OUR HERITAGE AT RISK -  AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY - 2008

Place:    St John's Schoolhouse Museum

Threat:  Loss of heritage values due to inappropriate out of scale development

Significance:

Built between 1840 and 1845, St John's Schoolhouse Museum is Canberra's oldest school and a rare example of colonial architecture. It consists of a schoolroom and five rooms which served as the schoolmaster's residence. It was last used as a school in 1907. It was restored and opened as a museum in 1969. The St John's Schoolhouse Museum is one of the few surviving examples of colonial architecture in the Canberra region. To encircle it with high-rise early 21 st century architecture would seriously degrade its significance as a cultural heritage building.

Statement of Risk:

The proposed development surrounding the St John's Schoolhouse Museum threatens the historic value of this heritage building. The Final Master Plan proposes the Schoolhouse be placed on a paved stepped podium devoid of green space with multi-storey buildings within 20 metres and two levels of underground carpark within 12 metres of the Museum.

Degree of Risk:       Imminent risk - no solution agreed
           

Threats/Risks:        Devaluation

Fate/outcome:         Suffering

Desired Outcome / Vision:

While the Schoolhouse Board of Management is not against the idea of development per se on the St John's site, it is fundamentally opposed to the treatment of the Schoolhouse as proposed in the 'Final Master Plan (August 2007)', which locates it on a paved stepped podium (see page 44 of the Final Master Plan). Also, it does not support the inclusion of multi-level buildings, with underground parking, in close proximity to Schoolhouse as proposed in the Final Master Plan (see pages 8 & 45 of the Final Master Plan).

The Board would like to see the removal of the bitumen which surrounds the Schoolhouse (see photographs 1 & 2), and the reinstatement of the area, as listed on the ACT Heritage Register (prior to the 14 September 2000 Amendment No 145) and referred to as the St John's Schoolhouse Museum Curtilage on the ACT Interim Heritage Register, as a green space. It is believed that this would enhance the heritage value of the Schoolhouse by recreating an environment reminiscent of its past. To replace the bitumen with a natural landscape would also prevent cars from parking near the building (see photograph no. 4), thereby reducing the pressure on the building and improving the overall aesthetic quality of the St John's Heritage Precinct.

Restoration work to stabilise the footings and repair cracks in the walls has been undertaken in the past. Cracking continues to be a problem and the Board is concerned that if the proposed development proceeds, the excavation work for underground parking that will take place within approximately 12 metres of the Schoolhouse will further destabilise the building. Further, the existence of six and four level buildings to the north and west will mean that the Schoolhouse will be in shadow for a significant part of the day during the winter solstice.

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