Powerhouse Parramatta

How can any Government destroy such as important piece of Parramatta’s history. Oh I know, a developer told them too. Shame on those behind this destruction.

I object ......to demolition of Willow Grove Historical House...

I object ....to moving this majestic and historical house! Leave it where it is to stand in history for all time fir all to admire and enjoy its heritage. An absolute disgrace even considering moving it.

I object strongly to Willow Grove being demolished.

There is so little Heritage left in Australia and I can not believe that people would ever consider destroying more?????

I do not understand why this was ever bought to the table?

Please leave Willow Grove to be admired and loved by many more generations into the future.

Yours truly Susanne Marshall

I object to the proposed plans re the Parramatta Museum.
I feel as a Parramatta resident that we need to preserve as much or our history and WillowGrove is a significant example.
I implore you to reconsider the demolition of this part of our heritage. Our grandchildren are relying on us to do the right thing.
Regards
Linda Attard

Dear Sir
I am writing to object in the strongest possible terms to the proposal to move the historic Willow Grove house from its current location. I hold a Degree majoring in History (Australian back to 1788 in particular).
History happens on site, it would be preposterous to suggest taking apart Sydney Town Hall to relocate it at Parramatta, because Parramatta is now the geographical centre of Sydney. The stories and significance one of the cities greatest features attached to that building would be lost. This is no less true for the heritage buildings at Parramatta.

I recently visited the site of the Cumberland Hospital and its ground and was amazed by the sense of looking down the river, back to another time. I am not looking forward to revisiting that place, which has now had 1900 mature trees removed – unique botanical specimens, and the proposed light rail station razing a destructive path through what was, but still could be, a great place for local residents to enjoy rest and relaxation, play sports, and maintain their health, and for tourists to see buildings that span centuries of architecture.

I do not wish to see Parramatta, our second built city, lose anymore of our cultural heritage, nor that of our indigenous Australians. Willow Grove’s repurposing as a women’s birthing hospital stands as a testament the role that women played in populating a nascent country, not only in our early colonial and later years, but also that of Aboriginal women who I am informed used the same place for birthing. To remove, or attempt to relocate is not just an affront to all those who appreciate history, and particularly women, but added to the proclaimed intention of erecting a building that most consider ugly in its design to take its place as a receptable for historic objects is absurd.

I attach two photos taken from an edition of the Mercury newspaper in 1986, that shows the potential for loss of life should the so called museum project proceed. I have witnessed such a flood ten years prior to the one pictured, and point to the fact that this is not a one in one hundred year occurrence.

It is distressing to see older homes in the Eastern and Northern suburbs remain in situ and hold onto their significance, even if used as venues for activities other than history for history’s sake, and to then look at Parramatta, to see a great deal of its history, being basically thrown in the dustbin.

Parramatta has sites and artefacts that are critical to our sense of history, and has the potential to hold artefacts from the Greater Western Region, where farming and other ventures were successful, and as such has its own story to tell. I reiterate – please do not destroy Willow Grove, or Fleet Street heritage, in the name of progress – we have only to look at the QVB building to see what might have been the foolish destruction of a beautiful building that now is an asset to Sydney.
Thank you for your consideration

I object to the wilfful destruction of Willow Grove just to pander to a badly designed and unessary so-called museum.

Ruining history for no valid reason and building a developer-wanted building in an unsafe area is the height of ignorace.

Keep the Power House Museum in its entirety and redevelop some of the older buildings in Parramatta to house another Museum. Destruction is not necessary.

I object to the demolition and/or moving of the Willow Grove building to house the powerhouse museum.
Kind regards
Sharon Peterson

I object .... Save Willow Grove!

Nothing is more important than preserving the past.

I wish to lodge an objection – indeed a most strenuous objection – to the absurdity of removing Willow Grove from its location in Phillip Street Parramatta.
The very idea of moving this wonderful 19thC villa from its location is unbelievable! It sits on its curtilage and the house and its gardens and its setting should be interpreted for future generations.
This government is keen on telling stories and cites stories as one of the rationales for amalgamating the State Archives and Sydney Living Museums.
Willow Grove is a place of connection to Parramatta for many people.
I lived at Castle Hill in the 1960s and 1970s (retaining familial links there until early this century) and also lived at Harris Park and shopped regularly at David Jones. Parramatta was a place to visit and work and shop and I regularly passed by Willow Grove. It must not be moved. The government should highlight its remarkable history of the entrepreneurship of women in early Sydney and tell that story, rather than perpetuate demolition – and killing Sydney (to cite Elizabeth Farrelly’s forthcoming publication’s title).
I hope good sense and long term interest in history will prevail.

I object ...to the insane consideration to remove and demolish our heritage and history
My family were early settlers and convicts in the area.

I feel ill to think that one would even think to remove a beautiful building for the tacky design of the Powerhouse.
Other countries nurture their Heritage. How can this be even considered?

I am sure by seeing so many oppositions to this idea it is obvious that “the People” have a say

Strongly object to the proposal to remove Willow Grove from Phillip Street and replace it with a replica beside parramatta gaol.

I object to the destruction of the Willow Groves Villa in Parramatta,

The destruction of our history in favour of endless development has gone too far and must be stopped. No other developed country does this to the same extent. We need to leave something other than shopping centres and apartment blocks for future generations.

I object to the proposed demolition of Willow Grove at Parramatta. One beautiful building which would be destroyed for a crazy idea of building a new museum in a flood prone area.

PLEASE reconsider that destructive idea.

I object .... to the removal of Willowgrove

I strongly object to the proposal to move Willow Grove. It has to be one of the most ridiculous proposals I have heard. Moving a whole house and keeping the internal historical value is impossible. The change in the landscape and the way the building fits into Parramatta, and the history behind it will be lost forever.
I am so very disappointed in the proposed Powerhouse development and everything that has been going on in NSW politics at the moment makes me question the reasoning and agenda behind this decision. What a sad state of affairs.
Please add my objection to the list.

Hi there,
I strongly object to the proposed destruction of historic Willow Grove and St George’s Terrace in Parramatta. Our history must be preserved and honoured.

Kind Regards,
Scott Goddard

I object to WILLOWGROVE 140 history being removed from Phillip Street Parramatta.
This is a piece of history that will not be able to be retrieved or replaced in it's originality once it is removed and replicated elsewhere.. Pls SAVE it!

KInd Regards,
Kathy Winkler

I object .to the demolition of Willow Grove House in Parramatta, or to its taking apart and relocation.

Willow Grove is part of the history of Parramatta. It must stay where it is. That is what history is about. On site. To remove it, and relocate is a pure sop, You cannot take apart such an old building, and hope to re assemble it. It will become like Grandpa's ax. Yes, it's Grandpa;s axe. We have replaced the handle xx times, and we had to replace the axehead, but of course it is Grandpa's axe. We all know that is a myth.

The original design competition included an option which retained Willow Grove. One of those designs should have been selected. History once it disappears, can never be recovered. A museum is meant to preserve and display history. V=Be creative and incorporate Willow Grove into the museum complex.. Please don't vandalise it.

Trips overseas are made so enjoyable by the ability to view and enter old buildings, especially where they show some of the history of their use. Why does Australia, and especially Sydney under a developer led government, make this impossible for our future generations?

Please save Willow Grove, leave it where it is, protect it, and use its history, and herstory, as part of our heritage.

I object. to the demolition of Willow Grove its heritage significance will be lost if it id relocated.

Sharon Bowen