Dear Sir

OBJECTION: Powerhouse Parramatta RTS

I strongly object to the proposed removal/ demolition of Willow Grove.

Willow Grove, at 32 Phillip Street, was built in the 1870s as a private villa, and later became a maternity hospital called Estella and as such is an important part of Parramatta's social and built heritage.

The building’s state heritage listing notes that it is “a good example of a Victorian Italianate two-storey villa, readily identifiable as part of historic building stock and strongly contributing to the streetscape in spite of its large setback, partly through its notable fence.” The listing states that Willow Grove is of significance for historical, aesthetic and representative reasons.*
What is the purpose of state heritage listings if they can be nullified against the wishes of the local community and important historic buildings destroyed?

Please I object ....to destroying this property.
I am aboriginal and I know the importance of heritage.
Parramatta is so important in white history and the struggles of our black history.
Parramatta is turning into ugly cement and towers.

As a History Teacher and member of the Parramatta Council, I object to the demolition and demolition/moving of Willow Grove to another site.
This beautiful building is precious to our history and an incredible building for us all and the future generations to enjoy and admire the quality of workmanship and the character of people who lived and worked in Parramatta in the 1800’s. Our great grandparents and grandparents generation lived in this era.
This once beautiful family home has also been a hospital where babies were born, a fact that should not be dismissed.
Please include this building and St George’s Terrace as part of a museum design.
Please on behalf of the people of NSW, ensure that any museum being proposed to be built in Parramatta will preserve buildings that are museums in their own right, historic, of great value to the community, and especially heritage listed (which Willow Grove was till 2019!).
The wishes of families and others in the surrounding communities and, in fact, all people of NSW deserve to be heard and acted on when such a building is being considered for removal. Parramatta is being inundated with enough high rise modern, cold unimaginative buildings and how special is a place like Willow Grove with love, history and quality workmanship standing the tests of time ....still standing and being able to be be used with furniture of the era and on display as part of a unique museum befitting the Cradle City of Parramatta, NSW.

Dear Marcus,
This is an insane proposal to remove Willow Grove from Phillip Street and replace it with a replica beside parramatta gaol.

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.

Please build a new museum in Parramatta elsewhere & keep Willow Grove where it is for future generations to enjoy ! It’s removal is unnecessary.

Hello there
Just wanting to voice my concern about relocating Willow Grove Historical House to make way for the Powerhouse Museum.
In my belief, this would destroy the heritage and the importance of the building.
Surely, the Powerhouse museum could accommodate the historical structures that already exist. It’s a museum… it seems logical to incorporate old, important elements in a museum. Such as Willow Grove and St Georges Terraces.

Willow Grove would not survive the move, and it would be nonsensical to try.

Hopefully a solution can be made that will enable Willow Grove to be kept, and for the Powerhouse to incorporate this in the plans, even though the whole site is on a flood plain.

I strongly believe our premier has no regard for our heritage..
NONE

My name is Jennifer..

My sisters and brothers were born in Willow Grove.

My sister Susanne was passionate about saving this building.

I marched for her recently as she could not march herself.

You see my sister died suddenly on July 24 2020

She collapsed never woke again, they found a large brain tumour..

My sister was fine..

I took this photo just the week prior..

Please let’s push to save Willow Grove for Sue..

Don’t incorporate it into the powerhouse.

Create a grand manor and have high teas and glamour..

I think that would be a brilliant idea and would certainly create a beautiful atmosphere of grandeur and elegance..

Women and men dressing in the era of Willow Grove..
Dancing and fun..

A wedding venue..

Not pulled apart never to be put back.
Not pulled down, destroyed,
not part of a ridiculous museum..

Create a world within the grounds of Willow Groves majesty..

Thankyou

Regards Jennifer

Dear Sir, I wish to register my profound opposition to plans to demolish Willow Groove and do a ‘pretend re-construction’ on an un-related site. I am writing with regard to the destruction of this beautiful old mansion, which has been such an important part of Parramatta’s heritage for a hundred and forty years,
This whole Powerhouse move has been a total catastrophe since it’s inception. So many changes and counter-changes, with a total disregard for public opinion.
Willow Grove, however is such an icon to generations of Western Suburb’s people. The whole idea of it’s demolition and a ‘Mickey Mouse’ replica being constructed elsewhere, is totally reprehensible. It must remain where it is!
This government does not have a good record on heritage protection.
Surely it is their responsibility to maintain local sites, and not destroy them on a foolish whim, which this is. With inquiries still in progress, and problems with the river bank site, it is entirely possible that the Parramatta Powerhouse will never be built at least in its proposed form.
The hasty destruction of this precious heritage building would have then been for nothing. Think again Sir, I implore you!
Kindest regards,

Dear Marcus
I am writing once again to report my absolute disdain with any plan to place an unnecessary, unrequired and unacceptable Powerhouse Museum or any other display of history and heritage on the site of history and heritage itself, known as the magnificent Willow Grove.
I have been a resident of Parramatta for 27 years and during this time I have been admiring the magnificent villa and have been on her grounds for various Parramatta Lanes events.
Willow Grove is not to be moved stone by stone and it is not to be knocked down. There are millions of hectares of available land around Australia where the Powerhouse or any other museum can go but under no circumstances is that museum or any other museum to replace Willow Grove which is history and heritage - living history and living heritage and it is perfect exactly where it is.
The New South Wales government and the Powerhouse Museum can keep their grubby hands off Willow Grove. They should not have got their hands on Willow Grove except that they kicked out a democratically elected council and then had their administrator who they installed sell Willow Grove to the government. This should be a matter for ICAC and it should be a matter for the courts and any idea that the magnificent Willow Grove should be knocked down or even should be moved brick-by-brick is ridiculous. That is no way to treat heritage in this city or in this state.
Please take note of my complaints. Note of all other supporters of Willow Grove’s complaints. As stated before, there are millions of hectares of land on this continent and you can put the Powerhouse wherever you like you can even put it on top of the Premier’s living quarters as far as I'm concerned or on Geoff Lee’s property but it is not to go anywhere near Willow Grove.
Thank you. The people of Parramatta will not allow Willow Grove to be touched.
Yours sincerely,

Good Morning

My name is Julie Jones and I am the Chairperson of Dharug Strategic Management Group.

We are at present completing our reply/objections to the Response to Submissions regarding the Powerhouse Parramatta. We apologise for our late submission. DSMG have been inundated with deadlines and projects and wish to seek approval to lodge by 10am tomorrow morning.

We hope this is acceptable to the timeframe you are working in.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincere regards