National Mutual Life Building

Architect: Alan Cameron Walker (1906)

This six-storey neo-Gothic sandstone building in the centre of Hobart has been a prominent part of the Hobart city landscape since its construction in 1906. The National Mutual Life Association (founded in Melbourne in 1869) commissioned prominent Hobart-born architect, Alan Cameron Walker, to design their Hobart offices. Walker was born in 1865 and apprenticed under the well-known Tasmanian architect, Henry Hunter. The stone facade and carved bas-reliefs of the building are of particular note, and feature a lion and unicorn flanking the company logo above the entrance on Macquarie Street. The building now houses a number of commercial tenancies, with the third and fourth floors being occupied as a residence.

Visit the building to explore the upper floors along with the rooftop garden (complete with turret) – which is rumoured to have hosted an outdoor café that was the talk of the town – and take in the views across to Hobart’s waterfront, St David’s Cathedral, and Franklin Square.

Open: 10 am – 4 pm (third and fourth floors only)

Accessibility: Stair access only. Wheelchair and lift access is available on request – please contact us directly.