Order to protect homestead
VICTORIA’S Planning Minister has approved permanent heritage protection for a collapsing 164-year-old Waurn Ponds homestead, despite it being described as in a complete state of dereliction.
The state government on Friday gazetted an amendment to Geelong’s planning scheme to apply a heritage overlay on the Claremont Estate, built in 1857, and a mature Norfolk Island pine on the Kinsmead St site.
The permanent protections were sparked by the City of
Greater Geelong in 2020 after it moved to save the site from an approved demolition, putting in place temporary heritage protection as it pushed for the permanent protection.
An explanatory report for permanent protection found the homestead was associated with early crop farming and vine and fruit growing in Waurn Ponds and the Barrabool Hills.
“Claremont Homestead is one of the few surviving, intact Victorian dwellings in Waurn Ponds, and one of a select number of surviving, rural verandahed Victorian-styled
dwellings built in the 1850s in Greater Geelong,” the report noted.
“It is a representative example of the Victorian Georgian type in Greater Geelong. It has similar integrity to other comparable
dwellings of its type in Greater Geelong included as heritage overlays.
“The review recommends a heritage overlay for the site. The threat of imminent demolition of the dwelling demonstrated the need for interim heritage protection and now this is in place, it is appropriate to apply the permanent heritage overlay via a full planning scheme amendment process.”
The protection of the site – limited to the homestead building, Norfolk Island pine and land connecting the two – leaves much of the land package available for future development.
Permanent protection for the homestead comes despite a previous report lodged with the CoGG describing the dilapidated building as “more hovel than mansion” and “beyond repair and dangerous”.
Councillors in February noted the homestead was unlikely to ever be returned to its “former glory”, as they voted to call for its permanent protection.
“It is in a complete state of dereliction,” councillor Bruce Harwood said at the time.
“We’re amending the Geelong planning scheme to try and create a process where this property can be, I guess, resurrected literally from the ground up . . .
“It is as derelict as you can probably find a house that is still standing.”