Newcastle Roundhouse scores a spot on State Heritage Register

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Newcastle's iconic Roundhouse building has been recognised on the State Heritage Register.

The former City Administration Centre, now a five-star hotel, is being acknowledged as a key example of brutalist architecture in New South Wales.

The building originally opened in 1977, taking five years to build.

Local architect Brian Suters, who worked with the original design team, nominated the site for listing.

Call for Wickham School of Arts to be Included in Final Honeysuckle Plans

BY OLIVIA DILLON

State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp is calling on the NSW Government to ensure the former Wickham School of Arts building is included in the final development plans for Honeysuckle. 

The call follows a lengthy campaign from Mr Crakanthorp, council and community groups, which has already resulted in many repairs to the building's plumbing and exterior. 

The site stands on a section of land adjacent to the light rail stabling yard, and is part of the final three hectares of land open for expressions of interest from development partners. 

The 1882 building's local claim to fame includes its housing of 16-year-old bush poet Henry Lawson during his time working for Hudson Brothers in Wickham. 

However, no commitment has been made by the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation (HCCDC), to feature the building in their final precinct plans. 

Mr Crakanthorp continues to headline the campaign, and said the community clearly wants to see the building honoured. 

"The former Wickham School of Arts has local heritage significance and the community has been very clear that they want to see this heritage retained and honoured," he said. 

Image: Hunter Living Histories

Lambton Library cards to become after-hours access keys

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Lambton Library is set to reopen this weekend, following an extensive renovation.

The library has been closed for months for works to restore the heritage facade, while modernising the facilities behind the scenes.

Library members will also now be able to use their library cards as keys to access the library outside of staffed hours.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says it means facilities will be accessible seven days a week.

"Utilizing this new technology, it means it's also a community space," Cr Nelmes said.

"There are some resources in there, but predominantly, it will be able to be accessed by all of our library members and community for free, if they need to have meetings or gatherings.

"There's a lot of trust in that system, and there's also technology like CCTV cameras and the like."

Robert Watson is a member of the Lambton Residents Group.

He says the building has a rich history, but it's exciting to see it more into the future.

"Looking for meeting spaces, for things like garden club or a book club, and things like that, is significant around the Lambton area," Mr Watson said.

"Lambton's kind of a central part of Newcastle, if you like - sometimes I joke about the rotunda like the axle and all the other suburbs rotate around it."

The building was originally built to house the Lambton Council Chambers, until its closure with the creation of the Greater Newcastle Council in 1938.

In 1950, it was reopened as the Lambton Library.

Mr Watson says it's good to see the city's historic buildings, still being used as community assets.

"By any measure, that's an incredible success in having a library building and a meeting room available for that huge amount of time now," Mr Watson said.

"Most other things are closing down or winding back."

Image credit: City of Newcastle

Glebe Road Proposed Heritage Site

BY: ARIANA GATTI

A group of Federation Cottages along Glebe Road and Watkins Street in The Junction have been endorsed by Newcastle City Council to be listed as Heritage conservated buildings.

The single-storey cottage dwellings originally constructed between 1909 and 1915, are listed as the first strip of buildings within the residential subdivision of the time, running along 53-75 Glebe Road and 4 Watkins Street.

Newcastle Council has endorsed the proposal and hoping to gain support from the public in order for the heritage buildings to be conservated for the future enjoyment of tourists and locals alike.

The determination has so far been approved by the Minister of Planning, with the proposal to be on exhibition to the public from today until the 12th of June.

The site would be number seven on the Heritage Site protection list, with the likes of other buildings located around the Newcastle area; including the suburbs of Cooks Hill, Newcastle East, The Hill, Hamilton South (Garden Suburb), Hamilton Beaumont Street and Newcastle City Centre.

Image sourced:http://newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Council/News/Latest-News/Glebe-Road-Federation-cottages-recommended-to-be-n

Heritage-Listed Building Destroyed By Fire At Lenaghan

BY IAN CROUCH

Fire has destroyed the top floor of an abandoned heritage-listed building north of Minmi.

Crews were called to what's believed to be the former Stagecoach Inn on Lenaghans Drive at Lenaghan just before 9.00am on Sunday.

It's taken 50 firefighters around 3-and-a-half hours to extinguish the blaze.

Police suspect the building was being used by squatters

Chief Inspector Gerard Lawson says the fire is being treated as suspicious.

"At this stage, we don;t know the cause of the fire and we'd ask for any witnesses who might be able to contribute to the investigation to contact Newcastle detectives or Crime Stoppers," he said.

The former Stagecoach In, also known as Lenaghan House 

The top floor of the property was destroyed in the fire Pictures Castle Property

State Heritage Funding For Nobbys Lighthouse and Maritime Museum

BY NIKOLA JOKANOVIC

The Nobbys Headland and Lighthouse and the Newcastle Maritime Museum are two of a number of heritage sites to receive grants under the state government's Heritage Near Me Activation Grants Program.

The Nobbys Headland and Lighthouse will enjoy a $39,000 grant, while the Maritime Museum will be granted $64,820, for a total of a little over $100,000.

At the Headland the grant will go to the Newcastle Business Improvement Association, who will plan for income generation and re-investment, define important themes and activation options, and plan interpretive spaces and attractions on the Headland.

At the Maritime Museum the grant will benefit the Re-Animation project, with a 360-degree, 3D virtual reality exhibit which they hope will draw younger generations to the heritage site.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald, who announced the grants on Monday the 9th of October, said there are a number of goals in mind: preserving these important heritage sites, drawing local communities back to their past through the sites, and involving local owners and businesses in the process.

"This funding doesn't only mean we can invest in protecting and preserving out local heritage but it means we're giving more people the opportunity to appreciate their local history," Mr. MacDonald said.

"These grants acknowledge and support the vital role owners and managers of locally listed heritage items play in protecting our local heritage."

The grant program was designed to allow local governments, businesses and community organisations to preserve and reactivate their local heritage items, opening them up to the community.

"This funding will help communities build on the knowledge the have with their heritage," said Heritage Minister Gabrielle Upton.

"No one knows their heritage better than the locals who live and breathe it."

$39,000 will be put toward drawing business and the community back to the Nobbys Headland and Lighthouse.
Image: Newcastle Herald