Treasury costs $200k per year

The Treasury Buildings are a perfect fit for the TMAG, argues Chris Merridew

HOBART’S Treasury building costs taxpayers more than $200,000 each year to maintain, as calls grow louder for a public debate on its future.

Treasury spent an average of $220,000 over the past three years on electrical, mechanical and plumbing contracts as well as stonework repairs, the Mercury can reveal.

About $250,000 a year has been budgeted for future maintenance and repairs on the building.

“Treasury does not employ any maintenance staff to work on the building,” a State Government spokesman said.

“Rather, relevant contractors in the fields outlined above are engaged.”

The figures come as debate heats up over the future of the prestigious building.

The tourism industry has called on the Government to consider turning it over for a high-end hotel development.

Former National Trust council member Christopher Merridew says the four buildings making up the precinct could be Australia’s best museum of colonial art and artefacts as part of a new wing of Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

“They have this absolutely wonderful showcase of col- onial art they can’t display,” Mr Merridew said. “This is the place to show it.”

Mr Merridew said a new wing of the TMAG could be a game-changer for tourism.

“Clearly there is an appetite for people from all over the world to come this way for Mona and this will add to their Tasmanian art and museum experience,” he said.

“To convert this into a sixstar, 100-room hotel would limit the joy and character of this building.

“There are already 2000 beds built or proposed within two blocks of my concept.”

Mercury readers have responded to a Facebook call for their ideas on the Treasury.

They include everything from a cultural hub with galleries and restaurants to a shelter for the homeless.

Many want the building to stay in public hands and for its heritage to be preserved.

Earlier this week, the Labor Opposition called for a public discussion and for Treasurer Peter Gutwein to release independent advice that led to the Government stalling development talks. Late yesterday, Mr Gutwein released a 400-page heritage report on the building.

“The Government is open to considering other uses for the building and understanding the views of the community about the future use of the Treasury building,” he said.

“This report is important to understanding the significant heritage issues relating to the Treasury building.”

THE four Treasury Buildings around their large central courtyard would be a most suitable and appropriate host for the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery expansion.

It would bookend the cultural enclave that begins with the Bond Store, Old Customs House, current TMAG on Macquarie, Maritime Museum of Tasmania, the Town Hall and refurbished Franklin Square and is an appropriate fit in this flow of Georgian architecture which of course extends to the complete Macquarie and Murray corner, acclaimed as the best example of Georgian architecture in Australia.

The high ceilings and many very large chambers with vast amounts of wall space lend themselves to excellent display options. More individual rooms for themed exhibitions are all served by broad corridors and generous flowing staircases, which all add up to an exciting option for TMAG to display more of the 6500 items in their collection currently in storage.

Visitor numbers to our existing museums indicate that the increased capacity for exhibitions that the Treasury Buildings could host would be experienced by up to 410,000 TMAG visitors a year, both tourists and Tasmanians, who, as Rex Gardner, says “own the Treasury Buildings” ( Sunday Tasmanian, November 5).

In addition to the TMAG needs, these Treasury Buildings could provide a logical and generous space for the Tasmanian Visitor Centre to be in the Macquarie and Murray corner building, once the offices of the Tasmanian Tourist Bureau. Cruise ship buses would use the existing bus lane to set down passengers in the Franklin Square car park, which would be a safe functional area for tourist-related transport.

Having arrived at the visitor centre, Murray St is an inviting approach to the CBD or to the harbour, clearly viewed from the front entrance to the museum.

The large central courtyard — which many do not realise exists — lends itself to an atrium concept for large exhibits shared with “pop-up” restaurant layouts that are flexible when changing exhibitions, as this area is the “service door” for all four buildings.

The Tasmanian Government retains ownership of this wellmaintained 1884 classical building — the then-largest government building in Australia and the first structure to use the prestressed beam method of construction.

The precinct is probably the largest intact collection of sandstone purpose-built office buildings in Australia.

The Franklin Square public buildings were built and rebuilt in various guises. It began as the two-storey supreme court in the Murray and Macquarie corner in 1824, in 1860 became the post office and, significant in today’s debate, became the tourist bureau in 1906. Under the new Commonwealth of Australia it was occupied by the State Savings Bank for five years.

In 1824 the three-storey centrepiece of the Murray Street wing with its Treasury Gardens, now Centenary Gardens, in front was joined in 1835 by the Police and Convict Offices, which now have Treasury written in gold leaf over the front steps.

In 1901 these three buildings were decorated by strings of electric lights, electricity being just available, to honour the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to Hobart to mark the Federation of Australia.

In 1858 the new supreme court was built on the Macquarie-Franklin Square corner with a third storey added in 1916. At the same time public offices were built on Macquarie Street between the tourist bureau and the supreme court.

It wasn’t until 1884 that the three-storey Executive Building facing Franklin Square was begun. It has retained the Executive Building name with historical justification and function until today’s debate.

It hosts the Executive Council Chamber where not only Cabinet met but also His Excellency the Governor would arrive from

Government House by horsedrawn landau to convene the Executive Council of his members present. The chamber also saw the swearing-in by the chief justice of a new governor.

The Executive Council now meets at 15 Murray St and the historic chamber is still in its totally original format as part of a ministerial office suite.

The Deeds Building on the Franklin Square side of the Franklin Square-Davey St corner completed that frontage in 1894.

The last sandstone building was the addition of the library to the Executive Building in 1935.

In 1940 a Hydro Electric Commission substation in art deco joined the Davey St frontage.

The significant history makes for an attraction in its own right, let alone the brilliant opportunity for the collection to be retained by Tasmanians as a host for further brilliant collections of treasures the TMAG could host in our collection of Treasury Buildings.

If the Government develops these timeless buildings, as opposed to the glass and steel TMAG extension proposed for the Dunn St car park, 1200 visitors a day will have a centrally placed point of great interest adjoining a larger Tasmanian visitor sales centre.

This is the space to cater for cruise ship passenger arrivals in safety, and the ambience of the Executive Buildings located on Franklin Square with the view corridors to the harbour is to be treasured.

The precinct is probably the largest intact collection of sandstone purpose-built office buildings in Australia