The Lost Launceston Project began during a two-week intensive research project undertaken in July of 2024 as apart of the study of Architecture at the University of Tasmania. The research aimed to identify significant buildings in the Launceston CBD from the mid to late 19th century that have been demolished. These buildings contributed to the iconic character of the Launceston CBD and their loss and subsequent replacements on the sites in which they once sat highlight the ongoing loss of character our city is facing. Through this research, we wanted to not only bring light to these lost buildings, but also emphasise the importance of maintaining our heritage.

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Through analysing historical photographs from sources such as the QVMAG Archives and the Library Tasmania Archives as well as several different photographical publications, we identified all the buildings in these images that no longer exist and compared them to images taken today to see what now stands in their place. What was found was that many of the buildings were demolished to make way for throughways and car parks as well as being replaced with brutalist architecture that defined the latter half of the 20th century. Through tracing the outlines of these demolished buildings from the historical photos and overlaying the trace on top of the current photo’s we are able to clearly see that way in which the city has changed. For better or worse, you may be the judge.