Old Orphanage Demolition Order

Wednesday Night Council Meeting Oct 23rd – Vote to approve recommendations of council officer to allow partial demolition of the site.

Here is some history about the how we got to this point – http://ballarateast.online/topics/community/old-orphanage-site/

Big question here is what’s the rush, there is no plan of what is intended to replace these buildings.

On the positive side council officers report has been upheld by the council – so some buildings have been saved for the moment.

On the negative side all present acknowledged that despite requests for the site to be protected it has not and there is much damage to eternal and internals as well as the loss of some heritage artifacts.

There were a lot of people present and many thought the council officers report a good compromise between protecting the entire site, or demolition almost the entire site as desired by the developers.

Below are the speeches we have collected, and hope to add more…

From Deborah Findlay, ex-resident:

Question Time.
Council have known for many years of the significance and long history before the site was ever sold. 2006 former residents over 300 attended a reunion many concerns of the future of the buildings. In 2010 I wrote to Mayor then, and attended the Council Meeting 2011, outlining the importance of the site and that of its history surely one very significant piece of our history children’s names and dates warrant protection of buildings, plaques and items on the site

What procedures have the owners and council done to protect the site it has become derelict where’s the duty of care of protecting what’s left of the orphanage site.  Surely the site could have been reused while this processes is ongoing or boarded up windows and doors.

My Question is how many of the plaques and memorabilia on this list have been removed for their protection and remain intact. If you weren’t unable to remove them surely you should have found ways to protect why hasn’t there been any protection. . I’m very disappointed to how long it has taken and to say the items from Albert Leach cottage bedroom items have been damage mirror shattered.

Submission
Deborah Findlay Former Resident
Mayor , Councillors Ladies and Gentlemen of The Gallery  .

I am objecting strongly to any demolition of the Toddlers Block, Mature Elms, Magnolia Tree, the Brick Wall must stay intact and that of the school house.

Ballarat Asylum, Orphanage Children’s Home the name itself is very significant.

I was born in Ballarat my ancestors settled in Ballarat East It’s not just Forgotten Australians history It’s Ballarat’s history too. I was two when I was separated from my family of 14 siblings 9 of us all placed in the Ballarat Orphanage/ Children’s Home living separately.

I was kicked out at 16 to never return, Living in the home gave many opportunities. This site was so unique it had what any child could imagine a back yard could be, own farm paddocks, pool, sporting grounds, trees, creek own school living 24/7 had all the materials we didn’t need gifts or toys we used our own imagination to build our own toys every square inch of the grounds were used trees become cubby houses, used to make borrow arrows, soup tins out of kitchen bins made great stilts,

The Home site has Heritage Overlay HO177 how is it then the council gave Damascus Collage permits to redevelop the early 1900’s buildings knowing of its heritage overlay.

School house was registered as the orphanage children’s home not after a street or suburb all children attended fond memories we exceled in sports, art, and music competed in competitions South Street, Ballarat Bands, throughout Ballarat for the home we did with pride and to mention the begonia parades.

City of Ballarat should buy back from the developers and turn it into a Heritage Museum centre hold all Memorabilia under the one roof  the design of the building L shape with its multiple classrooms make an ideal museum  containing collective stories of Forgotten Australian’s Stolen Generation including the history of Alexander Babies Toddlers Home which I also was a former resident, Ballarat Asylum / Orphanage / Children’s Home, Nazareth Girls Home, St Joseph’s Boy’s home and many more homes this city had. There is far too much of our history’s items scatted throughout Ballarat Gold Museum and Hospital It should be housed all together they should not be hidden away in storage like it is at present.

It gives us who have kept items from our childhood could donate to the museum. A week ago I brought three pews from an auction they were from the Asylum era they don’t belong to me they belong to us all.

Become educational for schools and the community, my daughter in year 12 were to write an essay on early years of a Ballarat’s history place she chose Ballarat Orphanage her teacher had no knowledge of it.

The former Address of Ballarat Asylum, Orphanage and Children’s Home was 200 Victoria Street Ballarat East. It’s only fitting that the number 200 remains as part of our history not a number for a three bedroom house. Mayor Councillors you cannot compere a family house to the orphanage it has over 120 years long history housing more than 4000 Children. Let’s not forget our over 300 lads who fort in w.w1 and 2 .

People may say why you would want buildings to remain as a reminder of the horrible memories remain on site; I could say the same for the Eureka Stockade and Sovereign  Hill  they too had horrible memories for people however we acknowledge remember and respect their history. Ballarat too should acknowledge remember and respect this site for its history too.

In closing I welcome The Council Heritage Advisor recommended to the retention of buildings dotted in yellow.

I’m not against redeveloping this site to  tear down all building except for one is totally unacceptable RETENTION RESTORE AND PRESERVED under Ballarat’s Heritage there is no reason they could not be included in any redevelopment planning by developers. This site has physical, spiritual and healing presents. It should be acknowledged understood and maintained, not torn down. The original site of the home has already been redeveloped it all but gone.

Please acknowledge WHO WE ARE Forgotten Australians, Stolen Generation vote against demolition of early 1900’s historic significant buildings and Vote Retention.

Don’t close your eyes of the orphanage or walk away. Once there Gone there Gone.

Who Cares I Do and So Should City Of Ballarat.

This from Erin McCuskey, BE Net spokesperson

“Thank you for your time tonight, and thank you all (gallery) for being here, for caring enough to hang on through this long process, and it will likely be longer yet… hang in there, you have support.

We are small, as individuals, but we are not insignificant.

Many key points have been raised so I will speak briefly. I speak to support a Ballarat Heritage with heart. We have a long, strong, though not always proud history, however it is OUR history.

I speak in favour of the officer’s report and am so grateful that a city with heart is what we are aiming for. We want our heritage to live and breath life into the issues we face as a country and as a city. It is a dark past we choose to remember which will ensure we never let it happen again.

Heritage with heart, with authenticity allows us as a city to grieve for what has happened here, but also to move on and be better. This is not just about architectural beauty, not just about the state planning scheme, this is about the Forgotten Australians and a cultural and social history that is nationally significant.

For history is about people, and stories, and places – not buildings alone. And importantly it’s about how we remember, honour and respect. It’s all connected; we need to acknowledge the big picture.

Developer wants to demolish all but the Toddlers Block, some significant trees, and a part of the brick wall. The developer has not protected our collective history, yet there are simple measures as outlined in the officers report. And it again with gratitude that I read vandalism is no reason for demolition.

The developer also wants to demolish before we know what is going on the site. This is madness, this is not a green field site, it has history, heritage, cultural impact for Ballarat and Ballarat East.

Tonight the council officers have recommended protecting the old school, the toddler’s block, the wall some significant trees, and all of the brick wall (up until we have a plan for the site and then revisit that), plus 5 more buildings (including the old School building on the corner, two homes on Victoria St and two buildings within the property).

The healing meditation garden needs to be given more area and respect. And at the very least the old school should be gifted to the forgotten Australians to erect of museum for them to share their lessons that we all need to learn.

I applaud the council officers report, however someone needs to be held accountable for damage to the site now and into the future.”