In this Place - A public artwork for Lenah Valley


Work continues on In this Place – the public art project by artist Alex Miles - that is part of the Lenah Valley Retail Precinct Upgrade. Two murals are now complete and the artist is working with the City’s Public Art Coordinator and local building owners to resolve the detail and timing for completion of three further small mural works within the precinct.

A selection of excerpts from the stories and memories that have been collected as part of the postcard campaign will be used within a series of new seats and bus stops. It is also hoped that a sign will mark the start of the precinct at its eastern end, which will be illuminated, highlighting the phrase “In this Place”


More information:

For more information about the In this Place project contact the City of Hobart’s Public Art Coordinator, Judith Abell. Ph (03) 6238 2494 Email: abellj@hobartcity.com.au

To stay informed of all City of Hobart engagement projects please register here.


Work continues on In this Place – the public art project by artist Alex Miles - that is part of the Lenah Valley Retail Precinct Upgrade. Two murals are now complete and the artist is working with the City’s Public Art Coordinator and local building owners to resolve the detail and timing for completion of three further small mural works within the precinct.

A selection of excerpts from the stories and memories that have been collected as part of the postcard campaign will be used within a series of new seats and bus stops. It is also hoped that a sign will mark the start of the precinct at its eastern end, which will be illuminated, highlighting the phrase “In this Place”


More information:

For more information about the In this Place project contact the City of Hobart’s Public Art Coordinator, Judith Abell. Ph (03) 6238 2494 Email: abellj@hobartcity.com.au

To stay informed of all City of Hobart engagement projects please register here.

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  • Sheep

    by Ingy, over 6 years ago

    I have been living in Greenway Avenue for over 10 years now. The original part of our house was built in 1916 so has turned 100. Over those years everyone who has lived in the house has added a bit to it. I particularly thank the people before me who moved the toilet inside from its outhouse building (in the 1990s I believe!). People may know our place because we have a sheep in the front garden, quietly sitting their all day (she is two dimensional) but she reflects a past. Our house was there when most of that part... Continue reading

  • Letter from Elizabeth Longo

    by alex, over 6 years ago

    I have many happy memories of Lenah Valley stretching back to 1945.

    Mum, Dad and I lived with Nanny and Auntie at 26 Doyle Avenue. There were three notable houses in the block on which we lived; Miss Dorothy Wilkinson lived in the family home on the corner of Waverley and Doyle Avenue; the Cruikshank home was on the other side of the road and was an English-style home, with a beautiful garden designed by Edna Walling; and the third big house was a double story white house on the corner of Doyle and Greenway Avenues and was owned by... Continue reading

  • Letter from Mary McKinlay

    by alex, over 6 years ago

    I am a 6th generation Tasmanian and was brought up at Newlands Avenue, Lenah Valley in the 40’s and 50’s.

    Connolly’s the Grocer used to come to the house for the grocery order on Tuesdays and deliver groceries on Thursdays. Rabbit man used to come around on a horse and cart. Rabbits were 6d each or 1/- pairs. Dickie baker the milkman used to bring the milk each morning and pour into our container.

    All the children in the street used to play together on the road as there were very few cars around. Hopscotch, riding bikes... Continue reading

  • A Hundred Years in Carlton Street by Pat Griffiths

    by alex, over 6 years ago
    A hundred and three years ago in 1914, newly weds Philip Griffiths and Ethelinda Archbald settled into their home in Arthur Street New Town. There they brought up their family of five children.

    The house had a drive made of old cobbles which led to stables built over one of the entrances to a coal mine. Coal was found in the area from Mount Stuart to Giblin Street. They closed in the late 1800's due to poor quality and flooding.

    Highlights of the 1920's were the name change to Carlton Street Lenah Valley in 1921 and... Continue reading
  • Valley by Diane Briggs (McFarlane)

    by alex, over 6 years ago

    I love this valley.

    'You who have not loved her, you will not understand' - apologies to Dorothea MacKeller for using the words of her wonderful poem but they apply so aptly to my feelings about this place.

    Tucked away so securely under the protective gaze of the mountain, this valley is special for me.

    A suburb of the Capital City, nestling adjacent to the Wellington Park reserve, it has the best of both worlds – city conveniences and bush retreat.

    Silver clear waters flow down the side of the mountain, rippling over pebbles and boulders, through the bush and... Continue reading

  • Tall Poppy by Diane Briggs (McFarlane)

    by alex, over 6 years ago

    In the 1940's and 50's the double decker trams used to travel as far as Giblin Street. They were wonderful!

    Tall Poppy

    Proudly commandeering

    the middle of the road

    she endeavours

    to stay on track

    venturing on her

    rattling stop start journey

    to and from the city

    holding up traffic

    swallowing and disgorging

    ticketed strap-hanging passengers

    conducted by an orchestration

    of overhead bell-pull instructions

    sending her once more on her way

    swaying to the ch-chink ch-chink ch-chink

    metallic rhythm of wheels

    conveying her double deckered splendor

    towards the next stop

    and the net stop and the next stop

    and finally

    ... Continue reading

  • Lenah Valley Lament by Diane Briggs (McFarlane)

    by alex, over 6 years ago

    I have lived in my current house in Girrabong Road for 34 years and the wallabies have never been a problem until the last three years. What has changed?


    Lenah Valley Lament

    I've done my bit

    all Summer through

    and fed the wallabies

    and the kangaroo

    with luscious lettuces

    and succulent silverbeet

    and Black Russian kale

    which they really love to eat.

    Now I'm kept awake all night

    with the thumping of their feet

    as they hop along the path

    to access my back garden

    where they munch away at will

    with never a 'beg pardon'.

    I'm really getting sick... Continue reading

  • Lenah Valley Butchery by Diane Briggs (McFarlane)

    by alex, over 6 years ago

    Mr Willey lived in Courtney Street too and was the local butcher. Campbells had the grocers which is now Salamanca Fresh, and O'Neals had the grocers shop which is now the florist. Mr Forster was the newsagent.

    Lenah Valley Butchery

    I feel the sawdust still.

    Scuffed toes of school shoes

    poking patterns,

    creating childhood castles in the air,

    waiting for Mr. Willey

    to wrap the weekly order,

    written on the back of an envelope

    in my Mother's hand,

    bold and beautiful,

    as she was then

    when she was young

    and I was young,

    and brains and tripe

    were on the... Continue reading

  • Planted in Common Ground by Diane Briggs (McFarlane)

    by alex, over 6 years ago

    I grew up in Courtney Street in the 1940's and 50's and have wonderful memories of that time. I wrote this poem one day after sitting at the Ampol service station looking across at the japonica behind the doctors surgery and realising that I had known it for 70 years.

    Planted in Common Ground

    I know you so well Japonica

    You have been

    growing there my whole life;

    weaving your branches

    through that wire fence;

    poking your thorny blooms

    out on to the footpath

    catching on

    my childhood cardigans;

    flowering through

    my blossoming

    into adulthood;

    overgrown

    and neglected

    through my... Continue reading

  • Anacanthe Park Lenah Valley and surrounds by Attila Borzak

    by Attila Borzak , over 6 years ago

    I was born in 1966 and grew up as a child in Lenah Valley, lived on Brushy Creek road.

    you can see Ancanthe park from Dads house which as a kid in early 1970s could see the whole park and Lady Franklin museum now the trees are huge of course.

    I remember the local council put down a brown coloured tar surface in the park for the first time in early 70s so me and my friends had to test it out with our skate boards of course and we were impressed.

    also remember many trees been planted in Ancanthe... Continue reading

Page last updated: 23 Jan 2018, 10:37 AM