Strong support for protection
The heritage protection of Drouin property The Hollies has strong community support, a Planning Panels Victoria hearing was told last week.
Baw Baw Shire’s strategic and community planner Keith Black said 35 submissions to a council meeting last month was evidence of strong community support for a heritage overlay for the Drouin property.
Mr Black said council considered the primary purpose of the amendment was to prioritise the heritage value of the property.
Council’s expert heritage adviser Luke James of Extent Heritage told the panel hearing there was sufficient evidence that supported The Hollies being classified as a place of local significance and established an association with a person of importance being Anglican Bishop Arthur Green.
But the evidence and strength of a relationship between The Hollies and Bishop Green was brought into question when Dr James was cross-examined by Planning and Property Partners lawyer Scott Edwards on behalf of the developers.
Mr Black said council had obtained reports from two heritage consultants who had provided contrasting conclusions.
He said in view of impartiality and in fairness to all parties, council agreed to refer the matter to Dr James, an independent heritage adviser.
Dr James said the property included a timber farmhouse and farm remnants from the early 20th century.
He said the farmhouse was currently in a “ruinous state” including a “dilapidated and in some places entirely collapsed verandah.”
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Other features of the property include corrugated metal tanks, a collapsed shed and a crop of trees. Dr James said there was evidence of workshop activity.
He said there was originally an avenue of Elm, Plane and Oak trees lining the main driveway but these were removed last year and only the stumps remained.
Dr James said the Plan Heritage citation in May 2019 concluded The Hollies had historical and aesthetic significance of a local level and was significant as a rare place.
From his analysis of each of the heritage criteria, Dr James said The Hollies met the criteria for a permanent heritage overlay to protect it as a place of local significance.
He analysed each criteria, including the property being a place of local significance and its association with people of local significance.
Dr James said although it was a place of ruins, this was not necessarily a derogative term, and a place of ruin could still be managed adequately, using Port Arthur in Tasmania as an example.
He said the whole site needed to be considered. “Essentially the place is not just the dwelling or outbuildings, it’s a homestead on a rural landscape with plantings.”
“The significance of a place is not necessarily depending on the state of the dwelling,” he said.
Referring to its aesthetic value, Dr James said the views from the site were clearly substantial.
But Mr Edwards questioned Dr James on the established relationship between The Hollies and Bishop Green.
Mr Edwards said there was no evidence Bishop Green constructed the house and parts of it were constructed prior to his occupation.
He said there also was no evidence of Bishop Green spending any amounts of time in Drouin.
Dr James said while there was no evidence of building contracts, there was common ground the chimneys dated back to the first decade of the 20th century.
He said there was sufficient evidence the main residence, aside from the kitchen wing, was constructed during Bishop Green’s ownership.
Dr James admitted references to the house were as a “summer retreat” which indicated Bishop Green’s visits were seasonal.