Re: Wrought Artworks – Operating the Heritage Blacksmithing Shop, bays 1 & 2 Eveleigh
Locomotive Workshop-
Australian Technology
Park- Redfern
As a Board Member of RWA we wish to give
you an insight into our operation, a brief history of our position and the
current breakdown in communication because of an attempt to remedy a long-term
hazard in the workshop.
In 1991 The
SRA accepted a proposal from myself, Guido Gouverneur and Wendie McCaffley of
Wrought Artworks to operate our blacksmithing business within the recently
closed blacksmithing bays of the Eveleigh Locomotive Workshop as a going
concern. The first four entire bays were placed in our care. The agreement was
that in exchange for conducting our business and utilizing the blacksmithing
equipment we were to make secure, maintain the heritage value and machinery of
the workshop. Wrought Artworks undertook extensive cleaning, repairs and
installation of electrical services.
In 1993/1994 the site became the subject of a major development
proposal that sort to transform the locomotive workshops into the Australian Technology Park.
A series of planning proposals were published about the redevelopment
of the ATP and public consultation was sought. In planning the Technology Park the Heritage Office and other
government bureaucracies required that the heritage values of the site be
maintained. Under the conditions of approval granted by the Minister for Urban
Affairs and Planning the ATP was authorized to carry out on the site:
“Conservation and reuse of the
building for educational facilities, historic machinery exhibits, museum,
research and development uses, exhibition spaces and ancillary and commercial
uses”
These
Conditions of Consent, which bind the ATP, also required that the heritage
conservation values (condition 20 of the Development Consent) be undertaken in
accordance with the Conservation Management Plan endorsed by the NSW Heritage
Council in its report of 1 June 1995. Point 6:15 of the Conservation Management
Plan provide for Wrought Artworks to conduct a blacksmithing operation as a
working exhibit. Thus it was necessary for the ATP to maintain the
blacksmithing bays as an operating concern to satisfy the requirements imposed
by the Minister for Planning.
With this in
mind ATP undertook substantial modifications to the building to accommodate the
operating workshop in a commercial environment. These modifications included: –
- The
erection of an acoustical wall - Vibration
dampening to the adjacent bays - Plaza
door converted to vertical opening to allow coke deliveries - A
railing to create a physical barrier but also allow viewing with a walk through
experience - Foundations
and electrical services were installed to machines, relocated from other bays
that were preventing other areas from being developed for our utilization.
(E.g.: the Bennie Guillotine was moved from what is now the theatre). - New
gas line installed.
In 2004/2005
the ATP undertook an upgrade of the blacksmithing workshop as part of an
overall site hazard review. It addressed uncompleted works caused or damaged
during the redevelopment in conjunction with a Heritage Review of Guarding on
the machinery. This was done in consultation with a panel of experts including
Guido Gouverneur of Wrought Artworks. The upgrade included:
- Decontaminated
of floor and trusses and all surfaces.
(This necessitated us to shutdown for 6 weeks for which we were
compensated). - Extensive
guarding on machinery owned by ATP but used by WAWS. - Hard
wiring of relocated equipment to switch boards. - Original
lighting was recommissioned in Bay 1, and extra lighting provided in other
areas to provide adequate light levels for safe work. - WAWS
was issued a Trades and Small Works contract from the ATPPMT, which amongst
other works, was to coordinate and liaise with builder in the construction of a
section of new concrete flooring to remedy a potential walkway hazard. Also in
view of the need to drive the 8-tone access Genie across the floor to service
the alarms fitted into the roof to maintain the fire certificate for the
building.
Most of the
upgrades were completed but with the change of management in 2005 there was an
instruction to stop works. Two items were incomplete, one being the restoration
of the original door and the largest hazard, (advanced in design after
considerable consultation and about to go to the construction phase) – the
upgrading of the asphalt area and the concrete slab in a major throughour fare
of the workshop. Damaged primarily when services were being layed at the
construction phase of the ATP.
Early in 2007,
after discussion with the ATP management, we sent a letter requesting direction
and approval for the remaining works to eliminate the remaining hazard at our
cost. We had no response. We again raised the issue again with ATPPML in mid
2007, with no response.
By January
2008, on our return to work, we still had not received a response but decided
the hazard had to be dealt with and began to undertake the works ourselves, at
our own cost, as we felt there was no interest in what we were doing. We finally poured the concrete floor, much to
the relief of our staff and ourselves. Further works on a section requiring
asphalt was about to commence.
We again sent
correspondence to the ATP, informing them of the completed section and for
permission to continue with the next stage. We were then communicated with by
the RWA, informing us the works were unlawfully performed and we were given
direction (finally) on how to gain approval via the relevant web sites. We were
advised not to continue with the works. The relevant forms were obtained,
completed and sent to RWA as the Landowners for co-signing. We received
communication that: -“ we would shortly be receiving correspondence from
solicitors for ATPPML and they would not be consenting to any such works”.
This
confusing, frustrating and now threatening relationship is counterproductive.
We note the RWA mission statement reads:
“To establish Redfern Waterloo as an active,
vibrant and sustainable community by promoting and supporting greater
social cohesion and community safety, respect for the cultural heritage and
orderly development of the area in consideration of social, economic,
ecological and other sustainable development.”
Our Company embodies
all that the RWA mission statement sets out to achieve:
- We
provide a unique and lasting memory to visitors and tenants to the ATP - We
have consistently over our seventeen years at Eveleigh been committed to
training young people with a one to one apprentice/tradesman ratio. We
currently have 2 blacksmithing apprentices, 1 machinist apprentice, and Chris
Sulis has recently received his trade certificates and is now a tradesman in
the workshop. We have been partially instrumental in having the
only accredited course in Industrial Smithing within Australia continue. - We
have won awards for work on civic monuments and are renowned for excellence in
our understanding of Victorian Engineering and its application in the modern
idiom. We manufactured the window frames on the NIC building, recast from cast
iron pipe salvaged from the site, and the bronze railing around the machine
exhibit in the Bio Medical foyer. Enclosed in our information pack are some of
the other heritage projects we have undertaken. - Guido
Gouverneur was awarded 2001Citizen Award by South Sydney City Council for
services to the restoration of heritage machinery at Eveleigh. - The
safety of our staff and us is of prime importance.
It is also
regrettable that some of the machinery collection outside our control is
neglected and languishes unprotected to the whims of the elements.
As the longest
tenants in the Park we would like to open the lines of communication with the
Board and begin a discussion for the workshop to operate in perpetuity. We
would like to invite the board (perhaps proceeding the next Board meeting) to a
quick tour of this valuable, truly unique, operating heritage trade based asset
to the Park and Sydney. We also ask of the board to assist us in completing the
remediation of the floor.
Yours truly,
Guido
Governeur Wendie
McCaffley