19th century kindergarten to become historic archive (7/2/25)

A 19th century kindergarten is set to be converted into a state-of-the-art archive for the Launceston History Centre. Video by Aaron Smith (7/2/25)

Transcript

00:00Well, the plans are to turn it into the Launceston History Centre.

00:04The three organisations, the Family History Society of Launceston, Launceston Historical Society,

00:08Friends of Launceston Mechanics Institute, are going to make it our headquarters.

00:12We're going to combine, first time we've been able to have a space for our own.

00:17At the moment, we spread all over the city.

00:19We've got books and resources spread in 20 different spots everywhere, so it's going to be great.

00:24Have it all in one place which is accessible and going to be open to the public

00:29so we can actually have people here and have it all together for once.

00:33So it's going to be the first time ever.

00:35We're preparing plans and getting council planning approval, Heritage Tasmania approval,

00:40and building approval to build a new archive storage facility at the rear of the property,

00:46across the back, which will house the Mechanics Institute collection.

00:52But it'll be essentially fire-resistant and temperature-controlled solar panels to make it solar-friendly

01:00and help us to be able to store this collection in an appropriate place,

01:07as well as for collections of the History Centre itself.

01:10We'll be able to take collections from Launceston people that relate to Launceston's history

01:15that perhaps the Library and the QVMAG aren't able to do.

01:18So we'll be able to take in things that aren't able to fit into their collections.

01:22We're pleased today to announce that the archive's going to be called the Jenny Gill Archives

01:26because Jenny left us a request of some money from her estate, which sadly passed away in 2021,

01:33and so she's left that for the History Centre to be able to build.

01:36She was an archivist and historian, so it's appropriate that we call it the Jenny Gill Archives

01:40so that she'll be appropriately honoured for her foresight and vision to be able to provide this

01:46for Launceston's history well into the future.