Penny Royal's cliff beehive stands as quirky tribute to its late founder
A beehive high on Penny Royal's cliff honours its late founder Roger Smith.
Perched on a cliff above the rope bridge at Penny Royal adventure park in Launceston sits an empty white beehive with a view over the city. The beehive was placed there in 2016 by Roger Smith, the park's founder and a long-term beekeeper, during the complex's redevelopment.
Smith described it as an Easter egg, a hidden detail and a nice reminder. The adventure park opened in 1979 and lay dormant for a decade before JAC Group revived it in 2016, bringing Smith back to oversee the project.
After Smith died in 2022, the park erected a plaque honouring him. Today, staff maintain the site as an ongoing tribute to Smith's vision, and his son visits occasionally to admire the work.
- 1979
- Opened
- 2016
- Beehive placed
- 2022
- Smith died
- Launceston
- Location
Why it mattersThe beehive captures how a founder's personality and skills can shape a place long after he's gone, turning a practical detail into a lasting memorial.
AustraliaThe Launceston landmark adds character to Tasmania's adventure tourism, keeping the story of its visionary founder alive for new generations of visitors.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 6 d ago
