5–7 Sandy Bay Road

5–7 Sandy Bay Road

Company type	Broadcasting facility
Industry	Broadcasting, education (Conservatorium of Music)
Founded	1959
Defunct	1990 (as ABC studios)
Fate	Sold and redeveloped for residential apartments
Headquarters	Hobart , Australia
Products	Radio and television broadcasting facilities; music education premises

5–7 Sandy Bay Road stands as a significant example of modernist architecture in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Erected between 1959 and 1960, it served as the island’s inaugural purpose-built studios for ABC-TV radio and television. The structure is renowned for its distinctive architectural style and its striking mosaic mural created by Tasmanian artist George Davis. Completed in 1961, the mural features over 150,000 glass tiles, making it the largest mosaic in Tasmania. Its abstract composition is reminiscent of the ABC's "Lissajous curve" emblem, which may have influenced the corporation’s branding. This building is officially recorded on the Tasmanian Heritage Register.

Subsequently, the premises housed the University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music before being sold in 2017 to Fragrance Group, a Singapore-based developer. Although currently unoccupied, redevelopment plans have been approved to transform the site into residential apartments, with provisions made to retain the mural within the new construction.

Architecture

Designed by Dr Oscar A. T. Gimesy, a Hungarian-born architect who emigrated to Australia in 1949, the building reflects his expertise in broadcast facility design. Gimesy completed a Master of Architecture at the University of Melbourne in 1958, concentrating on television station architecture. The facility at 5–7 Sandy Bay Road was custom-designed to meet the technical and spatial requirements of emerging radio and television broadcasting technologies, incorporating features such as recording studios, video editing rooms, a production control center, television studios, and sound stages for news and entertainment production.

In that same year, Gimesy assumed the role of Senior Consulting Architect for the ABC, overseeing projects across Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia. His work includes prominent ABC sites like Adelaide’s heritage-listed Collinswood facility and Melbourne’s Ripponlea Studios, famously dubbed the "Dream Factory."

Heritage mural

One of the building’s most notable elements is the large mosaic mural on its exterior created by Tasmanian artist George Davis. Made up of approximately 150,000 Italian glass tiles and covering , this artwork was selected through a public competition to embellish the façade of the new ABC studios. The mural portrays stylised female figures inspired by the Muses from Greek mythology, representing literature, science, and the arts.

Davis meticulously assembled the intricate central figures on a specially designed table prior to installation. The mural has received acclaim for its lasting artistic significance; Davis’s daughter, actress Essie Davis, described it as "one of the great artworks I've seen in the world."

Additionally, a smaller mosaic panel crafted by Davis during his preparatory phase is preserved at Home Hill in Devonport—the former home of Dame Enid Lyons—who was presented with it as an ABC commissioner following the studio’s inauguration.

The mosaic is officially listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register (Place ID: 7,481) and will be conserved throughout the building’s redevelopment process.

History

The structure was commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Commission to serve as its Tasmanian broadcasting headquarters and was erected between 1959 and 1960.

By the early 1980s, the Sandy Bay Road site no longer accommodated ABC’s growing requirements. Although the primary building remained in good condition, it failed to support the organisation’s expanding operations. Television activities had spread into adjacent cottages dating from the 1840s, which were protected by the National Trust of Australia, restricting possibilities for alterations.

ABC identified operational inefficiencies caused by its dispersed facilities, characterising the location as unsuitable for future expansion. The organisation proposed unifying radio and television production within a newly constructed complex on the former Hobart railway station grounds to improve collaboration and increase efficiency by approximately seven percent.

Following ABC’s relocation in 1990, the building was adapted for use by the University of Tasmania’s Conservatorium of Music. Previously situated in a smaller heritage-listed facility on the Queens Domain, this move provided larger performance venues and teaching spaces to accommodate growing educational programs. The Conservatorium offered both undergraduate and postgraduate music courses and hosted ensembles such as the Southern Gospel Choir and Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute.

Redevelopment

In 2017, ownership of the building transferred to Singapore-based developer Fragrance Group for $13.3 million. By 2020, plans received approval from Hobart City Council to demolish the facility and replace it with two residential apartment complexes, while retaining the George Davis mural as a streetscape element.

After remaining vacant for over six years, the site became a central issue in Hobart’s housing discussions in 2024. Activists affiliated with Grassroots Action Network Tasmania (GRANT) demonstrated with banners stating "EMPTY BUILDINGS CREATE EMPTY COMMUNITIES," calling on government authorities to intervene in delayed developments amid Tasmania’s housing shortage.

ABC-TV programming

The purpose-designed studios at Sandy Bay Road supported ABC Tasmania’s expanding local and national programming from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Built to integrate radio, television, and technical production, this complex enabled Hobart’s branch to deliver an increasing variety of drama, news, sports, and educational content reflecting both Tasmanian interests and national priorities.

During 1985–86, ABC-TV Tasmania produced its inaugural half-hour contemporary drama, The Town That Died, entirely created in Tasmania and filmed in early 1986. Adapted from an original story by Geoff Dean, with a script revision by Julian Halls and direction by local freelancer John Honey, it featured a cast of 20 Tasmanian actors and was shot on location in Cygnet within the Huon Valley.

The branch also developed Sport in Question, a 15-episode national quiz series produced locally. The format, which originated in Hobart, was innovative for Australian television by combining sports-related imagery with quiz questions.

In late 1985, the Children’s and Education division completed Hunter, a 24-part infant science series accompanied by a teacher support kit. Contributions to the well-known For the Juniors series included three themed episodes centred on clothing items: The Amazing Hat Show, Mr Sole ’n’ Eel, and The Coat of Your Dreams. Additionally, three half-hour documentaries aimed at music students were produced under the title Fern Chutney, featuring Hobart-based folk group Fern Chutney.

A half-hour documentary commemorating the Tasmanian Folk Festival’s tenth anniversary aired nationally on Anzac Day in January 1986.

The weekly 15-minute gardening show Landscape, hosted by Peter Cundall, gained wider recognition in 1986 after moving to a Friday evening timeslot.

The Sports Department notably increased its output during 1985–86. For the first time, it covered the Australian Football League Medal Count, taking over from commercial broadcasters; this coverage earned the Winfield Media Award for best Tasmanian football program. A new panel show titled Sport '86, focusing on local football alongside magazine segments and international content, debuted during winter 1986. The branch also produced national broadcasts of major yachting events—the conclusion of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and King of the Derwent regatta—in late 1985 and early 1986.

In 1988, growth continued with contributions from ABC News and The 7.30 Report, leading to improved viewer ratings. The network secured primary live broadcasting rights for local Australian rules football, NBL games, and significant Tasmanian championships.

Between 1987 and 1989, Sandy Bay Road facilities supported editing for national series including For Love or Money, Geoffrey Robertson's Hypothetical, Tall Poppies, the opera Don Giovanni, Krypton Factor, Music and Heritage, among others. Tasmania-produced content encompassed youth-oriented shows like Chartbusters, as well as Between the Teeth, Music and Heritage, For Love or Money, gardening programme Landscape, and quiz shows such as Hypotheticals and Krypton Factor.

Awards and Recognition

In 1989, ABC-TV Tasmania received its inaugural Penguin Award for the coverage of the Bicentennial Tall Ships race. That same year, journalist Paul Tapp became the first television reporter from Tasmania to be honored with the Keith Walshe Award.

Conservatorium of Music

Following ABC’s relocation in 1990, the Sandy Bay Road premises were transformed to accommodate the University of Tasmania's Conservatorium of Music, which had outgrown its former Domain House location. The upgraded facility included enlarged studios, rehearsal areas, and performance venues designed to meet the demands of an expanding academic department. In May 1993, a $4 million refurbishment was officially inaugurated by Premier Ray Groom.

The site was adapted from television studios into soundproofed practice rooms, lecture halls, and storage spaces for instruments. Over a span of more than twenty years, it functioned as the Conservatorium’s central hub, supporting both student groups and professional ensembles such as the Southern Gospel Choir and the Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute.

In 2017, ownership of the building transferred to the Fragrance Group, and by 2020 the Conservatorium had relocated to its new purpose-built creative arts center at The Hedberg.

Leadership

Throughout its tenure at Sandy Bay Road, the Conservatorium was overseen by:

• David Cubbin (1985–1989)
• Don Kay (Interim Director, 1990–1993)
• Simone De Haan (1994–1996)
• Raffaele Marcellino (Interim Director, 1996–1998)
• Christian Wojtowicz (Interim Director, 1998–1999)
• Douglas Knehans (2000–2008)
• Andrew Legg (Acting Head, 2008–2009; Head of School since 2011)
• Kevin Purcell (2009–2010)

Further Reading

• Johnson, P. F. (Peter F.) and Australian Construction Services. Scientific Services Branch, ABC TV building Hobart: fire risk analysis, 1988, Scientific Services Branch.

See Also

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Tasmanian Heritage Register