In a devastating blow to Tasmania’s brewing heritage, beverage giant Lion announced a proposal to close the historic James Boag’s Brewery in Launceston by November 2026, ending 145 years of continuous local beer production. Blaming a combination of severe cost inflation and a long-term decline in the national beer market, Lion revealed that the iconic 1881 facility has been running at just one-fifth of its capacity. The shutdown is putting 42 manufacturing jobs at risk and moving all future brewing of the famous brand to mainland Australia.
One option worth looking at would be adaptive reuse of the whole precinct, including:
- Ongoing brewing operation of craft beer and organic cider rooted in Boag’s heritage.
- Adaptive reuse of historical buildings as offices, small business and event venues.
- Launceston character style and scale apartments with secure internal courtyards.
View the Boag’s Brewery Launceston Adaptive Reuse Concept in PDF.