47 Tamar Street, Launceston
The Albert Hall is a landmark of Launceston. The site has strong community ties and is one of the largest convention venues in the region.
The Great Hall, Tamar Valley and John Duncan rooms are hired for a wide array of events, from school balls and university graduations to antiques fairs, concerts and major conferences. There is also an adjacent cafe overlooking leafy City Park.
It was built by J.T Farmils at a cost of 14,000 pounds in 1891 to house the Tasmanian Industrial Exhibition of 1891-92. The exhibition itself was designed to ease the social misery caused by the depression of the 1880's.
The corner stone was laid by Samuel John Sutton, Esq. Mayor of Launceston on the 2nd of April 1890 and the opening ceremony in November 1891, was preceded by a parade 10 city blocks long, led by the Mayor John Gould on a white horse.
The Hall features the Brindley Organ, a rare example of the work of organ craftsman Charles Brindley and Australia's largest surviving organ predating 1860.
Made of local timbers including Blackwood and Huon pine and lined with kangaroo skin, the organ was transferred to the Albert Hall in 1892 and later powered by water.
45-55 Tamar Street, Launceston
This leafy pocket of the city is wonderful to wander through or spend a while.
Enjoy a picnic on the wide spaces of grass drenched in sunshine, or laze beneath a tree with a good book.
Be sure to visit the John Hart Conservatory, duck pond and Macaque primate enclosure. There's a playground for the kids and barbeque facilities if you're feeling hungry. Play some chess on the giant board or peruse the collection of mature trees and annual foliage.
Corner Brisbane and Tamar Streets, Launceston
Located on the edge of City Park, the Design Centre houses the Tasmanian Wood Design Collection.
Established in 1991 as a not for profit organisation, the Collection aims to support and sustain the local timber design industry.
Acquisitions for the Collection must meet strict criteria, including the use of wood as an important feature of the piece, quality, innovation in design and the identification of the designer as Tasmanian or a resident of Tasmania.
To find out more, visit the Design Centre's website.
84 Lindsay Street, Launceston
The National Automobile Museum of Tasmania boasts an extensive collection of cars and motorcycles which displays the exciting history and development of the international automotive industry.
Spanning one hundred years of style and technical achievement, this impressive collection of traditional and contemporary marques is a must see for all who appreciate history, design, engineering and style.
Wander through the rows of opulent and elegant Rolls-Royce, Bentleys, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguars. See the strange and unusual, the practical and the exotic, the sedate and the speedy.
For more information, visit the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania website.
57 Brisbane Street and 10 Earl Street, Launceston
The historic Princess Theatre hosts a range of performances and seats more than 1000 people. It is also used for conferences and conventions.
The theatre was originally built for Mr Marino Lucas, a vaudeville entrepreneur from Hobart. On opening night in 1911, the backstage area was still to be completed so silent films were shown. This proved to be so lucrative that the Theatre operated as a cinema until 1970.
In 1970 Council bought the Princess Theatre, which opened as a live venue (its original purpose) to great fanfare in November that year with a gala performance by the Australian Ballet.
The Earl Arts Centre is located directly behind the Princess Theatre.
It is an intimate, black box theatre opened in 1993. The centre was built through the combined effort of the Launceston community, local, state and commonwealth governments.
With its usual configuration of 191 seats, the Earl Arts Centre is suitable for smaller productions.
The Princess Theatre and Earl Arts Centre are both managed by Theatre North, an independent, non-profit organisation, established in 1995 and supported by the State Government and the City of Launceston.