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Heritage NSW NEWSLETTER OF THE NSW HERITAGE OFFICE Spring 2003
HeritageNSWNEWSLETTER OF THE NSW HERITAGE OFFICE Spring 2003
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Contents
HeritageNSW
NEWSLETTER OF THE NSW HERITAGE OFFICE
Spring 2003 Vol. 10 No. 2
Front cover: Coogee’s famous swimmingspot, Wylie’s Baths, has been listed onthe State Heritage Register.
Photograph by Mark Spencerwww.markspencer.com.au
Heritage NSW is the official newsletterof the NSW Heritage Office.Articles may be quoted with appropriateattribution.
NSW Heritage Office3 Marist Place, Parramatta, NSWPostal address: Locked Bag 5020,Parramatta NSW 2124Tel: (02) 9873 8500Fax: (02) 9873 8599Home Page: www.heritage.nsw.gov.auE-mail: [email protected]
Chair of Heritage Council of NSWMichael Collins
Director of NSW Heritage OfficeReece McDougall
Heritage NSWEditor: Lianne HallDesign: Harley & Jones design (02) 9571 1667
ISSN 1321-1099HO 03/05Print Post Approval No. PP 255003/01429© Crown copyright 2003Published 2003
DISCLAIMERAny representation, statement, opinion or advice,expressed or implied in this publication is made in goodfaith but on the basis that the State of New South Wales,its agents and employees are not liable (whether by reasonof negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person forany damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or mayoccur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as thecase may be) action in respect of any representation,statement or advice referred to above.
“Particularly Unfortunate”:the Centurion
Sacred Spaces, Heritage Places
A Healthy Find from OurConvict Past
Filling the Gaps
Tips for Conserving HistoricConcrete
New on the Register
Heritage Happenings
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Messages: From the ChairFrom the Minister
Heritage Office News
Aboriginal Heritage inNorthern Sydney
Swimming into History
Australia’s Heritage found in aNissen hut
WWII Survivors Live Again
Landscapes we don’t want to lose
The first six months of 2003 have been a watershedfor the NSW Heritage Office and Heritage Council. We have settled into our new premises on the ParramattaRiver and experienced first hand the benefits of adaptivere-use and heritage conservation, as well as the simplepleasures of working in a heritage place. For staff it isrewarding to at last work in a building that represents ourvalues as a heritage organisation. For members of thepublic, it offers opportunities to visit and use facilities suchas the new Heritage Office Library. We are proud to openthis new resource which offers easy access to heritagematerials collected over the last two decades. Turn to pagefour to meet our new librarian and find out more aboutusing this valuable collection.
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A message from the Chair
In the last issue of Heritage NSWI wrote of the Heritage Council’srecent move to our new locationin the former King’s School on thebanks of the Parramatta River.
Eight months later, after manymeetings and visits to the newpremises, I am even moreimpressed. The architects’ use ofglass on the ground floor hasconverted a very large space intoa fine meeting room and library,while also retaining a sense ofscale and grandeur.
Our official opening with MinisterRefshauge and a later receptionfor industry colleagues confirmedwhat we already believed. Thisreally is a place for people.
The impressive sandstone walland portico facing the riverprovide a sense of solidity andpermanence, while the friendlyoffice spaces inside assist theHeritage Office to effectively carryout its work.
The adaptive re-use of this finebuilding is already winningcommunity acclaim. Parramatta CityCouncil gave its inaugural heritageaward to the project during theHeritage Festival earlier this year.
As well as our regular meeting placethe new office was also the venue fora very important discussion betweenHeritage Chairs and Officials fromaround Australasia in August(see report on page five). With thepassage of the new Commonwealthheritage legislation through FederalParliament in the same month, thisgroup is more important than ever indriving forward a national agenda forcultural heritage. We have a lot ofground to cover in reaching the levelof public support that already existsfor the protection of the naturalenvironment. The new legislation isone of the important milestones thatwill help us to reach our objective.
If you haven’t already done so pleasetake the opportunity to come andvisit us.
Michael CollinsChair of the Heritage Council
Heritag
e Co
uncil of N
SW
From the Minister
I don’t usually visit swimmingpools in the colder months, butsometimes politicians get to dosurprising things! One of my firstduties as Assistant PlanningMinister and Minister responsiblefor heritage in the third Carrgovernment was to announce thelisting of two bathing icons on theCentral Coast on the StateHeritage Register. There’s a storyabout them on page six.
What gave me particular pleasurewas that in making theseannouncements the Stategovernment was giving officialrecognition to two places that arewell loved and used by thecommunity. This is not heritage assome dusty relic with norelevance to the present or thefuture. This is living heritage.
We recognise the debt we owe tothe past, as the listings confirm,but we also value these places asa continuing part of our Aussiebeach culture, and we continue touse them.
As a former migrant whose firstAustralian home was a Nissen hutin Western Sydney, I was alsodelighted to meet members of theItalian community in Wollongongwho had had similar experiencesliving in the Balgownie MigrantHostel. On this occasion Icongratulated the University ofWollongong for retaining three ofthe original huts of the formerhostel. It is very important that weretain these reminders of thepostwar immigration boom as amark of respect.
If these experiences are anyguide, my heritage responsibilitiesare going to take me into manyfascinating corners of New SouthWales. Our heritage is verydiverse. The State HeritageRegister needs to reflect thatdiversity and I will be doing what Ican as Minister to promote this.
Diane Beamer MP
Minister for Juvenile JusticeMinister for Western SydneyAssistant Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
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NS
WH
eritage O
ffice New
s
New heritage library opensThe State’s most comprehensive collection of heritage resources is now accessible to
everyone. The NSW Heritage Office Library has opened at the office’s new premises
overlooking the Parramatta River.
Past tops futureAward winnersCongratulations to members of the Heritage Council and HeritageOffice who were awarded the Centenary Medal this year. The medalwas created in 2001 to honour living persons who have made acontribution to Australian society or government.
Three current members of the Heritage Council were awarded aCentenary Medal: Sharon Sullivan ‘for service to Australian society andthe humanities in prehistory and land conservation’; Brian Gilligan‘for service to the community through environmental education andconservation’; and Chris Johnson ‘for service to architecture’; as wellas Mr Johnson’s deputy on the Council, Bruce Pettman ‘for service tothe conservation and restoration of government heritage assets’.
Medals were also awarded to former Chair of the Heritage Council,Hazel Hawke AO, ‘for service to Australian society and the community’;to former Heritage Council member Joan Domicelj AM ‘for service tothe achievement of World Heritage status for the Blue Mountains’,and to Senior Heritage Officer at the Heritage Office, Bruce Baskerville‘for service to the community’.
Michael Collinsannounced as newAPI National PresidentMr Michael Collins, Chair of the Heritage Council, has been appointedto the post of National President of the Australian Property Institute.
The API is the professional association of the property industry withover 7,500 members. It represents the majority of the nation’s valuersas well as over 3,000 other property professionals. Mr Collins takes upthe position with extensive knowledge of the property industry, and24 years of service to the Institute. He recently completed a three-yearterm as President of the NSW Chapter. Mr Collins has long beeninterested and involved in the public, community and culturaldimensions of property. He oversaw the refurbishment of the CustomsHouse in Sydney and the redevelopment of Sydney’s theatrical icon,the Capitol Theatre.
Chair of the Heritage Council, Michael Collins, separates thewarring debaters at the Heritage Council Celebrity Debate in April:(r-l) Deborah Cheetham, Alan Saunders, Bill Leak, Tug Dumbly,Professor Mike Archer and Sarah Macdonald.
A light-hearted battle of wits erupted during this year’s HeritageFestival. Celebrity debaters argued the topic “The future is moreimportant than the past”. The past came out ahead on thisoccasion with the debaters for the negative case winning over theaudience by a narrow margin. The debate was presented to anenthusiastic audience at the Powerhouse Museum and broadcastlive as part of the popular Evenings with James O’Loghlinprogram on ABC Radio 702.
The library offers a wealth ofinformation for anyone working inthe conservation field orinterested in heritage issues.
The major collection of over7,000 items includes conservationmanagement plans, heritagestudies, thematic studies andAustralian and NSW histories, aswell as a wide range of heritagemonographs and journals.
The library is the prime repositoryin the State for many of thesespecialized heritage materials.The collection was originallyestablished in 1977 when theNSW Heritage Act wasintroduced.
You are welcome to visit thelibrary to conduct your ownresearch. The librarian, LibbyRobertson, can assist readers inthe use of the collection. To visitthe library, just phone Libby tomake an appointment.
Alternatively, Libby can undertakeresearch at your request. The first30 minutes are free of charge.Any further research will becharged at $144 per hour.
Come and visit us at the NSWHeritage Office Library. Rememberto phone Libby in advance todiscuss your research query andmake an appointment.
Where: 3 Marist Place, Parramatta
Open: 9:00-5:00 Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Appointments: (02) 9873 8591 or [email protected]
These are just some of the factsto be found in a new set ofbrochures produced about therich Aboriginal heritage ofNorthern Sydney. Four councils –Lane Cove, North Sydney,Willoughby and Warringah –have joined forces to produce thebrochures to help residentsunderstand their local history andthe wealth of Aboriginal sitesthat lie near their homes.
Director of the Heritage Office,Reece McDougall, congratulatedthe four councils on the newresource which was producedwith assistance from the NSWHeritage Incentives Program.
“Northern Sydney is leading theway in educating communitiesabout the Aboriginal heritage oftheir area,” said Mr McDougall.
In a first for NSW, the fourcouncils joined forces in 1999 tocreate an Aboriginal Heritageposition to help with the care ofAboriginal sites in the area.
As Aboriginal Heritage Manager,David Watts is responsible forthe protection of over 1,000Aboriginal sites and culturalheritage. The sites hold importantevidence of the Guringai people,who once occupied the area.They include middens, rockengravings, axe grinding grooves,rock shelters and artwork.The project has produced thebrochures as well as interpretationsigns along popular North Sydneywalking tracks.
David is currently working onfurther projects to help peoplelearn and discover about theAboriginal heritage of the area.An education program isbeing developed for localschools, as well as acommunity education kit.
For copies of the brochurescontact either Lane Cove,North Sydney, Willoughby orWarringah Council.
Australia’s heritageagencies meetChairs and officials from Australia’s major heritage agenciesmet in Sydney last month. The meeting at the Heritage Office inParramatta was an opportunity to drive forward new directionsin heritage management across Australasia. New Zealand is nowa member of the group, which met previously in Wellington.
Ab
orig
inal Heritag
e
Caring for Aboriginal sitesin Northern SydneyDid you know that over 1,000 Aboriginal sites are recorded in
northern Sydney? That there are 500 different Aboriginal
languages? Or that bada, bamal and burra – meaning water,
earth and sky – are just some of the words to survive from
the language once spoken by Aboriginal people in the
Sydney basin?
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The listing of Wylie’s Baths, theEntrance Ocean Pools and theBogey Hole is a salute to ourbeachside culture and theaffection with which these placesare held by many in thecommunity. The recognition of thepools as heritage places reflectsthe government’s commitment tomaking the State HeritageRegister a comprehensive recordof our most special and significantplaces.
The listing is the culmination of aHeritage Office strategy to identifyNSW’s historic ocean pools, andbuilds on earlier research by theNational Trust. In the mid-1990sthe National Trust commissioneda survey of Sydney’s harbourside& ocean pools, with fundingassistance from the HeritageAssistance Program. HistorianChrista Ludlow and heritageconsultants EJE Landscapeassessed 74 pools and plottedthe history and architecture ofbathing in Sydney.
Ocean and rock pools haveprovided the physicalinfrastructure of Australianbeach culture. Yet while mostof the population of NSW liveon or near the coast, we camelate to our love of the water.
For the first 100 years afterEuropean settlement sea bathingwas not highly regarded and mostpeople did not swim.
In fact, the early authoritiesregarded bathing with a mixture ofhorror and concern. They appliedstringent rules to safeguard thepopulation from the detrimentaleffects of mixed bathing, nudityand the moral lassitudeassociated with the beach.While the pleasures of a seasidestroll were much appreciated,swimming in the ocean wasanother matter.
The first edict on bathing by thecolonial administration was issuedin 1803 and banned convicts frombathing in front of theencampment. This was thebeginning of a long struggle overbathing morality. By the 1830sbathing between 6 am and 8 pmwas banned across the entirecolony!
Nevertheless, it seems thatcolonists continued to batheinformally in the harbour.To combat the threat of randomnaked bathing, the first formalbaths in NSW were built inthe Domain in about 1825.
Already a popular swimming spotwith colonists, the baths seem tohave been hastily constructed toscreen nudity, utilizing anabandoned ship and pickets.
Private bathhouses and sea bathswere also built on waterfrontestates. At Newcastle in 1820Commandant Morisset had a poolhewn out of a rock face byconvicts for his personal use.(The Bogey Hole is today notedas one of the earliest structures inNewcastle.)
The 19th century colonistimmersed himself in the water –and it was predominantly menwho had access to bathingfacilities – in the pursuit of healthand hygiene. Bathing was seen asa therapeutic exercise, preferablyperformed in seclusion andusually not involving anystrenuous activity.
Throughout the 19th century moreand more public bathing facilitieswere built in Sydney. There werefloating baths in the harbour, suchas Frederick Cavill’s famousfloating baths; baths constructedof timber piles like those used inwharf construction; and enclosedocean rock pools. One of theearliest pools listed on the StateHeritage Register was the DawnFraser Swimming Pool in Balmain,which was built in 1881 as anenclosed timber structuresupported by piles.
But mixed bathing and open seabathing were still opposed bysections of the community.It wasn’t until 1903 that thelaws began to be liberalized.This followed a campaign of civildisobedience by swimmers andan audacious flouting of the banon daylight swimming by anewspaper editor at Manly in frontof thousands of spectators.
By the 20th century “bathing” hadbecome “swimming”. Peoplestarted to enjoy swimming as aleisure activity and competitivesport rather than as a secludedactivity performed for therapy orablution. Ocean and harbourpools played an important role inthis transformation by givingpeople access to water sportsand facilities.
The Bogey Hole, Newcastle
The Bogey Hole – shown here in aboutthe 1910s – is the first recordedpurpose-built ocean pool on the NSWcoast. Hewn out of a rock platform byconvicts on the order of CommandantMorisset in 1819 for his personal use,it was originally known as the“Commandant’s Baths”. NewcastleBorough Council took control of thebaths in 1863 and opened them up forpublic use. Social customs of the timedecreed that the baths were segregated,with women only permitted at set times.The baths were enlarged to their currentsize in 1884, but evidence can still beseen of the original convict excavationtechniques.
Photograph courtesy of Newcastle RegionPublic Library.
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Built E
nvironm
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Swimming into history:NSW’s ocean poolsSunscreen, seagulls, Sunday afternoons, laps and a leisurely dip: the ocean and rock pools
of NSW evoke strong memories for many of us. They are key elements of our beach culture
and are part of our cultural identity. But these evocative icons are also heritage places.
This year three of NSW’s famous ocean pools were listed on the State Heritage Register.
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As swimming became anestablished sport, more publicbaths were built in Sydney. In the 1930s and 1940s councilsprovided larger pools withfacilities for competitive swimmingand spectators.
Many of Sydney’s ocean beachesfeatured outcrops of sandstoneand natural rock pools which wereideal for pools. Ocean pools oftenbegan informally as localresidents moved stones to createsafe swimming areas. Rock poolswere sometimes previously usedby Aboriginal peoples for fishingand swimming before being usedand adapted by Europeans.
Public baths existed many yearsbefore the beach and competitiveswimming became culturallyimportant. Today they are symbolsof Australians’ love of the water.The listing of the Bogey Hole,The Entrance Pools and Wylie’sBaths highlights their enormoussocial significance. Together theychart the development of ourobsession with swimming and thebeach: from secluded rock pools,to simple timber and concreteenclosures to complete poolcomplexes with kiosks,boardwalks, change roomsand sunbathing areas.
Wylie’s Baths became associated withthe development of competitive
swimming in NSW. Pictured here isHenry’s daughter, Mina Wylie, who
trained at the pool along with FannyDurack. They became Australia’s first
female Olympic swimmingrepresentatives, winning silver and gold
medals at Stockholm in 1912.
Photograph courtesy of the State Library of NSW.
Wylie’s Baths, Coogee
Wylie’s Baths in Coogee have been used by generations of Sydneysiders. The ocean baths with their cliff-hugging platforms are an icon of Australian beachculture. The baths survive today as a complete turn-of-the-century swimming poolcomplex. In 1907 champion swimmer Henry Wylie enclosed a natural rock base withconcrete sloping walls to create a tidal pool. In 1912 he added the distinctive timberboardwalk supported by timber piers.
The Entrance Ocean Pools
A popular tourist destination, the Entrance Ocean Pools are held in high esteem by the many generations of tourists and localresidents who were taught to swim there. The complex of three ocean baths was constructed between 1938 and 1965 on the siteof a simple tidal rock pool that had been known to Aboriginal people as a natural fish trap. The development of the pools coincidedwith the growth of amateur swimming and the consequent demand for suitable venues for the sport. The Entrance AmateurSwimming Club was established in 1953 and the Tuggerah Tuffs, a winter swimming club, in 1967.
The smallest of these three youngswimmers at Coogee is wearing a Wylie’s Baths swimming costume.
Photograph courtesy of the State Library of NSW.
Photograph by Mark Spencer, www. markspencer.com.au
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Many of the stories of immigrationto Australia began in the mosthumble of lodgings: Nissen huts.They were a cheap and pragmaticsolution to housing the thousandsof migrants who arrived inAustralia after WWII. Thesecorrugated iron huts became thefirst experience of Australia formany new arrivals.
Three huts, remnants ofWollongong’s Balgownie MigrantWorkers Hostel, are to bepreserved through listing on theState Heritage Register.
Assistant Planning Minister, DianeBeamer, announced in July thatthe huts were being consideredfor listing in recognition of theirsignificance as part of Australia’spost World War II immigrationprogram.
“The ‘huts’ were the truebirthplaces of our multiculturalsociety,” said Ms Beamer.
The proposed heritage listing hasa particular resonance for theMinister who as a six-year oldBritish immigrant spent her firstyears in Australia in a Nissen hutin Cabramatta.
In the 1950s migrant campswere hastily built across NSW aspost-war immigrants began toarrive in large numbers.Balgownie was one of manyhostels built to house migrantworkers. Migrants, many fromItaly, began to move into theirnewly built quarters in 1951.
Nissen huts were originallydesigned in 1916 by a miningengineer, Lieutenant Colonel PeterNorman Nissen. They werelightweight and portable with asemicircular corrugated iron roof.Quonset huts – also used atBalgownie – were a laterAmerican version that improvedon the original British hut.
Once familiar structures, Nissenand Quonset huts aredisappearing from our landscape.They were usually regarded astemporary and not worth keeping.Today the former Balgownie hutsare the only examples in NSW ofNissen huts adapted for use inmigrant hostels.
The original Balgownie site had200 prefabricated buildings. Thelarge complex of huts was dividedinto units around common diningroom and laundry buildings.
The surviving huts are nowowned by the University ofWollongong, which has agreed toretain the largest one on itspresent site and relocate twoothers next to it, as part of theWollongong Innovation Campus.
The huts have a particularsignificance for Wollongong. Manymigrants remained in the area tocontribute to the economic andcultural life of the town. There is asignificant community survivingtoday which has a strongconnection with the former hostel.
Giulia Bonacina still lives inWollongong. She arrived at theBalgownie Hostel with herhusband and two young childrenin 1961. The family, originally fromItaly, stayed in the hostel for11 months, during which timeGiulia’s youngest son was born,“the first Australian and last babyin the family”.
“Its nice to have a corner in theUniversity for the migrants whostarted their life in Australia here,”says Giulia.
“It is something towards thememory of all the people whowere there – from Italy, fromLatvia, from Poland, fromGermany… It is good toremember and to show ourchildren what we passedthrough.”
Assistant Planning Minister, Diane Beamer, at the Nissen huts at theUniversity of Wollongong. The main hut to be retained is the formermigrant hostel kitchen and dining room. The other two buildingswere originally the laundry exchange and a staff residence.
Photographs by Murray Brown.
Mr and Mrs Bonacina share memories of their arrival in Australia atthe Balgownie Migrant Workers Hostel with the Minister.
Australia’s heritage foundin a Nissen hutImmigrants from all over the world have come to Australia to make a new home.
The result is a culturally diverse nation with a unique identity. The physical evidence of this
diverse heritage is now beginning to be recognised. Shops, churches, temples, mosques,
bridges, dams and migrant camps all help to show how immigrants have enriched the
Australian story.
MulticulturalH
eritage
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For local servicemen returninghome after WWI, Bankstown wasa place to begin a new life. Afterthe war a number of housingsubdivisions were created in thesuburb by the War Service HomesCommission, which was set up toaid the repatriation of 250,000World War I soldiers.
Hundreds of houses were built inBankstown between 1920 and1924 for the returned soldiers,but today only one subdivisionremains substantially intact.The importance of Bankstown’srole in post WWI Australia can beseen in the modest 1920s homeslining Vimy and Restwell streets.The construction of homes forveterans was a major goal of socialand urban planning in the 1920s.
Remarkably, 41 of the original50 houses in Vimy and Restwellstreet are still intact. In fact, thesubdivision is one of the mostintact War Service HomesCommission estates surviving inSydney. There are few places likethis remaining that connect us tothis important period in our city’sdevelopment.
Bankstown City Council is ownerof two of the heritage-listedproperties in the subdivision.It was eager to show by examplethe opportunities and benefits ofconserving heritage. In March2002 it embarked on an ambitiousproject to conserve the twodwellings, which after years ofbeing vacant were in a severelydilapidated state.
“This was the ideal opportunity tolead the way and show how oldplaces – even when they are in areally poor state – can be fixedand restored and can be quitecharming, comfortable dwellings,”said Bankstown City Councilplanner, Ursula Lang.
Intrusive alterations and additionswere demolished, new bathroomsand kitchens were added, allservices were upgraded and alldamaged fabric was replaced.New fences in the 1920s stylegave the cottages added charm.
Originally slated for demolition,these war service homes havebeen saved for future generations.The newly restored homes wereopened during this year’s HeritageFestival so locals could inspectthe work. Council was even ableto track down some of the originalpost-war residents of the houseswho attended a special openingceremony. And in an added touchthe local heritage committeedonated brass plaques inscribedwith the original names of thehouses: “Weymouth” and“The Nest”.
When the houses went to auctionin July and August, both werealready approved fordevelopment. The developmentapplication was for an appropriatedesign within a conservation areaand showed how the propertiescould be altered or extended.
Council hopes that this will helppeople to realize that heritageconservation does not impedenew design and that heritagelisting is financially viable.
“It’s what this project candemonstrate that we feel is veryimportant. Not only is it anexample of good conservation,but it is an educationalopportunity for the community.It takes away that thinking thatyou cannot touch a heritage itemor extend it, “ said Ms Lang.
The War Service Homes Commissionused a pattern book of standard designsto build homes in the style of “workmen’scottages”. In Vimy Street a familiar themebegins to emerge as plans A17, A22 andA24 can be seen repeated along thestreets. Each cottage has two bedrooms,a pitched tile roof and an ornatelydesigned timber front porch.22 Vimy Street is pictured here, beforeand after conservation.
Photographs courtesy of Bankstown City Council.
WWI survivors live againIt is a common misconception that heritage places cannot be changed or altered. A newproject at Bankstown has demonstrated that, contrary to popular myth, heritage listingdoes not impede new design or alteration. Bankstown Council’s innovative solution toconserving two war commission homes has challenged ideas about heritage in the area.
Local G
overnm
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Making changes to listed propertiesHeritage listing doesn’t mean that properties cannot be changed oraltered. To the contrary, it is understood that people need to live inthe 21st century with modern comforts. Older buildings sometimesneed to be adapted to meet the requirements of modern life. Newbathrooms, new kitchens, upgrading of services, extensions oradaptations: these are not incompatible with heritage places.Heritage places are best cared for when they continue to be lived inand used.
Heritage listing does mean that approval from either the localcouncil or the Heritage Council is required before these changes aremade. What the consent authorities will be concerned about is thatany major changes respect and retain those qualities that make theheritage place special. This means putting thought into sympatheticdesign, retaining significant fabric and creative solutions.
Before
Our cultural landscapes areplaces that we have shaped, andthose places that have shapedour culture. They are often placesthat are much loved by thecommunity and have become partof our identity. They can eveninfluence how we think ofourselves. Cultural landscapesinclude homesteads andfarmlands, as well as remnantnative vegetation, Aboriginal sitesand places, wetlands, earlysettlements, disused cemeteries,and defunct industrial complexes,to name but a few.
The Heritage Council of NSW isnow taking steps to prevent theseimportant landscapes frombecoming a fond memory.
In NSW the battle over culturallandscapes is being drawn on theurban fringes of our major cities.
Over the last 25 years, there hasbeen unprecedented growth inmajor Australian cities. Urbansprawl on the outer Sydneyfringes has been fed by highmigration to urban centres,changing demographics,improved road access, andsmaller households living in largerhouses.
Hidden around Sydney’s suburbanfringe is evidence of our ruralcolonial past. Some of the earliestestates and farms in NSW arelocated across the CumberlandPlain and Camden. Theselandscapes are also likely to retainheritage values for Aboriginalpeople and evidence ofoccupation. David Beaver,Heritage Advisor to CampbelltownCity Council, says thatdevelopment is beginning to havea major impact on coloniallandscapes in the region.
“You can still see our colonialheritage in the landscape of theCumberland Plain today. Butwithout careful planning, thislegacy of our colonial culturallandscapes will be forever lost.”
Glenlee House at Menangle Parkis an early colonial homesteadthat has survived with its settingintact.
“Glenlee House and its
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Und
erstanding
Heritag
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we don’t want to loseWhat would Australia be like without the cultural landscapes that are so important to us. Imagine Bondi without Bondi
beach, the Blue Mountains without vistas of dramatic gorges and blue eucalypts, Sydney without the Botanical Gardens or
NSW without the Southern Highlands. While cultural landscapes have been admired and observed for decades, we are only
just beginning to address how to best protect and manage them.
surrounding landscape is one ofthe jewels of the Campbelltownarea,” says David.
The colonial farming estateremains in its rural settingsurrounded by paddocks,outbuildings, gardens, roads andhedges: a fascinating record ofcolonial rural life. Such a view ofan early colonial homestead isnow rare within the region.
The visual sensitivity of thislandscape is heightened by thesummit track at Mt AnnanBotanic Gardens that follows theridgeline behind the house. Thislandscape is regarded as being ofState heritage significance andNational heritage significance.
In 1837 the Reverend JohnDunmore Lang visited Glenleeand described it:
About three miles beyondCampbelltown to the right isthe dairy farm or estate ofGlenlee ... There is a largeextent of cleared land on theGlenlee Estate, the greater partof which has been laid downwith English grasses, thepaddocks being separated fromeach other by hedges of quinceor lemon tree – the usual butseldom-used Colonialsubstitutes for the hawthorn.The country is of an undulating
character, and the sceneryfrom Glenlee house – ahandsome two-storey housebuilt partly of brick and partlyof a drab-coloured sandstone –is rich and most agreeablydiversified.
Lang, J.D., An Historical and StatisticalAccount of New South Wales, 2nd Edition, Vol. 11, p. 131
Over a century and a half laterthe landscape described byDunmore Lang is stillrecognisable. However, DavidBeaver points to the potentialimpact that poorly plannedhousing could have on GlenleeHouse and its setting.He describes how the coloniallandscape might be affected byencroaching urban development.The manipulated image picturedon the following page showswhat would happen if housingencroached into the visualcurtilage of Glenlee: a dramaticdemonstration of what wewould lose.
“Opportunities for futuregenerations to view an earlycolonial homestead complex in itspastoral context would be foreverlost. The aesthetic significance ofGlenlee homestead would also begreatly diminished,” said David.
Although the identification of
Landscapes
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scenic landscapes has occurredsince the 1960s, there have beenno long-term strategic orintegrated overview policies tosystematically identify andmanage important culturallandscapes.
The Heritage Council of NSW hasidentified the loss of culturallandscapes as an important issuethreatening cultural values andlifestyles. At a recent workshop,participants looked at the issuessurrounding the loss of culturallandscapes and impacts on ourcultural values and lifestyles.
The Heritage Office invited keystakeholders including localcouncils, state governmentagencies, heritage experts,planners, and the National Trust(NSW) to the workshop to identifyissues and actions for addressingcultural landscape managementin NSW.
Participants identified models andshared examples and casestudies of leading practices inmanaging cultural landscapesacross NSW, Australia and NewZealand.
Wind farms andcultural landscapesWind farms are a spectacular and highly visual element inthe countryside. But when they are located near a heritageitem or in a valued cultural landscape, they can have adramatic effect.
Heritage Council Chair, Michael Collins, and Heritage Office Director,Reece McDougall, recently visited a wind farm at Blaney, near Orange,to witness the effect of wind turbines on cultural landscapes.
The Heritage Council of NSW and NSW Heritage Office support thedevelopment of sustainable energy production facilities that meetlegitimate community needs, and which support and contribute to thecultural and environmental heritage of the people in NSW.
“Wind turbine farms are proving to be a popular renewable energysource,” said Mr Collins.
“However, if they are inappropriately planned and developed, they havethe potential to adversely affect heritage items, including culturallandscapes.”
“Blaney Wind Farm is an example of a wind farm producing the positivebenefits of renewable energy, while having few adverse impacts on thelandscape.”
The NSW Heritage Office have developed a Draft Wind Farm andHeritage Policy, which aims to minimise or eliminate the potentialimpacts of wind farms on heritage items. The new policy will be a toolto assist the Heritage Office, local government, planning anddevelopers in their decision-making processes. The policy can beviewed on the Heritage Office webpage.
Recently, this issue was also addressed at the National Heritage Chairsand Officials meeting where it was agreed to work towards thedevelopment of a national policy.
Far left: The landscape drawn by JosephLycett in the early 19th century can stillbe read in the present day setting ofGlenlee House. “View upon the NepeanRiver at the Cow Pastures, New SouthWales” by Joseph Lycett, ca. 1775-1828.
By permission of the National Library ofAustralia.
Left: Glenlee House at Menangle Park asit is today.
Photograph by David Beaver
Left: This manipulated image shows apossible future scenario with urbandevelopment encroaching into visualcurtilage of Glenlee.
Graphic by David Beaver
Photograph by Ian Jack
Assistant Director of the HeritageOffice, Susan Macdonald, saysthat the workshop highlighted theneed to improve how we managecultural landscapes in NSW.
“The challenge is to change howwe plan for future development,both at a local and State level sothat the significance of ourcultural landscapes is conserved.Carefully considering the impacton viewlines, visual curtilages andopen space will mean that ourcultural landscapes will retain theirspecial character andsignificance.”
“And this is best achieved whencommunities have the opportunityto recognize and appreciate thosecultural landscapes that areimportant to them.”
“Ultimately the impact of thisstrategy will be better protectionof cultural landscapes in NSWand improved understanding oftheir importance by thecommunity.”
12
‘Particularly unfortunate’:the wreck of theCenturion
Maritim
e Heritag
e
The Centurion foundering in Sydney Harbour in 1887. Illustration courtesy of the State Library of NSW.
Maritime archaeologists at workdocumenting the wreck site of theCenturion.
Underwater photography courtesy ofwww.markspencer.com.au
Details are available from the HeritageOffice’s Maritime Heritage Online websitehttp://maritime.heritage.nsw.gov.au
The newspapers at the timedescribed the loss of theCenturion as ‘particularlyunfortunate’. The loss wasregarded as avoidable as ithappened during daylight hours ina well-navigated channel.
The Centurion was a magnificentbarquentine, square-rigged onthree masts with a length of 63metres. Built in 1869 at Aberdeenin Scotland, Centurion was ownedby George Thompson. It hadbeen built by the celebratedScottish shipwright, Walter Hood,and stood in his yard next to theoutstanding Thermopylae. Threeof Walter Hood’s other ships alsolie wrecked in NSW waters –Fame in Sydney Harbour, Queenof Nations at Wollongong and hisnamesake Walter Hood in WreckBay, south of Jervis Bay.
Centurion was departing SydneyHeads under tow for Newcastle inorder to load coal for Honoluluwhen it got into difficulties. It wastowards the end of its life and theonce proud passenger and cargocarrier now served as an ordinarycollier. Stored in its hull was apartial cargo of 400 tons of coaland 60 tons of rock ballast. Asthe tug Phoebe manoeuvred theCenturion through the Heads, theManhegan, moored in thechannel, slowed its passage.Centurion’s tow rope slipped andfouled the tug’s propeller. Ananchor was immediately dropped,but the vessel washed onto therocks of North Head, near TheOld Man’s Hat. Recovering thetow rope, Phoebe pulledCenturion off but the vessel sank,fatally holed in 18 metres of waterinside Cannae Point.
Today the Centurion is the largesttimber shipwreck site in SydneyHarbour and is very popular withrecreational SCUBA divers. Thecomplicated structure is spreadover 40 metres on sand. Majorelements include a pile of stoneballast, concentrations of anchorchain and iron fastenings from thehull. Many of the hull’s timberscan be seen, particularly whensand levels change, exposingpreviously buried portions of thestructure.
The Heritage Office investigationsare timely. While popular fordivers, the site has seen littledetailed archaeological recordingsince its discovery in the early1960s. It contains an importantrange of data on hull constructiontechniques in a period ofchanging ship technology. Whilebuilt as a timber sailing vessel,Centurion included innovativechanges: iron deck beams andsupports instead of the traditionaltimber, iron diagonal straps alongthe side of the hull, iron-platedlower masts and yards.
Centurion therefore stands as animportant marker of thesechanges and is a boon forarchaeologists and divers alike.The NSW Waterways Authority isworking with the Heritage Officeto survey the site and fulfil itsresponsibilities under the HeritageAct. The thorough work will resultin a conservation managementplan, a detailed site plan forvisitors and other interpretiveproducts.
The Heritage Office thanksManly Hydraulics Laboratory,the Australian National MaritimeMuseum, Apollo Australia andunderwater photographer,Dr Mark Spencer, for theircontributions to the CenturionProject.
BY TIM SMITH
‘Air on, harness secured, slates, camera – check. Diver ready … Go!’So begins a day of fieldwork for Heritage Officemaritime archaeologists investigating the site of asignificant shipwreck in Sydney Harbour. As thediver descends light levels drop, bubbles racepass the helmet and the underwater intercomsqueaks into life. Rapidly orienting to the descentline while equalising ear pressure, the diver seesthe wreck of the Centurion looming up from theseabed through the green tinged water.The archaeological recording now becomes a raceagainst time and underwater conditions.
Spread out on the harbour floor in the midst of 21st centurySydney lies the Centurion, a timber sailing ship lost insideNorth Head in 1887. Few travelling to work on the ManlyFerry would know of its existence beneath their course.The wreck is a reminder of the days when Sydney Harbourwas a major shipping destination, congested with
international and coastalsailing vessels, belchingsteamers and harbour craft.
The Uniting Church manages over2,000 buildings across NSW. In ajoint project with the NSWHeritage Office, the church hasembarked on the task ofidentifying the most important andspecial buildings in its care. Thesesignificant places will be listed onthe State Heritage Register.
As the first part of the project,Professor Ken Cable wrote ahistorical overview of the UnitingChurch. Heritage consultantsDesign 5 Architects then surveyeda sample of ten properties inSydney suburbs. Recently three ofthe most significant churcheswere listed on the State HeritageRegister: St John’s Uniting Churchat Wahroonga, Trinity UnitingChurch at Strathfield and TryonRoad Uniting Church at Lindfield.
These three churches areindicative of the depth of religiousheritage in NSW. ThePresbyterian, Congregationalistand Methodist Churchescombined in 1977 to create theUniting Church.
All three denominations have along tradition and history inAustralia says James Mein,Executive Director of the Church’sFinance and Property Board.
“The Uniting Church is the lowestof the three main denominationsin number but because our historyis Presbyterian, Congregationaland Methodist, we actually have asignificant number of heritagebuildings for our size.”
In the very early days of Europeansettlement, the Church of Englandacted as the colony’s officialreligion. But other faiths came tothe new colony too and theirclergy and the services ofdifferent denominations helped tofeed the spiritual needs of earlysettlers.
In 1836 the New South WalesChurch Act saw official supportgiven to all the major faiths.It allowed these religiousdenominations to receive Stateaid to pay clergy and erectbuildings. For the Methodists andPresbyterians this meant a rapidgrowth in clergy and facilities overthe next decade.
The late 19th century was aperiod of prosperity anddevelopment for the Australiancolonies. Professor Cabledescribed it in his report as aperiod of massive growth for thechurches as well.
“With their own structures, andconfident of their place inAustralian society, the Methodists,Congregationalists andPresbyterians were able toexpand in the prosperous 1880s.”
With growing suburbs andflourishing country towns, thePresbyterians and Methodists setabout providing churches in eachnew populated area.
With its active members, theMethodist Church was able toraise resources to erect newchurches. It was common for thenew buildings to be modelled onchurches in England, and ingeneral they were modest in styleand decoration.
Presbyterian churches of this eraare much more varied, both instyle and dimension. With the aidof funding from prominent localcitizens or benefactors, many finechurches were constructed, oftenreflecting the Scottish origins ofthe denomination.
However, for all churches thebasic form remained unchanged:an auditorium with pulpit, organ,chair stalls, a small holy table,chairs for officers.
Later in the 19th century, newtypes of structures began to beconstructed for Sunday schools,sporting teams, choirs, charitygroups. All needed space andchurch halls became an essentialpart of a religious complex.
New churches continued to bebuilt in the 20th century. For thefirst half of the century thepercentage of the populationnominating their religion asChristian remained steady, with10% nominating Presbyterian,10% Methodist and 1%Congregationalist.
After WWII there was an upsurgein church building after the lull ofthe Depression and wartime. Newchurches, halls and homes forclergy were needed toaccommodate the many newmigrants coming to Australia andthe expanding suburbs of Sydneyand regional towns. Buildingcontinued through the 1950s andearly 1960s with modernarchitectural styles predominating.
Today caring for the built heritageof over 200 years of religious lifein NSW is a huge task forChristian communities. JamesMein explains that by workingwith the Heritage Office tostrategically identify its mostsignificant heritage buildings, theUniting Church is managing thesecomplex conservation issues.
“We worked from day one in acooperative mode because werealized that there is a need tomaintain heritage. Our biggestquestions will always be what arethe heritage values of ourproperties and I think that isbecause they are very high profilepublic buildings and often uniquein architecture. They’ll always beworthy of conservation.”
St John’s Uniting Church in Wahroongahas changed very little over the pastseventy years. The church retains all itsoriginal fixtures, fittings and furnishingsand fine stained glass windows. It wasdesigned as a complete complex byhighly regarded architect John SheddenAdam in 1929 for local Presbyteriansseeking to establish their own parish.
Photograph courtesy of Design 5Architects.
Built E
nvironm
entSacred spaces, heritage places
13
Since the early days of European settlement in Australia religious organisations have
built places of worship for their communities. Today the legacy of this great spiritual
endeavour can be seen in towns and suburbs across NSW. Often much loved and
esteemed by their communities, churches make important contributions to our
streetscapes, history, social life and religious life.
Vale Professor Kenneth J. Cablewhose funeral was held inSeptember in Sydney. ProfessorCable was a founding memberof the Heritage Council of NSWwhere he represented the RoyalAustralian Historical Society. Hewas also a founding member ofthe Religious Property AdvisoryCouncil. His valuedcontributions, advice and expertknowledge of Anglican churchhistory will be sadly missed.
The Trinity Uniting Church in Strathfielddemonstrates the rapid expansion ofchurches during the second half of the19th century. The Victorian era was atime when large sums of money werespent on new church buildings bywealthy and powerful families. Sir PhilipSydney Jones and his brother Edward(whose father was David Jones ofdepartment store fame) contributedfinancially to the establishment of thisCongregational church. A youngerbrother, George Jones, and brother-in-law, Harry P. Thomson, designed thechurch in 1889.
Photograph by Lianne Hall.
Tryon Road Uniting Church complex inLindfield was built in 1914 anddemonstrates the Methodist Church’scommitment to providing facilities forcommunity use. The church chose tobuild a complete complex for theircommunity, placing them in heavy debtat the time, but leaving futuregenerations with a well-used and well-preserved example of AustralianEdwardian design.
Photograph by Victoria Coleman.
14
In the fragments and remnantsdiscovered on the hospital site areto be found glimpses of everydaylife over 200 years of occupation.They tell stories of convict gangsreturning to the barracks afterlabouring on building roads; offrail and aged convicts spendingthe last of their days in thecolonial hospital; of the sick andthe poor who found themselves atthe doors of a 19th centurybenevolent society.
Archaeologist Wendy Thorp wasexcavation director on the site ofthe former barracks and hospitalwhich has now been redevelopedby Hawkesbury City Council. Thesite has been in continuous usesince 1820 and Wendy says thatthe archaeological findingsprovide a physical link to the past.
“It adds a human dimension to ahistory that could previously onlybe found in documents andbooks,” says Wendy.
The original 1820 building wasconstructed as a convict barracksas part of Governor Macquarie’sprogram to control and care forthe convict population. At thetime there were three convictgangs stationed in Windsor,including a “single-iron” gang, a“double-iron” gang and a roadgang.
Evidence of convict barracks andoutbuildings is very rare. Only theHyde Park Barracks survivestoday to any great degree.Windsor barracks was built ashort time after Hyde Park andwas one of the first of this type ofconvict establishment.
Three years after its constructionthe building was converted to aconvict hospital. The hospitalceased operation in 1842 and thebuilding was taken over by theHawkesbury Benevolent Society afew years later. The society wasdedicated to helping the poor andthe old barracks building wasadapted and opened as a generalcounty hospital in 1846.
The hospital continued to operatefor over 150 years until 1996,when it was replaced by thepresent hospital, and the buildingacquired by Hawkesbury CityCouncil.
Hawkesbury City Councilembarked on a totalredevelopment and adaptation ofthe former hospital site,incorporating health care facilities,a new purpose-built library andart gallery. The building wasreturned to its 1911 appearanceby removing unsympatheticelements and reinstating elementsof the original Georgian and laterArts & Crafts design, withassistance from the HeritageIncentives Program. Part of theoriginal barracks is still containedin the main building.
As part of the redevelopment, thecourtyard area was excavated forthe construction of a new café.Wendy Thorp and her team of 10archaeologists were appointed totest the site ahead ofdevelopment and monitor thework. When a major discoverywas unearthed the scope of thework changed.
Histo
rical Archaeo
log
y
A healthy find from our convict pastVisitors to the former
Hawkesbury Hospital in
Windsor earlier this year saw
surprising evidence of a rare
convict site. A recent
archaeological excavation
unearthed fabric from one of
the most significant periods
of development in the
history of Australia.
The archaeologists found anintact privy dating back to theconvict period. To find a survivingexample of convict barracksconstruction is very rare. With theuncovering of such a significantbuilding relic, it was decided toundertake a full program ofarchaeological investigation andrecording.
“The fact that we found so manyconvict period relics wassurprising,” says Wendy.
“We had expected that the impactof all the later works for thehospital would have removedmuch of the earlier fabric, but alot had survived.”
As well as the intact privy, thearchaeologists uncoveredsubstantial evidence of theoriginal barracks. Findingsincluded walls and verandas fromthe barracks, footings, paths,drains and parts of a washhouse.The 19th and 20th centuryhospitals had been constructedover the top of the remains.
“Together the relics found aroundthe hospital are very significant.They are the most visibleevidence of a very importantconvict-era building for Windsor.”
“Even though many were justfragments, together they give usan idea of what it was like to bein the precinct in the early 19thcentury,” said Ms Thorp.
“It humanizes a period of ourhistory that is oftenmythologized.”
There has been much communityinterest in the project. Hundredsof people attended an open dayon the site to see the uncoveredlayers of history for themselves.This was a special opportunity toexperience actual evidence ofAustralia’s convict past. Severalschool groups also attended tosee archaeology in action.
Hawkesbury City Council is nowplanning an interpretationprogram for the conservedbuildings and for thosearchaeological remains that havenot been affected bydevelopment. The remainsunearthed during the dig havenow been stabilized andcovered over.
15
Left: Windsor Hospital with Hawkesbury Benevolent patients in the 1880s.
Photograph courtesy of the Paine Collection, Hawkesbury City Council.
Above and right: At the former Hawkesbury Hospital in Windsor the public wereinvited to view original artefacts and structures dating from the earliest days ofsettlement, and also learn how archaeologists go about digging up the past.
Photographs courtesy of Hawkesbury City Council.
Down at Walsh Bay in Sydney thenew Wharf 6 & 7 developed byMirvac is designed tocomplement its historical settingand the remaining turn-of-the-century wharves. Another well-known example is the Museum ofSydney which was designed byDenton Corker Marshall torespond to the archaeologicalsite below, terraces beside andthe monumental sandstoneedifices of the Chief Secretary’sand Lands Department buildingsopposite.
We call these “infill” buildings. Inother words, a new buildingplaced between, below, above, oreven in the middle of an existingbuilding or historic setting.
Infill is a heritage issue. Althoughthe buildings themselves are new,they can have a dramatic impacton the neighbouring heritageitems or their setting. Most of uscan probably bring to mind ajarring example of an infillbuilding that just doesn’t seem tofit its landscape. Generally, mostpeople want the architecturalquality and character of an infillbuilding to, if not acknowledge,then at least respect thecharacter and quality of theadjacent heritage buildings.
But what makes a successfulinfill building? And how do youencourage architects todesign it?
Assistant Director of the HeritageOffice, Susan Macdonald, saysthat the key to building anew in ahistoric setting is to understandthat setting.
“Understanding the place andresponding to it is the startingpoint for any good design. In thesame way that heritage items arein themselves a response to theircultural, social, historical andeconomic environments, so tooshould new design respond tothe established setting of aheritage place.”
“The idea of infill buildingsresponding to the existing builtenvironment is not new; it hasbeen around for centuries. Buthow architects have respondedhas been wonderfully varied.”
Main picture and below: Wharf 6 & 7 at Walsh Bay developed by Mirvac is an example of an infill building.
16
Some of Sydney’s most
exciting civic projects in
recent years have been
buildings designed in a
heritage setting or
conservation area –
buildings that connect to the
character and qualities of
their heritage setting, but
are unashamedly of the
21st century.
Filling the gaps
“Someone who cannot draw lessons from the past, who does not treasure what is old, is someone also whocannot create something really new.”
Built E
nvironm
ent
New terraces on the site of the former Women’s Hospital in Paddington.
Photograph by Bart Maiorana, courtesy of Allen Jack + Cottier.
17
The Allen Jack + Cottier designed building at the former Paddington Women’sHospital Site responds to the scale, materials and grain of the heritage building.
Photograph by Susan Macdonald.
A sympathetic addition to a rural cottage in Orange.
Photograph by Cameron White.
This is a successful new infill building in terracotta adjacent to the brick and stone atBond Store 4 East in Windmill Street, which is part of the Walsh Bay redevelopmentby Mirvac.
The Museum of Sydney is an interestingexample of a modern building thatresponds to a complex historical setting.
Courtesy of the Museum of Sydney on thesite of first government house.
“It is the quality of the building,its fitness for purpose and itssuccess in responding to itsenvironment that is important.”
Buildings from the 19th centuryand vernacular buildings oftenhave a direct relationship withtheir environment by virtue of thefact that they were built of localmaterials. This is because theunderlying geology of a placeshapes the landscape and isresponsible for the resultingvegetation. Architects andbuilders used what was available:earth, stone, timber, shingle,brick from local clay and manyother local materials.
Because of this direct relationshipbetween environment andconstruction, the character of thebuilt environment – its coloursand texture – therefore fitted verycomfortably within its landscape.For example, much of Sydney’scharacter and sense of placestems from its 19th centurybuildings of locally quarriedsandstone.
The slow changes brought to thebuilding industry by 19th centuryindustrialisation and the completeshift in the way we build thatoccurred by the mid-20th centurymeans that we have severedthose direct physical linksbetween place and building.Generic new materials such asconcrete, steel and glass havereplaced distinctive localmaterials.
However, the architect createsrelationships between the buildingand its place though the creativeprocess. It is the quality of therelationships created that iscritical in creating a good infillbuilding.
“We can accommodate a richvariety of interpretations andexpressions from the traditionalto the highly contemporary,”says Susan.
But Susan notes that it is alsoimportant to respect the present.
“High quality, contemporarydesign that creates a newsolution for the site, is a far betteralternative to rampant historicismor meaningless pastiche.”
The Royal Australian Institute ofArchitects held a recent seminartogether with the Heritage Officeto look at the issues surroundinginfill buildings. They are currentlyrevising guidelines to help thosefaced with the challenge ofdesigning a new building in aheritage setting.
“We need more certainty in theplanning system,” says Susan.“We need to be able to tellpeople what we are looking forwhen we assess theirdevelopment applications.”
“The first step to good infill isunderstanding what it is about aplace that is important. What arethe character and qualities thatprompted the community’s wishto preserve it?”
The new guidelines will offer waysto approach the challenge ofdesigning a new infill building.With councils, decision makingagencies, owners and architectsall understanding the principlesbehind good infill, the result willbe better outcomes for bothheritage and development.
“But there is a challenge inexpressing the principles in away that achieves what weneed without being too rigid topreclude creativity and so achievethe extraordinary,” says Susan.
“Architects shape ourenvironment and have aresponsibility to both past,present and future generations.Infill buildings link the past to thepresent and project into thefuture. I think this is a greatchallenge and an excitingopportunity, rather than animpediment to the creativeprocess as it is sometimesperceived.”
European architects have devisedmany intriguing and successfulsolutions for infill sites over manycenturies. Although in Australiaour built environment is only 200years old, there is no reason whyour architects cannot be equallyingenious and respectful.
18
Originally hailed as the wondermaterial of the 20th century,reinforced concrete ushered in anew era of building design andcivil engineering.
Now the special buildings of ourrecent past are being recognisedas heritage items, and we arebeginning to ask how to care forthem so they can be passed onto future generations. Many of themost significant buildings of the20th century make extensive useof reinforced concrete.
It is often thought that concretemimics stone and will last forever,but reinforced concrete needs tobe maintained and repaired likeany other building fabric.Conservation strategies are nowbeing developed as ourunderstanding of concreteimproves.
When planning the repair ofreinforced concrete in heritagebuildings and structures it isimportant to develop a repairstrategy so that the significanceof the item is retained.
Ten Tips
• Gather historical informationabout the building to helpunderstand how and why amaterial has been used.
• Contact the heritage advisor atyour local council for freeadvice on how to approach theconservation and maintenanceof heritage buildings.
• Understand why the building isspecial and significant beforedeciding on the appropriaterepair method.
• Research the original materialsand construction methods sothe present problem can beunderstood.
• Engage a suitably qualifiedengineer to carry out astructural appraisal todetermine the safety, stabilityand strength of the concretestructure.
• Undertake a thorough physicalinvestigation to identify anddiagnose problems and toquantify and specify therepair works.
• Carry out testing to determinethe cause of the problem andto identify areas of latentdamage.
• Select a repair technique that isappropriate for a heritagebuilding and that retains itssignificance.
• Evaluate the life-cycle cost ofthe repair – not just the capitalcost.
• Remember that preventivemaintenance of reinforcedconcrete structures will preventproblems developing and maysave you money.
For more free informationdownload:The Investigation and Repair ofHistoric Concrete atwww.heritage.nsw.gov.au
Alternatively, if you would like aprinted copy for $10, fill out theorder form on the back page.
Caring
for H
eritage
Tips for conservinghistoric concreteThe Heritage Office has just published a practical new guide on repairing reinforced
concrete in heritage buildings. The booklet by Susan Macdonald, Assistant Director of the
Heritage Office, provides much needed guidance on how to care for our special buildings of
the modern era.
Designed by Harry Seidler, AustraliaSquare was the first fully structurallightweight concrete building in Australiaand, at the time of construction in 1967,the tallest lightweight concrete structurein the world.
One of the most significant uses of concrete in Australia was in the construction of the Sydney Opera House which opened inOctober 1973. Precast segments, post-tensioned together formed the ribs of the roof shells.
Photograph courtesy of the Government Printing Office collection, State Library of NSW.
Scone Civic Theatre is the lastsurviving theatre designed byprominent theatre architects, GuyCrick and Bruce Furse. Theinterior provides an importantinsight into the style of picturetheatres in the 1930s. It is one ofthe few theatres in NSW to retainits dress circle and not beconverted into a multiplex.Scone’s stylish cinema was builtin 1938 with funds raised byfarmers and residents of thedistrict.
In the first half of 2003 local communities, councils and government agencies celebrated
the listing of the following special places on the State Heritage Register:
19
State H
eritage R
egister
New on the Register“Items of particular importance to the people of NSW…”
Linnwood was the countryretreat of self-made businessmanand local mayor, GeorgeMcCredie. With its ampleaccommodation and remotelocation on Sydney’s outskirts, thelate Victorian residence was laterchosen as the State’s first andonly Truant School. For much ofthe 20th century it was used bygovernment for welfare purposes,including a home for state wards.
The Old GovernmentCottages are located on aprominent site overlooking theMacquarie River at Bathurst. Theriverside cottages are associatedwith the foundation of Bathurst,Australia’s first inland town.Number sixteen, Stanley Street, isthought to have been constructedin the government era, possiblyas early as 1837.
Cathedral Church of Christthe King in Grafton wascompleted in 1884 to a design byradical colonial architect andeccentric John Horbury Hunt.The landmark building isconsidered the culmination of hisunique ecclesiastical designideas.
Jerilderie Railway Station andthe stationmaster’s residence arequite large for their modestcountry location and show howimportant the railway was to thedevelopment of the district.The 65 mile-long branch line fromNarrandera to Jerilderie wasopened in 1884. The whistle ofthe first train surprised residentswho had not expected theunscheduled train. They did noteven know the line had beencompleted!
Prince Henry Hospital hasplayed a prominent role in treatingand overcoming infectiousdiseases in NSW. Known as the“Coast Hospital”, its seasidelocation and spacious opensetting reflected the prevailingattitudes and beliefs of healthcare in the 19th century. From itsbeginnings in the 1880s it grew tobecome the largest hospital in theState. It later became a generalhospital and a teaching hospitalfor the University of NSW. Thehospital’s services have beengradually withdrawn since 1988.The site is now being developedby Landcom for residential,commercial and community uses.
Bathurst’s historic streetlamps add to the uniquecharacter of its central civic andbusiness areas. The unusuallamps were constructed between1864 and 1924 and incorporate aVictorian base with Art Decoelements. They were converted togas in 1872. A levy of three pencewas placed on nearby homeowners to pay for the costly andhigh maintenance lamps.
The Crest Cinema in Granvillewith its atmospheric art nouveauinteriors is a rare example of a1940s cinema. The Crest openedon Easter Saturday 1948 with‘The Swordsman’ and ‘DangerousYears’. Not many theatres werebuilt in the 1940s and its internalarches are pre-fabricated militaryQuonset structure, which wascreatively adapted to civilian use.In the 1960s the Crest became aballroom and its floor adapted,but it has since remainedrelatively unchanged.
Also new on the register:
Wollongong East Post Office,one of the last post offices to bedesigned by the ColonialArchitect’s Office under JamesBarnet.
9 Argyle Place in MillersPoint, a shop and residenceconstructed in 1910 as part of thedevelopment of the area after theplague of the early 20th century.
Denison Bridge, built in 1870,is the 5th oldest metal trussbridge in Australia and the 2ndoldest in NSW.
Rail Pay Bus FP1, a distinctive1930s bus that travelled toremote areas of the state to payrail workers.
St John’s Uniting Church inWahroonga was designed as acomplete complex by the highlyregarded architect John SheddenAdam.
Trinity Uniting Church inStrathfield is associated with theJones family of department store
St John’s Uniting Church inWahroonga was designed as acomplete complex by the highlyregarded architect John SheddenAdam.
Trinity Uniting Church inStrathfield is associated with theJones family of department storefame who contributed to itsconstruction and design.
Mount Penang Parklands wasthe most important juveniledetention centre for NSW formost of the 20th century.
Tryon Road Uniting Church inLindfield was built as a completechurch complex and todayremains an unspoiled example ofAustralian Edwardian design.
The Entrance Ocean Poolshave been a focal point forrecreation, swimming educationand competitive swimming since1938. To find out more, turn tothe story on page six.
SydneyArchitecture WalksA Historic Houses Trustseries of architect-led
strolls through Sydney’s streets,aimed at the enthusiast, the SydneyArchitecture Walks interpret theconcepts, tell the stories and extractthe ideas behind Sydney’s urbanlandscapes revealing a city you mightnever have known existed.Bookings essential.SAW 01 Sydney: Every Wednesdayfrom 29 October, 10:30am-12:30pmSAW 02 Utzon: Every Saturday from25 October, 10:30am-12:30pmVenue: Depart from Museum ofSydneyEnquiries: (02) 9518 6866
Working withStoriesHistoric Houses Trust ofNSW and Ochre Training
Consultants present a full dayprogram of practical techniques andtheory for bringing to life tours,objects, events and sites throughstories. Ideal for tour guides, visitorcentre staff, interpreters, publicprogram officers. $55Venue: Justice and Police Museum,Circular QuayDate: Wednesday 29 October 2003Enquiries: (02) 9518 6866
Introduction toMaritimeArchaeologyTraining Courses
The NSW Heritage Office and SydneyHarbour Foreshore Authority areconducting maritime archaeologyintroductory courses, certified by theAustralasian Institute for MaritimeArchaeology (AIMA) under licencefrom the Nautical ArchaeologicalSociety, UK (NAS). Next course isPart 1 AIMA/NAS. $220.Bookings essential. See website forfuture course dates in 2004. Venue: Visitors Centre, The RocksDate: 30-31 OctoberEnquiries: Victoria Coleman,(02) 9873 [email protected]://maritime.heritage.nsw.gov.au
Dawes Point (TarraArchaeologicalSite)A new event organized
by the Hyde Park Barracks Museumand Sydney Harbour ForeshoreAuthority. Join archaeologist WayneJohnson for a talk on Dawes Pointfollowed by a guided tour. Explorecolonial remains dating back to 1788,the site of the first observatory andscientific station and remains of themilitary fortification 1791-1925.
Bookings essential.Date: Saturday 8 November Enquiries: (02) 9518 6866
Maritime Frontiers:Historical andTechnologicalPerspectives
AIMA Maritime ArchaeologyConferenceThemes include: the archaeology ofconvict experience; the archaeologyof new maritime industries; innovationand change in maritime technologies;watercraft as technological andcultural vector; technology on thefrontier; technological tools formaritime archaeology; technologicalapproaches to management,education and tourism. Venue: Port Arthur Historic Site,TasmaniaDates: 9-13 November Enquires: Cass Philippou, HeritageVictoria or Terry Arnott, Heritage [email protected] [email protected].
Telling TalesInterpretation inthe Conservation &Design Process
Australia ICOMOS 2003Annual ConferenceAt present there are no generallyaccepted interpretation guidelines orstandards in Australia to develop orassess the interpretation that isincreasingly being required as part ofdevelopment consents relating toheritage property. What constitutesan interpretation strategy orinterpretation plan will be a key issueof the conference. Full registrationfee: $450Venue: Chowder Bay, MosmanDates: 28th-29th NovemberEnquiries: Stephen Couling, (02) 9319 [email protected]
Expert Workshopon InterpretationIn association with TellingTales the NSW HeritageOffice is holding an
invited experts workshop to assist inits development of interpretationguidelines. Conference participantsare invited to attend the workshop as“observers”. Registration is essential. Venue: NSW Heritage Office,ParramattaDate: 30th NovemberEnquiries: Bill Nethery, (02) 9873 8566
CreativeVolunteering:No LimitsCreative Volunteering –
No Limits is a project that recognisesand supports the unpaid people thatmake up the backbone of cultural lifein regional Australia, by providing thefirst nationally accredited skillsdevelopment course for volunteers inthe country.One-day workshops focussing on theday-to-day and practical challengesfor community-based organisationswhere volunteers do most of thework. A unique opportunity todevelop new skills to ensure yourgroup's long term success. Placesare filling fast but it's not too late toregister. See schedule on website forlocations and dates. $25Venue: Venues across NSWDates: Until 16 DecemberEnquiries: Amy or Jenny at RegionalArts NSW, (02) 9247 8577www.regionalartsnsw.com.au/projects/c-vol/c_vol.html.
The 21st Century City:Past / Present / FutureSeventh Australasian Urban
History/PlanningHistory Conference2004Conference themes
centre around the history, conditionand direction of the contemporarycity and will explore and debateissues, ideas and viewpoints from abroad spectrum of interdisciplinaryapproaches. Should you have anyqueries about the submission ofabstracts, suggested contributions orother matters concerned with theconference, please contact: GuenterLehmann Deakin University GeelongVictoria 3217. Phone: 03 5227 8331e-mail [email protected] Venue: Deakin University WaterfrontCampus, GeelongDate: 11-14 February 2004Enquiries: Guenter Lehmann(03) 5227 [email protected]
Upcoming heritage-related events, conferences,workshops and seminars around the State.
Order formPlease send me:
A Lot in Store @$14.95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Investigation and Repair of Historic Concrete @$10.00 . . . .
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NAME: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TITLE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ORGANISATION: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ADDRESS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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TEL: ( . . . . ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FAX: ( . . . . ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cheques to be made payable to NSW Heritage Office
Send or fax to:PublicationsNSW Heritage OfficeLocked Bag 5020, Parramatta NSW 2124FAX: (02) 9873 8599 TEL: (02) 9873 8595
Italiani di SydneyThere is much more toSydney Italian lifestylesthan Leichhardt. Italiani di Sydney
embraces the diversity of individualItalian voices, telling stories that canbe recognised and identified, storiesabout the importance of food,religion, sport, style, architecture,work and travel. This exhibitionshowcases 200 objects includingeveryday items, photographs, filmsand contemporary art. Venue: Museum of SydneyDates: From 30 August Enquiries: (02) 9251 5988
Living Inner CityA special series of walksfocusing on Sydney’sItalian heritage inLeichhardt, associated
with the Museum of Sydneyexhibition Italiani di Sydney.Bookings essential.Date: Sundays 12 October,9 November, 2pm-3:30pmEnquiries: (02) 9518 6866
The Conservationof Cemetery SitesA one-day seminar inAdelaide providing
practical advice on the conservationof cemetery sites, organized by theSA Department for Environment andHeritage. Experts will discussdifferences between cemeteries andburial rites; the causes ofdeterioration; the conservation ofstone monuments and metalelements; the use of modernproducts to make good oldproblems; finding old skills today, andthe role of volunteers in caring forthis important part of our history.The presentations will besupplemented with a site visit tohistoric West Terrace Cemetery. $75Venue: Edmund Wright House,AdelaideDate: 24 OctoberEnquiries: Fran Stropin, HeritageBranch, (08) 8124 [email protected]
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