Murray Street, Hobart

Murray Street is one of the four key north-west thoroughfares within the Hobart City Centre (CBD). The street runs approximately 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi), from the junction of Arthur and Burnett Streets in North Hobart to Morrison Street near Sullivans Cove. It is named after Captain John Murray, who served as commandant of Hobart Town under the administration of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in the early 19th century.^[1]

Murray Street Tasmania
T & G Mutual Life building on Murray Street as seen from the Collins Street junction
Murray Street
Coordinates	42.8809795°S 147.3224545°E / -42.8809795; 147.3224545
General information
Type	Street
Length	1.7 km (1.1 mi)
Major junctions
North-West end	Arthur Street, Burnett Street
	Liverpool Street Macquarie Street Davey Street
South-East end	Morrison Street
Location(s)
LGA(s)	City of Hobart
Suburb(s)	North Hobart, Hobart CBD

As one of Hobart’s original streets, Murray Street was formalised by James Meehan, a surveyor, on 25 November 1811, during the establishment of the city’s original grid layout.^[2]

The street houses several heritage-listed buildings, including St David's Cathedral (1874), the T & G Mutual Life Building (1937), Hadley's Orient Hotel (1862), and the Customs House Hotel (1846). Murray Street is also home to contemporary commercial spaces, such as the Centrepoint and Cat and Fiddle Arcade.

History

Murray Street was one of the original seven streets planned in Hobart, formalised in 1811 by surveyor James Meehan at the request of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The layout was designed to intersect the north-west to south-east streets, including Elizabeth Street, with the north-east to south-west roads, such as Collins and Macquarie. The street was named after Captain John Murray, a pivotal figure in the early governance of Hobart Town.^[2]

Murray Street is home to a number of significant buildings and institutions, reflecting the evolution of Hobart from a colonial town to a modern city. Many of these buildings have played central roles in Hobart's development and architectural history.

Notable Buildings

Several heritage and modern buildings line Murray Street:

• St David's Cathedral – Consecrated in 1874, the cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania and a prominent example of Gothic Revival architecture.^[3]
• T & G Mutual Life Building – A notable Art Deco building completed in 1937, designed by A & K Henderson. It includes a distinctive stepped clocktower and formerly housed the offices of the T & G Mutual Life Assurance Society.^[4]
• Hadley's Orient Hotel – One of the oldest hotels in Tasmania, established in 1862, known for its long-standing association with travellers and visitors to Hobart.^[5]
• Customs House Hotel – Dating back to 1846, this historic hotel near the Hobart waterfront has been a key part of the city's hospitality industry for over a century.^[6]

10 Murray Street

Main article: 10 Murray Street

10 Murray Street was a brutalist office building designed by Dirk Bolt and located adjacent to Parliament House. The building was a focal point of controversy and protest before its demolition in 2018, which was part of the Parliament Square redevelopment.^[7]

2007 Myer Fire

See also: Icon Complex

On 22 September 2007, a major fire destroyed Myer’s Liverpool Street building, with flames also affecting adjacent buildings on Murray Street. The Myer store was rebuilt as part of the Icon Complex and reopened in November 2015.^[8]

Friends Meeting House

In 1837, a weatherboard cottage at 39 Murray Street was purchased by botanist and minister James Backhouse for use as a Friends Meeting House. A sandstone structure replaced it in 1880. The site now hosts a modern office building.^[9]

Heritage and Preservation

Many of the historic buildings along Murray Street have been heritage-listed, recognising their cultural and architectural significance. The demolition of 10 Murray Street sparked widespread debate about heritage preservation in Hobart, leading to a renewed interest in protecting other iconic buildings on the street.^[10]

References

1. "The Names of Hobart: City Centre". Visit Hobart Australia. Visit Hobart Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
2. Bolt, Frank (1981). James Meehan's Survey of Hobart Town in 1811 (PDF). Vol. 115. Kingston, Tasmania, Australia: Royal Society of Tasmania. p. 6. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
3. "St David's Cathedral". Anglican Church. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
4. "T. and G.'s New Hobart Building". The Herald. No. 18, 529. Victoria, Australia. 3 October 1936. p. 9. Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "The Hadley's Story" (PDF). hadleyshotel.com.au. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
6. "Customs House Hotel". customshousehotel.com. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
7. "Petition started to save 10 Murray Street". Australian Design Review. 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
8. "Ten years since Myer fire forever changed the Hobart cityscape". The Mercury. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
9. "Quaker Meeting Houses – Hobart" (PDF). University of Tasmania. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
10. "Hobart's brutalist building at 10 Murray Street demolished". ABC News. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2024.

Further reading

• Glover, Warren; County, Paul Brendan (2016). Discovering Hobart. Tas Food Books. ISBN 9780994576101.
• Dennison, Colin J. (2008). Here's Cheers: A Pictorial History of Hotels, Taverns and Inns in Hobart. Hobart, Tasmania, Australia: Hobart City Council. ISBN 9780980513905.
• Timms, Peter (2009). In Search of Hobart. UNSW Press. ISBN 9781921410543.
• Sprod, Dan (1977). Victorian and Edwardian Hobart from old photographs. St Ives, New South Wales, Australia. ISBN 0909134065.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)