Launceston's Cataract Gorge gains permanent entry on Tasmanian Heritage Register

Having been first listed on the register in 1998, a revised entry for Cataract Gorge made by the Heritage Council on December 10, 2019, permanently recognises the site as a place of state historic cultural heritage significance.

Tasmanian Heritage Council chairwoman Brett Torossi said few cities have a ruggedly beautiful white water reserve within a few minutes' walk from the CBD.

"Cataract Gorge is an essential element in the character of Launceston, as a place to swim, walk and explore," Ms Torossi said.

"Development of the Gorge embodies Launceston's independent spirit, being a high point of municipal achievement.

"Simultaneously both park and wild place, the Cataract Gorge Reserve mixes native flora and fauna with the exotic, the natural with the man-made, as a rare Australian example of a Victorian pleasure ground.

"It has a strong and special meaning to the Launceston community, and Tasmania generally, for its aesthetic qualities, and its natural, social and recreational values. Collectively these qualities and values create a specific identity and pride of place."

The Heritage Council has also initiated a process to better define the historic cultural heritage values of Hobart's Treasury Complex.

"In making the decision to provisionally enter the Treasury Complex in the Heritage Register, the Heritage Council was conscious of recognising the critical role it has played in shaping the Tasmania over the 19th and 20th Centuries," Ms Torossi said.

"It was also keen to respond to the Tasmanian government's announcement of its plans to release the complex for an alternate use and give interested members of the Tasmanian community the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed entry."

For more information, visit www.heritage.tas.gov.au.