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25.01.2022 One of Melbourne's most recognisable landmarks, the Royal Exhibition Building, has turned 140! The city's "grand dame" was designed by Joseph Reed for the 1880 ...International Exhibition. Michelle Stevenson from Museums Victoria told Jacinta Parsons the World Heritage-listed building has housed migrants, soldiers, Olympic events and many dances. "I came across a fantastic story in the archives of a jazz concert in the 1950s that ended in a riot after two warring jitterbug factions got into a dance-off," she said. Listen to the interview on ABC Radio Afternoons: https://ab.co/33jxSQe : Museums Victoria
25.01.2022 The Hoddle Grid Heritage Study went though Council last night - though with no debate because most Councillors had conflicts of one sort of other, since many people live in or rent space in one of the 167 buildings. Nice to see that most ABC fans agree that theyre all worthy of listing !
24.01.2022 Great to see plans for an important cultural institution making use of a long-neglected heritage landmark, and a hallmark of Melbourne's claim as the largest greek city outside of Greece. We'll need to see more about the proposed tower behind and it impacts on the Queen Street streetscape though, somewhat reminiscent of the Celtic Club towers claims to save the club, but now with the tower built the club is gone. https://neoskosmos.com//new-benaki-museum-planned-for-244/
24.01.2022 We teamed up with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) to ask candidates for The City of Melbourne for their views on heritage, here are the responses. Remember voting closes Friday 23rd of October.
24.01.2022 A couple of restorations unveiled during the lockdown, the Olderfleet building on Collins St, and Ball and Welch/CTA on Flinders Street
20.01.2022 YOU CAN HELP ! Follow this link to tell the City of Melbourne committee that you support the approval of the Hoddle Grid Heritage Review https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au//Future-Melbourne-Committ just fill in the form that appears when you click on the Submit button, give your details, and note that its item "6.1 Melbourne Planning Scheme Amendments C386 and C387", and say something like : "I fully support the approval of the Hoddle Grid Heritage Study. I have been shocked... at the continuing losses in the CBD, losses which have occurred because the City had only done piecemeal heritage reviews. I am pleased to see so many of my favourite places, many of which I thought were protected, will now be safe from complete demolition. I am even in favour of the listing of 55 postwar buildings - this is an important phase of the city's history, and even this large number is still far less than buildings from previous periods." Here is a selection of places that will be protected :
19.01.2022 Here's your chance to influence the proposed wholesale replacement of the Southbank Promenade with modern, rather bland elements. Looking closely at the plans, it would be perfectly possible to achieve what they want without replacing all the 1991 award winning elements like the lights and balustrades. Just follow this link and let them know what you think (and we must say its a bit leading, they only ask 'what do you like about the project?'' then 'is there anything else?' ... rather than what you dont like, or even what you do or dont like about the existing !) Under 'what do you like' you might say 'i like that the uneven paving will be replaced, and the promenade widened' - this is supposed to help with cyclists mixing with pedestrians, but you might like to say something more about the that. If you dont like plane tree pollen you might like to say that you like that they'll be planting natives (Angophora Costata or Sydney red gum), but we suggest that they shouldnt all be cut down at once, leaving the place pretty bald looking for years to come. Under 'what else' heres some suggested wording : "I dont think you need to change it so drastically ! I like the existing award-winning design elements from 1991 the charming lights and patterned balustrades in Brunswick Green have a very Melbourne character, they have a sense of tradition without being kitsch. They give the whole riverbank a distinctive look, whereas the new design lacks any character at all. The lights and balustrades could easily be retained while also replacing the trees (but not all at once), upgrading the paving, increasing the width, making the ramps DDA compliant, and adding more lights if necessary. https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/southbank-promenade
17.01.2022 Looks like the field for the Melbourne Council elections is rather full ! Not only Sally Capp running again for Lord Mayor with Nicholas Reece as deputy, but also : -Phil Reed (a PR man), with Wesa Chau, a cultural diversity consultant, as his deputy, former Melbourne MP Jennifer Kanis’ partner Davydd Griffiths, Glen Eira councillor Mary Delahunty and Carlton Legal Service coordinator Hamdi Ali on the ticket - Jennifer Yang for Mayor as an unofficial Labor candidate; and cu...rrent deputy Arron Wood for Mayor, possibly with current Councillors, Susan Riley and Beverly Pinder, all of whom were once on Robert Doyles ticket. -Philip Le Liu will run as a Liberal again -Rohan Leppert for the Greens, but not Cr Cathy Oke - serial nominator pollster Gary Morgan may go for Major again, with Queen Victoria Market activist Mary-Lou Howie as his deputy, with long-term councillor Jackie Watts on the team. A lot of choices ! Cr Watts has listed two motions for next tomorrow's council meeting to increase transparency in the election, calling on candidates to decline donations from property developers and the gambling and tobacco industries. That would prevent some of the situations when so many councillors have a conflict of interest there is no quorum ! Cr Watts also wants candidates to disclose all donations and gifts within five business days, with current legislation only requiring it be disclosed 40 days after the election - which sounds great.
17.01.2022 Meanwhile in that other election - Sally Capp has been comfortably re-elected as Lord Mayor, with Nic Reece as deputy. Other previous councillors returned include our heritage champion Green Rohan Leppert, conservatives Kevin Louey and Philip Le Liu. Olivia Ball is the second Geeen, the others from various parties but whose stance on heritage we don’t know for sure including Roshena Campbell from Cr Capps ticket, Jason Chang from unsuccessful mayor candidate and former Cr A...aron Wood's ticket, along with Elizabeth Mary Doidge from Jennifer Yang's Labor-aligned ticket and Labor's Davydd Griffiths. Sad to see our other heritage champion Jackie Watts was not successful. It will be interesting to see this new variety on council - in the recent past a majority of councillors were from Team Doyle. It’s probably safe to say that this Council will be sympathetic to heritage, at least in so far as the previous council which started out mostly conservatives voted consistently in favour of the many studies that Council has undertaken in the last few years, many still going, especially the Hoddle Grod review.
14.01.2022 While grand Art Deco city buildings like the Manchester Unity and Mitchell House were being built, many Melburnians lived in the poverty and squalor of portly built tiny houses or just a couple of rooms, with rising damp and only an outside tap. This tour eventually led to the creation of the Housing Commission in 1938, which built estates of detached houses in the inner and middle suburbs each one for specific groups who were moved out and then the ‘slums’ demolished. A very... slow process, still going on in the 60s when they began to build high rise estates. Rather oddly they never thought of mandating minimum conditions that landlords had to meet, they just continued to charge high rents and never spend a penny on maintenance (perhaps because some of them were later revealed to be pillars of the community even members of parliament!). Having sold off much of that early housing since the 90s, and not building more, we are half way back to the original situation - the houses arnt as bad, but the poor end up spending more than half their income on inflated rents.
13.01.2022 Great news over in Adelaide
12.01.2022 What do you think about these plans currently advertised for 'vertical retail' on Elizabeth Street above and behind 'Cassell House', recently vacated by Peter Stevens motorcycles? The proposal includes demolition of a 1950's moderne building that didnt gain heritage listed alongside Cassell House in the City North Review, but they plan to 're-contruct' the shopfronts to the original drawings. It also provides a 5 metre setback on all sides to the heritage facades, which is be...tter than many recent developments but perhaps not far enough? As often happens, there's also a concern that the materials indicated in the renders will be far less transparent and far more dominated in reality. It could also set a precedent for facadism and building to height limits all the way down this recently heritage listed strip. If you're interested in seeing mores details, or objecting to the proposal, see it all here https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au//town-planning-permits-re
03.01.2022 https://www.theguardian.com//from-dogs-in-space-to-the-cas
