Arch resting comfortably

Glenorchy Arch is now resting in piece/s, while awaiting non-destructive engineering tests. Some more photos of the dismantling are below, done with skill and care by Cranes Combined. The arch had to be dismantled one leg at a time, with each lifted over the top of the reception and restaurant building, using 3 cranes.

Apart from the wires, a quick visual inspection showed that most of the rust appears to be superficial. So far so good!

We’ll provide another update once the engineers done some detailed tests on the structure and the footings.

D-Day

The big day arrives - the arch is being dismantled for inspection!

It’s been over 60 years since it was last moved!

The team from. Cranes Combined are doing an amazing job, with 3 cranes involved in this delicate engineering operation. It’s being done with love and attention the arch deserves.

All going well so far, with 1 leg removed - see photos below.

That Plymouth

A 1951 Ford Plymouth was photographed under Glenorchy Arch while in situ on lower Liverpool Street.

It so happens that an identical Plymouth is still around on Hobart roads, owned by John Goldsmith. John brought it along to the community history day and we photographed it under the arch. Apparently his car was bought in Hobart and spent time at Huonville.

Compare the photos below - could it be the same car?

February 1954

February 2019

Royal Hanky

As a souvenir of the royal visit, and the Arch, Silk and Textiles Pty Ltd (now Sheridan) offered to print a run of silk handkerchiefs with an image of the arch, ot be distributed to schoolchildren.

We understand that a number of these still exist in the bottom drawers of wardrobes around Hobart, but it’s not yet clear how they were distributed or who received them. One handkerchief was kindly donated to the Riverfront Motel several years ago by an anonymous donor.

This one was presented to Glenorchy City Council by Lynn at the community history day on 3 February 2019.

1954 Royal Visit to Tasmania

The visit by the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales to Tasmania in 1954 was an incredibly exciting event for the a community still very much tied to Britain. The film below describes it as Tasmania’s ‘day of all its years’.

Glenorchy was not yet a city, still a semi-rural municipality, but rapidly growing as an industrial hub with large manufacturing and processing plants, such as the Electrolytic Zinc Company’s smelting works, Cadbury’s chocolate factory, Titan Manufacturing’s wire factory and Silk and Textiles fabric printing business all employing many workers.

Glenorchy Council was keen to display its strengths as a modern and forward thinking municipality, and saw a futuristic arch, built collaboratively by its key industries as a fitting tribute to the new Queen.