# We occupy a significant heritage building Our building (#2 St Johns Avenue) and the one opposite (#1 St Johns Avenue) are buildings of heritage significance in Tasmania, as the report below shows. # The St Johns Park Gatehouses — Heritage report ## Gatehouse at 1 St Johns Avenue 1841 (Southern side) No. 1 St Johns Avenue is one of a pair of Victorian Gothic Watch Houses/Gatehouses designed by James Blackburn in 1841 and built at about the same time. The single-storey building was originally built entirely of sandstone, probably with a slate roof (now replaced by concrete tiles), stone parapet gable ends and elaborately moulded mediaeval-styled chimney. Most windows are double-sashes. The door to the porch has a Tudor arch opening. Both door and windows have label moulds. An unsympathetic 1960s flat-roofed concrete block extension has been built to the west of the original building. The original fence has been removed, and the southern stone gable capping has been replaced with galvanised steel capping. Internally, the building has been substantially remodelled. The three main rooms have plastered walls, lath and plaster ceilings and introduced metal ceiling roses. This site has identified archaeological potential as indicated in the Conservation Management Plan (Godden Mackay 1996). ## Gatehouse at 2 St Johns Avenue 1841 (Northern side) This is the building occupied by Hobart Hackerspace Inc. James Blackburn's design for No. 2 St Johns Avenue mirrors that for the watch house at 1 St Johns Avenue. However, there is a stone addition to the north of no. 2, built in the style of the original and featuring a mediaeval-styled chimney identical to the others featured in both buildings and conforming to Blackburn's design. It is not known whether this addition was made at the time of the original building or if it was added later. To the west of 2 St Johns Avenue are weatherboard additions, some of which may date from the nineteenth century and some from a later period. The interior of 2 St Johns Avenue has been remodelled, although doors, skirting boards and one fire surround appear to be original. Interior walls are plastered and the ceiling is of lath and plaster construction. This site has identified archaeological potential as indicated in the Conservation Management Plan (Godden Mackay 1996). *We need to add here a scan of the building plan document we have from the Archives Office* ## Current building plan  *BWM 2026-01-16*