

Launceston – heritage trail map
Where: Launceston, north-east Tasmania
Quick overview: It was originally named Patersonia but later changed to Launcheston in honour of the New South Wales Governor Philip Gidley King who was born in Launceston, Cornwall, England. Launceston is the fifth-largest inland city and the ninth-largest non-capital city in Australia. It was named Australian Town of the Year in 2022. It is one of Australia’s oldest cities and boasts a multitude of historic buildings. The first inhabitants were nomadic Aboriginal Tasmanians; the first white explorers arrived in 1798; the first significant colonial settlement dates from 1804. A minerals boom started in 1871 when tin was discovered at Mount Bischoff in north-west Tasmania. Gold mining started in 1877 in Beaconsfield, 50 kms away. Launceston was declared a city in 1889. The following 20 years Launceston grew from a small town to a major urban centre.
Launceston firsts: the city was the first to use anaesthetic in the Southern Hemisphere, the first Australian city to have underground sewers, and the first Australian city to be lit by hydroelectricity.
If you have a day at leisure and you’ve done all that you want to see and experience, spend a few hours walking around historic Launceston.
There’s a wonderful Heritage Walk map that you’ll come across during your time in Launceston, but if you don’t here it is! It may help you decide where you want to base yourself while staying in this charming city.


When we’re in Launceston we stay at Waratah on York because of its location (easy 10-minutes walk to the city) and because of its authentic charm (it’s a heritage-listed Victorian style mansion). A bonus is the free parking. Many hotels charge on average $10 per day for onsite parking. https://www.waratahonyork.com.au/


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