The James Boag’s Brewery visitor centre is getting a $1.8 million upgrade, co-funded through $1 million from the Tasmanian Government and the rest from beverage company and brand owner, Lion. Construction is expected to start in late February 2025, subject to planning approvals, and the visitor attraction will be reopened as Boag’s Brewhouse in August 2025.
The Boags Brewhouse will be the new home of Tasmania’s James Boag’s Brewery brand and products, and aims to be a new tourism icon for locals and visitors alike.
It will preserve the heritage value of the existing building while including a new brewhouse hall, tasting area, redesigned beer garden and newly located Boag’s museum showcasing the iconic brand’s 143 year history.
Tasmanian Deputy Premier, Michael Ferguson, said Lion’s commitment to the James Boag’s Brewery Tours and Visitor Centre, while retaining all visitor centre employees, was made possible through the Government’s support package, to improve the brewery’s visitor experience.
“This partnership underscores our belief in Boag’s ability to attract even greater visitation to Launceston, benefiting Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality sectors, and the local community, more broadly,” said Ferguson.
“As part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, the Government is sustainably growing our tourism sector and this investment partnership will play an important role in meeting our goal.
“We know the tourism and hospitality sector is a major employer in Tasmania, providing more than 42,000 Tasmanians with jobs, including thousands in regional communities. By investing in our regional tourism offerings, we are helping keep the Tasmanian economy strong,” he said.
The Boags Brewhouse will feature Tasmanian timber from the bar to ceiling, and its walls will showcase around 1000 limited edition beer cans and bottles, as well as memorabilia from over the decades.
It will also include a new feature wall, which will capture the pubs of Launceston and their histories – so that at the conclusion of the brewery tours visitors know where they can go to continue enjoying Boag’s beers.
Lion Australia managing director, James Brindley, expressed the company’s gratitude towards the Tasmanian government, and said the investment would create a new home for the iconic James Boag’s brand and products, to help drive the next era of growth.
“The new design will honour the legacy of the James Boag’s Brewery, while strengthening the existing love of the brand with a quintessential Boag’s experience, deeply rooted in Launceston where it all began,” Brindley said.
“Lion remains committed to the future of Boag’s, and through this investment we are aiming to create an iconic new home for the Boag’s brand, and recruit a new generation of people who fall in love with its great-tasting beers.
“We also want to create a place that benefits the community and people of Launceston – somewhere we can all come together over a shared love of the James Boag’s Brewery and beers.
“Already, Boag’s is the second most visited attraction in Launceston, following the Cataract Gorge, and market research shows that the Boags Brewhouse could attract up to 29,000 extra visitors each year. These are additional visitors who will stay and increase economic activity for the businesses of Launceston – and particularly hospitality, accommodation and tourism businesses.
“We are proud to be the custodian of Boag’s, and we continue to invest and innovate as demonstrated by our successful launch of St George 3.5 – the first new Boag’s brew since 2018, which stands tall as the only Tasmanian-made mid-strength lager in the market,” he said.
