Powerhouse Parramatta

Dear Sir,

Willow Grove must remain on its site in Phillip Street, Parramatta to preserve its historical integrity.

Yours faithfully,

Wendy Davies

If Liverpool Council can build nice new buildings without destroying significant heritage, why can’t this state government. https://www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/development/major-projects/liverpool-civic-place

Integrate Willow grove into the design and don’t move it as the plaster walls are not something that can be moved without significant damage being done. Not only that but it is still a significantly better-looking building then the monstrosity the government wants to install on the site. Build on the ugly car park which no one will miss and leave this historical building safe where it is.

A Western metro I have is why does the metro stabling need to be on the site of Parramatta speedway. There is plenty of space on the old Shell refinery that is no good for housing but perfect for storing industrial equipment like trains. Who makes these decisions?

This building will be a travesty for the people of Sydney. The destruction of valued historical buildings to build this monstrosity while 95% of people and not just locals to Parramatta do not want this building to go ahead. We do not want the current powerhouse and its associated buildings on the current site to be destroyed just to make a quick buck. We want our history and our existing museums to stay as they are and where they are.

We want to keep Willow Grove and it's grounds exactly where they are and belong. Stop destroying Sydney by building these ugly monstrosities that keep going up around Sydney in every suburb. They destroy the look of the city and make us look more and more like the disgusting filthy cities of south east asia.

Kind Regards



Craig Simpson

Mr Jennejohn
It has come to my attention that there are plans to move the heritage building named Willow Grove from its current site in Parramatta to make way for the Powerhouse Museum. The irony of this astounds me. Destroying history to display history. It's utter madness. As a lover of history , I welcome the addition of the Powerhouse to the Parramatta area but this must not occur at the expense of our heritage. History is more than just the building. It is also about a time and place. I strongly advocate that we must protect this piece of our history in its original place so its story remains authentic. Please reconsider any plans to move Willow Grove.
Regards, Sue Porter

Please do not move Willow Grove. It's a crazy notion that it can be moved without damage.
Its location is vital to the story of its history.

It is history and its the people's story. Not temporary politicians.

Be on the right side of history.

I object ....to the Powerhouse Parramatta project's destruction of Willowgrove.

Willowgrove, the Green Ban and future community strife:
The depth of opposition to the asinine proposal that Willowgrove may be 'moved' will simply grow.
You cannot 'move' an unreinforced, brick construction, late Victorian villa with extant, detailed, decorative plaster work and other elements. You effectively have to knock it down plus scrape the internal decorations then remove it brick by brick, slate by slate, board by board and 'reconstruct' the decorative and other structural elements to produce a 'Disneyfied' version.
Even Mr Howarth- that suboptimal Chairperson- at the Museum UHI acknowledged that 'moving' a heritage building from its original location inherently destroyed that heritage.
The women's history and Dharug archaeological remnants under the building will be obliterated. Not to mention the slow death of the sacred tree.
This is cultural stupidity through annihilation.
Any attempt by Government to 'move' this graceful building over Christmas 2020 and New Year 2021- or thereafter- will merely cause civil and community protests at a scale hitherto unimagined.
In and of itself this heritage destruction, misogyny and community outrage is the worst kind of public relations imaginable for a new cultural institution.
The profound opposition of the Dharug First Nation and the apparent, insidious cupidity of the Deerubin Land Council may well suggest that any 'planning'/community sensitivity so far for the Parramatta Powerhouse is profoundly sub-optimal and seems based, in part, on denial, mendacity, cultural ignorance and heritage destruction.
MAAS needs to think very deeply right now if this is a course of action it intends to follow. Communities have long memories. This key factor alone calls for a complete redesign of the project. Allied to the unfit-for-purpose site it would suggest that the Female Factory/Cumberland Hospital site be rescued from the clutches of that Land Council and Sydney University [et al] and an entirely different and far larger in total scope [but lower in cost] alternative cultural-museum project be developed.
I object to this utter cultural and heritage folly on this and many other grounds.

As a 5th Generation Parramatta resident, I strongly object to the tearing down/ moving of Our historic building Willow Grove.

It must be preserved in all it's glory for future generations.

I object to the building plans for the extension of the Parramatta powerhouse. Please leave the buildings unchanged.

Sincerely

Colleen Chesterman

I strongly object to the loss of Willowgrove to make room for the Powerhouse at Parramatta. The loss of an historic house to make way for a museum seems absurd. What is the point of preserving history in the museum if we remove the historical building that is already in place?

Please utilise the creativity of the Designers to incorporate an actual significant historical house in a place that is a collection of artefacts to preserve history.

Regards
Joanne Winter

We do not support the current "Powerhouse Parramatta" project or the "relocation" of Willow Grove in any form.

Greater Parramatta has needed State Cultural Infrastructure and equitable funding for the population, compared with Sydney, for many years.
The Project and the updates to the 'winning design' are not suitable for the respect needed for Parramatta's complex cultural landscape that needs all '5 Cultural Pillars' to be represented in the City.

The Building Brief updates have not remedied its overall failures. Both Willow Grove and St. Georges Terrace need to be "retained insitu" and better integrated with a fully sympathetic site redesign. Willow Grove can not be relocated without false "fake" replication out of context, being brick and mortar and have a specific city street-scape relationship.

Willow Grove AND its garden setting with wrought-iron fence must be retained on Phillip Street, providing EQUAL Cultural Significance to that correctly identified and reported for St. Georges Terrace. Willow Grove has no place elsewhere with its entire context needing rec-connection with the River (as built on Phillip Street).

Further, the early Mid-century Brick Substation (facade) adjacent to the Terraces also deserve intelligent protection integration as a Contributory Element of the future streetscape.
ALL are required to ensure meaningful or long-term retention and integration of existing heritage values and buildings on Phillip St, that SHOULD infact become part of the MAAS Collection and be fully restored, incorporated and celebrated in juxtaposition of new and old. These can be refitted with "Applied Arts" and decorative content from the Parramatta Museum Collection in the CBD.

The revised Building Design is again opposed, as whilst it presents an architectural logic for Event Function centre, there is inadequate permanent Exhibition space. The 'modularity' of the lattice design structure SHOULD enable the Architects to be fully instructed to review and modify the entire configuration, contents to better respect the location. It is argued this arrogance undermines the benefits of the post-industrial / late-modernism to simply represent a destructive and undesirable imposition, refusing to be modified significantly or adequately to respond to broad community objection. This philosophic arrogance leads to the "required" destruction of Willow Grove Villa and the grossly over domination of the St. Georges Terrace.

The current Building and Proposal is opposed as it provides an inadequate passage for the Council's Civic Link vista, that had been designated to require at least 29m width and to incorporate Willow Grove and its Gardens (upgraded) for the experience connection to the River. The Landscape Plan still appears UNABLE to protect and conserve the only Remnant Swamp Oak (Casuarina glauca) on the Foreshore, that should be a lead design component instead of betraying our Indigenous Dharug community's aspirations for a rich meaningful riverine restoration and connection to country. Any Building envelope needs to be corrected to enable this Planning objective or at least a modular change made to the whole configuration, or the Architect's Project be cancelled.

Any "Parramatta" MAAS presence needs to be Campus#4 and actually demonstrate clear proof and connection with the so-named "integrated precinct" of the National Heritage Listed Fleet St Female Factory and Institutions, that is unsupported in the InfrastructureNSW PDF document (EIS).

The MAAS presence (or campus#4) needs the Building Brief to be CHANGED to incorporate being serviced by ALL 5 Pillar Sydney Cultural Institutions AND embrace the entire Cumberland Hospital Site on Fleet St with significant Botanic Garden and Indigenous City Forest (north side) on Deerubbin Land and Gaol with its Cultural Uses planned.

For these reasons, we strongly oppose the current project, and its profligate waste of funds, Parramatta Heritage Assets and failing to consult adequately for the comprehensive 'new institution and stand-alone' Museum integrating all of Parramatta's cultural needs and qualities.

The documentation provided to justify keeping the existing supposed to be an outstanding design.

Reveals that we will ' make it fit'
A comprise on every item.

Simple things: Transport, daily operations and public safety all now a compromise.

It will be an iconic tribute to a flawed project and a plan that is inappropriate for its content.

I object to the removal from the site of the Italianate ville called Willow Grove. this is in line with my original submission which this RTS refers to..
Given that Location and history are tied together its bezaar that we would destory the history of this building by disassembly so we can save having to rework the drawings.

Given the closed design competition for the use of this site included in at least 1 of the submitted proposal that had the villa remaining.

Guess this EIS has been used to fundamentally change the way NSW does Museums!
A museum of applied arts and sciences can simply repurpose stuff and leave the history as a mystery.

This isn't what happens. The curators go to great length to link exhibits to locations and purpose. Crazy that this fundamental process But this flawed relocation process adopted something of a was ignorred even these fundamental considerations

Was the pannel obvious to the History of the site and its context. It seems so
The team of experts got it wrong, no public consultation again!
Our Built history matters. Not a modern matchstick building on this heritage site.

Yet another NSW building project NSW Building Better or is it ajust Building a dream for a developer to profit from!!

Kim Riley Westmead

We strongly object to any new building on the site that does not allow Willow Grove and the terraces to stay where they are. Extensions to original buildings should be removed.

Also stop calling the new edifice "Powerhouse" as it will have nothing to do with the current museum which is only colloquially known as the Powerhouse anyway. The proposed design should incorporate a wharf for obvious reasons.

I object to the removal of Willow Grove.

It is concerning to learn that yet more history in the City of Sydney is being compromised. The relentless churn of development must be stood aside from historic structures and grounds. Willow Grove is one such location
This exceptional Villa and its social history must remain in Phillip Street where it was built for Annie & Thomas Gallagher and their four children 140 years ago.
From its features to its history, Parramatta’s Willow Grove is “like no other building”.
The National Trust and its heritage architects have condemned the proposal to relocate this 140 year old Villa. Nothing would survive and it’s social history significance lost once removed from where it was built.

Please leave Willow Grove in peace where it is now found.



Ian Hill

I object .... to the demolition and/or removal of Willow Grove, Parramatta.
Please let us keep some of our history. We do not build like the people of those days.

I object to the demolition of the historic building Willow Grove in Parramatta.

A building such as this is unique. It provides a record of how people lived in
Parramatta in the past. If destroyed, it cannot be replaced. All countries try to keep important buildings as landmarks in our cultural history - and so we should to be proud of our Australian culture.

Preserving this building would enable it to be viewed now and into the future - as a great attraction for many generations.

Destroying this building is akin to vandalism - it will destroy property belonging to the public - property which also has an important place in our Australian culture.

I urge you to keep this important building.

Please reconsider this idea to remove brick by brick and replace Willow Grove to another site. It is not a sensible option for Willow Grove. Please keep our history. I was born in that building when it was a hospital. There is gradually more and more of the old Parramatta disappearing. Certainly give Parramatta a new museum but do it without destroying Willow Grove.

I object ...

I object to the demolition of this wonderful piece of Australian heritage.
I condemn the proposal to relocate this 140 year old Villa. Nothing would survive and it’s social history significance once removed from where it was built would be lost.
Why do governments and planners insist on demolition of any cultural early Australian buildings? Other countries and cities are renowned for their old town architecture and heritage.
Stop this cultural destruction.

I object strongly to the removal and destruction of Willow Grove House . This is another example of a govt running roughshod over the will of people and the history of an area .
Please do not destroy this significant building in the name of progress and on the whim of a few narrow minded politicians .
Thank you .
Bruce J. Loy . JP

I object to the deconstruction, moving & rebuilding of the charming heritage listed villa Willowgrove from its rightful place in Philip St Parramatta.

This is a commercialistic & reprehensible decision of government. The highly significant 140 year old Italianate Late Victorian gem is unique amidst the ugliness of the Parramatta CBD and will end up a replica / reproduction of what it currently is, its heritage integrity lost, if it is taken apart & reconstructed elsewhere where it does not belong & has no social connection. The brick, two storey, finely detailed mansion has an external heritage render which cannot be replicated if moved. The render and detailing will be destroyed and what get's reconstructed will be a replica - Clayton's heritage.

The building stood as a maternity hospital much of the early 20th century so has great social significance not only to Parramatta but people all over Australia, who were born or had family born there or work there. This significance rests largely on its location where it has stood for 140 years. Heritage significance is connected to place. It shouldn't be severed.

Furthermore, the mature trees and delightful garden surrounding the beautiful old house are a lovely oasis in the ugliness of the Parramattta CBD. Leave it alone - the people all love this place. What will go in its place? A soulless modern monstrosity with no character that alienates us from nature. I'll take a charming garden, trees and a lovely old heritage villa anytime over what is proposed to replace it. Please show some mettle and ethics and resist this regrettable decision being driven by dollars. Respect our past and keep what is significant of our heritage as it is so that future generations can enjoy and appreciate it.

Why not turn Willowgrove into a house museum where it is as part of the Powerhouse and fill it with the 19th century furnishings and interior decoration held in the vast collections of the Powerhouse museum which never see the light of day? Visitors can continue to enjoy its beautiful tranquil gardens and heritage trees.

Admire the glorious and unigue iron palisade front fence with its fantastic gates & inscribed sandstone gate-piers. The iron palisade fence features delightful decorative pineapples and frames the garden and streetscape exceptionally well. All will be lost if respect for heritage and beauty falls under the barbarians hammer.

Hoping that the government can behave decently and respect its people's wishes in our great democratic state & nation.