Oakleigh Motel

Image from OakleighMotel.com.au

The 1957 Oakleigh Motel, the earliest ‘motor hotel’ to survive in Victoria, has been given the highest level of protection by being added to the Victorian Heritage Register. Click here for the listing.

The City of Monash opposed the listing, triggering a hearing by the Heritage Council, which they did not themselves attend. The Council noted that it had been impressed by the quality of submissions by those that did appear, including that of Trust representatives Simon Reeves and Michele Summerton. The Council also noted that the purpose-designed fittings of most motel rooms and the reception area had largely survived intact and that the landscaping, although not original, complemented the heritage significance of the place.

Pentridge Prison

Image from National Trust

The second high-rise apartment tower proposed for this important site was recently permitted by Heritage Victoria over objections by the Trust and the local Council. The first one already permitted is to the rear of the main compound, and will not be overly dominating from the main entry / original parade ground. This tower however is located directly behind the main cell block facing the parade ground, and will be highly visible in views of the Gaol as a whole from outside, especially of its iconic entrance. The plans include repairs to the cell block itself, but no actual use is proposed. A Masterplan for the whole site has now been lodged, subject to approval by the Minister for Planning following his ‘call-in’ of the site among many others. These plans would see at least three other towers up to 10 storeys, more openings in the landmark walls (and a generally denser development than previously proposed) on the northern part of the site, an area of less overall significance than the main entry area.

Ballaarat Mechanics Institute

Image from Ballarat Mechanics Institute

Dominating Sturt Street in historic Ballarat, this is by far the grandest Mechanics Institute in Victoria. Including an extensive library for ‘self-improvement’, the various rooms were used for meetings, lectures, balls and live theatre, and in the 20th century the main theatre was a popular cinema. Suffering from neglect for many years, much was rendered unusable, until a restoration program was begun in 2000. With grants from various Federal, State and local government sources and private funding, the façade is now repaired, the verandah re-instated, a lift installed, the services upgraded, and the interiors restored and re-fitted for modern uses one by one. The last project is to re-fit the old theatre to become a more versatile performance space to be called the Minerva Room. More details at http://www.ballaratmi.com

Myer Lonsdale Street Stores and Lonsdale House

Lonsdale House and Myer Lonsdale streetscape

Lonsdale Street elevation of proposal

Recent negotiations with Heritage Victoria and the developers, Colonial First State, will we hope result in some improvements to the scheme, such that the retained facades to not appear ‘stuck on’ to an entirely new building. The demolition of the Art deco Lonsdale House on the basis of needing to widen the lane for truck access, and the need for a 'signature' building, is however still on the agenda. This is now the subject of a Planning Scheme Amendment being drafted by the office of the Minister for Planning, and does not appear to be subject to any hearing or review.

Emu Bottom

Image from National Trust

Following a permit from Heritage Victoria allowing 6 of the proposed 7 lot subdivision, with modifications as suggested by the Trust, a local group kept up the fight to prevent or scale down the subdivision and won ! Since the land is in a Green Wedge Zone, a planning permit was required from the local Council, which was granted, matching the HV permit, but which the group took to VCAT. In their finding, the Tribunal found that a further two of the lots were inadvisable for access, environmental and view-line reasons, so ultimately only two new house lots will be created, instead of the originally proposed five.

Port Melbourne House demolisher fined

Image from the Age

As recently reported, the owner of a house in the heritage-listed Garden City estate of Port Melbourne that was illegally demolished has been fined $52,000 dollars. The City of Port Phillip took the owner to the Magistrate’s Court for demolishing the house on a Sunday morning without any permits. The estate consists of pairs of simple single storey and double storey red-brick houses, built in 1939-42, amongst the earliest built by the then new Housing Commission. The owner has reportedly now applied for a permit for a new building that will replicate the front, but have a two storey addition to the rear.

No 21 Dredger, Morwell

Dredger at Powerworks site

This giant machine is the oldest surviving ‘bucket wheel’ excavator in Australia. Built in Germany, it began operating in 1955 and was amongst the first of its type to be used outside Germany. It was chosen because it was especially suited for brown coal, the source of the bulk of Victoria’s electricity generation. It operated for nearly 40 years, finally being retired in 1992, and was moved to the Powerworks Visitors Centre in Morwell in 1995. Here it remained on static display as part of an education and interpretive centre for the La Trobe Valley power industries. The deteriorating structure is now increasingly seen as a public liability risk. Powerworks has (with regret) determined that it does not have the funds to repair the structure; if significant funding cannot be secured, the plan is to cut it up for scrap metal. The Trust’s recent classification, and a nomination to Heritage Victoria, has lent support to an application by Hazelwood Power to its UK parent International Power for funding assistance - up to 100,000 pounds is available for community projects.

Dimmeys Stores, Richmond

Image from submission to Heritage Victoria

This iconic retailer, which began on this site in 1904, adding the landmark clock tower in 1910, recently sold their original Richmond store last year. Concerned locals nominated to Heritage Victoria, and it was listed by them in February this year (click here for details). Plans have been submitted to Heritage Victoria for a permit that would see most of the building demolished, leaving only the front section of the early part of the building, and the Green Street side wall. At the rear, a 9 level apartment block would rise, with carpark access through part of a mural about the store on the Green Street façade. While the new tower would not compete with the tower in distant views, it would be rather dominating in closer views, especially from the north. The Trust has joined the many objectors to this development, making a submission to Heritage Victoria.

Stony Rises landscape

Aerial view of the lava ridges. Source Department of Primary Industries Resources Online

Example of dry stone wall

“Stony Rises” is a generic name for rocky landscapes in Victoria’s Western District, but there is one example that is particularly unique for its diversity of natural and cultural features in a concentrated area. Created by interlocking lava ridges emanting from the former volcano Mount Porndon as far the shores of Lake Corangamite, this landscape consists of open pasture and woodland between an intricate network of high, narrow, rocky ridges enclosing tiny swamps and lakes. Limited farming potential in such difficult terrain has allowed the survival of many classes of endangered native vegetation. These natural features are overlaid with distinctive cultural heritage, including Aboriginal fish traps, and probably the greatest concentration of dry stone walls, carefully crafted by early European settlers, in Australia. The area is fragmented into working farms and increasingly smaller hobby farms, making comprehensive management difficult. The Trust has recently opposed an application to Corangamite Shire to allow a 4-wheel drive track off Scoullers Road, south of Mt Porndon, arguing that such a use would be incompatible with such a delicate and special environment, and further endanger its conservation.

Palais Theatre - fittings and furniture

Palais lobby and chandelier (now removed). Flickr.com

The grand Palais Theatre, built in 1927, dominates the St Kilda foreshore. It was one of the largest of the ‘Picture Palaces’ built in the silent era in Melbourne, designed in a mix of historical styles, with an eye to exotic sumptuousness. Of all the remaining similar theatres, such as the Regent, the Palais was unique in that virtually all the original interior fittings and fixtures remained in place, from the grand chandelier in the foyer to light sconces, exotically styled furniture and wall hangings. As part of the controversial St. Kilda triangle development, the former occupier’s lease was not renewed, and when they left in 2007 they took all the fixtures and fittings with them. A week-long hearing at VCAT determined that the former lessee was in law the rightful owner. Heritage Victoria however, who had listed the building but not specifically the fixtures and fittings, has moved to add them to its registration, which may result in their return. Another long hearing process concerning the listing of the contents (and exactly which items) was recently held, but even if this is successful, there may be further hurdles before the theatre can be restored to its former condition.

Northern Market Wall, Parkville reconstruction

View of corner on Flemington Road

Wall on Park Street; closest section is the reconstructed wall.

The block of Parkville now occupied by the Royal Melbourne Hospital, University High and ‘Bio 21’ was originally the location of Melbourne’s major horse, pig and cattle markets. Established in 1856, they remained in use until the 1930s, and a substantial and elaborate brick wall was constructed around three sides in 1888 (the Royal Parade side already had a large brick wall and arched entrance). The walls were progressively demolished as other uses took over the site, except for the western portion, which became Victoria’s first official Veterinary School in about 1910. By the late 20th century the wall only remained intact along Park Street, a return up Story Street, and a detached section on Flemington Road, marking the former use of the site. In 2000 plans by Melbourne University to turn the Veterinary School site into a Biotechnology precinct and construct a new building on Flemington Road involved the demolition of the detached section of wall. Action by local residents groups led the classification of the wall by the Trust and listing by Heritage Victoria, who ultimately decided that retention of only the base of this section of the wall was appropriate. The Trust had argued against the demolition, and indeed for reconstruction of the missing corner section of the wall to re-establish a sense of its original enclosure of the site. Even though this was not a condition of the permit, the University agreed to the reconstruction of the corner section which eventually went ahead, and last year it was completed, re-instating the wall as a landmark along Flemington Road.