Holyman House Explained

Holyman House
Address:52-60 Brisbane Street
Location:Launceston, Tasmania
Coordinates:-41.436°N 147.1406°W
Completion Date:1936
Building Type:Commercial offices
Antenna Spire:26m (85feet)
Roof:19.7m (64.6feet)
Floor Count:5
Elevator Count:1
Main Contractor:J & T Gunn
Owner:historic: ANA present: various businesses
Architect:H S East and Roy Smith

Holyman House is an iconic Art Deco building in the central business district of Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.

The building was designed by H. S. East[1] and Roy Sharrington Smith architects, of Launceston,[2] with Clive Steele, of Melbourne, as consulting engineer.[3] [4]

The building was built in 1936[5] to house the various branches of Holymans shipping[6] and aviation interests as well as an automobile showroom for Holyman's automotive division.[7] [8] [9]

The building was designed to reflect the bold futuristic vision of the Holyman Company with the sleek curves, neon-lit spire and modern steel frame construction. Holyman House was most infamously the headquarters of Australian National Airways, an evolution of Holyman's Airways.

After the fall of the Holyman's empire in the 1950s, it was sold to Ansett Australia and eventually divided into office spaces. Holyman House now houses a travel centre on the ground level corner allotment where the flight lounge used to be.

The building is on the Tasmanian Heritage Register.[10]

There is also a heritage listed building in Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria with the same name.[11]

Records

University of Tasmania special collections holds records of the operations of the Holyman businesses related to the building.

Plans

The Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office in Hobart hold plans made for the construction of the building.

Notes and References

  1. News: Obituary . . Tasmania, Australia . 20 October 1947 . 23 November 2023 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  2. Web site: Twentieth Century Architecture in Launceston. 1985. Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. https://web.archive.org/web/20190313095046/https://www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/files/assets/qvmag/library/publications/research/twentieth-century-architecture.pdf. 13 March 2019. live. 20 April 2019. dmy-all.
  3. News: Sir Clive Steele honored . . Tasmania, Australia . 26 August 1954 . 23 November 2023 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: Engineers Honor Sir Clive Steele . . 30985 . Victoria, Australia . 24 August 1954 . 23 November 2023 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  5. Web site: Burgess . Julian . 2020-06-19 . Art deco architecture at its finest . 2023-11-24 . The Examiner . en-AU.
  6. Obituary regarding earlier member of family and shipping leader News: Obituary . . XXXIX . 198 . Tasmania, Australia . 20 August 1919 . 23 November 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  7. News: Large Office Block. . . Tasmania, Australia . 2 May 1936 . 23 November 2023 . 9 (Daily) . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: Imposing Building for Launceston . . CXLIV . 20,456 . Tasmania, Australia . 21 May 1936 . 23 November 2023 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  9. News: Fine New Building . . XCV . 257 . Tasmania, Australia . 9 January 1937 . 23 November 2023 . 8 (Daily) . National Library of Australia.
  10. Web site: Tasmanian Heritage Register – Extracted 5 October 2023 . 2023-11-24 . Heritage Tasmania . 46.
  11. 390-398 Flinders St, Melbourne,