9
May 1996
Hon.
Craig Knowles MP
Minister
for Urban Affairs and Planning
Minister
for Housing
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney
2000
Dear
Mr Knowles
It
is understood a development application for the Eveleigh Locomotive Workshop
was displayed in January. Unfortunately, like many interested groups, the
Engineering Heritage Committee of The Institution’s Sydney Division, missed the
opportunity to comment, because of the holiday period.
Notwithstanding,
the Committee now wishes to draw your attention to a growing concern within the
heritage community, that in the development of the Australian Technology Park,
heritage conservation of the Workshops and the machinery contained therein is
likely to be severely compromised.
The
collection of machinery, together with the architecture of the workshops and
their social history, has high heritage value. This collection of heavy
machinery for the manufacture and maintenance of steam locomotive components is
now quite rare particularly in the western world. It presents a unique
opportunity for display and demonstration, of not only machinery from a bygone
era, but of work methods and working conditions, primitive by today’s
standards.
The
Conservation Management Plan for the locomotive workshops recommended
reservation of bays 1 to 4 to house and display the machinery. Most who were
aware of the Plan, had an expectation that a decision on the conservation of
the workshops and machinery would be in accordance with its recommendations.
However,
it is understood that the development application under consideration seeks to
confine most of the machinery to bays 1, 2 and part of 3, with some items being
returned to their original locations and displayed in what will become a
gallery area, towards the centre of the building. Under this plan, the existing
operating blacksmith’s shop will remain, but will be restricted to the two half
bays it presently occupies.
There
is a very real concern that the current proposal to crowd all the machinery
into little more than two bays of the workshop will make it impossible to
adequately display and interpret the equipment and the working conditions of
its erstwhile operators. It will also drastically change the historic location
of many items and important working relationships between machines, thus
destroying an important aspect of significance.
It
is submitted that a document vital to the decision making should have been
prepared and considered as part of the Development Application. This is a long
term management plan for the machinery and the building, which thoroughly
explores options for their long term conservation, display and continued use,
in accordance with the principles of the Burra Charter.
Without
such a plan being part of the decision-making process, it is likely that many
important values of the collection will be compromised and possible
opportunities lost, such as the creation of a working museum of world
significance, with high potential for training, education, skills maintenance
and tourism.
As
it stands, the proposal is contrary to many of the principles of the Australian
charter for the conservation of places of cultural significance (the Burra
Charter).
Pending
the completion and adoption of a long term management plan, it is our view that
no approval should be given or action taken, which would change the status quo
with respect to both the machinery and the workshop from bays 1 to 4.
Attached
is a paper entitled Conservation of
Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops and Historic Machinery, which sets out
principles we believe should apply to decision-making with respect to the
conservation and future management of the building and machinery. It also
identifies areas of conflict between the Development Application and those
principles.
In
consequence of the foregoing, the Engineering Heritage Committee respectfully
requests the Minister refer these concerns to the Heritage Council for advice
and action. We further request the Minister to defer making a decision on the
Development Application until options for the long term management of the
building and machinery have been determined.
Yours
sincerely
M.N.
Clarke
Chairman
Engineering
Heritage Committee