Heritagensw Autumn2007 Vol.14 No.1

2

Newslet teroftheheritAgeCouNCilofNswANDthe heritAgeoffiCe ,NswDePArtMeNtofPl ANNiNg

Heritage NSW is the official newsletter of the Heritage Office, nsw Department of Planning. Articles may be quoted with appropriate attribution.

heritageofficeDepartmentofPlanning3 Marist Place, Parramatta, nswLocked Bag 5020, Parramatta nsw 2124Tel: (02) 9873 8500 Fax (02) 9873 8599Home page: www.heritage.nsw.gov.auE-mail: heritageoffice@heritage.nsw.gov.au

ChairofheritageCouncilofNswMichael Collins

executiveDirectoroftheheritageofficeReece McDougall

Director-generaloftheDepartmentofPlanningsam Haddad

heritageNswEditor: Lianne HallDesign: Harley & Jones Design

Message from the Minister

Last month I was pleased to be reappointed as nsw Planning Minister which includes responsibility for the Heritage Office of the Department of Planning. we worked hard over the last 20 months and made good progress on heritage issues, including setting new benchmarks for the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings. I am looking forward to continuing that work this year.

A recent highlight in December was the joint listing on the state Heritage Register of five colonial homesteads in south-west sydney. I attended a special ceremony at one of the homesteads, Harrington Park near Camden, to celebrate the

listing and award certificates to the current owners. The other four properties were Orielton at Harrington Park, Denbigh at Cobbity, Gledswood at Catherine Field and the Greater Camden Park Estate and Belgenny Farm at Camden. These heritage listings will preserve the historic homes and their curtilages from development.

Another event which attracted international attention was the discovery of the M24 Japanese midget submarine off sydney. In December, I placed an emergency Interim Heritage Order on the site – the first time in nsw that such an order has been applied to a maritime site. This provides added deterrence

to any bounty hunters, with fines of up to $1.1 million or up to six months’ jail for anyone caught damaging the site. The nsw Government will continue to cooperate with the Commonwealth to protect the site into the future.

I applied the same protection to a section of the convict-built Great north Road to deter thieves from stealing the historic sandstone blocks. In January, I extended the Interim Heritage Order covering the st Alban’s ramp section of the road between wiseman’s Ferry and wollombi. I hope the hefty fines will make selfish people think twice before damaging this iconic road.

hon.franksartorMP

MinisterforPlanningMinisterforredfernwaterlooMinisterforArts

Contents3

4

5

6

8

10

12

Heritage Office news

Living Record of Colonial History

The Last Midget sub

Zoo Captures its Heritage

Old Building – new Use

Honouring Our Heritage Volunteers

new on the Register

Autumn2007 Vol.14 No.1

Cover: Taronga Zoo’s recently conserved Indian Elephant Temple. The Zoological Parks Board of NSW is one of the many state agencies to manage a significant collection of heritage items.

Photograph by Paramount studios

Issn 1321-1099HO 07/01Print Post Approval no. PP 255003/01429Published March 2007

© state of new south wales through the Heritage Office, nsw Department of Planning, 2007. You may copy, distribute, display, download and otherwise freely deal with this work for any purpose, provided that you attribute the Heritage Office, nsw Department of Planning as the owner. However, you must obtain permission if you wish to (1) charge others for access to the work (other than at cost), (2) include the work in advertising or a product for sale or (3) modify the work.

DisClAiMerThis document has been prepared by the Heritage Office, Department of Planning, for general information purposes. while every care has been taken in relation to its accuracy, no warranty is given or implied. Recipients should obtain their own independent advice before making any decisions that rely on this information.

3

Message from the Chair

As this is the final year of my term as Chair of the Heritage Council, I have been reflecting on the eventful and satisfying experiences I have had during the last five years.

My fellow Heritage Council members and I have had the privilege of visiting many of the varied and endlessly fascinating places that make up the heritage of new south wales, in the company of people who are passionate about the stories they tell and are meeting the challenges involved in conserving them for future generations.

These visits have convinced me that heritage work relies on dedication and tenacity, respect for historical truth and a pragmatic ability to resolve conflicts and solve problems.

what a wonderful set of skills to have, and how desperately our environment needs them now as we face the dif ficulties posed by drought and climate change.

In november I was privileged to attend the fif th of our annual awards recognizing the contribution of heritage volunteers around the state (see article on page 10). These events are humbling experiences for those of us who receive some remuneration for the heritage work we do. who said the community spirit in Australia is in decline? Our heritage volunteers are living proof that it is alive and well.

One of our major projects last year was to contribute submissions to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into the Conservation of Australia’s

MichaelCollinsChairoftheheritageCouncil

Heritag

e Office N

ews

New Heritage Council membersThe Heritage Council has begun 2007 by welcoming a new member. Ms Tina Jackson joined the 15-member team and will contribute expertise to the high level advice the Council provides to the community and government on heritage matters. Ms Jackson is Executive Director of the national Trust of Australia (nsw).

Historic Heritage Places. when the Commission’s final report was tabled in Parliament by the Federal Treasurer in september it was met with disappointment by many of us working in the heritage field. My fellow state and territory heritage chairs have now prepared a position statement in response to the Inquiry. You can view our report and analysis of the public submissions on the Heritage Office website at www.heritage.nsw.gov.au.

I would like to take this opportunity of applauding the following for their work in documenting and preserving new south wale’s heritage and for their well-deserved Order of Australia awards on Australia Day this year: warren somerville AM; Peter watts AM; Barry & nanette Lewis OAM; Brian Madden & Dr Lesley Muir OAM.

Getting a Kick StartA new grants program has been set up to provide seed funding for heritage conservation works appeals: Kick start. with assistance from the national Trust of Australia (nsw), you can establish your appeal as a charity with tax deductibility status – a great incentive to encourage more donations!

Kick start is part of the Heritage Office Heritage Incentives Program. A $10,000 grant is available to kick start your fund-raising appeal for a state significant heritage item project.

A Heritage Council representative will also attend the Kick start appeal launch and present you with a “big cheque”. The Heritage Office will hand over the $10,000 once the appeal has raised $30,000. For more information about this new program, go to: www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/funding.

Executive Director of the Heritage Office, Mr Reece McDougall hands a “big cheque” to the Sydney Heritage

Fleet for their appeal.

Photograph by Debra Holland

New Guide to Nominating Heritage PlacesMany of the items listed on the state Heritage Register were originally nominated by communities passionate about their special heritage places. The Heritage Office has released a new guideline on making a nomination to the register. The guideline provides step-by-step assistance for filling out the nomination form and explains the level of detail required for a nomination be considered by the Heritage Council of nsw. To download the new form and guide go to: www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/nominating.

Heritage spotlight on ArmidaleLate last year two of Armidale’s finest buildings – Booloominbah and the C.B. Newling Centre (the former Armidale Teachers College) – were listed on the state Heritage Register. These two landmark buildings were the beginnings of the new England University College, the first educational institution of its type established in Australia outside a capital city The listing followed the Heritage Council’s visit to the city for its annual regional meeting. The Chair of the Heritage Council, Michael Collins, is pictured here with the Friends of the Old Teachers’ College, Armidale, including President, Mrs Gwenda shannon OAM.

Photograph by Murray Brown

64

Built E

nvironm

ent

nearly 150 years after Charles McIntosh first arrived at Denbigh, his descendants still live on the property in the Camden area. Its recent listing – along with four other significant colonial estates in south west sydney – means that Denbigh’s significant features will survive for future generations.

“Camden was once the main farming area supporting a fledgling colony and these estates are part of that story,” said Planning Minister, Frank sartor, in announcing the joint listing.

“They represent the Australian spirit, struggle and success which have helped to define sydney as a modern city. I am pleased to announce these heritage listings – which preserve colonial history on a grand scale for future generations.”

Of all the colonial estates that once dotted the fertile Cumberland Plain, Denbigh is one of the most intact. Its paddocks, fences, rural buildings and gardens are a fascinating record of colonial rural life. It is one of the earliest farms in Australia.

Denbigh was built in 1818 by Charles Hook, who had been granted the land by Governor Macquarie six years earlier. Hook had been imprisoned for supporting Governor Bligh’s attempt to control the military and was in his fif ties when he received his grant in 1812.

The parson Thomas Hassall soon purchased the homestead and, with the help of convict labourers, made major improvements to the estate. Local Aboriginal people were also enlisted to help clear timber and it is recorded that a large corroboree was held on the property at this time. The enterprising Hassall also financed the construction of the nearby Heber Chapel.

Charles McIntosh arrived at Denbigh in 1866 and used the property to breed Clydesdale horses. In the 20th century the McIntosh family converted Denbigh to a dairy farm, and later a successful cattle stud.

Denbigh at Cobbity, one of Australia’s earliest farming estates, has been listed on the State Heritage Register.

Photographs by Anthony Mitchell

whentheforebearsoftheMcintoshfamilyfirstarrivedatDenbighinthemid-19th

centurytheysawaclusterofbuildingsnestledinahalf-circleofhills.slab-builtsheds,

astonebarnandruraloutbuildingswerethenucleusoftheworkingfarm.Acresof

formalgardens,orchards,orangegrovesandvineyardssurroundedthehomestead,

fromwhichscottishfarmerCharlesMcintoshcouldviewthesurroundingcountryside.

Muchofthefabricandcharacterofthiscolonialestatestillremainsandithasrecently

beenlistedonthestateheritageregister.

Living Record of Colonial History

Like many of the colonial estates that were laid out in this early period, the siting of Denbigh within the landscape was very important. A well-sited homestead, with a good prospect or a sweeping vista, spoke of the status and taste of its owner. The setting of Denbigh within an intact rural landscape was inspired by the ideas of scottish landscape gardener, John Claudius Loudon.

what is innovative about the listing of Denbigh on the stage Heritage Register is that the listing includes much of the original rural setting. The curtilage has been carefully determined so that the house will retain its sweep of farmland within the surrounding circle of hills. The listing will conserve not only the historic homestead itself, but also the colonial setting that tells us so much about our earliest farmers.

with some of the state’s most significant colonial landscapes coinciding with areas marked for rapid suburban expansion, the Heritage Office of the Department of Planning has been looking at their future management.

The work of the Office has been guided by a study of significant estates and farms prepared for the Heritage Council by the national Trust (nsw), Colonial Landscapes of the Cumberland Plain and Camden.

“Our colonial heritage is irreplaceable”, said the Executive Director of the Heritage Office, Mr Reece McDougall.

“By creating certainty about the heritage significance of these places now we will help councils and the community manage future development so that they retain their special character and significance.”

Denbigh is one of five colonial estates listed on the State Heritage Register late last year: Denbigh, Harrington Park, Orielton, Gledswood and Belgenny Farm/Greater Camden Park Estate.

5

Maritim

e Heritag

e

Possible clues to the last hours of the missing Japanese Type A midget submarine M24 lie in the wreck site itself. The fragile wreck sits off Bungan Head, newport, and is the focus of an urgent archaeological survey. Only a handful of Japanese midget submarines has been located internationally, making this wreck of possible national significance. not only rare, it is also a direct link to the audacious attack on sydney 65 years ago.

The crew of M24, sub-Lieutenant Katsuhisa Ban and Petty Officer Mamoru Ashibe, formed part of the elite of the Japanese Imperial navy. Highly trained, they operated a state-of-the-art midget submarine that had only previously been deployed at Pearl Harbour six months earlier.

The attack on sydney on 31 May 1942 by three midget submarines shocked the city but was limited in its tactical success. The crew of M24 were the only ones to fire their torpedoes, though unsuccessfully, at the heavy cruiser USS Chicago. Missing the cruiser, the torpedoes instead sank the depot ship, Kuttabul, with 21 lives lost. A midget from the mother submarine I-27 was detected early in the raid and famously exploded as the crew detonated a demolition charge in the harbour nets. The midget from I-22 became trapped in Taylor’s Bay, and was depth charged, until the crew’s last

remaining option was to shoot themselves.

M24, released from mother submarine I-24, escaped and has been the focus of a number of searches since that time. In December 2005 the Heritage Office disproved claims aired on a Foxtel documentary that the midget lay near Lion Island, Broken Bay. The november 2006 accidental discovery by recreational divers, no Frills Divers, has now revealed the final resting place. Located in over fif ty metres of water, the wreck lies outside standard sCUBA and commercial diving depths.

Heritage Office maritime archaeologists assisted in the confirmation of the wreck site during a navy survey conducted by the minehunter HMAS Yarra. Immediately, on 1 December, the Minister for Planning gazetted an emergency interim heritage order over the site affording penalties of up to $1.1 million dollars for any disturbance. On the same day, the Australian Government declared the site under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, with a no-entry protected zone of 500 metres radius.

Archaeological survey of the site has now commenced. After 65 years the story of the last midget submarine is being carefully mapped out, with more details emerging from two surveys coordinated by the Heritage

Office. The hull and seabed have been imaged by a remote sonar survey undertaken by sonartech Atlas with support from sydney Ports Corporation. Video footage of the wreck site has been obtained from an unmanned submersible equipped with cameras, owned by the Us navy and deployed in February by the Defence Maritime services.

The surveys have revealed more damage to the hull than expected, probably caused by fishing nets fouling the wreck. Plating behind the conning tower has been damaged and external fittings such as the characteristic net cutting gear have become detached. But the surveys also showed that a number of the removed elements still lie beside the hull on the sand, including the net cutters and the access hatch lid.

The Heritage Office, nsw

The midget submarine M22, one of the three Japanese midget subs that attempted a raid on Sydney Harbour, is raised from the harbour bed in June 1942. Now the missing third submarine M24 has been found off Newport.

Photograph by Ronald noel Keam, courtesy of the Australian war Memorial, negative number 060696.

The Last Midget Sub Bytimsmith

thediscoveryoftheremainsofasubmarineoffsydney’snorthernbeacheslastyear

solvedoneofthegreatmysteriesofAustralianmaritimehistory:whathappenedto

thethirdJapanesemidgetsubmarineanditscrewafterthesurpriseattackonsydney

harbouron31May1942.Nowthewrecksiteposesitsownquestions:whatwerethe

finalactionsofitscrew?howintactisthesubmarine?whathappened?

Department of Planning, with the Australian Government, has implemented a sophisticated surveillance system at the wrecksite designed by Zylotech Ltd. The system will ensure the site’s protection, whilst medium-long terms plans for the M24 wreck site are identified. Recreational diving is prohibited. Discussions continue with the new south wales, Australian and Japanese Governments over the best way to manage and interpret the site.

Keep up to date with the archaeological study of the wreck through Maritime Heritage Online: http://maritime.heritage.nsw.gov.au.

Model of Japanese midget submarine constructed by Animax Films, showing the characteristic net cutting gear on the conning tower.

Photograph by Tim smith

6

Histo

rical Heritag

e

Taronga Zoo is now assessing the legacy of its long history. The Zoo can trace its roots back to the Royal Botanic Gardens in the 1850s. It was then moved to a site at Billy Goat swamp in Moore Park, where it officially opened in 1884 as nsw’s first public zoo. The site soon proved too small and, inspired by the latest designs for zoos in Europe, The Royal Zoological society began to search for a new home. A few years later a total of 52 acres of land was granted at Ashton Park on the harbour’s north shore and the “zoological garden” was relocated to its final splendid location.

After more than 150 years of caring for wildlife, the Zoo is now midway through a 12-year master plan and regeneration program. Visitor facilities are being improved, new precincts constructed, animal enclosures and aviaries redesigned and landscapes rejuvenated. The Zoo is integrating its heritage into this process and is looking at how its historic features contribute to the world class asset.

“The upgrading of Taronga will be consistent with the Zoo’s historical values as a destination that was considered a state-of-the-art zoological garden at the time of its creation,” says Guy Cooper, Director and Chief Executive of the Zoological Parks Board of nsw.

It is not surprising to hear that Taronga Zoo houses over 2,000 animals. But it is also home to more than 200 heritage items. Most apparent are the original buildings, such as the upper entrance with its grand and evocative 1910s design and the early structures built to house animals and birds, including the idiosyncratic Indian Elephant Temple. But the landscape itself, with its amphitheatre qualities and stunning harbour views, is also a heritage item – a man-modified landscape that aims to appear natural.

The site layout reflects the Zoo’s history and some of the features have become landmarks in themselves, such as the tall hoop pines at Hallstrom square and the Floral Clock. Although the pathways laid out in the early 20th century have been greatly expanded, much of the original scheme still exists, along with balustrades, stairs and seating. Aboriginal sites, archaeology, movable heritage items and an extensive collection of archives also contribute to the Zoo’s rich heritage.

All these elements are part of the Zoo’s history and part of its meaning to sydneysiders and visitors. People feel an extraordinary attachment to the place, and generations of memories are associated with it.

Guardians of a complex heritage asset and a beloved community place, Taronga Zoo’s staff are making sure they get it right. They have integrated heritage into their overall management of the site and have approached it strategically.

“It’s about the balance between cultural heritage and conservation objectives, the non-negotiable requirements for the well-being of our animals, and the needs of our staff and the expectations of visitors,” says Mr Cooper.

The Zoo can certainly point to some significant heritage achievements in the last year. Historic items have been showcased within the latest zoo developments, including a mural in the new Taronga Food Market by artist Ted schofield, a contemporary of norman Lindsay.

The Indian Elephant Temple with its signature golden dome has been restored to its former condition. A team of contractors from sydney Plasterers and Painters worked closely with the in-house heritage specialist and used a palette of historic colours to revive the distinctive animal enclosure. One of the original Zoo buildings, the Elephant Temple is one of a handful of such iconic zoo buildings remaining in the world. The largest was at the Berlin Zoo, which was destroyed during wwII.

Zoo Captures its Heritage

Ninetyyearsago228

animals,552birdsand64

reptilestravelledacross

sydneyharbourtoanew

homeontheforeshore.

eventheelephantsmade

thejourney,crossingthe

harbouronaflattopbarge.

sydney’sfamoustaronga

Zoowasofficiallyopened

on7october1916.

7

Interestingly, the Elephant Temple demonstrates one of the major issues facing the use of older zoo buildings. They date from an era when people had dif ferent ideas about what a zoo was and how it should work. sometimes the size and configuration of the structures are no longer suitable for continuing use as animal enclosures or aviaries. In the case of the temple, the former elephant housing is now used as a space through which visitors can wander and experience how zoo architecture has evolved. Ultimately, it will become a museum.

Central to the Zoo’s success is having the right expertise available at the right time. An in-house heritage specialist, Jannene smith, was appointed to provide specialist advice and build heritage management capacity within the organisation. Jannene works full time within the Zoo’s development team, consulting with architects, “backyard” staff and horticulturalists to demystify and bring a down-to-earth approach to heritage management.

“Our teams now know to seek input and advice before starting on any new project. This may range from checking the heritage status of an item, the name of a paint colour or simply finding out about the historical

background. with her reservoir of conservation knowledge, Jannene has become a guide, friend and philosopher on such hurdles”, said Mr Cooper.

The Zoo has also done its homework. Projects are managed according to conservation principles identified in the key conservation documents. These enable everyone to understand what is important, what should be kept and how best to manage future change.

Taronga’s heritage achievements were showcased at the end of last year when it hosted a heritage forum run by the Heritage Office for government agencies.

Chair of the Heritage Council, Michael Collins, congratulated the Zoological Parks Board on how it has embraced its responsibilities for looking after heritage on behalf of the community.

“Taronga Zoo has recognised that their heritage contributes to what makes the Zoo a special and valued place. Their strategic approach to identifying those things that are important to keep and then managing any major change exemplifies the key role of state agencies,” said Mr Collins.

The Heritage Office of the Department of Planning is currently working with over 65 agencies which are implementing programs to conserve the heritage items under their stewardship. More than half the items listed on the state Heritage Register are publicly owned. state government agencies manage an astonishing variety of items, including buildings, places, collections, monuments, archaeological sites and natural landscapes.

Identifying heritage places and objects is a critical part of caring for this legacy. A sound knowledge of the range, condition and significance of items enables agencies to make good decisions about conserving or adapting them. Agencies are currently working on comprehensive registers of their heritage items, which are due to be completed by the deadline of December 2009 set by the Heritage Council of nsw. senior Heritage Officer, Tim smith, is working with agencies to assist them to meet their heritage responsibilities.

For Taronga Zoo the new approach to its heritage is providing opportunities for its future.

“I would be delighted if I could wave a magic wand to bring back all that has been removed from the Zoo over the years, so that we could have the opportunity to review all that went before and to better blend the new with the old,” said Mr Cooper.

“But without that wand, we will ensure we produce the best combination of what remains of our former world – and the new world we are creating.”

The Heritage Office has launched a new service for state government agencies that provides a storehouse of shared resources. To become a member go to: www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/stategov.

Above: Mr Guy Cooper, Director and Chief Executive of the Zoological Parks Board of NSW, and Mr Michael Collins, Chair of the Heritage Council of NSW, view the historic Indian Elephant Temple at Taronga Zoo.

Photograph by Paramount studios

Left: The Floral Clock celebrates Taronga Zoo’s important birthday.

Photograph by Paramount studios

8

Built E

nvironm

ent

Old Building – New Usetheblendofhistoricfabricandpasttextureswithnewideashasbeenatthecentreof

someofNsw’smostexcitingprojectsinrecentyears.thechallengeoftransforminga

heritagebuildingforanewlifeinthe21stcenturyhasinspiredsomeinnovativedesign

solutions:thinkofthewalshBayPrecinct,Princehenry’shospital,No.1MartinPlaceor

thenewCarriageworksinredfern.thesynthesisofoldandnewcancreatecharacter

andnewlifeinourcities,whileretainingtheconnectiontoourpast.

The Heritage Office and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (nsw Chapter) are working on a new publication on adaptive re-use. Old Building – New Use; Guidelines for the Adaptive Re-use of Heritage Buildings will provide guidance on appropriate conservation and re-use and promote high quality design. It is the second in a joint heritage series and follows the successful guide on infill buildings, Design in Context.

“The new guidelines will offer ways to approach the challenge of adapting a heritage building for a new use,” says the Heritage Office’s Director of Policy and Heritage Management, susan Macdonald.

“The first step to good adaptive re-use is to understand the heritage significance of the place and identify what type of use would conserve that significance.”

“The best way to conserve a heritage building is to use it. we have always changed and modified buildings as our society and economy has changed. For growing cities it is a way to meet contemporary needs, while keeping our culturally significant buildings.”

“The most successful adaptive re-use projects are those that have found a good match between the new use and the original qualities of the building. Clever solutions are those that require minimal change to the fabric, layout and spaces, and respect what is special about the building, “ says Ms Macdonald.

Recent examples include: a lighthouse converted to a bed and breakfast, a warehouse accommodating new apartments, a school functioning as a modern office.

For architects, the character and identity of existing buildings can be a creative catalyst for new work. Adapting old buildings provides an exciting opportunity for design professionals to establish innovative design solutions within recognized heritage values.

For communities, adaptive re-use often means that new uses can open up hidden spaces and exclusive precincts to new audiences. Everyone can visit and enjoy places that were once only accessible to a limited group of people. The magnificent heritage ballroom at the westin Hotel, no.1 Martin Place, for example, was originally only accessible to high ranking colonial officials when it was part of sydney’s General Post Office, but is now accessible to the general public.

Recycling our old buildings does not mean keeping them frozen in history; rather it creates new projects that are enhanced by their connection to the past. These projects can add new life and character to old buildings or defunct sites. And they are often very popular with their communities. People respond to the physical link to the past that the retention of original fabric can provide. Adaptive re-use is an opportunity for everyone to see the layers of previous use and to read our history in our surroundings.

Walsh Bay in Sydney has been revitalised by a redevelopment that has seen new residential, commercial and cultural uses come to the precinct. The distinctive wharves and their associated wool and bond stores, rock cuttings, roads and bridges are physical links to the area’s waterfront history. An extensive port facility was created here in the early 20th century by the Sydney Harbour Trust. The careful redevelopment of the site ensured that forms, materials and fabric of this industrial past survived to tell the story of Sydney’s maritime past.

Photograph by susan Macdonald

helpustoidentifysuccessfulProjects

You can contribute to our new publication by submitting examples of adaptive re-use projects. Old Building – New Use will showcase exemplar projects ranging from small buildings to large scale urban regeneration schemes. To participate, download a case study form from the Heritage Office website and tell us about your project.

Further information about Old Building – new Use can be obtained from Dr Murat Gul at the Heritage Office: murat.gul@heritage.nsw.gov.au or (02) 9873 8559

9

Balgownie Migrant Workers Hostel at Wollongong was one of the many facilities built to house migrant workers who began to arrive in Australia in large numbers in the 1950s. Three huts at the University of Wollongong are the last remaining examples in New South Wales of the humble Nissen and Quonset huts that housed the new arrivals. The huts have recently been conserved and two relocated by the University. Hut No. 201, originally the Migrant Camp Dining Hall, now houses a childcare centre, “Kids Uni”.

Photographs by Bill nethery

Prince Henry Hospital at Little Bay was the most important site for the treatment of infectious diseases in New South Wales from its inception in the 1880s to its closure in 1999. The heritage-listed site is being redeveloped by Landcom for residential, aged care, recreation and commercial uses. The old Pathology Building (right) is currently being converted for residential use. Heritage conservation plays an important role in the regeneration of many urban areas in New South Wales. The redevelopment of the former Prince Henry Hospital is an example of large scale adaptive re-use and heritage-led regeneration.

Photographs by Can Ercan

CarriageWorks in Redfern is Sydney’s newest performance space. With its doors opening in January as part of this year’s Sydney Festival, the new venue offers performance, rehearsal and exhibition spaces nestled within the industrial skeleton of the old Eveleigh Railway Yards. Although the visitors to the railyards will now be theatre-goers, performers and artists rather than boilermakers, engineers and railway workmen, the retention of much of the industrial fabric and finishes will ensure that the original function of the site can still be interpreted. The Eveleigh Railway Yards are the finest example of historic railway engineering workshops in Australia and it was here that the locomotives and carriages of NSW’s late 19th century and early 20th railway system were maintained.

Photographs by Martin Mischkulnig

10

Vo

lunteer Aw

ards

Honouring Our Heritage VolunteersAward-winning volunteers pictured in the Garden Island Chapel during a tour of the naval precinct following the ceremony honouring their work in protecting and promoting NSW’s heritage.

Photograph by Paramount studios

Jon Breen’s knowledge of the heritage of sydney’s water supply is unsurpassed. In addition to a 40-year career with sydney water as a civil engineer, Jon undertook major heritage projects and can claim credit for saving and conserving significant movable heritage items, documents, plans and personal papers for the archives that provide the definitive account of the development of our water infrastructure.

Dianne Burgoyne became a volunteer guide with the Historic Houses Trust in 1993, starting out at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. Dianne became a highly respected member of the team, with her high standard of interpretation helping to enhance the visitor experience. she also developed a monthly newsletter aimed at building a communication network between all the Historic Houses Trust volunteers.

Billie Crawford has been an active member of the Macleay River Historical society for more than 20 years, contributing to heritage studies research, interpretation and oral history projects, and developing a local research centre at the Kempsey Museum. she is a familiar voice on local ABC radio and conducted a series of oral history interviews on the district’s ‘Famous women’ and for the Kinchela Boys Home reunion.

Judith Dunn’s passion and energy to conserve Parramatta’s neglected cemeteries has inspired many others to become involved in the conservation of these cemeteries as places of historical and cultural value. Judith has coordinated the publication of books on st Patrick’s, st John’s, Mays Hill and the All saints cemeteries and runs her own heritage tour company in Parramatta.

Hilma Ellis has been a valued and dedicated volunteer with the Friends of Grossmann House in Maitland for the past 20 years. This Victorian Regency house built in 1871 has been beautifully conserved by the national Trust and features a spectacular antique rose garden. Hilma shares her extensive knowledge of the history and heritage of the property in her role as a volunteer guide.

Jill Finch has always enthusiastically supported local heritage conservation projects in the Prospect district and is one of the original band of volunteers who came together more than 30 years ago to save the historic st Bartholomew’s Church and cemetery. she is President of the Prospect Heritage Trust and was instrumental in finding it a home and museum within the grounds of the Prospect Reservoir.

Maureen Goddard has brought her passion for Australian history to her role as group leader and program organiser of the Focus on History group within the Baulkham Hills Leisure Learning Centre. Each week the group visits churches, cemeteries, heritage properties and other historic places in sydney, as well as occasional tours to significant cultural heritage towns. The popularity of Focus on History means some of the members are enrolling for their 11th and 12th years!

Kathleen and Val Hamey ‘retired’ to Balmain 21 years ago, and immediately became involved with the local historical association. Val is the Treasurer and Kathleen, as the History Convenor, is the public face of the association. she manages most of the publications, conducts walking tours, maintains the archives and photo collections and mounts exhibitions for History week and the national Trust Heritage Festival.

Behindthesuccessfulconservationandpromotionofourirreplaceableheritageare

thethousandsofhoursofunpaidworkdedicatedeachyearbyvolunteers.twenty-one

individualsandorganisationswerepresentedwithNswgovernmentheritageVolunteer

AwardsbytheMinisterforPlanning,thehon.franksartorMP,atlastyear’sceremony

tohonourtheirextraordinarycontributionstotheheritageofNewsouthwales.

11

The Haberfield Association was formed in 1979 by a group of residents to fight unsympathetic development and to push for statutory protection of the historic Federation suburb as a conservation area. Their activities since then have led not only to improved planning processes and heritage management practice in the local area, but also the inclusion of Haberfield on Ashfield Council’s LEP as a conservation zone.

Lou Klepac is an arts scholar, historian and publisher and has been a significant and valuable member of the national Trust s. H. Ervin Gallery Committee for more than 21 years. Lou has prepared a number of exhibition catalogues and has generously committed not only his time but also financially to the work of the Trust. His guiding intelligence and extensive knowledge enables the s. H. Ervin Gallery to remain a leading showcase of Australian art.

Harry Marshall retired in 1979 and decided to fill in his time by cleaning up a small section of the Deniliquin cemetery. soon this became a 24-year campaign! Mr Marshall has mapped and documented well over 90 per cent of the graves and created his own unique registers. Harry Marshall Drive in the cemetery was named after him and in 1990 he received the Civic Award as part of Deniliquin’s Citizen of the Year Awards. Mr Marshall was unable to attend the ceremony in sydney but the Chair of the Heritage Council, Michael Collins, visited Deniliquin to personally present the award to Harry.

Suzanne Monro has given the national Trust women’s Committee 16 years of dedicated service conducting house inspections and coordinating fundraising activities. without her efficient management of the Tuesday house inspections and her persuasive ability to get house owners to say ‘yes’, many of the inspections would not have occurred. In 2004 the Trust awarded her the Voluntary service Medallion in recognition of her continuous service and dedication.

Enid Muir has been a stalwart of the Manning Valley Historical society for the past 13 years. she has served as a Vice-President of the society and has been involved in a range of activities including rostering, fundraising and organising bus trips, dinners, cake stalls and special displays. she has also been actively involved on the workshop committee for more than a decade.

Steve Norton, as President of the Canal Reserve Action Group, has been at the forefront of a successful and challenging community campaign to seek permanent protection and conservation of the 19th-century Lower Prospect Canal, following its decommissioning as a water canal. working closely with both national Parks and wildlife service and Holroyd City Council, the group successfully campaigned to have the site developed as a cycleway and community recreational space.

Gerard O’Brien, as Chair of the Friends of May’s Hill Cemetery, is committed to the conservation and promotion of this significant 150-year old heritage item. The cemetery documents many of the Holroyd district’s pioneering families. with Holroyd City Council, the Friends are working towards its long term rehabilitation, security and conservation. The Friends also conduct regular tours and open days.

Julie Pearson relocated to Dalgety nine years ago and became enamoured with the town’s history. she bought Dalgety House as a heritage project and bed and breakfast concern, and supports other owners of heritage properties to carry out conservation works. Julie is also the driving force behind the Dalgety Heritage walk and is now on the board of Tourism snowy Mountains.

George Rose OAM – also known as ‘Bandit’ – is the senior male elder of the Yuwaalaraay language group and the speaker on behalf of the Dharriwaa Elders Group. Born at the Angledool Mission in north-western nsw, Uncle George speaks several traditional languages of the region. He has been a tireless worker on behalf of indigenous cultural resource management. significant places are now being recorded on an Aboriginal sites register with links to oral histories and references to native vegetation and animals.

David and Suzanne Suttor have continued a family tradition spanning seven generations to promote and conserve the grave site of the Aboriginal warrior windradyne that lies on their property, Brucedale, near sofala. windradyne led the wiradjuri people in a sustained resistance campaign against the colonial authorities during the early 1820s. when windradyne died in 1835 he was buried on Brucedale and the wiradjuri marked the site by carving living trees. windradyne’s grave was listed on the state Heritage Register last year.

Barbara Willis is a member of the Bankstown Heritage Committee and the Bankstown Historical society. she has played a prominent role in several events for the national Trust Heritage Festival, including the opening of the Homestead at Georges Hall, the Merle Peters History writing competitions, Bankstown’s Plaques Program and, with her husband Ken willis, organising heritage tours of Bankstown.

Heather Winch is one of the founding members of the Dharug and Lower Hawkesbury Historical society formed in 1983. with her wealth of knowledge about the history of the area, including the heritage of the Great north Road, Heather has helped harness the energy of the society’s 130 plus members to help raise awareness of their area’s heritage items.

Emeritus Professor Peter Webber retired from the national Trust Board in 2002 after ten years of dedicated service. He chaired the Education, Properties and Architectural Advisory Committees and also represented the nsw national Trust on the Australian Council of national Trusts as Deputy Chair. As a former nsw Government Architect and nsw Planning Commissioner, Peter has had a long involvement with planning and conservation issues in the urban environment.

Award winner Ms Enid Muir (right) and Ms Lyn Fahey tour the Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre on Garden Island.

Photograph by Paramount studios

Award winner Mr Val Hamey on the tour of The Royal Australian

Navy Heritage Centre.

Photograph by Paramount studios

Award winner Mr Jon Breen following the presentation at Parliament House with the Hon. Frank Sartor MP.

Photograph by Paramount studios

www.heritage.nsw.gov.au

New on the Register

Fishwick House was designed by renowned architect walter Burley Grif fin and constructed in 1929. The large sandstone house is part of the Castlecrag Estate, a residential development planned for the harbourside suburb by walter Burley Grif fin and Marion Mahony Grif fin. Fishwick House is unique amongst the 13 surviving Grif fin houses in Castlecrag in that it remains largely unaltered and is faithful to Grif fin’s original architectural and design concepts. with a progressive and interested client in Thomas Fishwick, Grif fin was able to design into the house artistic effects, construction innovations and modern ideas that are unique amongst the Castlecrag houses.Photograph by Tropman & Tropman Architects

“Items of particular importance to the people of NSW…”thefollowingplaceshaverecentlybeenlistedonthestateheritageregister:

Ben Buckler Gun Battery at waverley was set up in 1893 to protect the colony from attacking naval vessels. The coastal battery was one of three established as outer defences in sydney’s eastern suburbs. The ‘disappearing gun’ was state-of-the-art technology for its time. After firing, the British-made breech-loading Armstrong gun retracted into a concealed pit making it a dif ficult target for attacking naval vessels. Through a series of unique events, the Ben Buckler gun was not dismantled like its contemporaries, but is thought to remain wholly buried beneath the grass mound.

The Up-to-date Store in Coolamon, with its paradoxically old-fashioned name, retains most of its original elements from nearly 100 years ago. The worn timber floors, window show cases, wooden counters and shelves tell of the time when the

Old Man’s Valley Cemetery, near Hornsby, is one of the few cemeteries in nsw fully conserved by family descendants. The Higgins family now live all over Australia but have funded conservation of this small, but highly significant, burial ground. Descendants of Hornsby’s earliest European settler, Thomas Edward II, are buried at Old Man’s Valley Cemetery which was established due to the dif ficulty of transporting the dead from the isolated valley to existing formal burial grounds. From 1879 to 1931 twenty-five people were buried in the cemetery, and it is also believed that a number of stillborn babies and infants were buried in unmarked graves.Photograph by Bronwyn Hanna

Woodlands was the home of Australian children’s author Ethel Turner. when the aspiring writer moved to Lindfield in 1891 (now Killara) she began work on her first novel, Seven Little Australians. Turner was inspired by her new home and its leafy bushland surroundings, and penned a best-selling novel that depicted an Australian family – a watershed in children’s literature at that time. Turner wrote two more novels and numerous articles in the three prolif ic years that she lived with her family in the Victorian Georgian style house, then named Inglewood. It is the only remaining house of the four that Turner lived in during her literary career.Photograph by Tracy Fiertl

Booloominbah in Armidale is probably the largest private house built in Australia in the 19th century. Built in 1884-88 for successful grazier Frederick white, this fashionable Arts and Crafts residence was modelled on the English tradition of great country houses. High-profile architect John Horbury Hunt designed an avant-garde building that reflected the wealth and standing of the white family, and decorating firm Lyon, wells and Cottier created a richly detailed interior which included an extravagant collection of stained glass. The gift of Booloominbah by white’s son-in-law in 1937 was the catalyst for the establishment of the new England University College, the

first in Australia to be located outside a capital city.Photograph by stewart watters

store provided groceries, clothes and equipment to the thriving town of Coolamon and the wheat farmers of the surrounding districts. Remarkably, the Lamson Cash Carrier system which whisked the customer’s payment overhead to a central office remains intact. It is the only example known in Australia that is still in its original location. The associated Garth Jones Collection is a rare collection of fully provenanced farm machinery in original condition.Photograph by Ingrid steddy

Also recently listed:

C. B. Newling Centre, Armidale

Camden Park Estate and Belgenny Farm

Central Mine Manager’s Residence, Broken Hill

Collingwood, Liverpool

Denbigh, Cobbitty

Gledswood, Catherine Field

Hermit’s Cave Complex, Griffith

HMAS Parramatta shipwreck and memorials

Harrington Park, Harrington Park

Orielton, Narellan

Our Lady of Pompeii Roman Catholic Church, Yoogali