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| Current photographic exhibition |
12 Dec, 2011 |
The Watch House will be open on Saturdays during December and January, 11.30am to 3pm except for Christmas and New Year's Eves.
The current exhibition is the Balmain Pubs and the Trams. The photos of the trams are of particular interest because of the streetscapes in which they have been taken.
Publications will be for sale.
Enquiries Kathleen Hamey 9818 4954 June Lunsmann 9810 6885 |
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| Mort's Dock Heritage Listing |
17th January 2011 |
Mort’s Dock listed on the NSW State Heritage Register
Balmain’s Mort’s Dock (now Mort Bay Park) is listed on the State Heritage Register – the highest form of heritage recognition and protection in NSW.
Former Member for Balmain, Verity Firth joined former Planning Minister Tony Kelly and members of the Balmain Association for a special event at Mort Bay Park to officially declare Mort’s Dock a State Heritage Site on 17 January 2011.
Opening in 1855, one year before Cockatoo Island, Mort’s was the first dry dock of its size in Australia, the largest shipyard and engineering workshop, and the Colony’s largest private enterprise.
Mort’s Dock is also the birthplace of modern industry in Australia, home to the trade union movement - the Ship Painters & Dockers union was established on site in 1872 - and instrumental in the creation of what was to become the Australian Labor Party in 1891. Interestingly, NSW Premier William McKell and former NSW Minister for Justice John Storey both completed apprenticeships on site.
For all these reasons Balmain resident, and State Maritime Archaeologist, Sarah Ward, nominated the site for the State Heritage Register.
The listing is fantastic for the people of Balmain, and would make Nick Origlass and Issy Wyner proud. It celebrates the social and cultural significance of the site, and will help to protect not only Mort Bay Park – because the Heritage Council of NSW will need to give approval for any works to be undertaken – but the vitality of Balmain's working harbour which continues to be active to this day.
The listed area is located within Mort Bay Park, but does not include the western section of the Park that Leichhardt Council calls “Site C” – i.e. the land between McKell, Bay and Short Streets, in Birchgrove.
Sarah Ward
Maritime Archaeologist
Office of Environment & Heritage
NSW Dept of Premier & Cabinet
To view full listing go to:
http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_04_2.cfm?itemid=5061224 |
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| Heritage Festival 2011 'Amazing Stories' |
April 2011 |
National Trust Heritage Festival 2011
The theme of this year’s festival is Amazing Stories with a water-based theme
The Trust is working to preserve the stories and places, collections and sites where they are told in order to tell our nation’s history.
Balmain’s Amazing Stories
The Amazing Stories Exhibition was held during April as part of the National Trust Heritage Festival. One of the water-based themes the Balmain Association presented was the Balmain Water Reservoir and the introduction of reticulated drinking water on the peninsula. A letter from Balmain, to the Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald 16th December 1884 stated “Counting from the 10th ultimo, 33 days, we have been entirely without water from Monday to Saturday two weeks, and from Sunday to Saturday one week, 13 days in all; during 17 days we have had it from 2 or 3 to 6 o’clock in the morning only, and only on three occasions has it been on during the day.” Clearly something had to be done but the residents of Balmain had uncertain water supply until 1917 when the Reservoir was ready for use.
Another story with a water base, but this story was about what was under the water, and that was the Balmain Coal Mine that mined for the coal under the Sydney Harbour. The area is between Ball’s Head, Ballast Point to Simmons Point.
Amazing Story No 3. Thomas Mort was concerned about the large amount of wasted food in the Colony in the 1870s and the large number of children who were dying from drinking sour milk. Mort acquired the services of Eugene Nicolle, a French engineer and in 1875 established the first freezing works in the Southern Hemisphere at Darling Harbour. The first successful shipment of frozen meat to England was in 1880 but Mort didn’t live to see his vision of frozen exports as he had died in 1878.
Other stories were, Fred Ward’s escape from Cockatoo Island, Dawn Fraser and that stolen flag, the shoot-out at Mort’s Dock, Mr Big Lennie McPherson and William Balmain’s land grant of 550 acres sold for 5/- and a shipment of goods.
While the exhibition was held, 53 year 3 students from Father John Terry Catholic School visited the Watch House, guided through the building by Diana Garder. |
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| TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE BAYS |
30 May, 2010 |
TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE BAYS PRECINCT
(White, Johnstone, Rozelle and Blackwattle Bays)
Copies of the full document which has been submitted to the Minister for Planning are available at the Watch House.
Objectives and Principles
The CRG has defined 11 core Objectives for the future of the Bays Precinct. Each of these is supported by more specific planning principles -58 in total.
Objective 1 Integrated Future Planning
ß No more one off, ad hoc planning decisions by State Government or other planning authorities
ß All future planning and development decisions relating to the Bays Precinct to be on the basis of the agreed Principles and an integrated strategic plan for the whole Precinct incorporating a long term (c20 years) vision.
Objective 2 Priority and Precedence for the Public Good
ß Establish public good, not private benefit as the overriding driver for future planning decisions for the Bays Precinct.
ß Protect the remaining public ownership of foreshores and harbour from further alienation by sale or long-term lease for private use and restore headlands and heads of bays to the public.
Objective 3 Access, Open space and recreation
ß Open much more of the foreshores to the community and provide, wherever possible, continuous foreshore corridors for pedestrians and cyclists
ß Restore the headlands and heads of bays to the public as opportunity arises
ß Maintain safe access to the Bays for passive water based activities (rowing, dragon boating, kayaking, sailing)
Objective 4 Recognition of Heritage
ß Recognise the Bays’ significant maritime and industrial history in planning decisions.
ß Conserve all heritage items and, where feasible, provide for adaptive reuse of significant structures .
Objective 5 Land Uses
ß Provide for local distinctiveness and character.
ß Given the high residential density of surrounding areas, ensure planning decisions have the minimum possible adverse impact on existing residents and businesses.
Objective 6 Provision for Transport
ß Ensure no new activities or developments are approved without simultaneous provision for the necessary transport infrastructure- including public transport.
ß Prohibit approval of long term activities that will result in increased traffic congestion within the surrounding suburbs.
Objective7 Housing
ß Exclude private housing from direct foreshore frontage and, except for the Rozelle Train yards corridor, restrict housing to a lower order priority within the Precinct.
Objective 8 Built Form and Design
ß All built form is to be of excellent design, on a compatible scale with the adjacent neighborhoods and to contribute to a high quality public domain
ß Views, including views to landmarks, to be conserved and where possible, expanded.
Objective 9 Community and Culture
ß Create a high profile for cultural and artistic activities as an integral and significant aspect of the Precinct’s character
Objective 10 Economic Life
ß Maintain a contemporary ‘working harbour’ character for the Precinct and support other employment opportunities including green R&D and creative industries (eg incubators, artist studio space)
Objective 11 Sustainability and Environment
ß Incorporate best practice sustainability principles in all development and ensure that all uses enhance the sustainability of human and physical ecology in waterways and foreshores.
These Objectives and supporting Principles establish reasonable and balanced parameters for the next stage of the Bays Precinct planning process.
The CRG therefore recommends that the Government accepts these Objectives and Principles as the basis for further discussion in stage 2.
Future Directions - Preliminary Proposals
Having developed its planning framework, the CRG explored ideas for future uses that were consistent with its parameters. These addressed four levels of use:
1. Access and Facilities for the Residents and Visitors
2. Access and facilities for Recreational Boating and other users of the Bays
3. Providing Commercial and Industrial Precincts
4. Providing Necessary Future infrastructure |
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| Wanted historical photos and items |
1 January 2010 |
Do you hold letters, photos, documents and other material related to the people, history and heritage of the Leichhardt Municipality?
Heritage Group of Leichhardt District (HGOLD) has received a grant from Leichhardt Council to prepare a database of historical photos and items about the Leichhardt Municipality.
We are looking for people who would be prepared to list their items on this database to be accessed by others searching family histories, buildings etc. The collections would remain in their hands and access would be by negotiation ie a visit to their home or meeting at the Balmain Watch House or other suitable venue.
We are advertising throughout Australia via the numerous historical societies, libraries and interested groups.
If you have material of interest please contact
Sue Tronser, phone 9519 3268, email suetronser@gmail.com
June Lunsmann 9810 6885, email speal@zip.com.au |
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