scone.com.auLetter: Time to Assess Properly
Council followed its DES Committee advice in Deferring this matter.
It needs to use this time well to discover why the wonderful old pub must be carefully kept, and the homes next door to it as well. We can only wonder how this has been allowed to get so far.
The Old Court Theatre, our Civic and the great Museum will now always show off Scone and its history. But they can’t do this alone, and they need a traditional setting if they are to make sense.
Nundle is going great guns with its tourism economy based on the gold rushes! But our Gold Diggers Inn remains the only link with that same era.
The pub was much earlier than before realised; 1849 at latest. Its history covers three Pub Names and numerous other Names as it housed over 6 generations of families and businesses, many of them linked to today’s families, and to residents still living nearby.
Heritage significance is now proven. The State Heritage Office generally regards that as protection. The National Trust policy agrees, and the NT has shown concern. Caring readers can find out about the community effort on this, from Bev on: 02 6545 3005.
The former Gold Diggers’ Arms in Scone. Photo taken around 1900 when it was the McDonald family home. Photo courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales.
The building is not only listed as locally significant in our LEP, it is in a Conservation Area. That status gives owners financial advantages (Valuer General) (heritage Grants), and supports a tourism economy like Nundle’s, like Gulgong’s, and in countless towns here and worldwide.
I’ve heard many folk on this, and I am confident in telling you of the wide shock at DA 57, seeking to replace 7 homes and a heritage building, with a metal shed on a vast slab for vehicles!
People love this beautifully proportioned little building. Its hat-shaped roof covers original wired round timbers and shingles. Its friendly shape underlines the distant view of the ranges.
People don’t love the existing industrial retail sheds nearby, and wish them to the Industrial area. People justifiably fear danger from trucking movements, just across from the childcare centre.
People hate to see eviction of residents from seven homes, for a proposed metal storage shed in a dignified traditional street, central zone of CBD and across from two other heritage items, church and manse.
They say: “if this can be allowed, no heritage is safe”. They value heritage as part of their quality of life, whether they talk about it all the time, or only when it is threatened, as now.
We now need a top archaeological, historical and architectural Heritage Assessment to be done in this Deferral time, for Council itself; for us. Not by and for the Owners who bought intending to destroy.
Councillors need that data, to help MacCallum Inglis arrive at their best ongoing result and reputation from retaining the rental homes, and using heritage Grants to restore the old pub.
I think it can be restored to the documented 1904 reality (same footprint as now) as a living home.
Maybe later it will become part of Scone’s Tourism Economy, as our governance continues to uncover the real public feeling for heritage.
Sincerely,
Bev Atkinson
Scone Resident
Related stories:
- Letter: History of Gold Digger’s Arms – August 29, 2017
- Council Meeting – August 2017 – August 29, 2017
- Letter: Gold Digger’s Arms – May 31, 2017
- History May be Bulldozed – May 29, 2017