UNDERCURRENT NARRATIVE
There’s something that lies beneath the surface here that defines us as a city. You may not see it at first, but the moment you step foot here, you feel it. You sense it in the architecture, in the streets, out in nature, between the people — an undercurrent — born from generations of hard-work, curiosity, community, resilience, independence.
The meeting place of three waterways, our beautiful city has been a cultural hub and gastronomic centre for more than two thousand generations.
The first to love this land were the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, who have one of the oldest continuing cultures in the world. Today, around 110,000 people call Launnie home. There are no tourists here – just locals and temporary locals still discovering their true north.
Our city is human scale. A series of green and wild spaces linked by heritage streetscapes and thoughtful adaptions. A real blend of old-world and new, tradition and innovation. We’ve honed our craft and aren’t scared to experiment either – there’s always something exciting bubbling away.
Our natural and built heritage, food, wine (and spirit) have drawn together a diverse community of makers, artisans, storytellers and nature lovers from all over the world. Culture takes many forms, and we’ve made life’s simple pleasures an art.
We aren’t much into big-city swagger, but you’ll find plenty of charm. Our close-knit community always has time for people, time to connect. Here, the farm gate is the local store, nature is our playground, and the cellar never runs dry.
Shanice Osita Chuka, Laphrodisiac
OUR CHARACTER:
FEROCIOUSLY LAID-BACK
There’s something to be said about the Launceston way of life. For years we’ve been doing things our own way, out of the spotlight, left to our own devices. And it has brought with it a certain attitude.
Those who step foot here say we’re laid-back. Down-to-earth. Got it easy. And, to some degree, they’re right. But once you dig beneath the surface here, you’ll find there’s much more to it. Yes, we take things in our stride. Yep, we’re easy-going and always up for a chat. And, yes, when we get a break, we tend to head out into the parks, the heritage-listed gorge, the wineries and mountains tracks. But we’re hard-working. We built a city from scratch and turned it into a city of firsts. And the world now covets what we have, what we built.
Here, a traffic jam is lining up for a coffee at the farmer’s market on Saturday morning, and big city pressure is trying to wrap a chat on the street.
And we’ve known it no other way.
Once you dig deep into Launnie, you will discover what we’ve always known. A city connected by what you see, and what you don’t. It’s time for us to show the world what they’ve been missing about us, what’s going on beneath the surface — and, by doing so, create a platform for us all to tell our own (wildly) unique stories.
Yusuf Karazor, Turkish Tukka
OUR PAST
THE CITY, AS WE MAKE IT
Our city’s story hasn’t always been easy.
In fact, it is one of grit and determination, of close calls and even closer bonds. Our city flourished because of the obstacles we overcame (and, some, we still face today). Such as when we didn’t have electricity, we worked the dams to light the way. When we didn’t have bread, we built the mills that would feed a nation. When the storms came, we sheltered our neighbours until the waters receded. When our indigenous origins were thought lost, new stories proudly emerged.
And when the rest of the world was digging up the land and building bigger walls, we kept to ourselves, tilling our soils, turning our mills, building our traditions, opening doors, growing a city into a home.
But by overcoming these obstacles, we have created a determination, a steeliness, a certain resolve and confidence that has shaped who we are today — and allowed us to steady the uncertain path ahead.
Elliot Gee, Golden Brown
OUR FUTURE
QUIETLY DOES IT
It’s been said we’re the new kind of city, an alternative-city, the poster city for the slow-city movement — yet, we’ve known no other way. Because,
for big cities, time is a master, for us, a servant. As pressures mount and anxieties loom, our city has become a perfect refuge for the modern world. Some may call it luck — but we know it takes more than that. Our city has emerged from our island state, untouched, unscathed, unfettered, and ready for anything.
Years spent doing things our own way, at our own measure, has created a way of life that only now the rest of the world understands.
Quietly honing our crafts, looking our neighbours in the eye, understanding our nature, holding ourselves accountable and inviting the world in, it is this undercurrent that defines us, steadies us, connects us, and makes us that special kind of city.
Because in the end, it’s not about fame, but, creating a haven for others to feel a part of and contribute to our greater Launceston story.
