Recently our Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, received some exciting news. Andrew is recognised as expert in all Heritage matters and is now pleased to announce he has been appointed to the Greater Bendigo Heritage Advisory Committee. The Committee reports to the City of Greater Bendigo on all Heritage matters – natural, Aboriginal and cultural. The appointment is for the period of the Committee’s four year term. Congratulations Andrew, we are very proud of you. Bendigo features many unique and exciting Heritage buildings and landmarks, having been founded during Victoria’s Gold Rush with the fabulous wealth and riches recovered, creating the iconic regional city Bendigo is to this day. We look forward to hearing more from you Andrew from this exciting new development for yourself and Balance Architecture.
Former ES&A Bank Building
For over three decades now Balance Architecture has offered specialist services in the restoration and renewal of Heritage properties. From the original Gothic style bank buildings (pictured above) of the older E.S. & A. banking corporation (their preferred style) through to the re-creation of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens 19th century Fernery, (pictured below)
Balance Architecture has offered the vision, the understanding and the finesse required to re-create truly memorable, beautiful buildings and spaces that acknowledge the innate artistry of those craftsmen who originally created them.
Vision, Integrity, Competence
Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, is frequently in demand for an always varied itinerary of projects. Whether it’s the planning and design of a new winery in Rutherglen, the restoration of a range of Heritage properties in Bendigo, advising Council in Kyneton on the proper restoration of a damaged Heritage shop front or the timely restoration and refurbishment of the original Heritage buildings at the Lovely Banks Water Storage facility near Geelong for Barwon Water, Andrew is there to ensure an honest appraisal, a clever, innovative design or suitable rectifications and restorations as required.
Barwon Park Mansion – Winchelsea
Andrew is frequently called in to assist Engineers and Builders on difficult projects that require a keen eye and an understanding of structural integrity, as well as the purposeful restoration of original Heritage constructions. Recently Andrew has been advising a team of Structural Engineers in Bendigo demolishing a relatively modern addition to a Heritage building to reveal what is potentially a hidden Heritage jewel, the original building.
Why Select Balance Architecture?
Balance Architecture offers a complete design service and project management (for those who require it). We specialise in Heritage restoration but we are also renowned for the creation and design of superb metropolitan and rural properties, both private and public.
Balance offer a full interior design service, further enhancing the overall flow and the completed look and feel of your home. Add to this a dedication to ensure both authenticity and a simply stunning vista is created. When genuine period features and Heritage restoration is faithfully rendered and completed the results are inevitably breathtaking.
Remember when you choose to work with us at Balance Architecture we will always pass on to you the generous discounts we receive on a variety of materials and components, for example, stove tops, ovens and selected whitegoods. Given this can represent savings of up to 15% on such high value items it’s just another reason to select Balance Architecture to design and create your dream home, a home for living – true comfort, visually enchanting.
Free Consultation – Call Now
Call now on 0418 341 443 to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with our Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, at your convenience. Alternatively, leave your details here for a prompt reply. Andrew is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects with many years’ practical experience and a fabulous catalogue of succesful past projects. Create the home you’ve always dreamed of with true Heritage features and a level of comfort you and your family truly deserve.
Luxury, Comfort and Style. Heritage Values, Heritage Design.
In Victoria we are very fortunate to have a number of beautifully preserved Heritage towns and precincts within easy driving distance from Melbourne for our appreciation and enjoyment. The Spa region offers fabulous accommodation in both Daylesford and Hepburn for all budgets and requirements. Springtime – it’s the perfect time to ‘take the waters’.
To assist you we have re-published an older article from 2019.
Daylesford – The Enigma of Gold, Culture and the Healing Waters
Take the time to drive to to this delightful destination, about an hourfrom Melbourne, post-lockdown. Swimming is available at both Daylesford Lake and Jubilee Lake.
A favourite destination for many is the town of Daylesford, about 100km west of Melbourne. Gold was discovered on Wombat Flats, now deep below Daylesford Lake, in 1852. These alluvial deposits were the forerunner to deep quartz mining, which continued until the 1930s. Gold – the foundation of another heritage town, in this case providing the bounty that built the magnificent buildings of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs.
Daylesford these days is better known as the Spa capital of Australia. It has long been renowned as a place to ‘take the waters’ and now features the Hepburn Spa complex and walking trails with many springs to sample the mineral waters on your way. (The Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve is a 30 acre reserve surrounding the Spa Centre. It is heritage listed.)
It is also famous for the simply stunning buildings, its streetscape and the rolling hills, surrounding the extinct volcano – Wombat Hill, which overlooks the twin townships of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs.
In many ways it is a challenge to maintain the historical character of the precinct yet still facilitate the needs of the regular stream of tourists and the local population. From the early 1990s, the local Hepburn Shire Council has received royalties on all mineral waters sold on to beverage companies in Australia. The majority is bottled in Melbourne.
The funding then available has been used to develop the new Spa complex and other tourist related facilities.
The Hepburn Springs Bathhouse was first opened to the public in 1895 providing ‘social bathing’. The Hepburn architecture is predominantly Edwardian due to the bushfires in 1906 which effectively destroyed the original township, which was predominantly Victorian architecture as in nearby Daylesford.
In 1864, the local population determined to protect the mineral springs from mining. The migrant populations from Italy, Germany and England rated the mineral waters ‘more valuable than gold’. A bathhouse was constructed in the 1890s. It has been remodelled several times. It was mainly the efforts of the ‘Swiss Italians’ that saved the springs for posterity.
The most recent remodelling was completed in 2008. From what was effectively a rundown, red brick facility, a mix of Federation, Edwardian and other influences, constructed in the early part of the twentieth century, the Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa is now housed in a thoroughly modern complex, offering hydrotherapy, massage and beauty therapy. It is a tasteful extension and renovation that acknowledge the past yet provides the comforts of the present. The new development cost over $13 million.
The other location to be visited is ‘The Convent Gallery’ or to give it its proper title ‘The Holy Cross Presentation Convent’.
Purchased by the Catholic Church in the 1880s as a presbytery for the local priest, it was originally built back in the 1860s as a private residence for the Gold Warden. In 1872 it was purchased by a successful Irish Pioneer, Mr. John Gillroy. Over the next decade Mr. Gilroy expanded the property with many grand extensions, likely including the prominent tower depicted here. The tower and extensions gave the property a ‘castle like’ appearance. It’s very likely the reason the local townsfolk dubbed the grand edifice Blarney Castle.
From the 1890s, the church expanded the complex to accommodate nuns and boarders – opening in 1892. A chapel was added in 1904 with building continuing through until 1927, including the new North Wing and other additions. The accommodation wing was three storeys with an attic. No heating was provided and with massive costs in upkeep, the nuns moving to alternative accommodation, by the late 1970s the building and its gardens were derelict and neglected.
In 1988, it was purchased by a well-known local artist and ceramicist Tina Banitska. It was reopened on March 31st 1991 as the ‘Convent Gallery’. Since then there have been further rounds of renovation to the buildings and grounds that add new life to the original grandeur. These include two major glass fronted function rooms, a penthouse suite and the ‘Altar Bar and Lounge’.
Externally the building retains its strong Victorian architectural features. Sitting high on the slopes of Wombat Hill, it provides panoramic views to the north and west of Daylesford town and Hepburn Springs. It houses several individual Galleries, a large retail area, a café, the two function rooms and the penthouse suite. It also retains four tiny ‘nun’s cells’ – the original nun’s bedrooms. Perhaps a reflection on the very frugal and harsh past.
It is a real celebration of Art History and Culture. We thoroughly recommend a quiet drink in the ‘Altar Bar and Lounge’ and a toast to the former Archbishop of the Melbourne Diocese, Archbishop Carr. He envisioned the place to become ‘a source of light and edification’ back in 1891. It may well have taken over a hundred years to materialise, but the Convent Gallery is certainly that now and well worth a visit.
Luxury, Comfort and Style. Heritage Values, Heritage Design.
For those lucky enough to own a Heritage property it is an imperative to arrange a full Heritage Report prior to any restoration or renovations. Using a qualified Heritage Architect adds value to your property rather than unnecessary cost.
For over three decades now Balance Architecture has offered specialist services in the restoration and renewal of Heritage properties. From the original Gothic style bank buildings (pictured above) of the older E.S. & A. banking corporation (their preferred style) through to the re-creation of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens 19th century Fernery, (pictured below)
Balance Architecture has offered the vision, the understanding and the finesse required to re-create truly memorable, beautiful buildings and spaces that acknowledge the innate artistry of those craftsmen who originally created them.
Vision, Integrity, Competence
Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, is frequently in demand for an always varied itinerary of projects. Whether it’s the planning and design of a new winery in Rutherglen, the restoration of a range of Heritage properties in Bendigo, advising Council in Kyneton on the proper restoration of a damaged Heritage shop front or the timely restoration and refurbishment of the original Heritage buildings at the Lovely Banks Water Storage facility near Geelong for Barwon Water, Andrew is there to ensure an honest appraisal, a clever, innovative design or suitable rectifications and restorations as required.
Andrew is frequently called in to assist Engineers and Builders on difficult projects that require a keen eye and an understanding of structural integrity, as well as the purposeful restoration of original Heritage constructions. Recently Andrew has been advising a team of Structural Engineers in Bendigo demolishing a relatively modern addition to a Heritage building to reveal what is potentially a hidden Heritage jewel, the original building.
Why Select Balance Architecture?
Balance Architecture offers a complete design service and project management (for those who require it). We specialise in Heritage restoration but we are also renowned for the creation and design of superb metropolitan and rural properties, both private and public.
Balance offer a full interior design service, further enhancing the overall flow and the completed look and feel of your home. Add to this a dedication to ensure both authenticity and a simply stunning vista is created. When genuine period features and Heritage restoration is faithfully rendered and completed the results are inevitably breathtaking.
Remember when you choose to work with us at Balance Architecture we will always pass on to you the generous discounts we receive on a variety of materials and components, for example, stove tops, ovens and selected whitegoods. Given this can represent savings of up to 15% on such high value items it’s just another reason to select Balance Architecture to design and create your dream home, a home for living – true comfort, visually enchanting.
Free Consultation – Call Now
Call now on 0418 341 443 to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with our Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, at your convenience. Alternatively, leave your details here for a prompt reply. Andrew is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects with many years’ practical experience and a fabulous catalogue of succesful past projects. Create the home you’ve always dreamed of with true Heritage features and a level of comfort you and your family truly deserve.
Luxury, Comfort and Style. Heritage Values, Heritage Design.
With Spring upon us it’s the perfect time to visit Mount Macedon located 64km North West of Melbourne. On a clear day when looking west from anywhere with sufficient elevation in greater Melbourne, Mt Macedon sits like a sentinel. It’s indigenous name is Geboor or Geburrh in the traditional language of the Wurundjeri people.
The beautiful surrounds of Mt Macedon has been a favoured cool retreat in the summertime since the 1800’s. Named by explorer Major Thomas Mitchell in 1836 upon his ascension of the summit, he was actually renaming it. In 1824 the expedition of Hamilton Hume and William Hovell sighted the mountain and named it Mt Wentworth. Mitchell was passionate about ‘Ancient Macedonia’ and named the mountain after Phillip of Macedonia, based on his viewing of Port Phillip Bay from the mountain’s summit.
Camels Hump, Cameron Drive – View north at summit
Mt Macedon stands at 1101 metres or 3,317ft in the imperial scale. Being at a higher elevation, it offered a cooler climate and was often covered in snow at its highest altitudes in winter.
This was very appealing to those who had emigrated from the cooler climates of the Northern Hemisphere.
The State Parliament in the late 1880s allocated 12,000 pounds to purchase the land near the summit to build the official summer residence of the Governor of Victoria. It was ‘fully renovated’ in 1892. A substantial building it became known as the ‘Government Cottage’.
By 1934, it was described as ‘an estate of slightly more than 54 acres in ‘Upper Macedon’. It was a two storied wooden building of 31 rooms as well as four bathrooms, six storerooms, a further six rooms for servant quarters, an entrance lodge of four rooms with stabling and garage.’
In that same year (1934) it was sold for the princely sum of 5600 pounds via public auction to raise funds in the post-depression economy.
It was eventually converted to a Guest House and unfortunately suffered a devastating fire in July 1954 and was totally destroyed. Priceless antique furniture, paintings and a grand piano were lost.
As well much of its intriguing history was lost to time, but fear not, the hill station attracted many of society’s well heeled social circle to build similar properties in the late nineteenth century.
Braemar House, a Heritage listed substantial two storey mansion, built upon brick and stone foundations, featuring high pitched roofing, intricate gables and asymmetric features was constructed in 1889-90 to a design by Italian born architect Louis Blondini. It was to be the site of Clydes Girls Grammar School, a private Girls Boarding School that operated from 1918 til 1976. It was the inspiration for the Boarding School featured in Joan Lindsay’s novel, Picnic at Hanging Rock (circa 1967).
It is located at 1499 Mt Macedon Rd, Woodend.
From the Victorian Heritage Database:
Braemar House – Statement of Significance
What is significant?
Braemar House is a substantial two storey timber mansion on brick and stone foundations with high pitched roofs, intricate gables and asymmetric features, which was constructed in 1889-90 to a design by Italian-born architect Louis Boldini. Boldini spent some years in New Zealand, where he designed a number of notable buildings in Dunedin between 1880 and 1888. He migrated to Melbourne in 1888 and designed Karori, Mount Macedon a timber house for New Zealand broker, CW Chapman. The intricate timber infills to the gables of Braemar House show the influence of New Zealand domestic architecture on his work. A heavily decorated octagonal tower is on the south-west corner of the building.The house retains some intact internal decorative features, the grand entrance hall and staircase and the former (restored)dining room. The garden, originally designed by William Taylor of Taylor and Sangster, retains rows of mature oaks along the west and north fronts. Remnant early garden including rock walling survives on the south west side and landscaped slopes to the north west. A cottage constructed in 1890 is situated at a distance, to the rear of the main house.
Braemar House
Braemar House, Woodend was built as a guest house for affluent Melbourne residents by a consortium of Melbourne businessmen. The location of Braemar House in the Mount Macedon area which was noted for its bracing mountain air made it attractive to those who believed that city life was not conducive to good health and that regular vacations in a healthy environment would restore well being. Access to rail transport and proximity to recreational activities such as walking and climbing in picturesque locations such as nearby Hanging Rock made Woodend a suitable place for such a venture. The property had an electric generator and a telephone. The facilities included tennis courts and frequent dances and concerts were held to entertain the guests. The firm of Taylor and Sangster of Macedon and Toorak was employed to plan the gardens.
Braemar House
The group of businessmen included several directors of BHP Ltd, including William Knox, William McGregor, William Jamieson and Col Templeton as well as Dr Duncan Turner, a Melbourne physician who advocated the health benefits of the cooler altitudes of Mount Macedon. Their first plan was for a health spa or sanatorium but this later was changed to a guest house. Braemar House operated as a guest house from c1890 until at least 1908 and possibly until 1918. The timing of the venture on the eve of the economic depression of the 1890s meant that the Braemar Estate Company went into liquidation and ownership had passed to William Knox by about 1896-96. Improvements designed by Melbourne architect Sydney H Wilson were carried out c1898 and these included the addition of a billiard room and new kitchens. Knox died in 1912 when the property passed to his widow, Catherine.
In 1918 the property was bought by Isabel Henderson, principal of Clyde School in St Kilda. In 1919 Miss Henderson moved the school to Woodend. The school was from 1920 run by a company whose shareholders were past pupils and friends of the school. During the 1920s the school bought up land adjacent to Braemar House.
During Clyde’s occupancy, the detached cottage of four rooms at the rear, known as the Bachelors Quarters,was converted into classrooms. A hall and two further classrooms were built in 1935 (the architect was probably Phillip Hudson) , new music rooms in 1954 (architects AF & RA Egglestone) and a new boarding wing in 1957. A flat for the headmistress and art and dressmaking rooms were built c1960. In 1967 architects Mockridge, Stahle and Mitchell designed the new Science Block.
In 1976 Clyde School moved to become part of Geelong Grammar School and the place was bought for a non-denominational coeducational day school for the children of the district. This is known as Braemar College and is still in operation.
How is it significant?
Braemar House, Woodend is architecturally and historically important to the State of Victoria.
Braemar House
Why is it significant?
Braemar House, Woodend is architecturally significant as a rare example of the work of Italian-born architect Louis Boldini (1828-1908). Braemar House is architecturally significant as a rare example in Victoria of a substantial two-storey timber resort building, embellished with sophisticated classical elements and highly ornate fretwork in timber. It displays diverse architectural influences, including renaissance, classical, chalet style from northern Italy, and timberwork with New Zealand influences.
In contrast the summer retreat of Frederick McCubbin is not in good repair. The original building was constructed in Melbourne and moved to Macedon. It was purchased in 1901 as a home for McCubbin and his family. He named it after the forest near Paris where the Barbizan painters had worked. His family were resident for 5 years. McCubbin continued to spend weekends and holidays there over his lifetime.
Statement of Significance – Fontainebleau
McCubbin was one of Australia’s most admired artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was one of the founders of the Heidelberg school and was a major figure in the development of the Australian school of landscape and subject painting that emerged at the close of the nineteenth century. The garden and bush around Fontainebleau became one of McCubbin’s main painting grounds, and was to provide him with the inspiration for some of his most memorable and best-loved works, including the iconic painting The Pioneer (1904), which was painted in the bush near the house. Two years after McCubbin’s death the family moved back to Fontainebleau. His widow Annie planned to run it as a guest house, and in c1920 added two new accommodation wings. Although the venture was not successful it continued to be run as a guest house after Annie’s death c1930 until the 1960s. It is now a private residence.
Fontainebleau is a rambling asymmetrical two-storey timber and fibro building with a corrugated iron clad roof. The oldest part of the building is a weatherboard Gothic style house with a steeply-pitched gable roof and dormer windows, originally with three main rooms, the front one with a bay window, and a kitchen on the ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs. At the front, facing Hanging Rock, is a recessed verandah. As part of the c1920 conversion to a guest house, two two-storey fibro-clad gabled wings were added, one along the east side of the house and one along the rear. The side wing has a large lounge room with an open fireplace on the ground floor and bedrooms and a bathroom above. The rear wing has a kitchen, a laundry and the former dining room on the ground floor and bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor. The house is set on a large steeply sloping block of land amidst gardens and bushland on the north side of Mt Macedon. Below the house is a level terrace, once used for games. This site is part of the traditional land of the Wurundjeri people.
How is it significant?
Fontainebleau is of historical and architectural significance to the state of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
Fontainebleau is of historical significance as the former home of Frederick McCubbin, a founder of the Heidelberg School, the first major local movement in the history of Australian art, and one of Australia’s best-loved artists. He was an important figure in the development of art in Australia, and his depictions of the Australian bush are among Australia’s most well-known and popular paintings. McCubbin was deeply attached to the bush close to Fontainebleau, which was a continuing inspiration for him. The works painted in the area during the last seventeen years of his life are considered to be amongst his most important.
Fontainebleau is historically significant for its association with the development of the tourist industry in Victoria in the early twentieth century, which occurred then mainly due to the development of an effective and relatively cheap transport network and increasing levels of affluence and of leisure time. The 1920s was the heyday of the guest house, the main form of accommodation in the popular seaside and mountains resorts at the time.
Fontainebleau is of architectural significance as a rare and essentially intact example of a typical guest house of the 1920s. Guest houses at this time were often built from inexpensive materials such as timber, cement sheet and corrugated iron and were typically extended in a haphazard way around a former private residence.
The house has largely fallen into disrepair. Presently there are no funds to properly maintain it or restore it. This is a real shame considering the place Frederick McCubbin has in Australian Art History.
Derriweit Heights is the last place we will visit this time. Located on Douglas Rd Mt Macedon, it was constructed in or around 1874. Its original garden of 65 acres was designed by Baron Von Mueller, the well known botanist and designer of many of Victoria’s famous Botanical Gardens (including the Melbourne Botanical Gardens). The house was built by Mr Charles Ryan, with an intent to capture the views over Port Phillip Bay and create a world class garden. Destroyed by bushfires in 1983’s Ash Wednesday Fire, it was rebuilt in a French Colonial style, retaining the surviving original coachwing. It was purchased in 2016 by Dr Paul and Mrs Anne Mulkearns with a view to restoring the original gardens to their earlier splendour. The Mulkearns adopted a 5 year plan to do so.
Mt Macedon is well worth the drive. Many of the gardens are open to the public as are a number of the more historic properties. The statement of significance on Braemar House was written in 2002. It demonstrates the need to better fund the Heritage Council and its activities. But right now there is much to see and enjoy. And when you visit heritage properties it gives you a much finer perspective on just what we are preserving.
Enjoy your visit to the ‘Hill Stations’ of Macedon. Take the airs. It’s part of your heritage as Victorians.
A Heritage home for many provides a rather different pathway. There are restrictions and requirements on any proposed changes as well as to ensure the preservation of the character and unique charm of such dwellings and properties. To achieve the very best for your property and to add real value, liveability and functionality to your home, it’s an imperative that you engage a Heritage Architect.
A Heritage property requires and deserves a Heritage Architect. An experienced professional offering genuine expertise and excellence in design – it’s the right time to call Balance Architecture on 0418 341 443 and arrange a consultation with our Principal Architect Andrew Fedorowicz (or leave your details here for a prompt reply).
Purchasing a Heritage Listed property or a property covered by a Heritage Overlay introduces a raft of issues buyers may never have experienced previously or even considered. It’s a sensible plan to enlist the services of a qualified and experienced Architect – both prior to purchase and after.
Prior to purchase your Heritage Architect can provide you with an accurate Condition Report that is prepared with a twofold purpose. The more obvious section is the current state of the property and its building/s in terms of Heritage Status; previous alterations, current necessary repairs or restorations, the age and status of the property in terms of it’s listing or the applicable Heritage Overlay. What are the limitations, what can be achieved in terms of liveability?
The second part of the Heritage Report is more practical. Most older buildings and structures require quite basic refurbishments – electrical, plumbing, roofing, plastering and flooring to name but a few areas where restoration can be both difficult and expensive. It is far more practical to have a thorough understanding of what may be required prior to purchase and a sensible appraisal of what costs may be involved to restore and rectify any such issues.
Post purchase your Heritage Architect can scope out your restoration plan to ensure you arrive at a comfortable, liveable residence that is further enhanced by the tasteful refurbishment of all Heritage features – verandas, Victorian tiling, Heritage colour schemes, roofing (slate or wrought iron), solid plastering, decorative mouldings (internal and external), timber architraves, period wall paper – the list goes on.
Planning with a Heritage Architect ensures that all such features and fittings are authentic and yet practical with most residential homes of 80-100 year’s old – or older – there will be some inappropriate renovations and additions, likely not included in the Heritage Listings or items of mandatory retained features. In many cases there are opportunities to create a comfortable, modern living space, yet retain the genuine Heritage ‘feel’ of the property by cleverly rectifying the mistakes of the past.
A sensible and progressive restoration plan; a purchase based on realistic appraisal, expert assessment and advice formulated through genuine experience and expertise.
Call Andrew now on 0418 341 443 to schedule a consultation or leave your details here for a prompt reply. Create the home you truly desire and with competent and expert advice restore your property to its former glory. Add real value and, at the same time, ensure your home stands for another 100 years, a true vestige of the past, a beautiful home resplendent in the craftsmanship and artisanship of years gone by – yet a comfortable, liveable home for your family and generations to come.
Luxury, Comfort and Style. Heritage Values, Heritage Design.
As promised in April the Victorian Government Planning Minister, Sonia Kilkenny, has implemented new heritage protection for the Preston Markets sheds. This creates a major dilemma for the developers going forward but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Read about it here in an article from the Melbourne Age:
by Rachael Dexter – August 7, 2023
Preston Market traders await landlord’s response to heritage protection
Traders at Preston Market are on tenterhooks waiting to see if their landlord will keep the market alive after the state government announced new planning controls on Monday, the latest episode in a years-long furore over the proposed residential redevelopment of the site.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny followed through on Monday with a promise first flagged in April to implement new heritage protections over the market sheds, preventing their demolition and by extension scuppering 2019 plans by the owners to raze some of the sheds in favour of an open-air market and apartment towers of up to 19 storeys and 2200 apartments.
Con Lambros, spokesman for the Save the Preston Market Action Group, at the market on Monday.Credit: Chris Hopkins
An amendment to the planning scheme for the site, which is adjacent to Preston train station, includes a heritage overlay over the sheds while allowing smaller apartment buildings, with about 1200 apartments proposed across the site and above the sheds.
The new planning controls allow a variety of apartment towers either side of the train line – the highest being 14 storeys on the eastern side of the line and 13 storeys on the western side.
Although it represents a substantial departure from owners Salta and Medich Family Corporation’s initial proposal for the 53-year-old market, the new overlays include height limits that are discretionary – leaving the door open for the developer to argue a case to go higher in any new application for the site.
Community activist group Save the Preston Market Action Group welcomed the news on Monday, saying the planning controls to keep all sheds intact were “a really positive step”. But it said it was unclear how protecting the sheds and allowing a 10-storey building above them would work in reality.
“The devil is in the detail,” said the group’s spokesman, Con Lambros. “So we need some consultation about what that looks like – how do you build above them?”
Trader Chris Legge, who runs Contraband Coffee Traders at the market and represents trader group We Are Preston Market, said the planning control announcement brought more questions than answers.“The planning overlay is a fair way removed from what Salta wanted to do and so that sort of leaves us in a situation of uncertainty because Salta are now going to have to go back to the drawing board,” he said.
An artist’s impression of the renewed Preston Market under the owners’ plan. The plan will now need to be redrawn if the owners want to go ahead with redevelopment.
Related article –
Preston Market Owners Threaten to Shut it Down over Planning War
Traders were told in May that their leases would not be renewed from January 2024, after Kilkenny announced she would move to protect the sheds in April. The date has since been pushed back to March.
Under the owners’ scuppered plan, most of the market would have progressively moved east to a new open-air site, but stalls with local heritage protection would remain. They argue that all traders would have to close for two years under the government’s proposal, which requires the stalls to stay where they are.
“Traders are sitting on our hands uncertain about our futures,” said Legge. “[This] throws up the very real possibility that if it’s not financially viable for Salta they may choose to close the market [permanently] anyway.”
The new planning controls cannot mandate that the private owners keep the market operating, and the owners said on Monday that it would take time to work out what redevelopment was economically viable with the new controls.
The owners have previously been adamant that the economic sustainability of the site was dependent on being able to demolish parts of the sheds and building 2200 apartments.
The fruit and vegetable stalls at the market.Credit: Wayne Taylor
“Despite multiple requests for a meeting with the minister and the department to brief them on the structural issues and trading continuity of the existing market, the requests were denied,” a statement read.
“We have now requested a briefing from the Department of Transport and Planning on the new controls so we can update the traders on what this means for their ongoing certainty.”
Compulsory acquisition of the market by the local council or state government has been floated by parties including first-term local Labor MP Nathan Lambert, Save the Preston Market Action Group and independent Darebin councillor Gaetano Greco.
Greco stood as a candidate for Preston in the state election and campaigned to protect the market. He cut Labor’s margin in the once-safe seat of Preston by 19.2 per cent.
Kilkenny said the Preston Market “has been identified as an ideal location to provide more housing choice for Victorians close to family and friends, jobs, community infrastructure and public transport.
“We said we would protect Preston Market’s heritage while increasing housing choice and that’s exactly what we’re doing by introducing these new planning controls.”
Keep in mind here it is not the architectural value of the existing structures that is in question but the recognised community value placed upon its market facility. Surely there is some room for compromise from the developers here without shutting the market down and leaving the very patient stall holders without their income, livelihoods and businesses.
Why Select Balance Architecture?
Balance Architecture offers a complete design service and project management (for those who require it). We specialise in Heritage restoration but we are also renowned for the creation and design of superb metropolitan and rural properties, both private and public.
Free Consultation – Call Now
Call now on 0418 341 443 to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with our Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, at your convenience. Alternatively, leave your details here for a prompt reply. Andrew is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects with many years’ practical experience and a fabulous catalogue of successful past projects. Create the home you’ve always dreamed of with true Heritage features and a level of comfort you and your family truly deserve.
Luxury, Comfort and Style. Heritage Values, Heritage Design.
When you have a clear understanding of what it means for your home to be Heritage Listed or part of a Heritage Overlay you’ll start to see such a classification for what it really is – an asset. It is by no means a block or an impediment on improving comfort and liveability of your home or the functionality of your building. The imperative is to understand what the classification means and what is permitted. The best way to achieve this is to arrange for a full Heritage Architectural Report from a qualified Heritage Architect.
If you are considering renovations or alterations to your Heritage home or property, call Balance Architecture now on 0418 341 443 and arrange a free consultation with our Principal Architect Andrew Fedorowicz (Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects). Andrew is passionate about Heritage and offers many years experience, expertise and excellence in design.
Andrew can prepare an Architectural Plan suitable for submission to Heritage Victoria and your local government Heritage representatives (council). This is the most appropriate course of action and should be undertaken prior to the engagement of either builders or tradespeople.
For over three decades now Balance Architecture has offered specialist services in the restoration and renewal of Heritage properties. From the original Gothic style bank buildings (pictured above) of the older E.S. & A. banking corporation (their preferred style) through to the re-creation of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens 19th century Fernery, (pictured below)
Balance Architecture has offered the vision, the understanding and the finesse required to re-create truly memorable, beautiful buildings and spaces that acknowledge the innate artistry of those craftsmen who originally created them.
Vision, Integrity, Competence
Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, is frequently in demand for an always varied itinerary of projects. Whether it’s the planning and design of a new winery in Rutherglen, the restoration of a range of Heritage properties in Bendigo, advising Council in Kyneton on the proper restoration of a damaged Heritage shop front or the timely restoration and refurbishment of the original Heritage buildings at the Lovely Banks Water Storage facility near Geelong for Barwon Water, Andrew is there to ensure an honest appraisal, a clever, innovative design or suitable rectifications and restorations as required.
Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, is frequently in demand for an always varied itinerary of projects. Whether it’s the planning and design of a new winery in Rutherglen, the restoration of a range of Heritage properties in Bendigo, advising Council in Kyneton on the proper restoration of a damaged Heritage shop front or the timely restoration and refurbishment of the original Heritage buildings at the Lovely Banks Water Storage facility near Geelong for Barwon Water, Andrew is there to ensure an honest appraisal, a clever, innovative design or suitable rectifications and restorations as required.
Why Select Balance Architecture?
Balance Architecture offers a complete design service and project management (for those who require it). We specialise in Heritage restoration but we are also renowned for the creation and design of superb metropolitan and rural properties, both private and public.
Balance offer a full interior design service, further enhancing the overall flow and the completed look and feel of your home. Add to this a dedication to ensure both authenticity and a simply stunning vista is created. When genuine period features and Heritage restoration is faithfully rendered and completed the results are inevitably breathtaking.
Remember when you choose to work with us at Balance Architecture we will always pass on to you the generous discounts we receive on a variety of materials and components, for example, stove tops, ovens and selected whitegoods. Given this can represent savings of up to 15% on such high value items it’s just another reason to select Balance Architecture to design and create your dream home, a home for living – true comfort, visually enchanting.
Free Consultation – Call Now
Call now on 0418 341 443 to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with our Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, at your convenience. Alternatively, leave your details here for a prompt reply. Andrew is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects with many years’ practical experience and a fabulous catalogue of succesful past projects. Create the home you’ve always dreamed of with true Heritage features and a level of comfort you and your family truly deserve.
This week we revisit Mooramong Homestead located in the western districts of Victoria. Since our original article appeared in March, 2018 there have been significant developments. As reported by the ABC News in June, 2022, the National Trust property is now preparing to host new visitors in both luxury glamping accommodation – tiny houses and apartments – as well as the original refurbished cottages. The Victorian Government awarded the National Trust a $2M grant to proceed with the works proposed.
Here is the original article from March, 2018:
Mooramong Homestead – Hollywood comes to the Western District
Let’s take a detour from controversy this week and substitute glamour. Hollywood starlet, handsome colonial grazier and 4000 working acres. But lets forget the sheep for a moment and focus on crystal and crockery. This is the home of the son of LKS MacKinnon, the famous Lawyer, racehorse owner and breeder immortalised with the naming of the MacKinnon Stakes during Melbourne’s Cup Week Racing Carnival.
The property was originally a ‘Squatters Run’ of over 15,000 hectares claimed in 1838 by Scotsman Alexander Andersen and his two partners. Having sold off two thirds of the run, Andersen named the property Mooramong. The sale and profits from grazing provided him with sufficient capital to commission Geelong Architects Davidson and Henderson to design a new homestead and have its construction completed by 1873. Andersen eventually sold the property in 1889.
The property was originally a ‘Squatters Run’ of over 15,000 hectares claimed in 1838 by Scotsman Alexander Andersen and his two partners. Having sold off two thirds of the run, Andersen named the property Mooramong. The sale and profits from grazing provided him with sufficient capital to commission Geelong Architects Davidson and Henderson to design a new homestead and have its construction completed by 1873. Andersen eventually sold the property in 1889.
It was Hollywood in real life as the strapping young Cambridge Undergraduate turned grazier and breeder wooed the glamorous starlet – then settled at Mooramong!
Art Deco was all the rage at the time and a staid 19th Century homestead became a very fashionable and trendsetting abode – Modern style, Art Deco elements, with Georgian accents. Melbourne Architect Marcus Martin had been engaged by Claire Adams, The transformation was deemed a modernisation and at the time perceived as very daring.
The weatherboard exteriors were rendered and the 19th Century Gothic features removed even when Architect Martin strongly objected.
A heated pool (the first in Victoria) and an Edna Walling garden design was prepared but never fully implemented. A pavilion and pergola completed the thoroughly modern improvements to Mooramong commissioned by Claire Adams.
Much of the 18-month-long renovation work was done on the interior. Of course, a home theatre was an essential part of the brief for this couple. Other entertainment areas included the music room, bar and games room, the latter two being all the rage in fashionable homes of the time. These areas all displayed the influence of modernism, as did the pool furniture and light fittings throughout the home.
The style of the bar with its green leather dado with chrome strips, recessed fireplace and curved bench took its lead from the interiors of ocean liners such as P&O’s new Orcades. Another fashionable 1930s innovation adopted at Mooramong was the use of built-in furniture, particularly in the kitchen but also in the bathrooms. The use of Formica, too, was cutting-edge, as it was not generally available in Australia until after World War II. Wrought-iron features, such as the front screen door, also appealed to Martin.
Claire, it seems, may not have been Martin’s easiest client to work for, not because of temperament but due to her reported difficulty in understanding drawings. So it was often a case of “build and demolish until it is right”, according to Stephen Dorling, Martin’s assistant at the time. The lounge mantelpiece, for example, was rebuilt six times. She also, apparently, returned a grand piano to London because it wasn’t exactly the colour she’d ordered.
The style of the bar with its green leather dado with chrome strips, recessed fireplace and curved bench took its lead from the interiors of ocean liners such as P&O’s new Orcades. Another fashionable 1930s innovation adopted at Mooramong was the use of built-in furniture, particularly in the kitchen but also in the bathrooms. The use of Formica, too, was cutting-edge, as it was not generally available in Australia until after World War II. Wrought-iron features, such as the front screen door, also appealed to Martin.
Claire, it seems, may not have been Martin’s easiest client to work for, not because of temperament but due to her reported difficulty in understanding drawings. So it was often a case of “build and demolish until it is right”, according to Stephen Dorling, Martin’s assistant at the time. The lounge mantelpiece, for example, was rebuilt six times. She also, apparently, returned a grand piano to London because it wasn’t exactly the colour she’d ordered.
More work was done on the house over the years, though wartime shortages made it difficult during that period. Scobie died of cancer in 1974. His devastated wife had myriad photos, home movies and press clippings to remind her of their wonderful life together, until her own death in 1978. The couple had no children, and the house and bulk of their estate were bequeathed to the National Trust.
Today the property, its outbuildings and features remain pretty much as the MacKinnons left it, a working farm typical of the Western District of Victoria, still operating today. Photographs, curios, furniture and art remaining gives the overall feeling of a glamorous home (and couple) of the 1930s, through to the 1970s that remains etched in time. To this day the property remains a popular location for feature films and television dramas.
Well worth a visit, you can find more detail on location and opening hours on the National Trust website.
Two years on, post Covid, we now live in a very different world. Where most people travelled to a work destination – an office in a CBD, suburban or regional location – many of us now work from home – for at least part of the week. As a consequence, the family home has very different demands place upon it. We are spending more time there and both the positives and negatives are truly exposed. Renovation and refurbishment becomes increasingly more desirable.
A Heritage property requires and deserves a Heritage Architect. An experienced professional offering genuine expertise and excellence in design – it’s the right time to call Balance Architecture on 0418 341 443 and arrange a consultation with our Principal Architect Andrew Fedorowicz (or leave your details here for a prompt reply).
Purchasing a Heritage Listed property or a property covered by a Heritage Overlay introduces a raft of issues buyers may never have experienced previously or even considered. It’s a sensible plan to enlist the services of a qualified and experienced Architect – both prior to purchase and after.
Prior to purchase your Heritage Architect can provide you with an accurate Condition Report that is prepared with a twofold purpose. The more obvious section is the current state of the property and its building/s in terms of Heritage Status; previous alterations, current necessary repairs or restorations, the age and status of the property in terms of it’s listing or the applicable Heritage Overlay. What are the limitations, what can be achieved in terms of liveability?
The second part of the Heritage Report is more practical. Most older buildings and structures require quite basic refurbishments – electrical, plumbing, roofing, plastering and flooring to name but a few areas where restoration can be both difficult and expensive. It is far more practical to have a thorough understanding of what may be required prior to purchase and a sensible appraisal of what costs may be involved to restore and rectify any such issues.
Post purchase your Heritage Architect can scope out your restoration plan to ensure you arrive at a comfortable, liveable residence that is further enhanced by the tasteful refurbishment of all Heritage features – verandas, Victorian tiling, Heritage colour schemes, roofing (slate or wrought iron), solid plastering, decorative mouldings (internal and external), timber architraves, period wall paper – the list goes on.
Planning with a Heritage Architect ensures that all such features and fittings are authentic and yet practical with most residential homes of 80-100 year’s old – or older – there will be some inappropriate renovations and additions, likely not included in the Heritage Listings or items of mandatory retained features. In many cases there are opportunities to create a comfortable, modern living space, yet retain the genuine Heritage ‘feel’ of the property by cleverly rectifying the mistakes of the past.
A sensible and progressive restoration plan; a purchase based on realistic appraisal, expert assessment and advice formulated through genuine experience and expertise.
Andrew Fedorowicz is an experienced and competent Heritage Architect – a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects. Over the years Andrew has managed a wide range of Heritage Projects, both public and residential, (currently Andrew has designed and supervised the construction of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens Fernery, a gothic revival of the original 19th century design).
Call Andrew now on 0418 341 443 to schedule a consultation or leave your details here for a prompt reply. Create the home you truly desire and with competent and expert advice restore your property to its former glory. Add real value and, at the same time, ensure your home stands for another 100 years, a true vestige of the past, a beautiful home resplendent in the craftsmanship and artisanship of years gone by – yet a comfortable, liveable home for your family and generations to come.
Luxury, Comfort and Style. Heritage Values, Heritage Design.
Former ES&A Bank 403-405 Mount Alexander Road Ascot Vale, Moonee Valley City
Last week a visitor to our page on facebook commented on the difficulty he experienced in getting approval for the correct Heritage colours to repaint his home in North Western Melbourne. This is precisely why it is a sensible move to engage a Heritage Architect to prepare and submit such a plan to both Heritage Victoria and your local Government Council Heritage Representatives. The experience, the expertise and the specific knowledge of your Heritage Architect will mean it’s a job you’ll do once and then be permitted to proceed with your planned painting, restoration or alterations .
For over three decades now Balance Architecture has offered specialist services in the restoration and renewal of Heritage properties. From the original Gothic style bank buildings (pictured above) of the older E.S. & A. banking corporation (their preferred style) through to the re-creation of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens 19th century Fernery, (pictured below)
Balance Architecture has offered the vision, the understanding and the finesse required to re-create truly memorable, beautiful buildings and spaces that acknowledge the innate artistry of those craftsmen who originally created them.
Vision, Integrity, Competence
Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, is frequently in demand for an always varied itinerary of projects. Whether it’s the planning and design of a new winery in Rutherglen, the restoration of a range of Heritage properties in Bendigo, advising Council in Kyneton on the proper restoration of a damaged Heritage shop front or the timely restoration and refurbishment of the original Heritage buildings at the Lovely Banks Water Storage facility near Geelong for Barwon Water, Andrew is there to ensure an honest appraisal, a clever, innovative design or suitable rectifications and restorations as required.
Andrew is frequently called in to assist Engineers and Builders on difficult projects that require a keen eye and an understanding of structural integrity, as well as the purposeful restoration of original Heritage constructions. Recently Andrew has been advising a team of Structural Engineers in Bendigo demolishing a relatively modern addition to a Heritage building to reveal what is potentially a hidden Heritage jewel, the original building.
Why Select Balance Architecture?
Balance Architecture offers a complete design service and project management (for those who require it). We specialise in Heritage restoration but we are also renowned for the creation and design of superb metropolitan and rural properties, both private and public.
Balance offer a full interior design service, further enhancing the overall flow and the completed look and feel of your home. Add to this a dedication to ensure both authenticity and a simply stunning vista is created. When genuine period features and Heritage restoration is faithfully rendered and completed the results are inevitably breathtaking.
Remember when you choose to work with us at Balance Architecture we will always pass on to you the generous discounts we receive on a variety of materials and components, for example, stove tops, ovens and selected whitegoods. Given this can represent savings of up to 15% on such high value items it’s just another reason to select Balance Architecture to design and create your dream home, a home for living – true comfort, visually enchanting.
Free Consultation – Call Now
Call now on 0418 341 443 to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with our Principal Architect, Andrew Fedorowicz, at your convenience. Alternatively, leave your details here for a prompt reply. Andrew is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects with many years’ practical experience and a fabulous catalogue of succesful past projects. Create the home you’ve always dreamed of with true Heritage features and a level of comfort you and your family truly deserve.
Luxury, Comfort and Style. Heritage Values, Heritage Design.
Balance Architecture 