Story Behind Our Meeting Room Names
Peter Mills Boardroom (Ground Floor)
Our largest meeting room is named after Peter Mills, the celebrated Launceston architect/builder who designed and built our building in 1882 as his residence and business Mills Furniture Warehouse. It was known as Mills Corner.
“Peter Mills was a very successful architect, and he leaves in Launceston many substantial monuments of his good taste. He was the first to deviate from the ancient style of square unornamental brick buildings in Launceston.” (Extract from Daily Telegraph obituary – Wed 9 June 1886, via Trove)
Steele Room (Ground Floor)
MJ and SE Steele, the owners of The Branch Office at the time, purchased the building in 2002. They set about transforming the building through the creation of the serviced offices on level 1 and the major renovation of level 2 to create two spacious inner-city apartments in 2003. Mike and Susie sold The Branch Office in 2016 and then sold their final lot in the building in 2019. Mike’s pride and joy in the building was the cellar, a room well below street level steeped in history and intrigue – if only these walls could talk.
Georges Lane Meeting Room and Boardroom (Ground Floor)
Georges Lane is the quaint laneway down the side of our building in the heart of Launceston. The laneway gives a modern inner city feel and this is reflected with the vibe and furnishings in our newest meeting rooms. Naming these rooms after the laneway that passes by their windows seemed the perfect way to tie in the building surrounds.
Cormiston Room (Level 1)
Cormiston Legal was formed in 2012 by Sam Pratt in this very room. The name comes from the family property where Sam’s wife Karen grew up – “Cormiston”, which was settled in 1824 on the banks of the Tamar River by Karen’s great-great-great grandfather, Archibald Thomson.
Archibald Thomson came from Cormiston, Biggar in Scotland and was one of the early settlers in Northern Tasmania, arriving in Van Diemen’s Land in 1822. He was a merchant, wholesaler, farmer, magistrate/JP and a foundation shareholder/director in the establishment of Launceston’s Cornwall Bank in 1828. Archibald was responsible for assigned convicts on his property at Cormiston, but became an avid supporter of the anti-transportation movement, and was part of a group of magistrates who campaigned for transportation to Van Diemen’s Land to cease. The area of Cormiston later became known as the suburb Riverside, where the c. 1860 Cormiston House still stands today.
The Cormiston Room has large windows facing on to Cameron Street, a fitting link back to Archibald – as well as the Cormiston property, Archibald had a wholesale merchant store in Cameron Street in the early days of Launceston!
Cormiston Legal merged with Simmons Wolfhagen in 2019 and they are currently our largest tenant.
Kauri Room (Level 1)
Development of serviced offices on the first floor in 2002 re-discovered a heritage timber staircase made of New Zealand Kauri pine. The staircase is fondly remembered by its many users over the years and as the Kauri room sits at the top of the staircase, users of this room will get to experience the stairs for themselves… but we do also have a lift to level 1!
Ridge Room (Level 1)
This room is named after Mr Albert John Ridge, who served his apprenticeship in furniture-making and upholstery with Mr David Storrer in St John Street and later commenced business for himself in 1896 in our building, A.J. Ridge Furniture.
His knowledge of antiques was outstanding and he was widely consulted. Mr Ridge acted as adviser to the State Government in connection with the Government proposals to acquire Port Arthur as state property for tourist purposes and the people of Launceston have cause to remember him for the part he played in bringing about the acquisition of the Beattie collection of early Tasmanian historical articles in 1927. Mr Ridge's personal antique collection was extensive and valuable.
This room is currently being leased as a Commercial Serviced Office.