Archive for the ‘melbourne’ Category

Heritage advocacy organisations in Victoria have been slow to adopt communication technologies, but the National Trust and Heritage Victoria have finally caught up with the times and joined the social media revolution.

Heritage Victoria started tweeting in June last year and more recently the National Trust began tweeting in January this year.  In addition, the National Trust added a fan page on Facebook in April last year.

Melbourne Heritage Watch kicked it all off with our first tweet back in March of last year.

If you appreciate Melbourne’s heritage then these feeds should definitely be high on your following lists as you’ll get many of the updates on the key issues that effect our treasured places.

Now you see it (Colbran Lodge).

Colbran Lodge – 45 Moubray Street Melbourne near Punt Road a classical 1920s former Freemasons home and its gracious gardens has been demolished

The following application was lodged with City of Melbourne on 4th March 2010.

Alterations and additions to an existing nursing home, including demolition, buildings and works and reduction of car parking requirements

The very next day this beautiful building was gone forever.  Bulldozers unceremoniously carted away the rubble.

No heritage overlay applied to the building but the original renders depicted the classical portico and facade of the 1920s building being saved behind a six storey tower. However this proved to be false with complete demolition taking place. Apparently no consultation was required.

Perhaps a pastiche reconstruction is planned, but in any case this heritage building and its elegant ionic columns pilasters and pediment has unfortunately been lost.

The future of the Edwardian terrace houses on the site is looking equally grim.

Images courtesy of Walking Melbourne forums.

Renders on display for new building showed retention of the facade of Colbran Lodge

Now you don't .... Colbran Lodge shortly after its demolition

Flinders Street station in its heyday as the busiest station in the world

That is the call from several key citizens in light of the landmark’s low key 100th birthday celebrations.

First shock jock Derryn Hinch, then the National Trust have and the mainstream media have come to the party with a campaign to revive Flinders Street Station including to restore the ballroom and complete the building based on its original plans with its spectacular steel and glass train shed.

A popular Facebook group – “Revive Flinders Street Station” has been running for a couple of years now.

Despite the appeals, the City of Melbourne and State Government have last year played down calls to revive the station and have not fully joined the birthday celebrations.  With all the sudden interest, it will be interesting to see whether they also join the party.

120-122 Little Lonsdale Street. Terrace houses set for demolition. Image from australianterrace.com used with permission

A gem of history is about to be demolished on Little Lonsdale Street.

Terraces dating back to the goldrush are part of an entire streetscape which is not heritage listed including the 1888 Letrim Hotel and set to be demolished.

According to an article in The Age, the National Trust is lobbying the City of Melbourne to save the terraces.

Australian Terrace Houses has a write up on these historic terraces facing extinction.

Windsor Hotel's tower proposal. Image from the National Trust used with permission.

Shock news of plans for a sham consultation for the government to stop the Windsor Hotel development to gain votes has been reported by the Herald Sun.  The news certainly comes as a suprise to the National Trust, who were under the belief that their campaign was a genuine part of democratic process.  The leaked email reportedly claimed that the decision to approve the controversial development had already been made by the responsible internal committee.  It will be very interesting to see how this plays out and how the government reacts to this scandal.  It may simply add fuel to proceed with the redevelopment as planned.