If walls could talk

If walls could talk: researching the stories and histories of Tasmanian buildings

Do you know when your house was built, or who lived there before? Or, do you want to find out more about where an ancestor lived in Tasmania?

Visit in person at the State Library and Archives of Tasmania Reading Room

Showing until March 2023, our building history display at the State Library and Archives of Tasmania Reading Room illustrates different pathways to finding out more about the history of your own home, or a place from the past that may have significance to your family heritage.

These historic photographs and films, newspapers, census records, maps, house plans, deeds and land grants – all reveal a rich insight into the structural history and architecture of a particular building, as well as the varied lives of inhabitants. 

Learn how to find out how a property may have changed over time, research past owners and occupiers, and discover the origins and significance of places and communities in the surrounding regions.

Curious about what you might find in the Tasmanian Archives? Home to more than 1.2 million archive and heritage items, you can easily explore the archives from your own device.

Historical photo of the front of Barilla house.
Tasmanian Archives: House named Barilla, 820 Cambridge Road, Cambridge (1900-1920) – Houses of weather-board construction c1910s-1920s. Libraries Tasmania’s Online collection NS392-1-679.