“Marjorie Hill, Director of the Salamanca Place Gallery, is celebrating 10 years of successful gallery operation with a special exhibition. She has invited 30 artists who have had one man shows at the Gallery to exhibit something special.
The Gallery was originally opened by Paul Schneider and Helen Hodgman on the 9th May 1969.
Sibyl Schneider remembers the night – “it really was a most exciting night. Autumn and the golden leaves falling from the trees – a slight mist – cold of course. Henry Jones, next door, were crushing apples and that lovely aroma spread over all. We have been given permission for flood lights outside and also for champagne to be consumed in the street. There were, of course, too many people ever to get into the Gallery. We were told that not too many people would come because of the location. How wrong they were – it was to say the least, very successful. And look at Salamanca Place today!
During our term in the different Galleries we had, we had attended many openings, lots of fun and sometime glamour, but I believe the Salamanca opening really had something special and certainly it had a touch of romance as well in reviving something from a long past era.”
From Jeffery Thomas (Director and owner of Salamanca Collection 1992 – 2006)
Marjorie Hill sold the Salamanca Gallery to Dick Bett, who ran it for a number of years before moving to above the Fruit Market and then to North Hobart. Dick sold the lease to the two sides (a little like now) and one side became a dried flower shop and the other an antique shop, which remained The Salamanca Gallery.
Jeff Thomas bought the Salamanca gallery at 65 Salamanca Place, (the side next to the lane from the dried flower people, but didn't want to be known as The Salamanca Gallery, so opened at the start of 1992 as The Salamanca Collection. A few years later, he bought the other half (which was separate). Then, in around 2000 he became involved in an unpleasant dispute with The Salamanca Art Centre who were the landlords, which led to The Salamanca Collection moving up to the current location and converting that into a gallery.
So, the Salamanca Collection does not come from a continuous gallery line, as there was a clear interval. However, it can trace its roots directly back to original gallery - The Salamanca Place Gallery, which was the first commercial gallery in Salamanca Place and possibly Tasmania’s oldest continuous (with a clear interval) trading fine art gallery..
From Dick Bett (former director and owner of Salamanca Place Gallery , 69 Salamanca Place, Battery Point.
Dick purchased on 1 November 1986 the Salamanca Place Gallery from Majorie Hill and Charles Hill (son) which was first established by Paul Schneider in May 1969. The first commercial art gallery to be established on Salamanca Place in what is now the Salamanca Arts Centre but at the time, was the old pay office of the recently closed Henry Jones and Co jam factory. At November 1986 we were the first, seven-day-a-week trading business on Salamanca Place.
30 November 1991, Salamanca Place Gallery was closed and Dick sold the shop lease to Liz Bennett and Stuart Bennett, Morella, Bruny Island, TAS 7150 who opened a flower shop cum antiques/gifts shop.
01 November 1990, the Dick Bett Gallery, was established on the 1st floor, 41 Salamanca Place, Battery Point, TAS 7004. This was set up in the former head office of agricultural company Websters & Co, above the Salamanca Fruit Market on Salamanca Place. On 30 June 1999 Dick Bett Gallery, ceased trading. Vacated premises at 49 Salamanca Place and relocated to North Hobart.
2009 will mark forty years of almost continuous trading history by The Salamanca Collection. In 2006 The Salamanca Collection was purchased from Jeff Thomas by Andrew Olivier and Verena MacLean.
