Originally a brickfield and site of raucous political rallies and even the hanging of two bushrangers in 1834, Princes Square is now an historic park with mature elm and oak trees, a fountain and a statue of Dr William Russ Pugh, the first to use general anaesthetic for surgical operation in the Southern Hemisphere.
The elaborate Val d’Osne Fountain, was apparently sent from France by mistake. Originally meant for Launceston in Cornwall, England, it was send to Launceston in Cornwall Shire, Tasmania. Due to the expense of returning the 7 metre high fountain, it remained. It is also said that Launceston residents weren’t happy with the 4 half-naked nymphs on top of the original fountain so they were replaced with a pineapple.
Princes Square | Launceston.
