From Notes compiled from files of Heritage Protection Society Inc. …
The land is located on a typical Launceston hilly site, but was excavated to be virtually flat and the high stone wall erected along the side and rear of the land when it was developed in advance of construction of pair of terrace houses at 1-3 York Street Launceston (Wicker Terrace), constructed c1888 for Joseph Dyson as a pair of speculative villa residences.
Prior to the construction of the present terrace houses at 1-3 York Street, the land to the right of the fence is the garden of Robert de Little’s house at 5 York Street. As De Little’s garden, the land is partly excavated with a timber shoring well away from the boundaries, visible in the c1866 photo.
The c1866 photograph shows the footpath extending from York Street to Welman street in the present alignment & incline.
The land to the left of the footpath was then a rough ditch draining water from the Windmill Hill.
That ditch is actually along the never-developed reserved road (Tamar Street, connecting to Welman Street). Because of the steepness of this terrain, Welman Street was instead eventually connected to York Street across the contour taking in the corner of Windmill Hill Reserve (originally known as Victoria Square).
Lionel Morrell President Heritage Protection Society (Tasmania) Inc
