Of the people
Councillor calls for master plan to retain heritage building
DECISION time is approaching on historic Osborne House and one Geelong councillor is eager to keep the property in public hands and restored to its former glory.
Community groups were forced to vacate the mansion and surrounding precinct in April last year due to mould concerns and its future use has long been up in the air.
City of Greater Geelong councillor Eddy Kontelj will present a motion at a council meeting tomorrow recommending it respect the wishes of the community and commit to retaining Osborne House and stables and form a master plan for its future by the end of the year.
The house was built in 1858 and was the site Australia’s first naval college, first submarine base, an Army base in WWII and home to the Shire of Corio offices until 1993.
Cr Kontelj said he could see the venue as a place to host exhibitions, conferences and markets, house business, commercial and community organisations and generally be a community hub to celebrate Geelong’s rich history.
“With Osborne House we have a rare opportunity to embrace our history and engage it in a manner that will have people from over the world recognise our city, into the future, by this symbolic structure,” he said.
“The historical significance and future potential values of Osborne House, it’s stables and environs to our city and region are far too important to be left underutilised, forgotten and more importantly lost from community ownership.”
Osborne Park Association member Cheryl Scott said the building was not in the state of disrepair many thought.
Ms Scott also recognised the master plan would need a commercial component to make it viable.
“It has got to make money back for the council. It can’t just be a drain on council coffers,” she said. “But what that is has to be determined by a proper assessment of how the whole site can be used.
“We’ve got very few buildings where the history and heritage of a property is accessible to the general public.
“It has such a rich history people don’t know about.
“There’s been several developers over time wanting to put townhouses around it and I can see the benefit of that . . . but do we need to sell up all our history and heritage to achieve those sorts of things?”
Vietnam Veterans Association president Reiny Nieuwenhof said the house needed “a bit of TLC” and did not feel the issue was as “complex” as Mayor Bruce Harwood had previously stated.
“They’ve never actually explored the potential to make it a money-making concern and there’s huge potential there because of where its located and its historic cultural, social and military past,” Mr Nieuwenhof said.
Council officers have previously recommended funds from the Geelong Post Office sale be redirected to the restoration of Osborne House.
Planning Minister Richard Wynne has indicated the State Government would consider waiving loan repayments from the future sales of the post office and Geelong Gaol if repurposed to restore Osborne House.