Aug 10
2013
Ballarat East Fire Station
Heads up about a local icon which may be all too much taken for granted. What’s new in Ballarat East, such a common thing these days.
Our heritage, our community, our memories, and our contribution to the history of Ballarat is important. When I first heard about this I said ‘I’m so tired of all this’, then I rallied – you know what it takes US to do something about this. here is all the info we at BE Net could muster at the moment.
On another track did you know Ballarat East had its own Police Station too? Add that to the list of things that have been leveled, I’ll add some pics in future posts.
The Ballarat East Fire Station:
Al Penhall wrote to The Courier last week about a colourbond shed being put on the site of the fire station.
“Ballarat, we pride ourself on being a heritage city yet we pull down older buildings that get in the way and go for a simple bulldozer approach rather than thinking of a lateral solution that retains our character.My case in point is the application for a new shed for the CFA in Barkly Street. A colourbond clad block is being proposed, residents have two weeks to respond after finding the design on a website.Two buildings are being demolished from a heritage overlay precinct that was the main street of East Ballarat.Residents and the community try to do the right thing but a building that has been described on the planning permit as “large” and “a bulky element in the streetscape” will have an impact on the heritage values of the entire street yet that has been ignored.Heritage is about look feel and leaving something for our future generations. I’m yet to be convinced that a colourbond cube is good design for a heritage precinct.” By Al Penhall
Read it yourself here: http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1684206/when-pride-in-heritage-isoverridden-by-bulldozers/
We did a bit of googling and found a media release stating the the fire station would receive $700,000 to restore and expand the station while still maintaining the heritage site. And we quote:
“City of Ballarat and Heritage Victoria will be closely consulted as part of this project to ensure planning and heritage issues are taken into account and that changes are in keeping with the character of the original buildings.”
Read it yourself here: http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/
We did some more digging at the Ballarat Eservices site however we found nothing. We will let you know as soon as we do find something.
In the meantime, sign up to get the enews news and tell your friends to as well – its not just about what Ballarat East is losing, is about what Ballarat as a whole is losing – its real heritage…
Tags:heritage
Hello
Just looking for a painting that was unveiled at the fire station in the late 1940’s. Who can i talk to about that.
cheers
Sharon
Hello Sharon, please contact elmshort@gmail.com David knows all!
Erin, I should have added to my post a while ago. If your group would like to visit the station for a tour please let me know. More than happy to show you through the entire property
Many Thanks David, I think many people are familiar with the station, you have a lot of support in this area, and its great to be able to have a full and open discussion. Thanks for your kind offer, I’m sure you will see many of us at your next open day, Cheers Erin for BE Net
Hello David would love to talk to you about a tour if possible, how can I contact you
Wendy, tried to post last night but i obviously didn’t do it right. If you email me at elmshort@gmail.com we can discuss a tour and arrange the time and date
Can anyone here pass on my email to Wendy. I haven’t heard anything back from her. Many thanks ..
Thanks David for following up. Have alerted Wendy again on the facebook page. Cheers
Hi David so sorry I have been on holidays and I never received any message.. Have sent you a email.. Looking forward to hearing from you. Wendy
it appears a few people are suggesting the brigade moves from it current site and keep the site as is.
If thebrigade moves what will happen to the current site and who will manage this, i can not see the CFA manageing two sites.
I’ll introduce myself. I’m David, I am a Ballarat Fire Brigade member and I am also responsible for looking after the brigades historical collection. You may have met me on the tower tours. Ballarat brigade and the CFA are trying their hardest to preserve the look of the site with the money we have allocated. The brigade want very much to remain on the site we have occupied since being granted this parcel of land in 1858 however we need to be realistic and look at member safety too. This new station allows us to stay on our site and keep it open to the public so we can help promote the wonderful history of Ballarat brigade and the area of Ballarat east which we have protected for over 155 years. If we had to move although the building may stay they history would be gone. We do have plans to restore the original arches in the front doors and make the old engine bay a permanent museum. We have even discussed wether we can move the station keepers hut down the hill and restore it to something we can use (at our brigades own cost). If you look up at the moment you may also notice we are beginning more work on the top of the tower. The house we want to go was moved onto the site many years ago to house the station officer when we had career staff at Ballarat. All the plans and reports are on the websites you mentioned and the CFA did send a representative around the immediate neighbourhood to door knock immediate residents, unfortunately Ballarat East is a big area and so the whole suburb could not be personally consulted.
Thank you so much David. It’s very hard to read the reports because they don’t include the intent of your proposal. Thank you very much for explaining them. There is a larger post about this issue here: http://ballarateast.net/heritage-overlays-the-ballarat-east-fire-station/
Just wonder if building this now will mean a loss of things we can’t replace; the cottage, the outbuildings, the character of the two streets. A larger site may be preferable and future thinking, and then to keep the entire Ballarat East site as a museum? We hope there is a compromise for the CFA and the community.
Ballarat East is large we agree, so possibly a media report may have averted some of the speculation. Thank you so much for introducing your self here, many of us have indeed been to the station, and many of us see it everyday, so you will understand its importance to us.
[…] Read about how we found out about this development, not from the CFA as part of a consultation but from a local who was concerned and wrote to The Courier. This is the original post http://ballarateast.net/ballarat-east-fire-station/ […]
Great discussion everyone, just remember that we are all after a great result for both the CFA AND the community, so keep your comments nice and make sure you play the ball, not the person.
Also we do prefer people to use their first name, not sure what you are disappointed about ‘disappointed’, so if you need to hide please use a fake real name. Cheers BE Net
Yes Erin it might have been built between these buildings but it still is the Ballarat Fire Brigade and it always has been so how about you research the history of the brigade
Thanks I will correct myself Ballarat East’s Fire Station, or perhaps Ballarat Fire Brigade in Ballarat East. Doesn’t change the fact it is in a heritage area, with an overlay, that needs to be respected.
Ok I will put a scenario out there, these plans are knocked back for what ever reason.
The CFA will then move the brigade to say north Ballarat there goes the protection for the heritage area of Ballarat East.
With any movement of the brigade the history of Ballarat east will move with it, anyone who has been in the station knows there is a massive amount of memorabilia and heritage in there, I would hate to see this go from its current site.
Also the brigade owns an original 1938 dodge fire truck that I know will be stored in the current station and act as a museum of sorts, now this is show casing the history.
What is the better option a building that is sold and turned into a cafe or some modern thing inside or keep it with the history on site.
If you drive past have a look at the house and the current state it is in.
Some years ago the brigade did receive a heritage grant to restore the inside of the tower and this can be seen on their heritage open days .
Let’s all work with these guys and girls and not fight against them or the thing I fear might happen we loose them from Ballarat East as well
I’m not suggesting we knock the plans back. I am suggesting that the community need to be consulted.
I am very familiar with the station having worked opposite it for many years. I don’t think you need to be completely involved in the workings of the station to have an opinion about this. The community needs to be consulted.
I’m just saying lets talk about this, and more importantly lets listen to each-other. Maybe this isn’t the best option, you need to at least be open to the fact that the community need to be involved in the discussion.
I don’t believe this is to big of a concern, the bigger concern is if the new building is not allowed what will happen to the current site if it unusable.
The CFA sold off the fire station in sturt street because it was to small and look what private developers have done to that.
If the current site of the Ballarat fire station is not up to standard are the CFA going to move the brigade? If you have attended the Ballarat fire station on one of their open days you will know they take their history and heritage seriously.
Also it is not known as the Ballarat East fire station it is the Ballarat fire station it is clearly written above the front door.
Yes it is a shame that something’s need to be demolished but that is a small sacrifice to keep the brigade and it’s history on its current site.
In the media release from the government it also states they want to restore the front of the current station, this in return is bringing our heritage back isn’t it ?
The station was built in the centre of what was known as the Ballarat East Civic Centre. Across the Road is the old Ballarat East Library, behind that was the Ballarat East Police Station, to the right of the the Ballarat East Town Hall and Gardens.
I would be really happy to see the CFA get access to the services and facilities they need. It’s just that this not a great spot to try and squeeze in more buildings.
You can’t bring heritage back you can only respect the neighbourhood character and history of the area. The building is safe as its in a heritage overlay (thankfully or we may be looking at a very different plan).
I hope everyone takes the time to have a look and make up your own mind about this development. Its now online for comment at the city’s eservices website – look for PLP/2013/443
Thanks for your comments Kevin. This shouldn’t be a discussion about the safety of volunteers nor about the need for the CFA, these are givens.
And totally agree $700K isn’t very much.
However this conversation needs to be about the protection of our heritage for our children, the protection of the dwindling heritage street-scapes of Ballarat East.
As ratepayers we pay a lot of money to our planning department for complex overlays to protect heritage, and in other places vegetation and koalas. What is the point of an overlay if there are a million excuses to ignore them?
It’s also not about what is going there (units or sheds or concrete), it is about respecting our heritage, using our overlays and protecting what is left of Ballarat East.
The government press release says that changes will be ‘in-keeping’ yet apparently they are to be demolished. If we don’t stand up who will?
Does anyone have a link to the application documents I can;t find them on the Ballarat Council eservices site.
Erin, I think you are missing the whole point!
You need to see the whole picture and not take a knee jerk reaction without all the facts. Sound decisions have been made to keep the current station site except for some “out buildings”because of its position within the community. In order to progress onto the future and maintain a service delivery go that community the Brigade needs to adapt. While maintaining its heritage and history. The station is being renovated to its former glory and the only people to benefit will be the community. Iam sure the brigade is aware of its heritage significance within the community it’s been there since 1854 take some time and go inside.
‘Dissappointed’ (sorry I can’t use your real name but you haven’t signed your public comment),
The whole picture is only possible to me, and to the community, when we have access to the plans. These have only now become available online, sounds like you had early access ‘disappointed’?
Folks take a look for yourselves. Look for App PLP/2013/443 on https://eservices.ballarat.vic.gov.au/ePathway/Production/Web/default.aspx
This is NOT a discussion about the value and need of the CFA, that is a given, our community highly values such a service and the service of volunteers and their safety.
Heritage provides us with knowledge of where we have come from as much as where we are going. Ballarat East has already lost so much, to increase the station, the traffic and the buildings in this area is not to be aware of the future growth that will be required. Build for tomorrow not for today. A new station in another place seems to be common sense, pity it is not so common.
Can I suggest you take some time to read about the history of Ballarat East? All of the community has a voice here, I hope people use their voices.
Erin, That is exactly it!!! People can make up their own mind. Without being prejudice. In the late 1800’s the Ballarat East library was actually the second storey of the original wooden fire station and the Fire Brigade owned all of the land from the station to princess street. There is a 150 year anniversary book available from the Brigade which is really worth a read. Have a look in the station if you want to see heritage of Ballarat East that’s where it really is.
Again I am simply advocating that people have a look and decide for themselves. I am pushing no barrow as I hope you are not. This is not a place for vested interest.
Knowledge is the key to understanding this issue and the community now finally has access to the plans online. Let the consultation begin.
Is the tower going to be removed from its existing site? No. Is the fire station façade going to removed? No.
I have sited the shed mentioned to be removed and it services no purpose other than maybe a storage shed. And the house also mentioned is more of an eyesore.
Being a former volunteer at Patterson River CFA (formerly Carrum and Chelsea fire stations), I saw a fire brigade going from an Occupational Health and Safety nightmare to a state of the art fire station that served the community with the uttermost professionalism. I hope everyone considers the safety of the volunteers who currently get dressed into their turnout gear in between 4 CFA vehicles – they are only volunteers.
My house is over 80 years old. I love the history of the area. I understand the importance of retaining history, but this is not a major development for units or houses. It’s planned improvement for our area to be better protected.
(Please note that $700,000 is not a lot of money for a new fire station, Patterson River fire station cost over $2 million)