MARITIME SETTING

An application has been lodged with Heritage Victoria for the massive new convention centre and hotel to be built west of the present Exhibition Centre and the Trust’s Melbourne Maritime Museum, home of Polly Woodside.
A six-storey high glass wall immediately adjacent to the present corrugated iron pump house will mark the eastern edge of the new complex.
For aesthetic reasons, it is proposed that the pump house, containing the pumps once used to empty the dry dock, would be enclosed in a glass structure. Conservation works will be carried out on the other historic wharf buildings.
The Trust has made a detailed submission to Heritage Victoria, noting its concerns about the changed character of this unique complex, particularly the close proximity to the complex of such a high vertical wall, the covering of the corrugated iron industrial building, one of a vanishing type and the possibility of physical damage to the fragile structure of the Duke & Orr’s dry dock due to the close proximity of the construction works.
The Trust has nominated Polly Woodside, which it considers to be of international significance, to the Victorian Heritage Register and National Heritage List.

SEA CHANGE FOR BRIDGE

Heritage Victoria has refused an application to demolish the historic Barwon Heads bridge, best known as the Pearl Bay bridge in the ABC ‘Sea Change’ series.
VicRoads proposed demolition of the 1927 Bridge and replacement with a ‘replica’ bridge on the same alignment.
The newly formed Friends of the Barwon Heads Bridge (see www.barwonheads.net) is leading a campaign to save the bridge and held a rally on Sunday 30 July, a few days after the Planning Minister’s independent panel began a full review of the project.
The panel is considering an alternative option to retain the old bridge and erect a new bridge on the Geelong Road alignment, an option preferred by the Friends group.
The National Trust submission to Heritage Victoria observed that VicRoads had proposed the demolition with minimal regard to the heritage significance of the bridge.

NEW SCULPTURE

The Melbourne City Council has asked for comments from the Trust on a proposal for a new sculpture in the Queen Victoria Gardens, opposite the National Gallery of Victoria in St Kilda Road. The work would consist of three large slowly rotating discs inserted into the lawn surface and forming part of the lawn surface. The Public Art Committee considers that the work is an original and worthy one, and should prove popular with the public. However the Committee questioned the appropriateness of placing a contemporary sculpture of this sort in what is a nineteenth century garden, and consider that it would be preferable to place the work in a modern garden, such as Birrarung Marr.

FOOTBALL GRANDSTANDS

The Trust has written to the AFL and the City of Melbourne calling for a heritage study into the stands at the Carlton Oval, and a rethink of plans at both North Melbourne and Carlton to incorporate these significant elements of our football heritage into any redevelopment of the grounds
At North Melbourne, the only heritage building is a classic stand dating from 1928 (pictured). Following submissions from local resident groups, two favourable heritage reports, and classification by the Trust, the Melbourne City Council no longer intends to demolish the stand, but has provided no guarantees of refurbishment.
At the Carlton Oval, not one but two historic stands are slated for demolition, the 1932 Heatley Stand, similar in design to the North Melbourne stand, and the Gardiner Stand, which was built in 1909. One of the oldest grandstands in Melbourne, it is possibly the oldest grandstand remaining directly associated with the formal development of VFL, being built only 10 years after its formation. It also has an unusual lattice wrought-iron structure supported on cast-iron columns, and incorporates medallions stamped with the crests of both the football and the cricket clubs.

HAROLD HOLT POOL

Designed by Daryl Jackson and Kevin Borland and built in 1969, the indoor pool building is one the earliest and best examples of the concrete ‘Brutalist’ style in Victoria.

It has been Classified by the Trust for many years, and recently added to the Victorian Heritage Register. The City of Stonnington plans to greatly expand the facilities at the site, and this will involve substantial alterations to the rear, which has already been altered. Discussions are now underway between the Council, the Trust and Heritage Victoria on how best to provide new entry and café facilities on the ground floor, whilst leaving the great sculptural entry portal and ramp as intact as possible.

CAMBERWELL JUNCTION

The Trust has submitted an objection to proposals for a 14 storey residential tower on the corner of Camberwell Junction, a substantially intact late nineteenth century and early twentieth century suburban shopping and institutional area. The tower is totally out of scale with its surroundings. A public campaign is being waged locally against the proposals.

FIRST CAR PARK

An appeal by the owners and developers against Heritage Victoria's decision not to allow the demolition of the 1939 Victoria Car Park on the corner of Russell and Little Collins Street, Melbourne's first multi-storey car park structure, was recently 'called in' by the Minister for Planning.
This does not bode well, since the Melbourne City Council supported the demolition to allow the construction a new 10 storey office block, and planning approval for such larger sclae developments rests with the Ministers Central City Planning Department
Alternative plans for alterations and additions to the building/s, which maintain the fabric of the car park, such as the original ramps, do not appear to have been considered.

WESTGARTH CINEMA

The 1921 Westgarth Cinema will undergo changes which look set to guarantee its future as a cinema.
One of only two historic suburban single screen cinemas to remain operating in Melbourne largely unchanged, it was sold Palace Cinemas late last year.
A proposal to expand by adding three screens next door was unfortunately less viable than subdividing the balcony into two smaller cinemas to create a more economically viable multi-screen cinema.
In consultation with the Trust, the initial plans have been modified to make the alterations as sympathetic as possible, keeping the main auditorium more or less intact, and retaining much of the fabric and the character as possible.
While the loss of the original balcony is regretted it was an economic necessity but also highlights the lack of official channels to oppose such works, since the interior was not protected. In fact few Councils have protected any interiors.

AMP SQUARE

Melbourne City Council has issued a permit for the proposed alteration and additions to the 1960s AMP tower/St James building (the lower of the two buildings on the site).
Fortunately the permit specifically excludes the removal of the significant sculpture ‘Awakening’ by the internationally renowned sculptor Clement Meadmore.
Trust suggestions about alternatives to the complete removal of diagonal blades on the lower levels have also been received favourably.

GEELONG SKYBRIDGE

A controversial sky bridge across Geelong’s Yarra Street has received a conditional permit from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal despite local objections it would mar the vista of the bay.
The skybridge is part of a $150 million expansion for Westfield’s Bay City Shopping Centre approved by the City of Greater Geelong in 2005 but subject of numerous objections.
Westfield agreed to modify the skybridge with a reduced width and substantial increase to its transparency.
Opponents tendered an 1872 painting by Alexander Webb depicting an idyllic view down Yarra Street to Corio Bay and the You Yangs mountain range but the tribunal said this view was no longer available because of existing structures and street trees.
Chris Gordon of the Geelong Branch noted that surveyor Robert Hoddle had set the alignment of Geelong streets ‘some 20 degrees east of north, so the earliest occupants could lean on their front gate and see the bay and ships’.

MARINA MORNINGTON

VCAT has decided that a Shire of Mornington decision to allow demolition of Marina, a 1915 Arts and Crafts style house in Mornington, and subdivision of the land should be set aside and a planning permit must not be granted.

The small timber Japanese Tea House on the site, which was imported from Japan, probably for the 1888-1889 Exhibition, has been nominated to Heritage Victoria for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register.

Following an onsite meeting with the Trust, Gippsland Water has withdrawn its appeal to VCAT against the Shire of Baw Baw’s refusal to permit the demolition of the Rokeby Pumping Station. Instead creative options for its conservation will be explored in a meeting between Gippsland Water, the Shire of Baw Baw and the Trust.

GREEN'S BUSH

The Trust’s Landscape Committee is providing assistance and advice to the community group, ‘Southern Peninsula Rural Protection Group’, formed to challenge a huge resort complex adjacent to the sensitive Green’s Bush area, a classified landscape. An urban development of 210 room hotel, 40 twin bedroom villas, conference centre and health spa capable of catering for medium to large scale conferences and functions has been proposed. The classification is being updated by the community group and a letter of concern has been sent to the Minister for Planning.

PORT CAMPBELL DEVELOPMENT

Support continues to the local community group fighting Avery large development proposed for Lord Street Port Cambell. The planning permit has been granted which will take over one-third of the Port Campbell foreshore, double the number of accommodation rooms and shops in the village; and introduce a grossly inconsistent four-storey height to the village. A letter has been written to the Department of Sustainability and Environment expressing concern about the requirement of the permit that the department agrees to allow the developer to use Crown land and remove native vegetation to facilitate bus access for part of the Lord Street Development at Port Campbell. The Trust is also concerned that further excavation to this headland will compromise the sustainability of this environmentally sensitive landscape, which includes four significant sea caverns.

ROKEBY

Following an onsite meeting with the Trust, Gippsland Water has withdrawn its appeal to VCAT against the Shire of Baw Baw’s refusal to permit the demolition of the Rokeby Pumping Station. Instead creative options for its conservation will be explored in a meeting between Gippsland Water, the Shire of Baw Baw and the Trust.

TREES

A Sessile Oak from Kew in England, planted during celebrations of the Jubilee of the Borough of Kew in 1910, has been added to the National Trust’s Register of Significant Trees.
The Oak or Quercus petrea at Kew Primary School is the sole remnant of a group which were gifts from the Kew Gardens in England planted to celebrate the Jubilee. This particular tree was planted by the then State Governor, Sir Thomas Carmichael, to mark the occasion of the opening of the Infant School building on December 8 1910.
It is a species not commonly found in cultivation and makes a significant contribution to the school landscape.
The tree is among the most recent of more than 1000 in Victoria to be nominated by the public to The National Trust for inclusion in its Register of Significant Trees which was established in 1981.
Recognising the importance of encouraging the younger generation to appreciate importance of protecting our outstanding trees for the future – whether they are native, exotic, wild or cultivated – the Trust’s Significance Tree Fund will present a plaque to the school to acknowledge the tree’s significance.
The Significant Tree Fund is a scheme set up by the National Trust and funded entirely through donations, to record and protect important trees throughout Victoria. Donations to the fund are tax deductible and can be sent to the Trust at 4 Parliament Place, East Melbourne, 3002.

Pictured: Students Laura, Stephanie, Harris, Dan and Jeremy inspect the new plaque.

LANDSCAPES

Classification of the Koroit Botanic Gardens as being of State significance has highlighted the importance of the gardens which are under threat from a proposed extension of the caravan park.
The gardens, which contain seven trees already included in the Trust’s Significant Tree Register, have also been nominated for inclusion on the Victorian Heritage Register.
The Koroit Botanic Gardens were one of around 20 botanic gardens reserved and developed in regional Victoria in the first decades of the colony. They were developed from 1862 as a botanic garden, enhanced for community recreation by their use for sporting purposes from 1873, and re-reserved in 1961 for purposes of public park and recreation.

PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION INQUIRY INTO HISTORIC HERITAGE CONSERVATION

The joint submission by the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT) on behalf of the National Trust movement in Australia has been submitted to the Productivity Commission. The ACNT's and other submissions can be viewed at: http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiry/heritage/subs/sublist.html.