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Old Landmarks of Launceston Launceston Examiner, 6 July, 1888, p2 We are indebted to a valued correspondent, whose recollections of Launceston reach back into its early days, for the following particulars of old landmarks, including the cottage on the Windmill Hill, for many years occupied by Sub-Inspector SULLIVAN, which has recently been pulled down, the fences removed, and the fruit trees in the garden grubbed up, as the allotment will in future form part of the public reserve of Victoria Square. The Windmill Hill derived its name from the windmill built close to the present residence of Mr Arthur GREEN, by the TOWERS Brothers in 1836.1 There were two brothers, energetic, pushing men, who came here in 1822. The windmill was built for them by Nat. LUCAS and Robert BURR, and the first miller was John HOOD, who subsequently had a nursery garden in High Street, nearly opposite the Waterworks reservoir. When the windmill was built, the hill was bush, covered with gum trees and a good deal of wattle scrub. You may guess what a state of wild bush that side of the town was in when I tell you that subsequently Mrs LAURENCE, taking a fancy to come home from St John's Church (which was not completed, though used for service) round the hill to her home, where Mr D RITCHIE now lives, got lost, and wandered out nearly to Newstead before she was found. The first private dwelling built on the hill was erected by Mr HEAZLEWOOD, and forms the back part of Miss STEWART's residence, Granville, it subsequently passing into the hands of her father, the late Mr Alex. Stewart. Before he became the owner, the Rev Mr GIBBONS used to live there. The cottage where Sub-inspector Sullivan lived was built when the semaphore was erected in 1837. The semaphore on the Windmill Hill signalled to one on Mount Direction, and the latter to a semaphore on Mount George, close to George Town. The site on the Windmill Hill had to be cleared for the cottage, and garden trees felled and scrub cut down. The first signalman was Captain HENNIKER, who had been in command of a vessel, I think the Mermaid trading between Australia and India. He was succeeded by BRADLEY, who is now in the service of the Launceston Marine Board, and who, I think, held the position till the electric telegraph in 1857 shunted the old semaphore, though the structure stood there for some years afterwards. The Towers Brothers were, as I have stated, pushing men. One of them opened a brewery in Lyttleton Street, near what was then known as the Town Ditch, which crosses Goodman Street, near the back gate of Mr Henry BENNETT's residence and the Elphin Road, near Dowling Street. He also started a distillery at Ravenswood, which gave the creek there its present name of Distillery Creek. This property subsequently passed into the hands of Mr D McGOWN (sic). There were also distilleries in Hobart, and, I think, one at Campbell Town, but the Government paid compensation and shut them up, because they were afraid the facilities for getting cheap liquor would be detrimental to the convicts, and besides the Customs would produce a better revenue from spirits than an excise duty. That must have been in Sir John FRANKLIN's time, but a notice was published in the Gazette prohibiting distillation after a certain date. 1 date may be either 1826 or 1836 (type blurred)
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