WA6M99 Front Entrance and Garden to Franklin House, Launceston Tasmania, Australia

John Martin/Alamy

Franklin House

Launceston


A relatively short drive south of the city, Franklin House is one of Launceston’s most fetching Georgian-era homes. Built in 1838 by former convict and savvy businessman Britton Jones, it was extended in 1848 by schoolteacher William Keeler Hawkes, who ran it as a boys' school until 1866. Later, it became a private residence. Though the furnishings in the house are sparse and modest, the building's history makes it well worth a visit.

The St James Anglican Church and Cemetery opposite dates from 1845.