In 2018, the Cygnet Association (then the Cygnet Township Committee) started ‘The Historical Plaques Project' of installing interpretive signage in the Cygnet town centre. The intention was to make a series of plaques describing the history of some of the older buildings in the township.

The first stage of the project included 12 buildings along Mary Street and George Street, plus the Cygnet Town Hall (added at Council’s request). The criteria for the choice of buildings was that each building, and its original or previous owners, and the varied businesses which have occupied it, have formed a part of Cygnet’s rich history. 

These include:

  • Cygnet Newsagency (A&O Stanton’s General Storekeepers)

  • The Red Velvet Lounge (Fletchers & Co Store)

  • Huon Art - prev Cowen’s Drapery (McSherry’s General Store)

  • Econiche - prev Cobweb Designs (Miss Brown’s Drapery)

  • St James Church & Presbytery (The Sacred Heart Church)

  • Cygnet Town Hall (added at Council’s request)

  • Palette Art - prev Cygnet Pharmacy, then School House Cafe (St Mary’s Convent School)

Plaques not yet installed:

  • The Cygnet Hotel (the Imperial Hotel)

  • The Old Methodist Church & Hall

  • The Old Bank B&B (Commercial Bank, ANZ Bank)

  • Mitre 10 Hardware (Harvey’s Apple Store)

  • The Commercial Hotel (The Dalcos Hotel)

  • St Marks Church and Rectory

Rather than traditional cast bronze plaques, it was decided instead to use tempered glass panels allowing old photographs plus text. 

About 12 of them were made and 5 installed after getting the necessary various permissions from owners, Telstra, Taswater, etc. Unfortunately, with a change of committee and Covid, the project was put on hold.

The current committee is intending to finish the project, has already installed two further plaques and intends to do the rest in the near future. Some of the plaques have been lost and will need to be remade.

These buildings also have secrets, and part of the Historic Plaques Project is the research to discover what those secrets are, before they are lost and forgotten.

Some of Cygnet’s history is written down, but much of it is in old photographs or in people’s memories. The history of Cygnet is a puzzle, and pieces of the puzzle may be in a photo album, an old letter, or in a grandparents’ or an old friend’s memory.

Everyone can help: if you know details about any building, or names and dates, let us know!

Meanwhile, everyone can enjoy the plaques already installed!

The research was coordinated by Bruce Patmore and Andrew Blaxland, with the assistance of:

  • The Cygnet Living History Museum (Ken Colless, Ron Salter)

  • Mrs Barbara Harvey (Oral history and loan of photographs from her family collection)

  • The Catholic Archdiocesan Archive at North Hobart (Sister Carmel Hall – history and photos of St James Church)

  • The sisters of St Joseph, New Town (Sister Colleen Power - history and photos of the Catholic Schoolhouse)

  • Cowens Drapery (Michelle and Trent Cowen – history of their building)

  • Methodist & Congregational Churches (Brenda Marsh, Uniting Church of Australia)

  • Cygnet Newsagency (Martin and Genevieve Eaton – history of their building)

  • Cobweb Designs (Susan Fullmoon Rising)

  • St James Catholic Church (Father Greg Barker – history of the Church properties)

  • The Old Bank B&B (Bruce Pidler and Jasmine Kamaralli – photos from the bank’s past)

  • St Mark’s Anglican Church (Reverend John Middleton – history of the Church and Rectory).