Ballarat Orphanage appeal fails

By Fiona Henderson
Updated November 2 2012 - 6:23pm, first published December 26 2011 - 11:36am

THE Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) has hit out at a Heritage Victoria decision not to list the former Ballarat Orphanage on the State Heritage Register.CLAN president Frank Golding said it showed Heritage Victoria placed too much emphasis on grand buildings rather than human emotions.“They don’t value the human dimension of what it means to grow up in such a place,” Mr Golding said. “What has been a home for over 4000 children will now be bulldozed by private developers. CLAN has no confidence that, in the future, people will know what was once there.”The former orphanage – later used by Damascus College as its junior site – was built in Victoria Street in the mid-1860s.Victoria Street Developments bought the site in January for an undisclosed amount.Company spokesman Brett Foote said, if the land was subdivided for residential housing, they planned to commemorate the orphanage through naming streets after former orphans and working with the stolen generation officer to recognise indigenous orphans.“We do know we’re dealing with people’s lives,” Mr Foote said when the appeal was first announced.“We just want the best outcome for everyone.”Mr Golding said one of the main reasons for not listing the site was the demolition of its 1865 two-storey building.“Heritage Victoria failed to understand our argument that the loss of the old building was the strongest reason why heritage listing was needed – to protect the remaining buildings, including the original school built in 1918-19, the historic sloyd room built in 1925 and the toddlers’ block built in 1929.”Mr Golding also accused Heritage Victoria of preferring the religion-based orphanages in South Melbourne, Bendigo and Geelong, which are all heritage listed, to the non-denominational Ballarat orphanage.But Heritage Victoria said all the buildings left on the site were from the 20th century so did not meet any of the eight criteria for State Heritage Register inclusion.Its decision, released on December 20, said the site had local significance only for its child welfare associations and its demonstration of 20th century child welfare ideals.However Heritage Victoria did recommend the orphanage’s history be retained in interpretative materials, particularly the Stawell Street brick wall, the large trees in Victoria Street and the existing plaques and foundation stones.A petition signed by 306 people was presented to Heritage Victoria during the appeal hearing while four people, including Mr Golding, also spoke against the decision.

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