Once upon a time...
...the block of land that The Florance now stands proudly upon, formed part of a vast space spanning between York & Brisbane Street and was owned by John Pascoe Fawkner, one of the founders of Melbourne. Mr Fawkner utilised the land as a garden, nursery, and orchard, and was known to supply locals with plants imported from England.
In 1889 the land came to belong to next door neighbour Fanny Sinclair, and then in 1895 it became the property of renowned Launceston merchant, John Sinclair.
In 1897 the house was built by Edwin H. Reading, the son of Henry Reading, a large property owner in Launceston. He occupied the property until 1920, aside from a short lease to S.A. Webster in 1910. The Reading estate continued to own the property until 1946.
The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery records show that the owner/occupier in 1953 was Harold Shepherd, a well known pastry cook.
Plans were put forward by Bushby developers to demolish the building in 1973 to make way for a 20 unit motel. Luckily for us, the motion was quashed by the National Trust due to the building being architecturally significant. A Dr Bradley is listed as the owner in 1976.
More recently the property has been known to Launceston locals as Parkview Medical Practice, operating for 22 years before being put up for sale in 2017.
The Florance is born...
The quirks and character of 17 Brisbane Street were identified by current owners Kate Murray & Toby Florance and together they have restored this beautiful historic home into a uniquely Tasmanian accommodation offering. Officially opening in March of 2018, The Florance has already played host to a film production group, V8 racing team and holiday-makers looking for somewhere special to make their home away from home.
