2008 Annual Appeal
Donations from National Trust members and the general public are very welcome. Trust members will be receiving an Appeal letter by mail in early June
Please note that donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Funds raised from our annual letter of appeal to members form an important part of the National Trust’s yearly income and enable major restoration projects to be undertaken at our properties.
The National Trust is appealing again to its members and the general public, as in past years, for help in meeting the huge cost of ongoing restoration needs at its significant and valuable historic properties.
This year, as always, we are maintaining the focus of our fund-raising on the most pressing of our restoration challenges, and in addition turning our attention to the urgent repair of our Melbourne headquarters, Tasma Terrace, whilst also allowing donors an opportunity to contribute to our work in environmental heritage conservation. We are particularly seeking funds in this Appeal for the following properties:
The home of Sir Daryl Lindsay, founding Chairman of the National Trust in Victoria, and his wife, author Joan Lindsay, Mulberry Hill at Baxter on the Mornington Peninsula is a treasure trove of artworks dating from earliest colonial days to the mid-twentieth century. An appeal to members for funds for necessary repairs to the property is timely, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of Trust ownership in 2009. Upgrades to environmental monitoring, security and fire protection have already been completed and funds have been sourced to restore furniture. The house, however, needs urgent work and the electrical wiring throughout is now in need of replacement, at a cost of approximately $20,000. Failure to rectify this problem may result in closure of the property to the public.
Endeavour Fern Gully, Red Hill
Virtually closed to the public for many years, this untouched acreage of natural bushland at the headwaters of Stony Creek is one of the unsung treasures of the National Trust in Victoria. During the coming year the temperate rainforest gully will be further protected by re-vegetation with indigenous flora in much of the surrounding land, while a degree of environmentally sensitive public access will be provided by the construction of boardwalks, paths and interpretation. The Trust is proud of its role in the preservation of natural heritage and seeks funding for this important project.
One of the most complete Victorian terrace buildings in central Melbourne, the Trust’s headquarters, last restored in the 1970s, is showing serious wear and tear. Surveys have been undertaken and access improved, but there is still a great deal to do. Appropriate refurbishment and conservation of the original fabric is required to increase public access, exhibition space and facilities for community use, including the re-opening to the public of the Tasma Gallery at the rear of the building.
In accordance with the Trust’s intention to display all its heritage properties at the highest possible standard, a full Condition Survey of Rippon Lea has been commissioned and a five-year restoration and maintenance plan for the building is under development. This will include, as a matter of priority, the repair and re-opening of the Grotto after 22 years of closure to the public, and urgent conservation of the very deteriorated plasterwork and Art Nouveau wallpaper in the study.
The cost of the above projects is considerable, yet they are only a few of the many restoration challenges facing the Trust. Donations from our members and the public will form a vital part of our operating income in this and coming years.
Please support the National Trust by contributing generously to our special 2008 Annual Appeal!
Donations over $2 are tax deductible.
How to donate:
To donate on-line, please click here. Or, if it would be easier for you to donate by telephone, please ring the Trust during business hours on 03 9656 9838 or 03 9656 9826 and pay your gift using a credit card.