Heritage Snap! Award winners recognised

Published on 20 November 2020

After a stop-start to the year due to coronavirus, winners of this year's City of Launceston Heritage Snap! photography awards have been announced.

The annual heritage photography competition originally kicked-off in March this year, however it was put on hold shortly after due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before relaunching in July.

Now in its seventh year, the 2020 Heritage Snap! awards were based around the theme: "Should I stay, or should I go?"

City of Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the awards were a great opportunity to let Council know what makes certain places important - whether it's a street or a park, a garden, building or other architectural feature.

"This year's competition was about asking students to show us what elements of Launceston and its heritage inspired them, and which places may have seen better days" Mayor van Zetten said.

"Originally, the awards were intended for built work on heritage buildings, but over the years we have broadened the scope to include works to vehicles, gardens and larger landscapes, and also the promotion of heritage issues in any form.

"Through the Heritage Snap! competition, the Council hopes to inspire our young people to take a real interest in our beautiful city's built heritage by focussing on specific details and attributes that are often overlooked."

This year's judging panel consisted of: Ray Foley (Heritage Advisory Committee representative and former Chairman of the National Trust), Fiona Ranson (City of Launceston Place and Heritage Officer) and Councillor Tim Walker.

Prizes for this year's Heritage Snap! were awarded in four categories:

• Primary School section – a $250 photographic equipment voucher WINNER: Amy Gibbons (Cameron Street)
• Grades 7–10 section – a $250 photographic equipment voucher WINNER: Ella Tedeschi (Verge Hotel)
• Grades 11–12 section – a $500 photographic equipment voucher WINNER: Florence Overton (Supreme Court)
• People’s Choice Award - a $500 photographic equipment voucher WINNER: Sophie Blanshard (Harrap Warehouse)

Runners-up in the first three sections received a $50 voucher for photographic supplies.

"This year's entries were of an incredibly high standard and it was extremely pleasing to see so many young people in our community embrace the theme of this year's Heritage Snap!," Mayor van Zetten said.

Councillor Walker, a member of the Council's Heritage Advisory Committee, said this year's competition provided the perfect opportunity for everyone involved to celebrate heritage in all its varied forms.

“While we all think of buildings in regards to Launceston’s heritage, the winning photos show how it can include trees, signs, cars, even the monkeys in City Park," Cr Walker said. “This year’s theme, ‘Should I stay or should I go?’ was meant to give entrants an opportunity to be a little controversial in their subject matter, and they have certainly delivered on that.”

For the first time in the awards' history, a Peoples' Choice category was added to the prize list, with a $500 photographic equipment voucher awarded to Sophie Blanshard for her entry of Harrap Warehouse.

The awards were open to all school-aged students in Northern Tasmania.

Grades 11-12 Winner - Florence Overton - Supreme Court phone box

People's Choice Winner - Sophie Blanshard - Harrap Building

Primary Winner - Amy Gibbons - Cameron Street

Secondary Winner - Ella Tedeschi - Verge