Upton Airbnb, Launceston

27/06/2021

BORDER UPDATE: Tasmania is banning travel to the state for anyone who has been to a mainland local government area or premise classified as high risk.

Three people who travelled to Tasmania from the workplace of a confirmed case at a NT mine are in isolation, awaiting test results.

Public Health urges anyone who experiences symptoms of Covid-19 to get tested immediately. To manage demand, testing clinics in Launceston and Hobart will be made booking-only facilities.

Tasmania's borders are closed to the following high-risk LGAs:

📌NT: Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield since June 18. Those who have travelled from these LGAs and are already in Tasmania are currently not required to quarantine but are urged to monitor themselves for symptoms.

📌NSW: Greater Sydney, Central Coast, the Blue Mountains, and Wollongong from June 21. Anyone who has been in these areas since June 21 and is already in Tasmania should self isolate immediately until a negative Covid-19 test is returned.

High risk premises have been identified in QLD, WA, VIC and NZ.

📌Anyone who has been in QLD since June 19, VIC since June, NZ since June 19 or WA recently, needs to regularly check the state government's Covid-19 travel alert website for a list of high risk premises.

23/06/2021

JUST IN: Tasmania will close its borders to travellers from seven local government areas in Sydney.

The public health director will declare City of Sydney, Randwick, Inner West, Woollahra, Waverley, Canada Bay, and Bayside as high-risk areas from 4pm today.

Anyone who has been in these high-risk LGAs on or since 11 June 2021 will not be allowed to enter Tasmania without an exemption.

Tasmanians returning home from these areas will be required to quarantine for 14 days at a suitable premises.

Travellers already in Tasmania who have been to NSW on or since 11 June are urged to monitor themselves for any symptoms, and check the list of specific premises regularly.

FOR MORE: https://ab.co/2TR5p22

20/06/2021

Amazing! Mount Roland this morning 🤯

📸: Andrew Thomas Photographer

07/11/2020

The Cataract Gorge was originally a sacred site for the local Aboriginal peoples. William Barnes, the European land owner, leased the land to the city of Launceston for 200 years. In 1889 the Launceston City and Suburban Improvement Association undertook fund raising for the construction of the footpath that runs from King’s Bridge to the picnic grounds. These gates at the King’s Bridge entrance to the Gorge were built in 1891. Beyond the gates is the ticket kiosk and turnstile. Originally the entry cost was one penny and a total of £243 was collected in the first year - this equals over 58 000 visitors. The gates and turnstile were removed in 1951, but the kiosk is still there. This photograph was taken by Alfred Masters.

05/10/2020

MINDS DO MATTER EXHIBITION NOW OPEN: Launceston's annual exhibition celebrating the relationship between art and mental health is now on at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Inveresk.

Minds do Matter is an exhibition produced by RANT arts and QVMAG, designed to shine a spotlight on mental health in Tasmania.

Coinciding with Mental Health Week, the exhibition features works in a range of mediums by Tasmanian artists, inspired by the theme 'balance'.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the exhibition celebrated the therapeutic and reflective benefits of art and aimed to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

"We know art can be a powerful tool in the healing and recovery process and can help to kick-start conversations," Mayor van Zetten said.

"Minds do Matter is more than an art exhibition. It is a mechanism for providing new insights and understandings about mental health, as well as a creative outlet for some extremely talented Tasmanians."

Tracy Puklowski, General Manager of Creative Arts and Culture for the City of Launceston, said she looks forward to exploring the raw, honest and thought-provoking art to be featured as part of this exhibition.

"Minds Do Matter is one of the most colourful, vibrant and energetic annual exhibitions QVMAG is involved with and it's one I personally love to see going up on the walls each year," Ms Puklowski said.

"As an annual exhibition, it has gained a real reputation for showcasing some of the State's most dynamic, creative and thought-provoking emerging artists.

"With many of the works available for sale, it is also a great way to support those artists to continue to develop their careers.”

Minds do Matter will be on show at QVMAG Inveresk until November 2, 2020.

PHOTO: Kitty Taylor (RANT Arts), Kathy O’Brien (Wellways), Nathan Tucker (RANT Arts), and Mayor Albert van Zetten at the Minds Do Matter exhibition opening, QVMAG Inveresk.

02/10/2020

03/09/2020

This is the corner of George and Cameron Streets around the year 1900. D. J. Connolly the grocer ran his business out of both buildings. The corner store was for regular customers and the Georgian style building next door was for wholesale. Soon after both buildings were purchased by William Oldham, who had them demolished and then constructed the current building on the corner.
Behind the shop, the spires of Holy Trinity Church are visible. Part of the old Holy Trinity Church can be seen on the far left of the photo, the old church was demolished in 1902.
LPIC147-5-126

27/08/2020

A little bit of Neil Pitts history for your Wednesday 🎥

Did you know our store originally housed the Majestic Theatre? The once busy movie theatre closed its doors in 1969 after television swooped in and gained popularity causing a decline in attendance 🍿

Neil and Don Pitt purchased the theatre in November of the same year, before, with their brother Brian, meticulously renovating the space to open as a cutting edge retail store and cafe in November 1970 🛍☕️
.. And that is where you will find us to this day! Yes, the retail industry has changed, but our passion for providing excellent customer service and a wonderful in store experience has remained the same.

21/08/2020

We are constantly at work digitising photos and records from our collections. This recently digitised photo of Launceston from Windmill Hill in 1867 looks across the city to the Tamar River. The hills on the far side of the river, where Trevallyn and Riverside will be, are completely undeveloped at this time. The masts of many ships can be glimpsed, moored at the wharves of the North Esk River. Many photographers used Windmill Hill as a vantage point for their art, but most would point their cameras either towards the Cataract Gorge or to Invermay. In this photo William Cawston has chosen to shoot between those two points and we have a fantastic view of the Tamar River.
You can keep up to date with our newly digitised material here https://libraries.tas.gov.au/archive-heritage/Pages/Newly-Digitised-Items.aspx
PH30-1-23

13/08/2020

It’s been 75 years since the end of the War in the Pacific in 1945, but many Australian soldiers did not return home until the next year. An arch was built in St John Street in 1946 for a celebration parade. We can’t help but notice many, many health and safety violations by the blokes putting up the arch. Standing on the frame balanced on the back of the truck is just one. Although the horse does not seem worried. St Andrews Church and the old Launceston Mechanics Institute can be seen in the background. Mabel Munro must have been making a tidy sum to afford that large advertising sign for her typist skills.
LPIC147-1-369