is Ben Lomond Water. The first reticulated water supply constructed in 1857 still serves the CBD. There were fears that the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill might adversely affect Launceston's water supply. Like many Australian cities, several major companies provide mobile telecommunications services and wireless internet services to Launceston. Launceston's communication infrastructure

2664-450: Is the most recognisable building on site and is an iconic building in Launceston. The building is built with a steel frame forming a grid pattern, supporting individual "panes" of brick walls. The inscription "COOK WITH GAS" is written in the top floor's brickwork. The building climbs five stories with the coal conveyor still intact running up the front of the building, though the breaker pit at its base has been filled in. The original building

2775-476: Is the origin of 25% of all international visitors to the city and 17% originate from the United States. The Cataract Gorge is Launceston's largest tourist attraction and is in close proximity to the city centre. It is home to the longest single span chairlift in the world, stretching 308 metres (1,010 ft) across the gorge. Launceston has many parks throughout the city including City Park , located next to

2886-431: The 2021 census the population of Launceston is 76,849. Launceston is the 21st most populous city in Australia. Launceston's designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2021 signifies global acknowledgment of this gastronomic paradise. Launceston is at 41°26′31″S 147°8′42″E  /  41.44194°S 147.14500°E  / -41.44194; 147.14500 in the Tamar Valley, Northern Tasmania. The valley

2997-641: The Cataract Gorge . The river is dammed at Lake Trevallyn on the upper reaches of the Cataract Gorge, with water being diverted into the Trevallyn Power Station with runoff flowing into the remainder of the Cataract Gorge and eventually merging with the Tamar River. The North Esk River starts in the Northallerton Valley in Tasmania's north-east mountains and winds its way to Launceston via

3108-479: The Grant Broadcasters radio network, TOTE Sport Radio – Racing Radio, Triple J – ABC , ABC Northern Tasmania – (ABC), ABC NewsRadio – (ABC), ABC Classic FM – (ABC), Radio National – (ABC), City Park Radio – Community Radio , SBS Radio – (SBS), Way FM – Christian Radio - LCFM Launceston colleges radio station and 7RPH which is a relay of 864 AM from Hobart. Launceston General Hospital

3219-659: The Inveresk Cultural Precinct , on the grounds of the former railway station and rail yards in buildings largely converted from the former Railway Workshops. The precinct also includes the Launceston Tramway Museum, which houses the No. 29 tram, the 'Mary St' shelter shed and a host of other memorabilia. The state's largest preservation railway, the Don River Railway , also has a carriage rebuilding workshop on

3330-642: The St Kilda Football Club played two games a year between 2003 and 2006. In 2007, the Tasmanian Government signed a A$ 16.4 million, five-year sponsorship deal with the Hawthorn Football Club , under which the club will play four regular season games and one National Australia Bank Cup pre-season match at the venue each year. Throughout its history, York Park has hosted major pop concerts and other entertainments. Since 2001 it has been

3441-643: The University of Tasmania including the Australian Maritime College and also has a minor minerals and manufacturing base. Launceston is a major hub for the regional agricultural and pastoral activities. Historically, this has been connected with the growing of apples – in recent years the stress has moved to viticulture . Superfine wool remains an important part of the rural economy of north-east Tasmania and wool sales in Launceston attract many international buyers. The various agricultural industries in

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3552-695: The West Tamar Council ; Prospect Vale and Blackstone Heights are included in the Meander Valley Council . Launceston City Council meetings are held in the Launceston Town Hall. The Mayor of the City of Launceston uses the honorific the Right Worshipful . In 2002, Janie Dickenson became the youngest female elected mayor in Australia. The current mayor is Matthew Garwood, elected in 2023. The first previous mayor, Albert Van Zetten ,

3663-545: The 1860s. Not long beforehand, Tasmania played Victoria in Australia's first first-class cricket match at the NTCA Ground in 1851. Tin was discovered at Mount Bischoff in 1871 in north-western Tasmania, starting a minerals boom. Gold mining commenced about 50 kilometres (31 mi) away in Beaconsfield in 1877. During the following two decades Launceston grew from a small town into an urban centre. In 1889, Launceston

3774-667: The Boys' Orphan School in Hobart in 1832. Newer popular team sports such as cricket and football failed to be sustained in Launceston before the population grew substantially. The sports were initially middle class recreations, as the working class found it difficult to participate after a six-day working week. Nevertheless, a "demand for facilities" led to the upgrade of the Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association Ground (NTCA Ground) among other sporting facilities in

3885-744: The Breath of Life Festival from 2012 to 2014, a similar event held at the Inveresk show grounds to raise funds for lung cancer research. Launceston is also the host of the Junction Arts Festival. The Junction Arts Festival was first held in 2010, and spans five days in the Launceston CBD each year. The Festival program changes each year, and includes various art forms, including music, dance, visual and interactive art, short films and live performances, from local, national and international artists. Sport

3996-420: The CBD has narrow one-way streets. Since February 1998, Launceston has been serviced by the Tasmanian government-owned and operated public bus service Metro Tasmania . In addition, Redline Coaches offers school services and travels to many destinations across Tasmania. Quoin (architecture) Stone quoins are used on stone or brick buildings. Brick quoins may appear on brick buildings, extending from

4107-753: The CBD, the former Star Theatre in Invermay and the former Launceston General Hospital) give the city an unusual period ambience. 20th century examples of architecture that are part of the city include the Government offices of Henty House in Charles Street, the Police Station Building and the ANZ Building on the corner of Brisbane & George Street. This is at least in part a matter of deliberate policy – concerns that high rise development might compromise

4218-512: The Carbureted Water Gas Building now stands, closely followed the same design. Gas produced in this building was stored in the 15 m (50 ft) diameter No.1 and No.2 Gasometers. The brick chimney was built by A Henderson with Francis and Miller being contracted to build the main building, all at a total cost of £3333. In 1929, this building was flooded to a depth of 4 ft during the great floods of 1929 , after which damage

4329-513: The Corra Linn Gorge at White Hills . The St Patrick's River, the largest tributary of the North Esk, is dammed at Nunamara to provide the majority of Launceston's town water since the mid-1800s. Since the 1960s, parts of Launceston have been protected by a series of flood levees that reach up to 4 metres (13 ft) in height as large portions of the suburbs Invermay and Newstead sit within

4440-528: The Horizontal Retort Buildings completed in early 1860. On the 5 April 1860, Launceston turned on its new gas street lighting for the first time and oil lamps were replaced by gas. The main source of gas was Newcastle Coal from New South Wales. The gas was extracted by heating the coal until gas was produced. The site of the gasworks was also directly opposite the TMLR rail yards on Willis Street which

4551-728: The Launceston City Council engaged Scottish-born engineer, William Falconer of the Hobart Gas Company, to prepare plans for the proposed gasworks. At a public meeting at the Cornwall Hotel on the 18 May 1858, the Launceston Gas Company was formed. The company purchased a marshy paddock near Cimitier Street the same year due to its proximity to the North Esk River in order to build the new gasworks. Machinery from England and suitable builders were assembled in 1859 with

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4662-754: The Launceston Warriors play in the Tasmanian Rugby League and were minor premiers in the 2012–2013 season. Since 2004, the V8 Supercars (Tasmanian Challenge) has been annually held at the recently re-developed Symmons Plains Raceway , which is around 30 km south of Launceston. Marcos Ambrose, driver of the number 9 Richard Petty Motorsports car is most likely America's most notable Launceston native. A number of other sports have notable presence in Launceston, including basketball (men's, women's and indoor) and hockey . In 2009 Launceston redeveloped

4773-536: The Tamar basin can be dated from at least 7,000 years ago, although it was likely used as long as 35,000 years ago. The Letteremairrener , as seasonal hunter-gatherers, spent the winter months near George Town and the summer months residing on Ben Lomond, before returning to the banks of the Tamar River for the mutton-bird season. Campbell Macknight characterizes early colonial contact with the Letteremairrener people as

4884-655: The Vertical Retort House and was last used as the offices for Origin Energy after the Carbureted Water Gas Plant was removed from within. Though built later in the gasworks history (post 1940s), closely imitates the same style as the Vertical Retort through the use of steel and brick. The building is 3 storeys high with a small 4th level on the roof. When built in 1956, the building was primarily built around

4995-416: The Vertical Retort House underwent a heritage survey to assess the historic value of the surviving equipment and from that, local architectural firm, ARTAS, was left to incorporate this into the final design. Removed machinery was intended to be kept as museum exhibits but has yet to be utilized for such purposes. At present all the machinery in the Vertical Retort has been removed except for a few components on

5106-467: The Vertical Retort was run on Newcastle Coal imported from New South Wales . In the 1950s, modifications were made to the gasworks to allow the site to use Fingal Coal from the Fingal Valley in north east Tasmania . Unlike many gasworks sites in Australia that were either demolished or stripped after closure, the vertical retort house in Launceston still retained most of its original machinery after it

5217-539: The area of Launceston were largely nomadic Aboriginal Tasmanians believed to have been part of the Northern Midlands Nations. Three Nations made up the area around so called Launceston, the Stoney Creek Nation, Tyerenotepanner; Panninher and Lettermairrener. The first white explorers did not arrive until 1798, when George Bass and Matthew Flinders were sent to explore the possibility that there

5328-411: The building itself has been rebuilt. The governor originally distributed gas into 10 gas mains (2 large and 8 smaller) with the largest 2 just visible on the external surface of the building. As part of a development proposal from 2007, this building was meant to be restored as a public historic site with interpretive panels but was canceled in 2008. The Carburetted Water Gas Building is located next to

5439-581: The buildings in the city's central business district (CBD) were constructed in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and Launceston is a major location of Federation style housing. Launceston's many well preserved Victorian and Georgian buildings (including the Launceston synagogue , a rare example of architecture in Egyptian Revival style) together with its diverse collection of art-deco architecture (such as Holyman House and Lucks Corner in

5550-481: The character of the city centre have led to strictly enforced building regulations that restrict the height of new structures in the city, so that most buildings in the CBD have fewer than five storeys. Much of Launceston is contained within the City of Launceston local government area , although some outer suburbs are part of adjacent council districts: for instance Riverside , Legana and parts of Trevallyn are part of

5661-410: The city centre. City Park is home to Albert Hall. The park also has a large enclosure for Japanese macaque monkeys , a gift from sister city Ikeda , Japan. The Launceston General Post Office is a heritage-listed building that dates back to the 1880s, with a clock tower added in the early twentieth century. The GPO clock chime chimes every quarter-hour, twenty-four hours a day. Tasmania Zoo , which

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5772-406: The city where the flag is regularly flown. Flying the flag is restricted to Council Property. The three intersecting lines in the flag represent the city's three rivers (North Esk, South Esk and Tamar) and the two rectangles in the lines represent tin ingots. The strip across the top with the jagged edge is green to represent the city's parks, gardens and surrounding countryside. Waratah flowers at

5883-490: The city's swimming facilities which now include a modern indoor multimillion-dollar swimming centre at windmill hill, now named Launceston Aquatic . The city co-hosted the basketball FIBA Oceania Championship 1975 , where the Australian national basketball team won the gold medal. Launceston's local newspaper The Examiner was founded by James Aikenhead in 1842, and has been continually published ever since. The newspaper

5994-455: The coal gas process produced many hazardous by-product gasses such as Ammonia and Hydrogen Sulfide which were always a potential hazard. This building was also fitted with a drafting table where the Lab Assistant drew up site plans when they were needed. All the distribution maps for Launceston's gas mains were produced here. During restoration in 2007, the iron-clad, timber frame building

6105-612: The coke extractors which were partially retained for aesthetic value. The completed works now link the two buildings with a glass atrium as the earlier proposal had intended. A bar and reception area are currently located on the 1st floor (ground level) of the Vertical Retort House under the former retort blocks with restaurant space occupying the area between the two buildings and into the Carburetted Water Gas Building. The upper levels of both buildings have been remodeled to support retail and office spaces. The machinery within

6216-488: The company office is one of the original gas lamps used in the city. The company operated 123 gas lamps across the city as well as a special one outside the office. The lamps were removed when the city turned to electric lighting but during restoration work, an original lamp was located and returned to the site where it now stands. Built from local brick with sandstone quoining and arches, the Horizontal Retort building

6327-501: The company their whole life. Even the management stayed with a total of four Company Secretaries in 120 years. At its peak, the company employed up to 80 people. The company encouraged a family feeling among its employees, often organising annual Christmas picnics. The 29m high (not including stack height) Vertical Retort Building was built in 1932 as the primary gas production facility for the Launceston Gasworks site. The building

6438-410: The corners. This results in an alternate, quoining pattern. Courses of large and small corner stones are used, alternating between stones of different thickness, with typically the larger cornerstones thinner than the smaller. The long and short quoining method instead places long stone blocks with their lengths oriented vertically, between smaller ones that are laid flat. This load-bearing quoining

6549-599: The district are supported by the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research which operates the Mount Pleasant Research Laboratories in the Launceston suburb of Prospect. Launceston serves as the commercial hub for the north of Tasmania, and like many parts of the state, is becoming a major tourist centre. Visitors to the city have grown over the past few years : during 2004 Launceston attracted 412,800 visitors, up 51% from 2001. The United Kingdom

6660-428: The east bank of the Tamar estuary, close to the river mouth. The South Esk River is the longest river in Tasmania. It starts in the North East Mountains near Roses Tier and flows through the Fingal Valley where it passes through the towns of Fingal and Avoca before flowing into the Northern Midlands where it flows through the towns of Evandale , Perth , Longford and Hadspen before finally reaching Launceston via

6771-408: The easternmost corner of the site (now vacant). In the 1946 plan for the site, a final 250 000 cubic ft. gasometer was proposed to be built to the northwest of the No.5 Gasometer but was canceled along with the rest of the proposal. Located on the south of the site bordering Cimitier Street, this small galvanized iron and timber building was used as the gaswork's distribution point. As with the rest of

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6882-400: The facing brickwork in such a way as to give the appearance of generally uniformly cut ashlar blocks of stone larger than the bricks. Where quoins are decorative and non-load-bearing a wider variety of materials is used, including timber , stucco , or other cement render . In a traditional, often decorative use, large rectangular ashlar stone blocks or replicas are laid horizontally at

6993-458: The first use of anaesthetic in the Southern Hemisphere , it was the first Australian city to have underground sewers , and it was the first Australian city to be lit by hydroelectricity . The city has a maritime climate with four distinct seasons and is appreciably warmer than the south of the island during summer. Local government is split between the City of Launceston , Meander Valley and West Tamar Councils . The first inhabitants of

7104-404: The foundations of the gasometers as well as a free standing structure next to the Governor Cottage and a glass office building connecting the Vertical Retort House to the Carburetted Water Gas Building. As part of the second stage, the Governor Cottage and Horizontal Retort were meant to be restored to allow access to the general public. The third stage was disapproved by the Launceston Council but

7215-444: The front of the building were mostly dismantled with the exception of a now free-standing, brick archway which used to allow the conveyor to pass through the furnace block. Original lighting and electronic equipment still remained within the building both on the first floor and the electrical room on the 3rd floor at the back of the building. The coke extractors on the underside of the retort blocks were in various levels of salvage with

7326-432: The ground level and the waste heat boiler on the floors above, with salvaged components stored in the Horizontal Retort House. Most information sourced from the newly restored Gasworks Historic Site, Launceston. 41°25′23″S 147°08′28″E  /  41.423183°S 147.1411°E  / -41.423183; 147.1411 Launceston, Tasmania Launceston ( / ˈ l ɒ n s ɛ s t ən / )

7437-533: The horizontal retort buildings built in 1860 from sandstone and local brick. The site was later used by Origin Energy as their Launceston LPG outlet. The site is instantly recognizable by its 1930s, steel braced, vertical retort building with the words "COOK WITH GAS" in the brickwork. Starting in 1826, Launceston was lit with lamps running on sperm whale oil . These lamps were unpopular and local butchers soon replaced these with "slush" lamps that burned animal fat . These lamps were still disliked by many so in 1844

7548-408: The interior before scrapping and internal demolition stripped the building of its heritage value to make way for a building proposal. Located between the Chief Engineers Cottage and the Vertical Retort, the Laboratory was an essential part of the site. Every day, samples of gas were tested in this building for quality. The laboratory was no safe place, before switching to Butane for town gas in 1978,

7659-699: The islands of Bass Strait early in the 19th century. They also took whalers to the coast of Victoria in the 1820s and 1830s where they established temporary bay whaling stations. Some of these temporary communities, such as the ones at Portland Bay and Port Fairy , were the forerunner of permanent settlement of those places. Expeditions from Launceston were involved in the Foundation of Melbourne . Walter George Arthur, who petitioned Queen Victoria in 1847 while interned with other Aboriginal Tasmanians on Flinders Island , lived for several years in Launceston as one of numerous homeless children, before being taken into custody by George Augustus Robinson who sent him to

7770-492: The meter rounds by bicycle, often loading the bicycles with everything they needed from 20 ft pipes to plywood. The Engineering staff and the company fitters also used the building to write up the daily logbooks. The Meter Shop also played a secondary role as the staff training center and under Origin Energy ownership in the late 1900s, was solely used for this purpose. Gas Fitters, Meter Makers and Repairers had to do an apprenticeship that lasted 5 years with most men working for

7881-451: The mid 1940s is mostly untouched except for the gas bell has been removed and the pit filled. This gasometer is mounted on a concrete base with a 12 sided steel frame mounted on top that has been painted red. A few meters to the east are the brick and sandstone foundations of two smaller gasometers; the middle dating from the late 1800s and the furthest to the east being one of the original 2 built in 1860. These 2 gas holders were smaller than

7992-415: The most complete being located at the rear of the building. Since it was abandoned in favor of LPG in 1977, the vertical retort was left to fall into ruin with large piles of droppings cover the floor and machinery due to the pigeons that used the building as a roost because of the many openings in its brickwork. In late July 2012, most of the building underwent cleaning to remove the accumulated waste from

8103-401: The new Gasworks emblem, based on the ventilation hole patterns in the Vertical Retort's walls. Located along the southern perimeter of the site facing Cimitier Street, the gasometers were where gas produced at the gasworks was stored at pressure for later distribution. At present, three of the original five gasometers are on site in various levels of salvage. The newest No.5 Gasometer built in

8214-437: The newer one and were last painted Boral's yellow and green colour scheme before they were dismantled in 2007. Shortly after dismantling, a proposal was forwarded to council to develop all 3 gasometers as a single 6 storey apartment block but was cancelled. The other one of the first 2 gasometers on site was dismantled in the early 1900s with the foundations and water pit being converted into a covered tar and liquor well located in

8325-450: The night of 4 August 2020, Launceston received an inch of snow on the ground, with varying levels around the state. Winter, for Launceston, is also the season with the least amount of wind. Because of this and the topographical effect of the Tamar Valley, Launceston winters are renowned for foggy mornings, with Launceston Airport the most fog-bound commercial airport in Australia. The average annual rainfall, with moderate to low variability,

8436-509: The period of the Black War , with genocidal expeditions occurring within the Letteremairrener country and neighbouring areas. By 1827, Launceston's population had climbed to 2,000 and the town had become an export centre, mainly for the colony's northern pastoral industry. Small hotels and breweries began to emerge in the 1820s before larger, more "substantial" hotels were built in the 1830s. Ships from Launceston carried parties of sealers to

8547-521: The purifiers in the Horizontal Retort Building), with the second being directly connected to the outlet mains between the Gasometers and the main governor. The main governor is located at the back of the building along with an exhauster and various meters and pressure gauges. The original governor was first installed in 1860 when the gasworks were first built and changed little since then though

8658-709: The settlement was moved across the river to York Town , and a year later was moved to its definitive position where Launceston stands. Initially, the settlement was called Patersonia; however, Paterson later changed the name to Launceston in honour of the New South Wales Governor Captain Philip Gidley King , who was born in Launceston, Cornwall . The name still survives in the tiny hamlet of Patersonia 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of Launceston. Paterson himself also served as Lieutenant-Governor of northern Van Diemen's Land from 1804 to 1808. The geographical area in which Launceston

8769-457: The site as part of the new Centrelink complex has already been completed though the second and third stages were cancelled in 2008 due to the Great Recession . The second stage was to involve the construction of a whole new set of buildings consisting of offices, retail outlets, restaurants, and apartments. These buildings were to be built on the south of the site facing Cimitier Street within

8880-495: The site changed zoning from industrial to commercial and work commenced on cleaning the building of the accumulated pigeon droppings and polystyrene blocks that were dumped inside it. In mid-September removal of the Corrugated Asbestos Roofing started. On the 10 October 2012, the original 1932 machinery was blow-torched out of the building to be taken away followed by disassembly of the fire-brick retorts except for

8991-452: The site was sold by Origin Energy in 2007, the Launceston Gasworks have become a potential site for development being located in the CBD close to Launceston's City Park and the Inveresk precinct . The gasworks have currently been partially developed as part of a large 3 part scheme costing $ 35 million. The first stage costing $ 8 million involving the restoration of the cottages on the north of

9102-455: The site was taken over by Boral and eventually Origin Energy . In 2007 the site was sold and the 3 gasometers were largely dismantled. The cylinder yard has now been built over by the new Centrelink building and car park with additional developments planned to take place in the future. The chief engineer of the site used to live in an ornate cottage on the NE corner of the site. The first engineer

9213-524: The site. Australia's oldest bookshop, A.W. Birchall & Sons (Birchalls) dating from November 1844, was closed in 2017 Located in the Southern Launceston suburb of Prospect , the Country Club Casino is a hotel, casino and golf course complex. It was the second casino to be built in Tasmania and one of the first in Australia. Launceston Aquatic , a $ 26.3 million regional aquatic centre

9324-410: The south side of Lindsay Street in Invermay, with businesses having until July 2009 to leave. In 2016 the Tamar River flooded resulting in the widespread flooding of low lying suburbs. The St Leonards and West Tamar Highways were temporarily closed as water levels rose, causing significant disruption to the city and loss of livestock. Launceston has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ), bordering on

9435-403: The southern half of the site, this building is in disrepair with all of its windows broken by vandals. Inside, most of the original machinery is still intact such as 2 miniature Braddock Gasometers which are largely intact and are ornately decorated. The miniature gasometer on the eastern side of the building is connected onto the inlet mains for the main Gasometers on site (from the point it leaves

9546-511: The state's ambulance service and the aircraft (a Beechcraft Super King Air ) is staffed by Ambulance Tasmania's Intensive Care Paramedics and doctors from the Launceston General Hospital. Launceston's electricity is primarily generated by renewable hydro electric power plants including the Trevallyn Power Station which is supplied with water from Trevallyn Dam . The major retailer is Aurora Energy . Historically, Launceston

9657-432: The top level of the building (which also contains the conveyor drive and water tank). From the hopper, the coal was fed via a single chute into the vertical retort block which was then divided into 8 separate retorts, where it was heated by furnaces (and later an additional steel furnace in the back room) located on the first floor (ground level). The extracted gas was collected in two parallel "Collector Mains" running along

9768-474: The top of the retort block. Accumulated tar and liquor was drained from the collector mains into a small liquor separating tank on the 3rd floor on the western side of the building. The collected gas was forced through the retort governor (recently removed for scrap) and into the foul main that runs down the back of the retort house where it was purified elsewhere on the site. Like the Horizontal Retorts,

9879-407: The top symbolise all flowers and similar beauties of nature. The ingots are included because Launceston used to be a large tin-smelting centre. The little circle at the river junction is Launceston. Along with being a major retail centre with an average of 75% of market share in surrounding local councils, Launceston is a major service centre for the north of Tasmania. The city is home to a campus of

9990-515: The winter period is caused by wood smoke, while about 8% is from motor vehicle pollution. During the early 1990s about 60% of households used wood heaters, but since the mid-2000s only 25–30% of households use wood heating. According to the 2011 Tasmanian Air Monitoring report, particulate matter met the Air NEPM goals starting in 2006, and did not exceed the PM10 standard in the years 2009–2011. Launceston

10101-473: The year there is an average of 4.3 days a year over 30 °C (86 °F). The maximum recorded temperature was 39 °C (102 °F) on 30 January 2009, with Launceston Airport reaching 40.4 °C (105 °F) on that same day, during the 2009 Southeastern Australia heat wave . The city averages 67.3 clear days and 148.8 cloudy days per annum. Winters are cool with minimum temperatures dropping below 2 °C (36 °F) an average of 61 days

10212-488: Was William Falconer from Scotland and many more followed. An unusual feature associated with the cottage was the chief engineer's private, heated swimming pool. It is said to still be there, buried under the courtyard between the cottage and the gas laboratories. The pool was heated by the Vertical Retort Building's boilers and was strictly out of bounds to all workers unless they were needed to fix it. The cottage

10323-550: Was a strait between Australia and Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). They originally landed in Port Dalrymple (the mouth of the Tamar River), 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the north-west of Launceston. The first significant colonial settlement in the region dates from 1804, when the commandant of the colonial garrison. Lt. Col. William Paterson , and his men set up a camp on the current site of George Town . A few weeks later,

10434-413: Was abandoned. Both the electric coke extractor eccentric and conveyor drive remained intact within the building along with most of the fourth floor machinery. The waste heat boiler on sublevel 3 had been reduced in size due to salvage operations in the 1980s as with the waste heat boiler on the first floor (ground level) which was also partially dismantled. The original brick furnaces (producer blocks) at

10545-512: Was also convenient for the delivery of coal. The demand for coal gas continued to grow even after the Duck Reach Power Station was commissioned in 1896. In 1932, the Vertical Retort House was added to the site to increase productivity. The site was expanded to the west in the mid 1900s which involved the removal of Wescombe Street and the historic cottages that lined it in order to make a 3rd gasometer and later an LPG cylinder yard when

10656-761: Was at the Northern Tasmania Cricket Association Ground between the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Launceston Cricket Club in 1851. Australian rules football is very popular in Launceston, and is often played at York Park (University of Tasmania Stadium). Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park was swampland before becoming Launceston's showgrounds in 1873. Hawthorn has played between two and five AFL matches each season since 2001, and

10767-599: Was completed in 1895 (the first municipally owned power station in the Southern Hemisphere). Until the 1950s when Trevallyn Power Station was built, Duck Reach supplied Launceston with most of its power needs – it is now an interpretive historic site. The former Gas Works currently houses the Launceston Hogsbreath Cafe. Launceston's water comes from the Launceston Water Catchment. The majority

10878-581: Was completed in July 2009. The site, just outside the central business district spans about 6,450 square metres (69,400 sq ft). From 1999 to 2003, Launceston was the site of three of the four Gone South music festivals. From 2006 to 2011, it hosted the MS Fest , a music festival held at the Inveresk Show grounds each summer to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research. This has since been replaced with

10989-446: Was erected in 1860 and is one of the oldest buildings on site. The central portion of the building used to have a 39.3 m (129 ft) brick chimney and housed 18 retorts with room for an additional 6. On either side of the main building were two wings: the western one for the storage of coal imported form NSW and the other being a purifying house which also contained the "smiths" and gasfitters shops. A second coal store, located where

11100-492: Was formed by volcanic and glacial forces over 10 million years ago. The city is about 45 kilometres (28 mi) south of the Bass Strait , with its closest neighbour-city being Devonport , about 99 kilometres (62 mi) to the north west. Launceston combines steep (originally heavily wooded) ridges and low-lying areas (originally wetlands – with parts of the suburbs of Inveresk and Invermay below high-tide level). As

11211-559: Was initially elected in 2007, before being re-elected in 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2018. State Upper House seats that incorporate parts of Launceston are the Electoral Divisions of Paterson , Windermere and Rosevears . For federal elections, Launceston falls within the Division of Bass , with the sitting member being Bridget Archer for the Liberal Party of Australia , who won the seat in the 2019 election. The state Lower House seat

11322-413: Was lifted from its foundations to make way for a new laneway into the site. The building was relocated a few meters to the north where it was placed on new foundations and a new, modern section of similar proportions was added to it. The Laboratory and Workshop has since been restored and in one of its windows is displayed various items used on the gasworks site that were uncovered during restoration. Since

11433-462: Was officially opened on 19 March 1932 and was described by the company director as a masterpiece of modern chemistry and engineering. During the opening ceremony, the buildings moving components were switched on and visitors were taken to the top of the retorts to view what was the most advanced gasworks of its time. During later operation, the building was described as a harsh place to work in due to blazing heat, noise and gas fumes. The vertical retort

11544-632: Was powered by gas from the Launceston Gas Company , (later Gas Corporation of Tasmania). In 1988 it was sold to Boral . The first gas plant was built in 1860 as a horizontal retort Gas Works house made from brick and sandstone on the site's SW corner. This was followed by keepers cottages, labs, the Headquarters Building and the iconic 1930s vertical retort recognised by the wording "COOK WITH GAS" written in its brickwork. The Duck Reach Power Station replaced gas for street lighting when it

11655-440: Was repaired quickly. When the Vertical Retort was built in the 1930s, the Horizontal Retorts were removed along with chimney and replaced with a boiler and a large tar plant in the mid portion of the building with associated 3 oil tanks outside on the southern face. The brick and masonry portion of the eastern wing was re-fitted with 3 exhausters and the steel and galvanized iron portion upgraded to contain 4 more purifiers adding to

11766-401: Was shorter in length and contained only 4 retorts but foundations for later extensions were included and soon used as the building was extended. The small rear section plus the first connected division of the building were part of this extension with the divide visible by a slight change in brick colour. Inside, the coal was transported to the top level where it was deposited in a long hopper at

11877-435: Was the second town in Tasmania to be declared a city, after state capital Hobart . During the late 1880s, a small periodical called Launceston Literary contained stories as well as memoirs of the pioneering days of the region. The publication was distributed from a store in the northern end of the town, and while largely forgotten today, was at the time considered relatively popular, if at times controversial. According to

11988-424: Was the warmest year ever recorded in Launceston since temperatures were first recorded in 1884. Temperatures ranged from a minimum of 8.1 °C (46.6 °F) to a maximum of 19.2 °C (66.6 °F). During 2006 and 2007, Launceston had the hottest maxima throughout the state. In 2008, Launceston had the highest average maximum temperature out of all Tasmanian cities with 18.6 °C (65.5 °F). Many of

12099-427: Was to involve the development of the abandoned Origin Energy parking lot across Willis Street into more shops but has been converted into a public parking lot instead. In June 2012 a proposal by developer Ross Harrison was put forward to the Launceston City Council to incorporate the Vertical Retort House and Carburetted Water Gas Building into a restaurant and bar with additional commercial space. In late July 2012,

12210-583: Was upgraded in 1997 through the federal "Networking the Nation" program. Beginning in 2010, the National Broadband Network began installation of fire optic cables in Launceston. In 2016, Launceston became the first city in Tasmania to be fully connected to the NBN. The car is by far the most dominant form of transport in Launceston, with the city having 721 km of urban and rural roads, even though much of

12321-422: Was used as a coal store with gravity feeders connecting it to the plant. As part of the current development, the Carbureted Water Gas Building is being restored and connected onto the Vertical Retort House via a glass atrium mimicking the profile of the buildings' rooflines. The Meter Shop was where the new gas meters were assembled and tested. By 1958, there were 6333 meters across Launceston. The Gas Fitters did

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