HERITAGE TASMANIA
TASMANIAN HERITAGE COUNCIL
April 2007
Cemetery
Photograph by Stewart Wells
Juvenile convict prison listed in
Tasmanian Heritage Register
Despite Tasmania’s isolation, the penal system was
the subject of much debate in England. Reformation
resulted in many changes, including the pressure to
develop separate facilities for juvenile convicts.
Tasmania’s most celebrated juvenile convict station
is the small peninsula of Point Puer, across
Carnarvon Bay from the Port Arthur penal station.
The philosophy behind the separate stations was
that juvenile delinquents could be reformed by a
combination of segregation, moral and religious
education, skills training and labour.
In 1844 William Champ, the Commandant at Port
Arthur, stressed that the existing boys' establishment
at Point Puer was ill-sited, scattered and unplanned,
and that the buildings were so inadequate that it was
not worth improving them.
As an alternative to a proposal to re-open the Maria
Island settlement as a boy’s prison, Champ
proposed a new convict station for boys at Safety
Cove, 3.5km south of Point Puer.
Above: Overseer’s quarters
Although the original design was to create a station
capable of accommodating 800 boys in apartment
blocks, it is unclear, and seems unlikely, that boys
were ever accommodated or used in the
construction of the Safety Cove station.
In 1856 that part of the station which had been
completed was fitted out for use as a government
farm. The farm was still operating as one of the 19
out-stations of Port Arthur in 1869.
In 1877 the Government closed Port Arthur penal
station and its out-stations, and auctioned off the
land.
Today, more than 10 hectares of the original Safety
Cove farm remain.
The buildings that remain are clustered around a
rectangular compound and include a residential
building which appears to have been the original
overseer's or farm manager's quarters, a stable
building, the remains of a wash-house or laundry
and a barracks building.
Above: dairy buildings
The farm is now in private ownership and has
recently been provisionally entered in the
Tasmanian Heritage Register.
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, ARTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
HERITAGE TASMANIA
GPO BOX 1751, HOBART TAS 7001
PHONE: 1300 850 332 (local call cost) | FAX: 6233 3186 |
EMAIL: [email protected]
www.heritage.tas.gov.au
HERITAGE NEWS
Council calls for significant tree
nominations
The Hobart City Council is inviting members of the
public to nominate significant trees that could be
considered for inclusion on the significant tree
register in the City of Hobart Planning Scheme.
In 2004 the Hobart City Council’s call for
nominations resulted in 55 trees, or groups of trees,
being added to the register.
Nominations should be submitted to the General
Manager, Hobart City Council, GPO Box 503
HOBART 7001.
Heritage and the arts collide
The merging of new with old materials in heritage
buildings is the theme behind one of Tasmania’s
newest art prizes.
Launching the prize recently, the Islington Hotel
and The Salamanca Collection art gallery described
the competition as drawing attention to the
uniqueness that Hobart offers.
The subject should be a Tasmanian historical
building, older than 80 years which has been
refurbished within the past 10 years.
Works in oil, acrylics, watercolour and mixed media
will be accepted.
Conservation Volunteers Australia will be helping to
rebuild some impressive stone walls in Oatlands.
The prize will be a cash component of no less than
$6,000 plus an offer to hang works in the summer
and winter shows at The Salamanca Collection in
2008.
Andrew Garner, an experienced stone waller, will
train Green Corps volunteers before spending three
days helping the team repair an old wall on the
Tunnack Road.
It is open to Tasmanian artists. Entry forms and
prize details will be available at
salamancacollection.com.au and
www.islingtonhotel.com from 30 April 2007.
Stone walls were used extensively during the
settlement of the midlands region to designate title
boundaries.
The deadline for entries is 30 September 2007 and
finalists will be announced 16 October 2007.
Finalists will be on display and available for
purchase at The Salamanca Collection from 25
November to 18 December 2007.
Green Corps stone walling in Oatlands
While many have disappeared, a group of Oatlands
community members have been behind the reviving
of the art.
The Green Corps initiative is an excellent example
of local government supporting the preservation of
threatened heritage.
Friends tell mateship stories
The Friends of the Soldiers Walk is hosting an
exhibition at the Victoria Magazine on Queens
Domain, Hobart, to highlight the fascinating stories
of trees planted in memory of local soldiers who
died in World War 1.
A guided walk of the Soldiers Memorial Avenue and
entry to the exhibition will be available on 15 April
(10am – 3pm). The exhibition will also be open on
22 April from 10 am – 3pm and on 25 April from
12pm – 4 pm).
New exhibitions at Military Museum
The Military Museum of Tasmania at the Anglesea
Barracks has two new exhibitions.
Tasmanians on Active Service is a collection of
framed service medals, photographs, unit colour
patches and citations awarded to Tasmanians while
serving on active service between the Boer War
and World War II.
The Cox Collection is a new exhibition of
photographs of Alexandria Battery and Fort Nelson.
The Military Museum of Tasmania is open on
Tuesdays from 9 – 1pm and on Thursdays from 9
am – 12 noon. Entry is $5 per adult and $1 per
child.
For more information, contact the Friends at
[email protected].
Heritage Tasmania Email Bulletin: April 2007
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HERITAGE NEWS
Mates right from the start:
A Tasmanian Heritage Festival display
Port Arthur, the Botanical Gardens and
TMAG get into Australian Spirit
Throughout Australia’s military history the theme of
mateship is an enduring quality.
Port Arthur is staging a number of events as
part of the 2007 Tasmanian Heritage Festival.
During April, a display and series of free talks will
be held at the Hobart Lending Library as part of the
Heritage Festival theme, The Australian Spirit.
Sunday 1 – 30 April
30 Years of Archaeology
Port Arthur has been at the forefront of historical
archaeology in Australia for 30 years. During April
there will be a museum display showcasing some
past archaeology projects.
5 April:
The Museum Detective. The Curator of
the Military Museum of Tasmania,
Colonel Doug Wyatt RFD (Retd) will
uncover the clues locked within the
museum.
17 April: A soldier of the Great War: discovered in
a shoe box, the story of Driver Stewart.
Military historian John Lennox will explore
the story of a soldier of the Great War,
discovered in a shoe box at a second
hand store.
19 April: Soldiers Memorial Avenue: the men and
their stories. Mr John Wadsley from the
Friends of the Soldiers Walk will speak of
the men commemorated in the Soldiers
Memorial Avenue.
23 April: From service to friendship: the Women’s
Land Army. Mrs Billie Pearce will tell the
story of the Land Army Girls who stepped
up to fill the places of the farmers who
went to war.
24 April: The value of memorials and honour rolls:
the stories and memories. Historian Mr
Fred Thornett will speak on the
importance of preserving our memorials
and honour rolls.
All presentations will be held in the Hobart
Lending Library at Level 1, 91 Murray St from
12.30 – 1.30 pm.
For more information, contact Ester Guerzoni on
6233 4152 or email
[email protected].
Heritage Tasmania Email Bulletin: April 2007
Monday 9 – 20 April
Traditional Trades: stonemasonry
10am – 3pm, weekdays only
Port Arthur provided many convicts with valuable
skills for free life. Some learnt the art of
stonemasonry. See our stonemasons at work.
Site entry fees apply for all events. Visit
www.portarthur.org.au for details.
The Royal Botanical Gardens is hosting a
number of garden tours to enhance your
knowledge and experience of the Gardens.
Tours will be held throughout April. For more
information phone 6228 5624.
Join Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery staff to
delve further into the magnificent stories.
On Tuesday 17 April,join TMAG staff on a tour of
the Museum’s Island to Ice gallery looking at the
legacy of the Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic
Expedition 1911-1914.
Be part of a special viewing of a Red Cross Flag in
which wounded Gallipoli serviceman Harry Baily
was wrapped by his mates. See other related
objects at the Rosny Annexe.
For more information phone 6211 4153.
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TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
9th World congress on Art Deco
16-20 April 2007, Melbourne
Every two years, lovers of the Art Deco style from
around the globe gather at a nominated city for four
days of presentations by experts, tours of the Deco
highlights around the host city, and social events.
For more information visit www.artdeco.org.au.
Australia ICOMOS 2007 conference
eXtreme heritage
19-21 July 2007, James Cook University, Cairns
Managing heritage in the face of climatic extremes,
natural disaster and military conflicts present many
challenges.
The 2007 Australia ICOMOS 2007 conference will
capture the challenges of managing heritage in the
modern socio-political and environmental context.
Over the coming weeks information on proposed
sessions, public forums and the call for papers will
be available at www.aicomos.com.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Small museums and collections funding
opportunity
Funding opportunities are now available under the
Assistance to Organisations and the Small
Museums and Collections Program.
Arts projects which employ professional artists and
engage the community in arts activities are eligible
to apply for arts organisation grants.
The grants to small museums and collections are
designed to assist curatorial and collection
management practices of smaller public and
community collections and museums.
The closing date for applications is 30 April 2007 for
projects in 2008.
Information on the programs can be found at
www.arts.tas.gov.au, or requested by calling Arts
Tasmania on 1800 247 308.
Australasian Archaeology Conference
Break new ground
21-26 September, University of Sydney, Sydney
New Ground will focus on presenting and
discussing new research and advances in theory,
method and practice, building connections between
archaeologists and defining future directions for
Australasian archaeology.
The forum will bring together educators,
researchers, consultants, government
archaeologists, students and other practitioners
grappling with some of the most topical issues in
archaeology today. The focus will be on how
together we can break "new ground".
For more information visit www.newground.org.au.
If you would like to contribute information, advertise
an upcoming event, subscribe to receive this bulletin
via email, or cancel your subscription please contact
Ester Guerzoni (Communications Coordinator) on
6233 4152 or email
[email protected]
Heritage Tasmania Email Bulletin: April 2007
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