Visiting Launceston, Australia: Top Sights on Foot
Things to do in Launceston
Launceston is Tasmania’s second‑largest city, where the North Esk and South Esk rivers join to form the Tamar. It combines historic streets, river‑side scenery and a lively food‑and‑wine culture, offering a compact yet rich introduction to northern Tasmania. Neywo provides a free audio guide for Launceston with 8 narrated places, so you can hear the story of each site as you walk at your own pace.
Discover Launceston’s heritage and culture
Duck Reach Power Station
The former Duck Reach Power Station, completed in 1895 by the Launceston Town Council, was the first publicly owned hydroelectric plant in the Southern Hemisphere. It drew power from the South Esk River via a weir and diversionary penstock, supplying direct current for arc lamps and alternating current for incandescent lamps and motors until 1955. Since 1995 the building has served as a technology museum and interpretation centre within Cataract Gorge Reserve, which is listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register.
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Known locally as QVMAG, this museum brings together Tasmania’s natural history, Indigenous heritage, visual arts and design under one roof. Its collections give visitors a broad view of the island’s cultural and scientific development.
Franklin House
Located in Franklin Village, Franklin House was erected in 1838 for Britton Jones. After serving as a private residence, it was adapted as a school for boys and today is preserved by the National Trust of Tasmania. The house is open to the public, offering a glimpse into early colonial life and its later educational role.
Launceston Synagogue
Situated on St John Street, the Launceston Synagogue is a heritage‑listed building and the second‑oldest synagogue in Australia. Designed in an orientalizing style with Egyptianizing motifs by architect Richard Peter Lambeth, it was completed in 1844. The synagogue operated from 1846 to 1871, reopened in the 1930s, closed again in 1961, and was restored for worship in 1984. It has been a protected heritage site since 1989.
Church of the Apostles
This Catholic church belongs to the Archdiocese of Hobart and continues to serve as a place of worship in Launceston. Its presence contributes to the city’s varied religious landscape.
St Andrew’s Kirk, Launceston
Found on St John Street, St Andrew’s Kirk is the second Presbyterian church built in Launceston, following the Scotch National Church on Charles Street (erected in 1831). It now serves the Presbytery of Bass and remains an active part of the city’s Presbyterian community.
St John’s Church, Launceston
Standing at the corner of St John Street and Elizabeth Street, St John’s Church is regarded as the oldest church in Launceston. Construction began in 1824, making it one of Australia’s oldest surviving churches. Although the building has undergone many extensions, the original tower and the first pair of nave windows remain. Its bell was cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, linking the church to a broader historical tradition.
Star Theatre
In the Invermay suburb, the Star Theatre is a notable example of Streamline Modern and Art Deco design. When it opened in 1937 it seated 852 patrons. After closing in 1969 the building was used as a charity store by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. A restoration effort led by Andrew Quaile, Ben Davis and Paul Lee‑Archer reopened it as an independent cinema with a café and bar on 6 April 2018. In 2022 the theatre was purchased by Michael Smith, owner of the Sun Theatre in Yarraville, Victoria.
Explore Launceston with Neywo
Neywo’s free audio guide for Launceston includes 8 narrated places and one walking tour: “Churches, a Synagogue and a Gorge Power Station.” This route covers 6.2 kilometres, takes about 119 minutes and stops at six sites—the Church of the Apostles, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, St Andrew’s Kirk, the Launceston Synagogue, St John’s Church and the Duck Reach Power Station. Each story plays automatically as you reach the location, allowing you to explore at your own pace with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, making the experience accessible to visitors from around the world.
To start, simply download the Neywo app, select the Launceston guide, and begin your self‑guided walk through the city’s heritage, culture and scenic spots.
Places with an audio guide in Launceston
8 places in Launceston with a Neywo audio guide. Each one starts telling its story as you reach it.
Self-guided tours in Launceston
1 tour in Launceston, free in the Neywo app. Each stop tells its story as you reach it.
- Walk
Churches, a Synagogue and a Gorge Power Station
Tasmania's colonial north, from the gardens around Prince's Square to the gorge. See the museum that is the biggest in Australia outside a capital, an Egyptian-style synagogue and the oldest church in town, then follow the Cataract Gorge path to the 1895 power station that lit Launceston's streets.
Church of the Apostles · Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery · St Andrew's Kirk, Launceston · Synagogue · St John's Church, Launceston · Duck Reach Power Station
Open this tour: Churches, a Synagogue and a Gorge Power Station
Walk Launceston with Neywo
Neywo turns Launceston into a self-guided audio tour. Stories arrive as you reach the place they belong to, and the route reshapes when you wander off it.
