Welcome to Inherit. You can subscribe to this free e-newsletter by sending your details to
inherit.magazine@dpcd.vic.gov.au
Inherit welcomes suggestions of stories and events to be included in future issues.
HERITAGE ON THE MOVE
Kew Court House and former Police Station has been awarded the Planning Minister’s Heritage
Award for 2012.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy said the community driven project had resulted in an outstanding arts
and culture centre which would continue to serve the area for decades to come and was a worthy
recipient of the award.
The award was presented to the City of Boroondara and Kew Historical Society representing the local
community, for their work to restore and reinvigorate the Kew Court House and Police Station as an
arts and culture centre by Minister for Corrections and member for Kew Andrew McIntosh on behalf of
the Planning Minister on 22 February.
When the Kew Public Offices, designed in the Public Works newly developing ‘English vernacular
freestyle’, were built on a triangular site at the junction of High Street and Cotham Road, the
combination Court House, Police Station and Post Office was unusual for its time.
The 1888 building became a popular and well used landmark but, a century later the Post Office had
become the QPO restaurant and the Court House and station vacant and neglected.
The local community began a campaign for it to be retained and it was purchased by the City of
Boroondara. More than $500,000 was raised in addition to grants from the Commonwealth, state and
local government to enable the restoration of the building.
The building now includes a theatre, exhibition and meeting rooms, and facilities for local arts and
historical groups.
Presenting the award on behalf of the Planning Minister, Member for Kew and Minister for Corrections
Andrew McIntosh made particular mention of the contribution of architect Peter McIntyre and his wife
Dione, past president of Kew Historical Society, and the generous donation of the late Judge Gordon
Just and his wife Betty.
Pictured at left (from left): Dione McIntyre, past president Kew Historical Society, Cr Brad Miles, City of
Boroondara, David Benwell, President Kew Historical Society and Member for Kew Andrew McIntosh.
Centre: The refurbished Court House and Police Station. Right: Andrew McIntosh, Heritage Victoria
Executive Director Jim Gard’ner and architect Peter McIntyre at the award announcement.
The Kew Court House will be a focus for this year’s "Kewmunity" Festival which will include
Boroondara - Yesterday and Tomorrow, the inaugural McIntyre Lecture by Professor Peter McIntyre
AO on 21 March. There will be a stunning light show drawing attention to the Court House from 7.30
pm between Monday 19 and Sunday 25 March.
Exhibitions will include Kew Historical Society’s From lonely bush camp to thriving metropolis; Moving
Bodies Moving Boundaries, a photographic exhibition by e.motion21 and Colourful Q by Q Art Studio,
The Court House Theatre events will include 'Nougat', a mandolin/guitar/vocals duo and La Fiesta
Tango Flamenco Show with Matthew Fagan.
Bookings essential for many events –
see www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/our-city/arts-culture/kewcourthouse/festival-time
$1.13M HERITAGE BOOST
Thirteen community projects will share in more than $1.13 million worth of heritage grants across the
State.
Minister for Planning Matthew Guy said the grants, which ranged from $8,000 to $200,000, would help
preserve and protect heritage significant heritage places and objects.
He said Victoria’s Heritage Grants supported local communities to care for and manage the state’s
heritage. The variety of projects funded by this year’s program reflected the diversity and richness of
the state’s heritage.
Mr Guy said the grants recognised and supported the enthusiasm and commitment of many dedicated
volunteer organisations which worked to preserve and safeguard our shared history.
Funding for heritage place grants totalling $500,000 was provided by the Victorian Property Fund.
Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O’Brien said the grants would assist in keeping heritage places in
use for community needs.
“Local communities rely on these heritage places as vital centres for local organisations and volunteer
activities,” he said.
Victoria’s heritage grants support the repair and restoration of publicly accessible and important
heritage places and objects managed by local government and community not-for-profit organisations
and are provided for places in the Victorian Heritage Register or included in a Heritage Overlay.
All grants:
Ballarat: $63,000 for roofing and window repairs and painting of Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society
hatchery building in Ballarat Botanic Gardens, securing the future of the oldest fish hatchery on
mainland Australia.
Benalla: $144,000 for conservation and restoration of significant fabric of the former Benalla Shire
Council Offices in Mair Street Benalla to return the building to its original use.
* Glengarry: $93,000 for repairs to exterior walls and roof of Glengarry Mechanics Institute to protect
from weather damage and provide the community with a useable hall.
Glenmore: $95,000 for external repair works to an original migrant cottage, 'Yoorana', House 12 at
Lady Northcote Recreation Farm (formerly Northcote Children's Farm), Glenmore near Bacchus
Marsh for use by the Old Northcotians, providing a venue for meetings and to display memorabilia.
Inglewood: $8,000 for cleaning, repairs and regulation of Fincham Organ, St Augustine’s Church
Inglewood to enable regular concerts which are a popular tourist attraction.
Kew: $31,000 for repairs to roof, brickwork and timberwork at Boroondara Cemetery Rotunda.
Mildura: $200,000 for urgent conservation works to the parapet, exterior brickwork and roof of Former
Methodist Church Building for community use through MADOC.
* Mount Martha: $20,000 for conservation repairs to Laundry/Dairy and Apple Store at Briars
Homestead.
* Myrtleford: $48,000 for replacement of corrugated iron roofing and downpipe, and reinstatement of
finials at Former State School building, now used as a museum.
* Nagambie: $45,000 for roofing, electrical and restumping works at the former Presbytery of St
Malachy’s for use by the local community.
* Warracknabeal: $94,000 for urgent works to the Moderne style Town Hall including rewiring and
reglazing, rust removal and painting of windows.
* Yarra Glen: $200,000 for repair and restoration of Yarra Glen Station Building to revive the heritage
Station Building, enabling its use as an operational tourist railway station, community focal point and
tourist activity centre.
Yarra Junction: $90,000 for priority conservation works at the Upper Yarra Museum, the former Yarra
Junction and Lilydale Railway Station building, including restumping, replacement of roof and guttering
and drainage works.
* - project funded by the Victorian Property Fund
Above: Heritage grant announcements, from left,
Planning Minister Matthew Guy (centre) at the Warracknabeal Hall announcement.
Russell Fisher of the Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society and Member for Western Victoria David
Koch at the Ballarat Fishery.
Member for Swan Hill Peter Walsh with Tim Johns and Sue Brown with the Fincham organ at St
Augustine’s Church, Inglewood.
Manager Steve Yorke and Member for Mornington David Morris at The Briars.
VICTORIAN HERITAGE REGISTER
A quilt has been included in the Victorian Heritage Register for the first time. The crazy quilt (H2297)
held by the Wangaratta Historical Society was made between 1890 and 1896 by Marianne Gibson, the
wife of Wangaratta business man Alexander McCalla Gibson.
The quilt contains hundreds of hand-embroidered pieces with designs incorporating Oriental,
botanical, childhood, fairyland and sentimental themes. It also includes personal references to two of
Marianne's children who died young.
A rare, unfaded example of a 19th century quilt, it is the largest known crazy quilt on display in
Victoria. It features very high quality work and is an important part of today’s Australian quilting
tradition which started in the early 1800s.
The quilt's Australian iconography, personal references and memorialising demonstrate traditions
which continue today in works like The Aids Memorial Quilt.
A sophisticated artwork in its own right, the quilt is a significant example of a woman's creative self
expression in an era where this was restricted to textile arts such as embroidery and quilting.
The silk quilt has a wide border of maroon silk velvet with zigzag edges trimmed with Linen Guipure
lace edging. The backing is shot, honey coloured silk and it is filled with raw silk instead of the more
usual cotton or wool.
This filling silk was probably produced locally by the Victorian Ladies Sericulture Company Limited, a
women's venture which operated between c.1872-1892 to promote sericulture as a new industry and
as a means of creating income for disadvantaged women.
The Marianne Gibson quilt (above) is also a rare surviving example of the colours used in Victorian
interior furnishings and demonstrates the rapid spread of the bright colours of the synthetic dyes
invented during the Industrial Revolution.
BENDIGO’S Hidden Worlds ON SHOW.
Above: Bendigo Art Gallery Director Karen Quinlan and archaeologist Adam Ford at the opening of
Hidden Worlds, and a selection of the artefacts on display.
In 2009 excavations at 10–16 Forest Street, Bendigo, uncovered a wide array of artefacts from the
mining camp, residences, hotel and livery stables which had once occupied the site.
Spanning more than 150 years, the artefacts offer an insight into the domestic lives of the people who
inhabited the site.
The dig created a great deal of interest locally and plans were devised to ensure locals could see what
was uncovered during the works.
Heritage Victoria conservator Susie Collis and curatorial officer Anne-Louise Muir painstakingly
conserved the artefacts at Heritage Victoria’s conservation lab and prepared them for exhibition.
The finds from the excavation include fragments and whole domestic ware which are featured in the
exhibition: crockery, glassware, chamber pots, containers, personal effects and toys. Alongside the
glassware of the public rooms of the site’s boarding houses, these artefacts hint at the private face of
19th century life in Bendigo, with an emphasis on private rooms – kitchens, bathrooms and parlours.
The Hidden Worlds exhibition at the Post Office Gallery explores the Forest St as well as other recent
excavations undertaken in Bendigo.
Through three short films featured on the Gallery screen, Hidden Worlds also looks at other local
excavations from recent years, including the Chinese brick making kiln at Emu Point, and a house and
Chinese market garden site at Golden Gully.
Launching the exhibition at the Shamrock Hotel on 9 February, archaeologist Adam Ford said the
Forest Street dig was as complex an archaeological site, in terms of overlaying and intercutting
occupation deposits, as any in Australia.
“It presented comparable challenges to those found on urban archaeological sites in places such as
London, Rome and New York,” he said.
“The site clearly demonstrates the rich resource that lies beneath our feet and shows Bendigo, like the
great cities of the world, built upon itself in a constant and relentless effort to renew, adapt and remain
relevant.”
He said he was very excited to open this exhibition Hidden Worlds: glimpses from Bendigo’s Forest
Street archaeological excavation.
“It is such a rare pleasure to see the artefacts that we dug up, considered, interpreted and presented
to the public.”
Hidden Worlds: glimpses from Bendigo's Forest Street excavation runs until 24 June 2012, at the
Bendigo Post Office Gallery . The gallery is located at 51-67 Pall Mall, Bendigo, and is open from 9am
to 5pm, seven days a week.
Below: More artefacts and (right) the Post Office gallery.
HOUSES AWARD
The Heritage Council of Victoria is sponsoring the Heritage section of this year’s Houses Award.
Presented by Houses magazine, the Houses Awards is an annual program celebrating Australia’s best
residential projects. Excellence is rewarded in eight categories, with the best house receiving the
premier award of Australian House of the Year
Entries are judged by an eminent panel of architects and designers who are themselves recognized
for creating inspirational Australian homes.
Entry submissions close on Friday 30 March 2012 for projects completed between 1 January 2011
and 29 February 2012.
The Heritage category recognizes achievement in new works and/or conservation for heritage
buildings and associated landscapes for residential use. To be eligible in this category the property
must be subject to statutory heritage listing at a local authority or higher level. Entries should primarily
describe how the project’s design and conservation works address the heritage significance of the
place, and demonstrate excellence in adaptive re-use and/or conservation.
See http://housesawards.com.au/home
MELBOURNE TREES
The Urban Landscapes branch of the City of Melbourne has announced the launch of the Exceptional
Tree Register.
The register will not only recognise, celebrate and protect exceptional trees but will support the
custodians by providing expert advice and opportunities to care for and promote their tree.
The City says an exceptional tree “may exhibit extraordinary growth form, old age, rarity or size, or be
important to community or cultural groups for environmental services or social, cultural or spiritual
reasons.” Trees will be assessed against criteria developed in association with the National Trust of
Australia (Victoria).
Nominations for the first round of the register close on 8 March 2012. See
www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/urbanforest.
BIRDS EYE VIEW
An exciting new exhibition at the National Wool Museum looks at the changing faces, architectural
features and different histories of Victoria’s second largest city through historic photographs in the
collection of the Geelong Heritage Centre.
The display includes large-scale panoramic views of the City of Geelong from 1838 to 2010 and
focusses on four central themes of change: Transportation, Leisure, Clothing and Need vs. Want.
Bird’s Eye View includes six large scale panoramas and an impressive digital jigsaw which helps
visitors to piece together Geelong’s history.
Open Mon-Fri 9.30am to 5pm, Sat & Sun 10am to 5pm until until 23 June, National Wool Museum, 26
Moorabool Street, Geelong. Tel: (03) 5272 4701Web: www.nwm.vic.gov.au.
TIDY TOWNS
Victoria’s tidiest towns, most sustainable cities and cleanest beaches are gearing up to showcase their
attractions as they compete for the annual Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria’s awards.
Towns - Sustainable Communities Awards are for communities in regional Victoria, Sustainable Cities
Awards are for metropolitan Melbourne local councils and satellite cities, and Clean Beaches Awards
are for beachside communities.
There are several categories, including the Cultural Heritage awards for cultural preservation,
conservation and restoration projects.
Last year cultural Heritage awards winners were:
Inverloch Community Planning Group (Sustainable Communities) for Celebrating Inverloch's
Cultural Heritage. Projects included art and signage to reflect the geography and geology of the area,
linking historical signage to bicycle trails and walking paths as well as new efforts to preserve the
historical Rocket Shed.
Yarra Ranges Regional Museum Development (Sustainable Cities) The Museum tells the story of a
large geographic region. Housed in the 1889 heritage listed Lilydale Shire Offices and the innovative
new modern extension are more than 7,000 items including the internationally significant Dame Nellie
Melba Collection. A focal point for more than 17 historical groups, it provides educational programs for
all ages, including the 'Memory Bank', which collects personal photographs and stories from 1950 to
today.
Creative Village - Lake Lascelles / Corrong Committee of Management (Clean Beaches)
Providing recognition of the Aboriginal culture and pioneer heritage in the area. The complex includes
unique accommodation options and interpretation through murals, plaques and totem poles.
Entries close 11 May 2012. To enter the awards please visit www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/kabv
OTHER DIARY DATES
Australian Heritage Week – Saturday 14 April until Sunday 22 April 2012
(http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/about/heritage-week/index.html)
Frankston Heritage Day, Saturday 14 April 10am – 4 pm, Mechanics Institute, Corner Nepean Hwy
and Plowman Place, Frankston.
Heritage Council of Victoria 2012 Heritage Address featuring Professor Graeme Davison AO –
Wednesday 18 April 2012, 6 pm, The Age Theatre, Melbourne Museum.
National Trust of Victoria Heritage Festival - Innovation and Invention, 21 April - 20 May 2012
(http://www.nattrust.com.au/heritage_festival)
Inherit is published monthly by the Heritage Council of Victoria.
Subscribe at inherit.magazine@dpcd.vic.gov.au or download a copy from
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/heritage/publications-and-research/inherit-newsletter