Powerhouse Parramatta

The proposal is a criminal neglect of heritage. The demolition of historic buildings in Parramatta is an unacceptable proposition for a museum, an institution that exists to preserve heritage. To then demolish an existing museum heritage building is outragious, and must be vehemently opposed. It has become clear through evidence presented to the NSW Upper House Inquiry that this project must not go ahead in its current form, from the risks of flooding, lack of permanent exhibition space and desecration of heritage both in Parramatta and Ultimo. The existing Powerhouse Museum must be retained and enhanced at its Ultimo location, and a brand new musuem for Parramatta established that respects and celebrates the rich heritage and culture of Parramatta.

I object to the proposal to move the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta.
Parramatta is a wonderful city with unique and important heritage for all of Australia. As someone who was brought up in Parramatta, I am aware of the ongoing destruction of much of the built heritage of the city. We do not need to lose two more valuable heritage sites in Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace. (Indeed, my interest is quite personal, as my younger brother was born at Willow Grove.) What an opportunity we are missing, to promote Parramatta’s unique heritage internationally, and to encourage visitors to explore the city. The Powerhouse / Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences is a great institution but does not have a direct connection to Parramatta itself. It seems a pity to destroy even more of Parramatta’s heritage for the sake of a less focused museum. Why not leave the Powerhouse where it is and develop another museum to showcase Parramatta and its heritage?
The site is too small, and it floods. The architects have supposedly overcome these constraints. What a pity that they were not required also to apply themselves to a non-negotiable design requirement for retention of Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace.
What is more, the proposed move is not needed and is financially questionable. The current museum is in a central location in Sydney, is well loved and well visited, and more easily accessible for more people than the site in Parramatta. A new, more focused, museum in Parramatta is certainly warranted, but this can and should occur without disrupting the current Powerhouse Museum and its precious exhibits. Indeed, it would doubtless involve lower cost for the NSW Government.
In the current economic circumstances, the NSW Government needs to manage its budget carefully. This would seem an ideal time to change a decision made under different circumstances, acknowledging that the warrant for the proposed move no longer exists.

The introduction and inclusive innovation of the powerhouse museum coming to Parramatta City would be massive for an otherwise drab region fighting to create a central focus on a growing city landscape. The vibe and appropriation of the draft resources installs a new and exciting way to experience the area, the installation and continued investment in the Parramatta region allocates a new direction from is generally seen as a business district.. Developing cultural heritage through this project and projects like this can only be seen as positive for Sydney.

I object to the proposal because of the proposed demolishing of significant heritage buildings. These are more than just buildings - they are a link between our present and our past.

I work in Parramatta and love the old buildings speckled around the city between the run-down, outdated office buildings. The heritage buildings are so beautiful and make the city more liveable and interesting. We public servants feel like we are being forced to work in parramatta in an environment and a community that is constructed and contrived. I feel so different to the strange mix of students, commuters and shoppers in the streets and we rarely interact. I feel alone in a crowd. But the thing that keeps me happy in parramatta are the heritage buildings that let me imagine the place is small and quaint, and I’m part of another time. These buildings are for everyone and unite the different tribes of people, and provide a sense of community and place that new buildings cannot achieve.

I have been so saddened by the state of strategic disrepair of heritage buildings in Parramatta - neglected to reduce their heritage value and the public opposition to their demolishing. These buildings should be cared for and not demolished. They will be tangible and constant reminders of our past, and that we value our heritage and culture. They will remain beautiful while the modern buildings we create now become outdated.

I support the decision to move the Powerhouse museum to Parramatta - it provides educational opportunities for western Sydney - but this specific proposal comes at such a high cost. We need to lead with our values and conserve our past so we can move to a better future.

As a historian, I see the great importance of the conservation of what precious heritage buildings still remain in Parramatta and Sydney. The proposal for the new Powerhouse museum will knock down the beautiful historic 'Willow Grove' house and 'St Georges Terrace'. These buildings are extremely important to our colonial history, and with the previous appalling demolition of the 'Royal Oak' historic pub dating 1818 in Parramatta, I feel that the NSW Government need to value what is important to many in our community, and not demolish any more of these historic icons of our past.

There are clever construction solutions that can be made, as have been proven in the past when development threatens heritage buildings, and that is to incorporate historic buildings sensitively into the landscape of the modern building that a developer wishes to build. If the NSW Government is insists on placing the Powerhouse museum out of the City of Sydney (where it should remain, for ease of access to the population), then at the very least they should find a solution where the historic buildings are incorporated into the grounds of the new building for generations to visit and benefit. We don't want to live in a sanitised world where everything is concrete and steel. We need to keep the old buildings that we have left among the modern. These buildings would be an asset to the grounds of the Power House Museum as they are what people visit history museums to experience, the past.

I would like the NSW Government to reconsider what they are doing when it comes to this project. I object to the project in its current form, and hope that they can reconsider the proposal to save these historic buildings, and work towards having an outcome that will satisfy the community as a whole.

I am a firm believer in keeping our heritage alive. I was born in willow grove in 1946, as was my cousin.
My friends aunt also purchased the building many years ago and was the matron for quite a number of years back in the 1920s.

I feel Australia needs to treasure our heritage and not destroy it.

Europe has many many such buildings and everyone who travels there visit these buildings and admire their heritage. Australia is a very young country in comparison and we appear to have no respect for our wonderful history.
My opinion is to incorporate Willow Grove and George’s terrace Into the building of the powerhouse museum. Not sure though if many visitors and tourists would travel to Parramatta to just see a museum. With more heritage buildings and historical sites to see, I am sure tourists would come and spend a couple of days here.

I am also a member of the Parramatta historical society and a tour guide for Hambledon cottage.

PLEASE conserve WILLOW GROVE, so people will have a bigger reason to visit Parramatta ... 2nd settlement of Australia. I also live in Old Toongabbie which is 3rd Settlement where the convicts grew and produced quite a lot of food etc for the colony. Unfortunately we only have the convict steps Left, everything else has been destroyed.

I do hope you will consider my submission as to keeping Willow Grove and George’s Terrace alive.

Many thanks for accepting my submission.

Yours truly
Ann Miles.
Phone. 0413237847

I Object to this project. Please refer to my attachement.

There is already a branch of the Powerhouse at Parramatta in the Discovery Centre. There is enough interesting stuff in the Discovery Centre to fill it and two other museums.
The Pyrmont centre was built to suit the major objects on display and is a great place to take kids. We must not loose it. Building a new museum at the proposed site will demolish a building which is itself a museum piece and which is part of why a visitor would visit Parramatta.

Moving the powerhouse to Parramatta is such a waste of money, and will seriously diminish the value of the museum. Far fewer people will visit, and the whole concept will be destroyed. Build something else in Parramatta.

I object to any changes in regard to the current Powerhouse Museum. Its content should not be moved anywhere because it is too precious and important for generations to come. And the building itself must not be sold or used under any circumstances for any other purposes. I also object to the demolition of the heritage building in Parramatta where the new museum is planned to be built.

I strongly object to the dismantling of the Powerhouse Museum and shipping it off to Parramatta.
This is not in any way motivated by some sense of inner city snobbery or a desire to rob Sydney's west of valuable cultural and historical institutions, as some have tried to characterise the debate.

I grew up in North West Sydney, primarily the Hills district. As a child I went bike riding at Fred Caterson reserve, I spent my my early adolescence browsing Wizard Video store at Baulkham Hills and I spent my later adolescence catching the bus to Castle Towers, Castle Hill, or Westfield, Parramatta, to met up with friends, go to movies etc.
In amongst those local beats of life which would sound familiar to thousands of others, we made our way to Powerhouse Museum in town on a number of occasions.

I'll never forget the sense of wonder that struck me on those trips. The big steam engines. The interactive scientific displays. As a child with a scientific bent, the experience was stimulating and I believe all children should have similar opportunities. And they do. The Powerhouse Museum, properly funded and maintained, can continue to serve that role. And considering the incredible improvements in Sydney's public transport network over the last 20 years, it's current location has never been more easily accessible

Does Greater Western Sydney deserve cultural institutions of the same calibre as the Powerhouse Museum? Absolutely. So build them! Governments need to put their money where their mouth is and conceive of, fund, build and maintain world class institutions and facilities in Greater Western Sydney, but not by robbing from Peter to pay Paul. It is unacceptable that the only way the Government knows how to deliver in this city is to weaken or impoverish another already existing and successful entity. This is an extremely expensive relocation and shifting of resources which leaves Sydney as a whole in no way richer than before, and arguably considerably poorer. Demolishing cultural institutions and having them pop up again elsewhere does not contribute to the cultural experience of Sydney as a whole.

This should not be a zero sum game. We are lucky enough to have institutions like the Powerhouse Museum because previous governments were able to commit to leaving a legacy for future generations. These legacies are critical for understanding our past, enriching our present and inspiring our future. We should continue to invest in similar institutions and "YES", they should be located in Greater Western Sydney, but "IN ADDITION TO", not "INSTEAD OF", what we already have.

As inconceivable as it would be were France to have demolished the Louvre to build the Centre Pompidou or the Musee D'Orsay, so we must reject such cultural and historical vandalism. The Powerhouse Museum, in its current location, is part of Sydney's history and cultural life and should be left exactly where it is. In turn, this Government could deliver a new legacy in Greater Western Sydney. Something distinct and bold that doesn't seek to pit one part of Sydney against the other and that will add to our our cultural heritage for generations to come.

With the amount of money this will cost, we could construct Parramatta a proper museum on the Cumberland Hospital site, reinstate the demolished Moore Park stadium as parkland and revivify the Powerhouse. This makes sense. At much less expense.

* I TOTALLY OBJECT to the closing of the world class Powerhouse Museum in Pyrmont.
* I have no problem with a satellite Museum at Parramatta, utilising the huge stored collection and travelling displays.
* You could also look at consolidating the rest of the collection in a working conservation & storage facility in the Southern Highlands, where large scale industrial land is available, with rail access if required. This might work for other collections also. You have the Heritage Rail Museum at Thirlmere and 5m Sydneysiders and inbound tourists just 90 minutes away on Motorways and Rail.

This beautiful old home is part of Parramatta’s history.

It should not be destroyed, surely there is somewhere else to put this project on.

The Powerhouse Museum is a major attraction in the city. It is widely used and offers wonderful information and activities for all. There are enough materials for two museums therefore I feel we could have one in Parramatta and keep the remaining museum in the city. The cost of moving is huge and with the current economic situation I believe this is a huge waste of money.

For the cost of this project, a new, vibrant museum could be constructed in Parramatta. I am against the proposal to disrupt/dismantle the iconic Powerhouse museum in Ultimo where many of the displays will lose their current permanent displays that are there for the benefit of all.

So much is wrong with this project it's hard to know where to start.
Yes, we recognise that something has to be done about Powerhouse and that it cannot remain and grow in it's current location.
Yes, we realise there is a desire to locate some of these iconic draw cards closer to the geographic centre of Sydney.
However this project completely fails Powerhouse. It is not a replacement permanent museum. It is very expensive, publicly owned exhibition space into which Powerhouse will be invited to provide exhibits. The chosen location is problematic, flood prone land on which heritage buildings already stand (which are due to be demolished to commence the project).
The project as presented draws no heritage significance with the surrounding area. It delivers an exhibition space smaller than that of the Ultimo site which it is slated to replace. The project does not meet the criteria required by Powerhouse to enable growth.
It is clear that above all things, Powerhouse require space. Space to grow and space to establish large exhibits. Street level access to exhibition halls to enable exhibits to be installed and serviced. These can only be delivered through development of an alternative site, neither Ultimo nor Parramatta.

I was deeply disappointed at the decision to move the Powerhouse Museum, particularly upon learning that many items in the museum's collection would no longer be permanently on display or need to be dismantled. Plus there is the extreme difficulty that's going to be faced in trying to transport many of these treasures to another location. Surely it's not worth the risks or the cost?

So many Australians have spent hours drawing inspiration from this amazing museum, learning about our past & the engineering feats that have helped us to power Australia to where we are today. Future generations need access to the entire collection, not just a small percentage of what is currently available. To try to move it just does not make sense and I do not believe this project has or can be justified in any way. Surely for the amount being spent an entirely new museum or gallery could be built instead giving NSW extra attractions instead of simply moving (and shrinking) the Powerhouse Museum.

I have been fortunate to visit museums all around the world & the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo is up there with the world's best, yet the NSW Government still feels that it's appropriate to downsize and relocate the collection?

Plus in these financially trying times it surely should just be stopped for the simple reason that NSW cannot afford to move the museum. Can we please spend the money that was for this project on housing, helping businesses restart & other essential projects.

Now is the perfect time to stop this relocation permanently. Please for the sake of all Australian's and future generations can the Powerhouse Museum be left where it rightly belongs & has the space to display it's collection - Ultimo.

I do not support the move of the museum from Ultimo to Parramatta. I can see no valid justification for breaking up the collection, and moving it, other than for commercial gain (i.e. the sale and redevelopment of the existing site). The move puts the exhibits at great risk of damage, the collection will be downsized and parts put into storage or redistributed to other collections / sites.
The fact that the government is even supporting the dismantling of the oldest, working steam engine in the world is just ludicrous. We should be protecting and preserving our heritage - not breaking it up and putting it at risk. We owe it to the country, and to the modern world to preserve items such as the steam engine and other, similar exhibits.
Some things should be above money and greed. Keep the Powerhouse where it is, spend some of the money ear-marked for the move on upgrading and expanding the current museum, and show the country and the world that we care about our history and heritage.

This development has no basis to improve Sydney. It is being undertaken only in the interest of property developers,. History will damn the government that continues this.