My Nanna, a former National Trust member, would be proud of me. Today, I visited the place where the National Trust in Tasmania was formed and still has its headquarters today: Franklin House. The National Trust in Tasmania was formed in order to save Franklin House in 1960. Redemption is a common theme in the history of the house.
Franklin House was built by convicts in 1838 for former convict, Britton Jones. He had been sentenced to Tasmania for stealing a large quantity of lead! It is quite incredible that a former convict was able to afford to build such a beautiful house, particularly as it wasn’t his principal residence. Jones planned Franklin House as a “Gentleman’s Residence” (that is, he did not build it for his family). It was rented out for a time and then, in 1842, Franklin House became a renowned school: The Classical and Commercial School, run by Mr. Hawkes.
Set to be destroyed in 1960, the house was redeemed by the National Trust in Tasmania (which had been formed solely to save the property). Franklin House is a double-story house with adjoining school room and kitchens. It has some unique features, such as a folding door (with doors inserted in its panels!) as a partition in the large upstairs room. The National Trust have also furnished Franklin House with a variety of interesting objects. Due to its string of owners, the furniture is not original. However, you will see some stunning pieces such as a curved cupboard for curing bacon, a trunk owned by Charles II and a long case clock made by another former convict, James Oatley (who has a Sydney suburb named after him).
Franklin House is located in Franklin Village (in the suburb of Youngtown), about 10 minutes south of Launceston, on Hobart Road. This was the former highway between Hobart and Launceston. There is ample on-site parking, as well as street parking nearby.
Franklin House is open 9am – 4pm from Monday to Saturday (except some public holidays) and is open until 5pm in the summer. It is also open on Sunday afternoons from 12noon – 4pm. For up-to-date information on pricing and opening hours, see the National Trust’s website.
Entry to the house (for a self-guided tour and a brief introduction by a National Trust volunteer) is $10 for adults, $8 concession and $5 for children. National Trust members are entitled to free entry. A lot of hard work has been put into restoring the house and grounds and nothing comes free; I also recommend bringing some loose change to donate towards having the fabulous wedding gown displayed upstairs restored. The gift shop has some unique Tasmanian items (such as Huon Pine soap and aftershave) and is well worth a look. There are tearooms and toilets on site and the gardens are just beautiful. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the atmosphere of yesteryear. I take my hat off to you, Nanna. History is worth preserving.
Read more about my adventures in Tasmania’s north here, and in the nearby midlands here.
