Anne Brown outside the Peel Street South house where she lived for many years. Picture: Adam Trafford
Old number 55 on Peel Street South doesn’t draw too many second glances.
The small house is tucked away among a strip of other derelict buildings along an increasingly busy street.
But to Anne Brown and her family, it means the world.
Ms Brown (nee Ward) lived in the house from when she was born to when she was married.
Her great-grandmother owned the house from the early 1920s, before her father purchased it in 1952.
Her mother, 89 this year, moved out only a few years ago.
Ms Brown said her mother told her she would “hate to see it pulled down”. Now it seems, she has her wish.
Not only will the home be extensively renovated as part of a new 39-residence development, but a short film will be made to document the history of not just her home, but others along the street.
The City of Ballarat has secured a federal government filming grant to capture the history of the area before it is forever transformed.
Developer Murray Foster said a number of former residents had come forward to tell their story to highlight the rich history of the area.
He said eight existing buildings would be renovated and 31 would be built as part of the development, The Bentley on Peel.
“The easiest thing to do is to knock something down ... the hardest thing to do is to plan to retain it without it costing a small fortune,” he said.
Councillor Samantha McIntosh said the project proved that repairs to even the most dilapidated of heritage buildings are achievable.
“The Peel Street strip was incredibly derelict, many people could not imagine these places being restored and as a result there were many calls for their demolition,” she said.
“To see them so beautifully transformed is remarkable.”
