Historian Henry Reynolds critical of Government’s Treasury Buildings sell-off plan

An eminent Tasmanian historian says Hobart’s Treasury Buildings are pivotal to explaining the state’s convict heritage.

The Hobart Treasury Buildings on the corner of Murray and Macquarie streets.

ACCLAIMED Tasmanian historian Henry Reynolds has criticised the Government’s plan to sell Hobart’s Treasury Buildings — arguing they are even more central to the state’s distinctive convict history than Port Arthur.

Professor Reynolds said the sale would almost certainly see ownership of the public asset transfer to a mainland or overseas investor, which would “inevitably diminish our heritage”.

Writing for the Mercury today, Prof Reynolds says the buildings are pivotal to the state’s convict story.

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“Hobart was central to the whole system far more so than was Port Arthur,” he says.

“Most convicts arrived in Hobart and many more lived in the town than on Tasman Peninsula. Convict labour was used to build most of the public buildings and the essential infrastructure.”

As well as providing the labour to build the town, he says convicts played a central role in the bureaucracy through their administration work.

“All that detailed administration was carried out in the older of the Treasury Buildings.”

State Treasurer Peter Gutwein announced the plan to sell the Treasury Buildings, the earliest of which dates to 1824, in this year’s budget.

He has said the heritage-listed buildings in Murray St were no longer fit for purpose as government offices.

The set of eight buildings was open to the public for a weekend last month, for a rare opportunity to see inside.

Prof Reynolds said the large numbers who wanted to see inside the buildings was “a clear indication of community interest in their future”.

Hobart writer and historian Alison Alexander, who attended the public viewing, said it was clear the crowds viewing the buildings were passionate about retaining the heritage.

Dr Alexander backed calls for the buildings to be kept in public ownership.

“Once you sell it, the owners can get away with all sorts of things. The only safe thing to do with these buildings is to keep them in public hands.”

The Tasmanian Heritage Council’s chair Brett Torossi said the council was “very supportive of the adaptation of heritage places to new uses, as continued use is the best way to ensure our heritage places are able to continue to be enjoyed”.