Heritagensw Spring2007 Vol.14 No.2

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NewSlet teroftheheritageCouNCilofNSwaNDthe heritageoffiCe ,NSwDePartMeNtofPl aNNiNg

Heritage NSW is the official newsletter of the Heritage Office, nsw Department of Planning. Articles may be quoted with appropriate attribution.

heritageofficeDepartmentofPlanning3 Marist Place, Parramatta, nswLocked Bag 5020, Parramatta nsw 2124Tel: (02) 9873 8500 Fax (02) 9873 8599Home page: www.heritage.nsw.gov.auE-mail: heritageoffice@heritage.nsw.gov.au

ChairoftheheritageCouncilofNSwMichael Collins

executiveDirectoroftheheritageofficeReece McDougall

Director-generaloftheDepartmentofPlanningsam Haddad

heritageNSwEditor: Elaine stewartDesign: Harley & Jones Design

Message from the Minister

A lot can change in thirty years. That’s why this year, as the Heritage Act enters its third decade, I have announced a review of the legislation.

The review will ensure the legislation is working effectively and that its processes are still sound.

Over the last thirty years people have become more informed and comfortable with heritage conservation and its role in the planning system.

Most would agree that adaptive reuse is a much better outcome for everybody than having an untouched, but lifeless historical relic.

we must make sure we protect our heritage, but without imposing unnecessary burdens on owners, consent authorities and communities.

The Heritage Act review is part of the Iemma Government’s commitment to creating regulatory processes that are simpler and easier to understand.

we are in the process of reviewing our planning laws and looking at ways to make the system work better. Heritage is an important part of our planning system, so it makes sense to review heritage legislation at the same time.

The Government is also conscious of the 2005

Productivity Commission Report and the Australian Government’s increasingly active role in heritage issues. we need to look sensibly at reducing the growing overlap between all three government jurisdictions – local, state and national.

The Heritage Act review will be conducted by an expert panel including Gabrielle Kibble (Chair), Michael Collins, Chair of the Heritage Council, and lawyer John whitehouse, the key architect of the present Act.

The panel has called for public submissions. I invite you to make your contribution to this important review process.

hon.frankSartorMP

MinisterforPlanningMinisterforredfernwaterlooMinisterforthearts

Contents3

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new on the Register

A celebration of human creativity

Are convict sites next for world Heritage?

The art of painting conservation – conserving wwII altar panels

A cultural and educational landmark

Bridges to the future

walking in the footsteps of the Curlew Camp artists

The secrets of joinery

Heritage Office news

Spring2007 Vol.14 No.2

Cover: That ‘exhilarating celebration of human creativity’ – the Sydney Opera House was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in June 2007, photo courtesy of the sydney Opera House

Issn 1321-1099HO 07/06Print Post Approval no. PP 255003/01429Published september 2007

© state of new south wales through the Heritage Office, nsw Department of Planning, 2007. You may copy, distribute, display, download and otherwise freely deal with this work for any purpose, provided that you attribute the Heritage Office, nsw Department of Planning as the owner. However, you must obtain permission if you wish to (1) charge others for access to the work (other than at cost), (2) include the work in advertising or a product for sale or (3) modify the work.

DiSClaiMerThis document has been prepared by the Heritage Office, Department of Planning, for general information purposes. while every care has been taken in relation to its accuracy, no warranty is given or implied. Recipients should obtain their own independent advice before making any decisions that rely on this information.

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Message from the ChairIt is with a good deal of sadness that I am writing my last message to Heritage NSW readers as Chair of the Heritage Council. At the end of this year I reach the statutory limit for my term as a Heritage Council member.

During the last ten years it has been my privilege to work with my fellow Heritage Council members on recommending the listing of places as diverse as the Hermit’s Cave in Grif fith, new Italy in northern new south wales, Iandra in the Central west and the sydney Opera House.

During this time we have also considered significant development proposals for important places like Prince Henry Hospital, walsh Bay, the Port Macquarie Government House site and the Quarantine station at north Head.

It is my firm belief that our principled but pragmatic approach to our statutory

responsibilities has made a positive dif ference to the management of nsw’s heritage. In our consent authority role, whether at pre-DA stage or as part of the formal approvals process, our attention is firmly fixed on encouraging proposals that extend the life of significant places without diminishing their heritage significance.

At the same time I recognize that our work would not be possible without the professionalism of heritage consultants and the development industry and the excellent work and sound advice of the Heritage Office Executive Director and his staff.

The state’s heritage inventory, in all of its forms, is part of the social and cultural legacy that we pass onto future generations. But to be most effective in undertaking this significant responsibility we must continually strive to adapt and improve our

MichaelCollinsChairoftheheritageCouncil

New on the Register“Items of particular importance to the people of NSW…”thefollowingplaceshaverecentlybeenlistedontheStateheritageregister:

The Rooty Hill

A bare topped hill that divides the busy roads of Rooty Hill south, Eastern Road and the new M7 motorway has been listed on the state Heritage Register because of its role as a government farm and Aboriginal meeting place in the first decades of European settlement.

The Rooty Hill survives as a remnant of the second largest of four Government depots and stock farms, which served a critical role as a food reserve for the infant colony.

The Rooty Hill is also significant because Aboriginal people used the site as a post-European camping and meeting place for people travelling over the Blue Mountains, to and from Parramatta and sydney.

Photo by Bronwyn Hanna

Norah Head Lighthouse Precinct

norah Head Lighthouse, the last of the colonial era light stations built along the nsw central coast, was completed in 1903. Its design was inspired by Francis Greenway’s original Macquarie lighthouse and the later work of Colonial Architect James Barnet.

norah Head’s optical mechanisms are unique – its lens float in a bed of mercury to reduce friction. Originally, the lens revolved by means of a long chain and a set of weights, but today the system is electronically lit.

The 15.6 hectare precinct, which includes the lighthouse, three keepers’ residences, old stables and a flag locker, as well as distinctive native vegetation and sites of Aboriginal heritage significance, was listed on the state Heritage Register in April 2007.

Photo by Ann Lavis

The Hermit’s Cave Complex

The 16 hectare Hermit’s Cave Complex, located on a scenic hill on the outskirts of Griffith, is the legacy of Valerio Ricetti, an Italian who migrated to south Australia in 1914.

As an itinerant worker, Ricetti moved around inland southern nsw and Victoria until he arrived in Griffith in 1929. He decided to settle as a recluse on scenic Hill where, using the traditional artisan skill of dry stone walling, he fashioned the natural landscape and materials into an elaborate complex of rock shelters and cave-like enclosures that stretched for at least a kilometre. He even created terraced gardens to provide food crops and cisterns for his water supply.

Ricetti was interned as an enemy alien during world war II but was released in December 1943 and returned to Griffith. In 1952, he returned to Italy, where he died six months later.

The Hermit’s Cave complex was listed on the state Heritage Register in January this year. Griffith City Council recently received a $10,000 grant from the Heritage Incentives Program to undertake conservation work and interpretation at the Hermit’s Cave Complex.

Photo by Claudine Loffi

methods of cultural heritage management. That is why, in this 30th anniversary year of its creation, I welcome the Minister’s decision to conduct a review of the Heritage Act. This gives the community the opportunity to reflect on the Act and the positive improvements that have been made to the original legislation in recent years (and there have been a few of those), but also to look at creative measures that could be taken to improve the way in which the heritage system operates.

I encourage you all to put your thinking caps on and contribute constructive and practical suggestions as part of the review process.

Finally, I wish you all many productive years ahead as you pursue your passionate interest in the heritage of new south wales.

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Built E

nvironm

ent

A celebration of human creativity

when Ole Briseid, acting Chair of the world Heritage Committee said the magic word ‘adopted’, he was announcing the entry of the sydney Opera House onto one of the most coveted lists in the world – the world Heritage List. In doing so, he confirmed what we all know – that the sydney Opera House is a masterpiece of human creative genius.

Indeed, these are the very words of one of the criteria which the building had to satisfy, and despite the early controversies surrounding its construction, there were none when it came to the deliberations of the world Heritage Committee.

Twenty-one countries have representatives on the Committee and none voiced an objection to the sydney Opera House listing – and several spoke in support.

For those who laboured on the nomination there was little doubt that the building belonged on the list, but lurking in the background was the 1980 nomination, which had been submitted by the Australian government only seven years after the Opera House was completed. On that occasion the world Heritage Committee decided to defer the nomination on the basis that ‘there should be clear evidence that modern structures were outstanding examples of a distinctive architectural style.’

susan Macdonald, from the Heritage Office, who coordinated the nomination process, says that since then the international community’s appreciation of the beauty and grandeur of the sydney Opera House and the world Heritage Committee’s acceptance of the merit of twentieth century architecture has grown.

“The Opera House now joins Antoni Gaudi buildings in spain and the Luis Barragan House and studio in Mexico City on the List,” she said.

when UnEsCO’s world Heritage Committee met in new Zealand in June, they had to consider 45 nominations proposed by 39 countries. The sydney Opera House was one of only 22 sites which actually made it on to the list. several items were deferred and for the first time the Committee removed a site – the Arabian Oryx sanctuary – because of Oman’s failure to preserve the outstanding universal value of the sanctuary. There are now 851 properties on the world Heritage List – 660 cultural, 166 natural and 25 mixed.

The International Council on Monuments and sites (ICOMOs) report to the world Heritage Committee on the sydney Opera House recounted Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s design of the building in 1957 and his subsequent collaboration with the engineers Ove Arup and Partners on the construction, as well as the involvement of Australian architects Peter Hall, Lionel Todd and David Littlemore, who were brought in to complete the design. It also acknowledged Utzon’s more recent involvement in modifications to the building.

“todaythismagnificenturbansculptureinhabitsitsharbourhomewithsuchgracethat

itappearstohavegrowntherebynature.anexhilaratingcelebrationofhumancreativity,

itunfailinglydelights,inspiresandraisesthehumanspirit.”

StatePartyrespondingtothedecisionoftheworldheritageCommitteetoaddthe

SydneyoperahousetouNeSCo’sworldheritagelist,June2007.

A celebration of human creativity

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The success of the sydney Opera House nomination has enthused Heritage Office staff working on another world Heritage nomination, which tells the Australian convict story.

Eleven sites – all on the national Heritage List – have been selected to form part of what is called a ‘serial’ nomination. In nsw there are four sites: Hyde Park Barracks, Old Great north Road, Old Government House and its Domain (Parramatta), and Cockatoo Island. The others are Kingston and Arthurs Vale in norfolk Island; Port Arthur, Darlington Probation station, Cascades Female Factory, the Coal Mines, and Brickendon and woolmers Estates in Tasmania, and Fremantle Prison in western Australia.

Bruce Baskerville, who is managing the nsw component of the nomination in the Heritage Office, says that a 1992 study revealed that the story of convictism in Australia has the potential to be of outstanding universal value, and recommended that a nomination be developed for the world Heritage List. A nomination was prepared in 1997–99 but not finalised.

“The current nomination is focusing on one of the six principal themes for identifying outstanding universal values – The Movement of Peoples,” Bruce said.

“In our case it is the transportation of convicts to the British colonies in Australia between 1788 and 1868.”

Bruce says there are six criteria for assessing outstanding universal value.

“we believe that together these sites meet two of them because

The Sydney Opera House was added to the World Heritage List in June 2007.

Photos courtesy of the sydney Opera House

Two of the convict sites from NSW which are being proposed for World Heritage listing – Old Government House and its Domain, Parramatta Park and Cockatoo Island on Sydney Harbour.

Photos courtesy of Parramatta Park Trust and sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

now that it is on the world Heritage List the sydney Opera House will be managed in accordance with the Management Plan for Protecting the World and National Heritage Values of the Sydney Opera House. In this document the environmental impact assessment and approval requirements and the management arrangements for the sydney Opera House are spelt out. A buffer zone, which was designated around the site, will also come into effect.

The nsw Minister for Planning is responsible for considering any impacts on the sydney Opera House itself, or proposed development within the buffer zone, which might impact on the site’s world Heritage values.

Few would argue with the sentiments expressed by the Minister, Frank sartor, when he announced the listing, that “… sydney shares Utzon’s triumph – we have never forgotten what a gift he gave this great city and now the world will never forget it either.”

Copies of the nomination document can be purchased from the Heritage Office for $50.

The World Heritage Committee Room.

Photo by John Foster of John Foster Images Ltd, Christchurch

ICOMOs recommended the listing on the basis that the sydney Opera House is:

… one of the most enduring

images of the twentieth

century. It is undoubtedly a

world-renowned monument

that traverses space and time

… it stands by itself as one of

the indisputable masterpieces

of creativity, not only of the

twentieth century, we suggest,

but much more widely.

they provide an ‘outstanding example of buildings, ensembles and landscapes’ that illustrate ‘events, ideas and beliefs’.

“no one site tells the whole story, but together they tell the overall story,” Bruce said.

Community consultations recently concluded as part of the Convict sites nomination process, and work is now proceeding on the development of the dossier that has to be

provided to UnEsCO’s world Heritage Centre by February next year. If all goes well, the Heritage Office may be back before the world Heritage Committee in 2009.

For more information on the Australian Convict sites world Heritage nomination visit the Heritage Office website: www.heritage.nsw.gov.au

Are Convict Sites next for World Heritage?

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Cultural H

eritage

Judging from the signatures on the two altar pieces they were probably created in 1946 and several artists were involved. One of the paintings is signed by Pieraccini, ITAL. P.w. 7-9-46 and the other by Vanucci.

The two altar panels, which once graced the Camp’s Catholic Chapel, were at risk of disintegrating. Years of exposure to the elements and constant changes in temperature and humidity had caused the timber to expand and contract repeatedly. The grain itself had begun to lif t, resulting in a very large unstable layer of paint as cracks appeared and webbed across the surface.

Before attempting to stabilise the paint layer, Adam and Anna had to carefully and slowly remove every speck of dirt. They then had to consolidate the paint layer and apply a protective varnish to the surface to stop further loss of paint.

The damaged edges of the painting were also stabilised and a protective timber strip attached to the bottom to prevent further damage.

Once this was completed, the cosmetic work could be carried out. Lost paintwork was filled in to match the texture of the surrounding paint and then inpainted to match the original work.

Adam said the paintings were clearly done in extraordinary conditions.

“It must have been very dif ficult to acquire artists’ materials and oil paints. Even the construction of the arched timber panels is skillfully made,” he said.

not unsurprisingly, as the weeks wore on the conservators found themselves drawn to the stories captured within the art works.

“There is something special about the stories around the paintings that makes them something wonderful – more than just art works,” Adam said.

“Mary and Joseph are painted in an Australian background with the barbed wire of the camp.”

now stored in temperature controlled conditions, the two altar panels will be the centrepiece of the Italian POw exhibition at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery.

Adam said their ten weeks of labour could not have had better results.

“we have two secure and stable paintings that appear as the artists first intended. It has been an exciting project for all of us.

“This is where I find conservation so satisfying, to be able to preserve a part of history, and more importantly, the human element of these art works,” he said.

The altar panels, located in the Catholic Chapel, were retrieved by the chaplains when the Cowra POw Camp closed in 1947 and handed to the parish priest at st Raphael’s Catholic Church.

Acquired by Cowra shire Council in the late 1990s, the works have been stored at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery since it was built in 2000.

The Heritage Office contributed $12 500 towards the restoration project in the 2006-2008 Heritage Incentives Program.

The art of painting conservation – conserving WWII altar panels

The Cowra POw Camp, which is listed on the state Heritage Register, is the site of the only land battle fought on Australian soil during wwII and the largest escape of POws in modern history.

The Camp is believed to have housed around 2,000 Italian prisoners at any one time – the first arrived in 1943. Regarded by the locals as easy going and good labourers, the Italians soon found work on surrounding farms. The Italians did not take part in the Cowra Breakout by the Japanese POws in August 1944.

Adam Godijn, International Conservation Services.

Anna Diakowska-Czarnota, International Conservation Services, working on one of the altar panels.

Photo by Adam Godijn

askanyartconservatorandtheywilltellyouthatnotwoprojectsarethesame.eachprojectcomeswithitsownuniqueproblemsandsolutions.DebrahollandreportsonthechallengethatconfrontedadamgodijnandannaDiakowska-Czarnota,conservatorswithChatswoodbasedinternationalConservationServices,whentheysetouttorestoretwoplywoodaltarpanelspaintedbyitalianprisonersinternedattheCowraPowCamp.

The Cowra POW Camp altar panels.

Photos by Adam Godijn

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Just about every architect of note since the mid 19th century has had a role somewhere in the design of the buildings and spaces that comprise the University of sydney. For most people the University’s grand Gothic Revival sandstone buildings, and the Quadrangle which they form, are the defining image of the oldest university in Australia.

Amongst the veritable ‘who’s who’ of architects who worked on the Quadrangle are Edmund Blacket, who drew up the first plans for it, Government Architect walter Liberty Vernon, who designed the south-western corner, and Lesley wilkinson (later to become Professor of Architecture at the university), who designed the northern and western wings.

Managing the heritage significance of this unique cultural landscape, which includes over 50 heritage listed items, is a huge undertaking for Chris Legge-wilkinson, Manager, Heritage Policy and Projects, who has been doing the job since 2003.

‘The University of sydney had always done conservation works, but it was usually in response to an urgent problem.

‘It was Professor Ken Eltis, Pro Vice Chancellor in the late 1990s, who recognised and supported the push to better manage the University’s heritage assets.’

since then a lot has happened – a fabric survey of all heritage buildings (1999), 35 conservation management plans, a heritage asset register, and a conservation works plan, which lists works for the next five year period. Already about $22m has been spent on conservation works and interior upgrades. This annual budget is about $2.7m (including $1m for heritage façades).

without the strategy it may have been hard to work out where to begin, given the size and complexity of the heritage portfolio, but Chris says one of the things that has driven the program was the age and life-cycle of the building materials.

‘sandstone usually has a life of about 125 years and two of our most heritage significant sandstone buildings at the university, are over 100 years old,’ Chris said.

works to the northern façade of one of these, the Anderson stuart Building, were completed last year. Designed by James Barnet, Colonial Architect, with subsequent additions by Vernon and wilkinson, the building has been used as a medical school since 1889.

sandstone was replaced on the northern façade, using stone from the government’s reserve for state listed heritage buildings; the slate roof, some parapets and gargoyle

stones were also replaced. There are still more works to do on the Anderson stuart Building, including the replacement of the slate roof on the Barnet section, but the university’s priorities this year are the Old Darlington school and MacLaurin Hall.

The school was designed by George Allen Mansfield, again in the Gothic revival style and constructed in 1878. Ownership was transferred to the university in 1975 and it is now used by the Conservatorium of Music for concerts and music practise.

The slate roof is to be replaced, along with the fascias and guttering, and some stone conservation and replacement work is to be done on the external walls and chimneys.

MacLaurin Hall, which forms the north-east corner to the Quadrangle, was designed as a purpose-built library by nsw Government Architect walter Liberty Vernon with George McCrae. It opened in 1909 as the Fisher Library (since relocated to its current building) and now houses the famous nicholson collection.

stonework is being replaced on the building, so the government’s special supplies of yellow block sandstone will be called upon once again.

The focus so far has been on identifying and conserving the heritage buildings and spaces in the university but Chris says there is also the university’s movable heritage, which is managed by sydney University Museums, University Archives and the University Library.

‘The nicholson collection, which contains the largest and most prestigious collection of antiquities in Australia, should probably have its catalogue listed with our s170 register,’ Chris said.

It just demonstrates what a treasure trove of heritage there is at University of sydney.

Built H

eritage

Old Darlington School. Photo by Bronwyn Hanna

A cultural and educational landmarkatargetdateof2009wassetbytheNSwgovernmentforthecompletionofheritageassetregistersfor65NSwagencies.thishasbeenthecatalystfortheuniversityofSydneytoconservesomeofSydney’sfinestheritagebuildings.

MacLaurin Hall, exterior and interior ceiling. Photos by David white

Eng

ineering H

eritage

Bridges to the future

The timber bridges of nsw face a challenging future. Many of them are 100 years old and require their first major cycle of repair. To compound the problem, the large, old-growth hardwood species that originally furnished timber for bridge construction are in increasingly short supply.

As part of a Timber Bridge Task Force, created by the Premier’s Department in March 2007, the Heritage Office, Department of Planning, joins the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the Roads and Traffic Authority, and Forests nsw to develop a whole-of-government strategy to identify, retain, conserve and ensure the safe use of these significant heritage items.

Timber bridges are important elements of the rural built environment. They contribute to new south wales’ reputation as ‘the timber bridge state’ and to the appeal of country tourism.

Ranging from simple timber beam creek crossings to complex timber truss road structures and rail bridges, they form a tangible record of the state’s engineering history and the evolution of its road and rail transport systems.

The Roads and Traffic Authority, state Rail Authority, Rail Infrastructure Corporation, Australian Rail Track Corporation, RailCorp and local councils all own or manage timber bridges.

The Heritage Office’s goal is to see these items retained in their locations, as functioning road bridges, keeping their technological structures and original materials maintained and repaired, as authentically as possible.

Identifying and securing suitable timber and ensuring that it finds its way to the most significant bridges is an essential first step in the Timber Bridge Conservation strategy. Forests nsw has funded a full-time Heritage Bridge Timbers Officer to carry out this task over the next six months, in consultation with supervising Forest Officers and harvesting contractors.

The Timber Bridge Task Force is also considering the establishment of dedicated hardwood plantations to meet bridge girder requirements in 50 to 60 years time. Interim repairs with substitute materials are an option for those bridges not deemed to be of the highest significance.

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Heritage bridges like these over the Hunter River at Morpeth are a unique part of the NSW landscape.

Forests nsw Image Library, photographer David Barnes

“It’s the interim measures adopted during that period – the next half century or so – that will determine the survival or disappearance of the timber bridges of new south wales”, said Heritage Office Executive Director, Reece McDougall.

Of course, appropriate timber supply is only one of the challenges confronting these heritage icons of the Timber Bridge state.

The growth in the size, weight and speed of commercial vehicles has overtaken the carrying capacity of many

timber bridges. not all bridges are of equal heritage value and conservation is more feasible for some bridges than for others. The Heritage Office and the RTA are cooperating to identify those that should receive the highest priority for conservation.

The Heritage Office will continue working in close consultation with the other agencies represented on the task force to retain these unique features in the new south wales landscape, and their important role in the cultural, recreational and economic life of their communities.

theheritageofficehasjoinedamulti-agencytask

forcetoconserveourState’sdistinctivetimberbridges,

BillNetheryreports.

The 1893 McKanes Bridge over the Cox’s River at Lithgow has an Engineers Australia plaque which recognises it as a National Engineering Landmark. This is a McDonald timber truss bridge.

Photo courtesy of Engineers Australia, sydney Division

Victoria Bridge over Stonequarry Creek, Picton. This is the second oldest Allan Truss bridge in NSW – built in 1897. The timber trestles supporting the bridge are the tallest in NSW, at 18m.

Photo courtesy of the Roads and Traffic Authority

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This practice emerged in Australia in the late 1880s when prominent Australian artists such as Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin, Charles Conder and Arthur streeton ventured into the Australian landscape, set up camp and painted the scenery around them.

One of the first places this occurred was at Heidelberg, near Melbourne in Victoria, and the location gave its name to what became known as a significant art movement in Australia – the Heidelberg school. The artists made much of the natural light to create an Australian impressionism, which is similar to the French Impressionist movement in its inspiration, but also dif ferent from it because of the intense light in the antipodes.

In sydney, an artists’ camp was set up on the eastern shore of

Little sirius Cove, on sydney Harbour by clothing manufacturer Reuben Brasch and his brothers. The Brasch Family owned and operated a department store Reuben Brasch Pty Ltd on Oxford street, opposite Hyde Park.

The camp was a weekend retreat for the brothers, but it soon became a gathering place for artists, writers and musicians, who wanted to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow ‘bohemians’. women would visit rather than stay overnight due to the strict social and sexual conventions at the time.

Arthur streeton and Tom Roberts first visited the camp in the early 1890s and stayed there on and off during that time. By this time the camp had a dining hall, a billiards tent and well maintained gardens. Other visitors included Livingstone Hopkins who worked for the Bulletin, as well as artists Julian Ashton and AH Fullwood.

A pathway was built to help access the Camp, which led down to ‘Cooee Point’ on the foreshore. Visitors would call ‘cooee’ to request a boat ride across to the Camp.

The surroundings were irresistible to the painters. In 1894, Roberts painted Mosman’s Bay, depicting an idyllic scene on the water.

The painting hung on the wall of the Armidale Teacher’s College for many years. now reputed to be worth $8m to $10m it is one of the treasures of the Hinton collection at the new England Regional Art Museum.

The Curlew Camp was abandoned in 1912 when the site was chosen for the new Taronga Zoo and was virtually forgotten. In the last 20 years there has been increasing interest in recording the historical significance of the Camp.

A new foreshore walk, the Curlew Camp Artists’ walk, which traces the route of those who visited Curlew Camp, was opened earlier this year. It starts at south Mosman wharf and travels around the harbour’s edge to Taronga Zoo. Along the way there are several interpretive signs, bringing the Curlew Camp artists’ story to life.

Mosman Council received $10 000 funding for the walk from the Heritage Incentives Program. Council is considering further upgrading of the track and new interpretation, including an easel to frame the view shared by Roberts and his colleagues and friends.

while the activity on and around the Harbour is much greater today than it was over 100 years ago it is easy to see what drew those great Australian artists to the shores of Little sirius Cove. Despite the city buildings in the background, the view across to Cremorne Point is virtually unchanged since that time.

Cultural H

eritage

Walking in the footsteps of the Curlew Camp Artists

Mosman’s Bay by Tom Roberts, 1894. Oil on canvas, 647 x 978mm.

Courtesy of new England Regional Art Museum, Armidale, nsw. Gift of Howard Hinton, 1933. The Howard Hinton Collection

Sincethelateeighteenthcenturyithasbeenthecustomofwesternartiststojourneyintothecountrytoliveandpaint‘enpleinair’,oroutdoors.

The Curlew Camp Artists walkway along the Harbour.

Photo by Debra Holland

Map showing the route of the Curlew Artists Camp Walk.

Courtesy of Mosman Municipal Council

Interpretive signage erected along the Curlew Camp Artists’ Walk.

Photo by Debra Holland

Greekovolo

fillet filletGreekovolo

bead Greekcymareversa

chamfer

Progression of moulding profiles 1810-1915

Romancymareversa

1906Mosman

1912Fairlight

1914Eryldene

1813-18Rouse Hill

1834-35Rose Bay Cottage

186631 George Street

chamfer fillet splay fillet Romanovolo

fillet

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Technical Heritag

e

The secrets of joinery

Joinery, the elements employed to decorate and finish a building, such as door cases, windows, panelling, architraves and skirting, was traditionally used as a means of expressing the style and status of a building, as well as the spaces within it.

They are expressed in the design and configuration, as well as the mouldings used for each component. Joinery elements are rarely changed or replaced, unless major alteration or damage has occurred; therefore they are often a reliable record of the original period.

The most elaborate joinery was usually reserved for the front elevation and the main rooms – simpler and more utilitarian joinery was located at the rear. In the main public rooms, architraves were wider and skirtings higher and more elaborate. Elsewhere, these elements were scaled down and had less elaborate mouldings.

As well as variations due to status and hierarchy, the configuration and design of elements, particularly doors and windows, changed over time, due to fashion and technology. Until the 1840s and even in some cases the 1850s, entry doors were usually of six panels, often with elegant fanlights, and in the earliest years of the colony, sidelights as well. In the mid 19th century, four-panelled doors became common, remaining popular until the very late Victorian period. At this time, doors began to assume a ‘high waisted’ appearance, with higher

lock rails and glass panels in the upper parts. Early windows were small paned, but as larger glass panes became available, the design of sashes and windows changed dramatically.

The date of a building and its subsequent evolution can often be determined by the profile of the mouldings, as well as the configuration of doors and windows. In the early colonial and Regency periods, mouldings were elegant and subtle, based more on Greek curves, often finished with a fine bead or flat fillet.

From the 1840s–1850s onwards, there was a gradual increase in the use of the more rounded Roman curves in panel or sunk mouldings, and the use of a splayed or chamfered fillet at the inner edge of the mould. These subtle changes in the mouldings allow for more accurate dating, and the best way to understand these is to feel them as if you were blind. A colleague, wal Murray, and I carried out a study of the joinery of 19 sydney

oneofthemostreliableindicatorsoftheage,style,andevenuseofabuilding

canbefoundinitstimberjoinery.alanCrokerbelievesthatretainingandconserving

itisessentialifwearetorespectthesignificanceofaplace.

Timber chimneypiece 1898, Greycliffe House, Vaucluse.

Door details, Gannon House 1839, The Rocks.

front door internal door

DR

Aw

InG

s ©

wA

L M

UR

RA

Y

Greekovolo

fillet filletGreekovolo

bead Greekcymareversa

chamfer

Progression of moulding profiles 1810-1915

Romancymareversa

1906Mosman

1912Fairlight

1914Eryldene

1813-18Rouse Hill

1834-35Rose Bay Cottage

186631 George Street

chamfer fillet splay fillet Romanovolo

fillet

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houses for a recent book and used these profiles to illustrate the changes over time. while we wrote the book together, wal prepared all the measured drawings but sadly passed away before the book was published.

Unfortunately, in the present construction environment, it is often considered easier to remove and replace existing joinery than repair it, because it is considered too dif ficult or expensive. The desire for clean and unblemished surfaces and mouldings is another reason, but this denies the building the evidence of its history. while these may appear to be well-placed intentions, they have the potential to substantially and negatively impact on the quality and integrity of the building, resulting in a loss of authenticity.

If we are to consider retention and repair of these original joinery elements, then we should start with the Burra Charter principles of ‘do as much as necessary but as little as possible’ and ‘understand the significance of the place and its component parts’ before deciding on a course of action.

Apart from these overarching principles, we can summarise the main principles as follows:

n Understand the cause of deterioration and if it is external, such as termites or water damage, rectify these first or the joinery repairs may well be in vain.

n Carry out repairs in situ wherever possible – the less disturbance, the less to repair.

n Retain original surfaces and evidence of earlier finishes – they may be significant.

n All repairs should be reversible so that further repair in the future is possible.

n All glues and fixings should be reversible – no glue nails and no epoxy, unless it is to reinstate the original structural integrity of a single piece of timber, such as a splice onto the stile of a sash frame.

n All joints should be wedged and tightened in the traditional manner.

n where glue is required, to fix a split panel or other member, it should be no stronger than traditional animal glue or PVA, and definitely weaker than the timber it is joining.

n Original joint details should be re-instated, unless these are the cause of failure.

n nail fixings into timber should be retained as hand-driven traditional nails, which can be withdrawn later. nail guns and concealed screw fixings should be avoided.

n Original and early glass should be protected and retained.

n Original and early hardware, including any hand made screws, should be retained and put in working order.

n Evidence of use and wear and tear should be retained, whereas earlier repair or deliberate mutilation could be repaired or removed if required. First determine if the damage is an integral part of the significance of the place, before such decisions are made.

n Maintain all moving parts – windows and doors etc – in full working order, to permit regular maintenance checks.

It is crucial to retain as much joinery as possible in its original location, so that future generations can also enjoy and learn from it. This is important not only in conservation terms but also in terms of sustainability, since much of our 19th and 20th century joinery was made from old growth timbers, which are increasingly rare. Replacement of this joinery with modern and frequently inferior timber would be a tragedy for conservation in its broadest meaning, impacting on both the cultural and natural environment.

Detail of drawing room doorcase, History House 1872, Macquarie St.

Sydney.

Architrave repair, Wivenhoe, Camden. Front door detail – Oaklands 1842, Pambula.

Drawings by Wal Murray from Traditional Joinery – Sydney Houses 1810-1915 by Wal Murray and Alan Croker, Watermark Press, Boorowa, 2005.

Photos by Alan Croker

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www.heritage.nsw.gov.au

Heritage Office NewsShipwrecks of NSW calendarA 2008 Shipwrecks of NSW calendar, produced by the Rotary Club of sydney with the support of the Heritage Office, is available for sale through Rotary Clubs and from the Heritage Office. several well-known shipwrecks are featured, including the Bega near Tathra, the Centurion in sydney Harbour, and Australia’s AE2 submarine in Turkey. The photographs of the wrecks were taken by Mark spencer, a diver and photographer, who initiated the project. Funds from the sale of the calendars will go to Rotary.

2008 Shipwreck Heritage – NSW calendar.

Three new technical bulletins on the wayThe Heritage Office has commissioned three new technical bulletins – salt Attack and Rising Damp, Mortars, and Graffiti and Paint Removal.

salt Attack and Rising Damp, commissioned in conjunction with Heritage Victoria and Heritage south Australia, is a major revision of an earlier south Australian document by David Young. Due later this year, it will cover the nature of moisture movement in masonry and the intimate connection to salt behaviour; review sources of damp, and ways of maintaining fabric and current technology in inserted damp proof courses. seminars will be held around the release of the publication as part of the Heritage Office’s professional education program.

The other publications are underway and will be available shortly after.

Funding kick-starts conservation appeal for Annandale landmarkThe Heritage Council of nsw has provided $10 000 kick-start funding for the national Trust of Australia (nsw) appeal to raise $4.5 million for much needed conservation and repair work to the façade and interior of the Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church at Annandale and its rare 1890 william Hill & son pipe organ and church hall.

This is in addition to $29 000 provided separately by the Government through the 2006 Heritage Incentives Program for urgent conservation works to the façade.

The Church, built around 1889, is one of the last and certainly one of the finest examples of Victorian era Gothic churches. It was designed by Cyril and Arthur Blacket, sons of the noted colonial architect Edmund Blacket.

The Governor of nsw, Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, launched the national Trust appeal in April.

The Hon. Verity Firth (Member for Balmain), Clive Lucas (conservation architect), Malcolm and Margaret Beveridge (members of the appeal committee), and the Heritage Office’s Vince Sicari, with the $10 000 cheque from the Heritage Council to kick-start the appeal for the conservation of the Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church, Annandale.

Photo by Murray Brown

NSW Heritage Grants 2008-2009Grants for this program are now available. Funding is focused and targeted for greatest impact and community benefit towards ‘highly valued and cared for, well maintained and managed heritage items of significance to NSW’.

The first priority is state Heritage Register items across the whole of nsw (with the exception of items owned by state agencies), and then state significant heritage items.

The categories for funding are:

State Heritage Register and state significant heritage item projectsn Historical researchn Conservation documents and

management reportsn Heritage advice cash-backn Kick-start fundraisingn Interpretationn works

Local government heritage managementn Heritage planning studiesn Heritage advisorsn Local heritage funds

Community strategic projects

Aboriginal heritage projects

Special purpose projects

Important informationn Grants only will be offered

to all applicants across the programs.

n Applications for the works and Interpretation programs close in mid november.

n Applications for the new Community strategic Projects Program can be made until 1 January 2008.

n All other programs will run throughout the year and applications can be made at any time.

For further information and application forms visit the Heritage Office website at www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/funding

Heritage Council support for Sustainable Cities AwardsThe 2007 Keep Australia Beautiful sustainable Cities Awards have recently been announced. The Heritage Council sponsors one of the awards, which recognises achievements by metropolitan councils to conserve local heritage. Congratulations go to the winner of this year’s award – the City of Ryde – for the conservation of Brush Farm House, which was officially reopened in April by the Prime Minister after a $3.3 million conservation program.

Runner up was Holroyd City Council which, in a partnership with Delfin Lend Lease, has conserved the former Goodlet and smith Brickworks site in Holroyd as part of a modern planned community.

Highly commended was Mosman Municipal Council for their comprehensive approach to heritage management. Council has listed approximately 500 heritage items, has 11 conservation areas, an awards program to recognise local heritage, and has produced short information DVDs on the heritage of their area.

Brush Farm House, winner in the 2007 Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Cities Awards.

Photo courtesy Empyrion studios Photography