Clover Moore,
Lord Mayor of Sydney, gave an overview of the history of the Eveleigh site, how
at its peak it was one of the largest industrial complexes in the world, and
that the work done here had helped both open up an entire continent and build
the vast NSW rail network. She commented that Eveleigh has been designated by
the Smithsonian Institute to be one of the world’s finest remaining industrial
precincts.
Clover Moore
stated that the eviction notice to working blacksmith Guido Gouverneur is
another example of the continual erasing and diminishing of heritage and
cashing in on valuable public land that is part of the State’s “brave new world
of dictatorial development”. She expressed her concern that the
Redfern-Waterloo Authority was going to get away with exploiting the site
because only former workers or local residents were aware of its mighty legacy
and urged all present to spread the word and start lobbying.
“The people who built this place and those who worked here
thought for the long-term,” she said. “They were building a nation, they were
not looking for fast profit. We need to bring back that kind of thinking so
that the legacy we leave for future generations will be something more
substantial and meaningful than row upon row of tacky apartment blocks.”
David Fleming, 24, is one of the new generation at the
workshop who has benefited from Guido’s years of blacksmithing knowledge. He
has spent three years studying the trade at TAFE and has been working fulltime
at Wrought Artworks for the past year. When asked whether he wishes to remain
working at Eveleigh he responded enthusiastically: “I would love to! You won’t
get a shop like this anywhere in the world – there is no other place with the
capability. The first time I used that power hammer I thought, ‘Wow!” – it is a
privilege to work here.’”
A second-year machinist, Emmanual Hay, 18, shares the same
view. He points to a 200-year-old drill press, and tells the attentive audience
that though it may have a few bumps in it, it still works fine. He says that
the opportunity to work with such heritage equipment, state-of-the-art in its
time, is “unique” and says it is satisfying to use this machinery to make
heritage items such as furniture and security gates. “With new machines, they
are all computer-programmed – so you are not a tradesperson anymore, you don’t
get your hands dirty.”
Following speeches at midday, a motion was presented to
resolve the issues affecting the site. This included calls for the RWA/ATP to
withdraw the Notice to Quit on the ATP Blacksmiths, discussions with NSW
Premier Morris Iemma regarding the protection of heritage on the site, the
consideration of a National Heritage listing and an interim Green Ban on the
site. The motion was declared “unanimously carried” by Geoff Turnbull, the
spokesperson for REDWatch.
Guido Gouverneur, co-owner of Wrought Artworks said
afterwards that the Open Day was so successful that it may become an annual
event. He added that it was really refreshing to see a lot of younger people
come along, a clear indication that blacksmithing and locomotives spark
interest in all age groups. Some people told him that it had been a
life-changing experience, with one man commenting that: “He felt he had never
witnessed anything so real and tangible.”
The RWA has presented the owners of Wrought Ironworks with a
12-year lease agreement that requires Guido to pay rent (based on commercial
rates) for the blacksmithing workshop. He says that, though they hadn’t really
wanted to go down that road with the RWA, he feels they now have negotiated a
satisfactory agreement.
This means he can “get on with his life” and focus his
attention on campaigning for the preservation of the railway heritage
locations, equipment and rolling stock that remain within the Eveleigh Railway
Workshops.
Photo: Andrew Collis – Guido Gouverneur conducts an Open Day
tour
Source:
South Sydney Herald August 2008 www.southsydneyherald.com.au