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'A vital necessity'? Town planning in Launceston 1915-1930
Citation
Petrow, Stefan, 'A vital necessity'? Town planning in Launceston 1915- 1930, Urban Transformations: booms, busts and other catastrophes, 5-8 February 2012, University of Western Australia, pp. 266-79. ISBN 978-1-74052-246-5 (2012) [Refereed Conference Paper]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2012 the Author
Official URL: http://uhphg.com/biennial-conferences/perth-2012/
Abstract
By the early twentieth century Launceston had earned a reputation as one of the
most progressive cities in Australia and leader in the provision of municipal
services. But by 1914, despite its beautiful parks and natural surroundings, many
citizens perceived that it lagged behind in town planning. Town planning was
regarded as 'a vital necessity' as Launceston was becoming a growing industrial
centre and port, the population was increasing and the city was expanding. The
1915-16 lectures by British town planning advocate Charles C. Reade stimulated
much interest in town planning and for the next fifteen years town planning
developments in Australia and abroad were widely discussed. Bodies such as the
Northern Tasmanian Town Planning Association and the Launceston Fifty
Thousand League, leading architects and the city newspapers urged the City
Council to improve eyesores such as insanitary housing and swamps, to beautify
existing parks and to plan for future growth. The provision of parks and reserves in
the growing suburbs, the subdivision of suburban estates along town planning lines,
wider streets and a Town Planning Act were also common demands. Private
enterprise cashed in on the interest in town planning by advertising their estates as
garden suburbs or providing housing for workers. This paper examines what was
achieved in Launceston by 1930 after a major flood and the onset of economic
depression distracted attention from town planning.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Launceston, town planning, Town Planning Act, parks, reserves, flood, Depression |
| Research Division: | History and Archaeology |
| Research Group: | Historical Studies |
| Research Field: | Australian History (excl. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History) |
| Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
| Objective Group: | Expanding Knowledge |
| Objective Field: | Expanding Knowledge in History and Archaeology |
| UTAS Author: | Petrow, Stefan (Professor Stefan Petrow) |
| ID Code: | 76616 |
| Year Published: | 2012 |
| Deposited By: | History and Classics |
| Deposited On: | 2012-03-08 |
| Last Modified: | 2018-03-16 |
| Downloads: | 272 View Download Statistics |
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