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HERITAGE ADDRESS
The Heritage Council annual Heritage Address will be held on Monday 14 April at Melbourne
Museum theatre from 6 pm.
Heritage Victoria’s new Executive Director, Tim Smith, will speak on the military heritage
legacy at sea of Australia's involvement in the Great War.
Tim, a leading maritime archaeology practitioner, will cover his involvement in numerous
significant projects including his archaeological management of the AE2 (1915) submarine
sunk in the Dardanelles Strait, Turkey with the AE2 Commemorative Foundation Ltd; his
involvement in the search for the AE1 submarine sunk off Rabaul (1914); his battlefield
landscape surveys at ANZAC Cove and Suvla Bay; and recent survey work at the wreck of
the First World War battle cruiser HMAS Australia off Sydney, J-Class submarines.
See www.heritage.vic.gov.au after 11 March for bookings.
REGISTRATIONS
A memorial park and a rail buffet car were included in the Victorian Heritage Register in
February 2014. The registration for Hoffman’s Brickworks was amended.
MEMORIAL PARK
The Fawkner Memorial Park (H2331) in Sydney Road is a cemetery and crematorium
containing a wide range of monuments, memorials, funerary art, buildings and botanical
features.
It includes relocated pioneer memorials dating from the 1840s (above right) and a restored
early 1900s mortuary train
Designed by notable architect and surveyor Charles Heath, the cemetery is a unique ‘half
spider’s web’ plan is and represents an important example of a ‘modern railway cemetery’ in
Victoria. From 1906 to 1939 funeral parties accessed the cemetery on specially designed
mortuary trains from Flinders Street to the Fawkner Railway Station.
The first burial took place at Fawkner Memorial Park in 1906 and in 1923-24, 220 of
Melbourne’s oldest surviving graves, dating from the 1840s, were relocated from the Old
Melbourne Cemetery to the Fawkner Cemetery (known as the New Melbourne Cemetery
from 1907).
These include the remains, associated graves, headstones and memorials of significant early
settlers such as John Batman, George Cole, Edmund Hobson, James Jackson and Charles
Dight. In 1926 a crematorium in the Greek Revival style was built (this was demolished in
1980).
Many religions have separate sections in the cemetery. In the late 1950s a small grassed
area was reserved for burials reflecting a trend in European and American cemetery
practices towards ‘lawn cemeteries’. In 1994 Fawkner became home to Australia’s first public
Mausoleum.
The diverse range of monuments and memorials provides insight into patterns of migration to
Victoria and the history of multiculturalism.
The cemetery is characterised by memorial gardens, landscaped lawns and formal avenues
and groves, including the Garden of Remembrance (1933 extended in the 1950s) and Rose
Urn Garden (c.1939).
The landscape features a large number of trees and plants including older specimens such
as English and Algerian Oaks, Elms, Lombardy Poplar and Monterey Cypress.
Notable buildings include the Italianate Tearooms (1934), Jewish Chapel (1918) and Muslim
Chapel (1935). The entrance to the cemetery is framed by the original gates of the old
Melbourne Fish Markets (below right), which stood on the corner of Spencer and Flinders
Streets until 1959. The Charles Heath Fountain (c.1952) (above left) is located at the start of
avenues which traverse the cemetery.
Three avenues are characterised by single-span reinforced concrete bridges which have
similar classical detailing, including the use of urns as decorative features (Fourth -1927,
Sixth – 1920, Seventh – c.1939).
There is a rare example of a restored early 1900s mortuary carriage on display adjacent to
the station (below left), and a Christian Waller Painting (1937) ‘Robe of Glory’ on display at
the administration offices of the cemetery.
Visit a Cemetery Weekend
On the weekend of 13 – 14 April, Fawkner Memorial Park and other Greater Metropolitan
Cemeteries Trust sites will hold an open day as a public awareness initiative and to
encourage Victorians to reconnect with their heritage and cemeteries as a community space.
This year the event will be particularly relevant given the commemoration of the approaching
centenary of World War I. GMCT has developed a special Commemorative Poppy Tile that
can be placed on the headstones of those who served and returned from war, and therefore
do not have an official war grave. For further information go to the GMCT website –
www.gmct.com.au – under 'news and information: WWI Centenary Project'.
TAGGERTY BUFFET
It might not have the profile of Thomas but Taggerty, the air-conditioned, timber, composite
buffet/sitting car has been included in the Victorian Heritage Register
Taggerty was used on the trains running between Melbourne and Bendigo from 1937 to
1981, and on other lines to 1987 and is currently located at the Donald Railway Heritage
Park.
The Taggerty Buffet Car (H2318) was originally built for the Victorian Railways (VR) in 1910
at the Newport Railway Workshops as the timber first class sitting car 34 AE.
It was destroyed by fire in 1912 and rebuilt in 1914. In 1937 it was converted to a ‘composite’
Buffet/Sitting Car with three compartments of first class seating and a long buffet counter,
and named Taggerty, after the Victorian river in 1939.
It is the state’s earliest surviving air-conditioned timber carriage – it was the third to be air
conditioned, part of a trial for the new Spirit of Progress carriages, constructed later in 1937.
The pipes and some of the air-conditioning equipment is located in the clerestory roof at the
compartment end, making the roof contour unusual and irregular, with a square shape at the
widened equipment end, and exhaust louvres over the kitchen.
The Taggerty Buffet Car was attached to the midday Bendigo – Melbourne and the evening
Melbourne – Bendigo services from 1937 to 1981, except for 1942 to 1949 when all buffet
and dining cars were removed from Victorian trains in order to save fuel during World War 2
and through postwar coal shortages. The inclusion of a buffet service on the Bendigo train
permitted the elimination of refreshment stops reducing the trip time from over three to two
and a half hours.
The Taggerty Buffet Car was never converted to standard gauge. The first class seating for
18 passengers was changed to economy seating for 24 passengers in 1981 and Taggerty
was used on other lines. The Taggerty Buffet Car was withdrawn from service on 21
December 1987 and given to Steamrail Victoria Inc. which then sold it to the Donald Lions
Club for display at the Donald Rail Heritage Centre in 2004.
BRICKWORKS
The Former Hoffman Brickworks, Brunswick was included in the Historic Buildings Register
in 1989 and since this time the site has been extensively developed, reducing the cultural
heritage significance of the part of the land removed from the extent of Registration.
The Former Hoffman Brickworks, Brunswick reflects the development of Melbourne’s
brickmaking industry in the 19th century and the development of the city and suburbs in the
20th century. This is clearly demonstrated in the establishment of the No 2 Works in 1884 in
order to increase production during the Melbourne building boom of the 1880s and in the
production of large quantities of pipes, building and household products at the site over a
long period from the 1880s.
The site retains a brick press building, with associated machinery, an engine house and two
Hoffman kilns and three chimneys. The kilns were the last of their type to operate in
metropolitan Melbourne.
The two remaining Hoffman kilns and the three chimneys at the Former Hoffman Brickworks,
Brunswick are rare remaining examples of these innovative kilns, designed with elliptical
plans, battered brick bases and associated chimneys of circular tapering form. They
demonstrate the large scale of the industrial process in the late 19th and early 20th century.
The Brickworks saw the adoption of the latest technology and the full industrialisation of the
brickmaking industry in Victoria in the 19th century. This demonstration of a high degree of
technical achievement included the first use of the Hoffman kiln in Victoria and the use of
mechanised steam powered brick presses based on the Bradley-Craven method.
SECRET LIVES
More than 70 archaeological artefacts from eight of Victoria’s oldest historic sites will be
showcased for the first time in an exhibition at the Potter Museum of Art, University of
Melbourne.
Secret Lives, Forgotten Stories: highlights from Heritage Victoria’s Archaeological
Collection will run from 16 April to 12 October.
It will include 200 year old objects from the failed convict settlement at Sorrento, and a pistol
from the site of the Eureka Rebellion as well as pieces which tell the stories of forgotten
Victorians: Chinese in the goldfields and impoverished workers in early Melbourne.
They may not have left their mark on traditional histories but their lives are reflected in the
trinkets and treasures that are left behind.
Curator Dr Andrew Jamieson said the exhibition richly presented the state’s history through
the lens of archaeology.
“Excavations in Victoria over the past 20 years have uncovered significant archaeological
remains and relics.
“For the first time it is possible to see the evolving story of Victoria’s 19th Century settlement
and development reflected in its archaeology,” he said.
The items on display include artefacts recovered from two important shipwrecks, the Cheviot
and the SS City of Launceston, including the oyster shell encrusted champagne bottle from
the Launceston (below left). There are artefacts from the original Victorian settlement at
Collins Settlement, toys, games and other items from an excavation at Melbourne’s Cohen
Place, Chinese items from the site of a Chinese brick kiln and market garden in Bendigo, and
household items from Viewbank, a pastoral holding in Banyule. There are also remnants
from burials at Pentridge Prison and items found in the area of the Eureka Stockade,
including a pistol (below right).
The Ian Potter Museum of Art (Melbourne University, Swanston Street, Parkville, between
Elgin and Faraday Streets) is open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday to Friday and 12 noon to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday.
The exhibition will feature a series of floor talks at the Museum, including
 “Secret Lives, Forgotten Stories” – Dr Jamieson on Wednesday 30 April, 1 – 1.30 pm.
 “Good Taste, Fashion, Gentility: a genteel Melbourne family and their rubbish” – Dr
Sarah Hayes, Saturday 3 May, 2- 2.30- pm.
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“Needlework and child’s Play” Sarah Myers, Wednesday 21 May, 1 – 1.30 pm.
“Presumed Ned: the discovery of the lost Pentridge burials” – Jeremy Smith, Saturday
24 May, 2 – 3 pm.
”‘The secret artefacts collection: Heritage Victoria's role in preserving the state's
historical archaeology” – Susanna Collis and Annie Muir, Wednesday 18 June 11:30pm
There will be other talks focussing on finds in Ballarat and Bendigo. Check for updates at
www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au
MEMORIES OF EARLY HERITAGE PRESERVATION
Town Planner Peter Brown was a member of the inaugural Historic
Buildings Preservation Council 40 years ago, and he recalls how the
Council came into being and some of its early decisions.
The Historic Buildings Preservation Council held its first meeting in 1974 following the
promulgation of the Historic Buildings Act.
The Act was the Government’s response to the loss of significant buildings in the Melbourne
Central Business District and strong representations from the National Trust and the Collins
Street Defence Movement.
To the credit of the Government, the Act was the first of its kind in Australia to introduce
statutory protection buildings of heritage significance. Thus in our own way we 10 members
were a part of heritage history in Australia.
The Act set up the Historic Buildings Preservation Council with ten members. For the record
the original 10 members were:
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Rodney Davidson (Chair), National Trust
Peter Staughton, architect
Don Fulton, Arts Ministry
George Tibbitts, architectural historian
Peter Brown, town planner
Robert Prentice, builder
Adrian McGlade, Valuer-General
Roy Hardcastle, engineer
John Banks, builders and owners
Ian Lonie, lawyer
In addition to setting up the Historic Buildings Preservation Council and in summary, the Act
provided for:
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The setting up of the Victorian Heritage Register
A process for places to be nominated for the Register, with the final decision for
registration being made by the Minister for Planning
Funding arrangements
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A Classifications Sub-Committee, consisting of the first five of the above membership
backgrounds.
A process for alterations to and demolition of registered places.
We met as a Council for the first time generally as strangers and were given a pep talk by the
Minister for Planning, the Hon. Alan Hunt. It was the assessment by the relevant department
at the time that we required a staff of two, one being being a young architect named Ray
Tonkin, and one being an administrator. By way of comparison Heritage Victoria of today has
a staff of around 30.
Under the 1974 Act, the Classifications Sub-Committee had a pivotal role in the proceedings.
It is reasonable to argue that the Sub-Committee members, being the first five in the list of
members above, provided the strong professional input into proceedings.
It was the Classifications Sub-Committee which assessed all applications for registrations
and also served as the permits sub-committee. The Classification Sub-Committee conducted
any necessary public hearings, with its recommendations going straight to the Minister.
However it is interesting to note that the Act gave the power to any member of the SubCommittee to refer a nomination for registration to the full Council. Thus the wider range of
expertise would be part of the assessment of nominations for additions to the Register.
There were two main criteria for referral to the full Council, being firstly the perceived wider
public interest in the nomination and secondly, in the Sub-Committee vote was 3 to 2. This
referral option was first used in the case of the Regent Theatre (above left), with the SubCommittee supporting registration but the full Council, by a vote of 6 to 4, did not agree. In
this case the main criterion was the extent of public interest in the future of the Regent
Theatre. As one of the dissenting four, I note with interest that with the effluxion of time the
Regent Theatre is now on the Victorian Heritage Register. As I recall, a similar change
occurred to Young and Jacksons Hotel (above centre).
As a heritage practitioner I quote these two cases as examples where community values in
terms of heritage change over time. This referral option was used on a limited number of
occasions in those early days, with, on occasion, the Sub-Committee’s recommendation
being overturned by the full Council.
In fact there was, on occasion, subtle pressure from the development industry for a
nomination in a particular case to be referred to the full Council. It was always my view that
the full, and arguably diverse, membership of the Council provided for a balance of the key
stakeholders associated with heritage issues.
On this point it is important to note the wide range of the Council members professional
expertise at the time. I recall the case of the (former) State Theatre in Flinders Street (above
right) where the professional members of the Council, generally being the members of the
Classifications Sub-Committee, did not support registration, but other members recognised
the role, in cultural terms, of the Hollywood palaces such as the State Theatre.
Peter Brown
Next issue Peter will bring us some anecdotes from the early days.
CONFERENCE
The 2014 Victorian Museums and Galleries Conference will be held at the Lighthouse
Theatre in Warrnambool on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 April. The Conference, which is hosted
by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, is curated to appeal to a broad audience, from large State
institutions to small volunteer-run organisations, and will bring together the Victorian
museum, gallery, and conservation community.
The program combines keynote presentations, interactive discussions, lightning talks,
focused parallel sessions, and a discussion panel. A welcome reception will be held at the
Warrnambool Art Gallery on Wednesday 2 April, and the Conference dinner will be held at
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. Optional tours of museums and places of interest will be
available on Friday afternoon.
Keynote speakers include:
Michael Edson, Director of Web and New Media Strategy, Smithsonian Institution (USA)
Paul Bowers, Head of Exhibitions, Museum Victoria
John Cunningham, CEO, Warrnambool Art Gallery
Joe Hextall and Jean McAuslan, Shrine of Remembrance
Michael Loebenstein, CEO, National Film & Sound Archive (ACT)
Iain Watson, Director, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (UK)
Further information and Conference program: Museums Australia (Victoria) at
www.mavic.asn.au/stateconference
Inherit is published by the Heritage Council of Victoria. Next issue February 2014
Subscribe at inherit.magazine@dtpli.vic.gov.au or download copies from
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