Savage backlash over Estcourt House demolition plan puts historic mansion on state election agenda

A FIERCE backlash has sprung up over plans to replace a historic mansion with a nursing home, with MPs and hundreds of locals uniting to say no.

• Mulligan, Marshall pledge to save Estcourt House
• Historic Estcourt House may have to make way for retirement village

MAJOR political parties have weighed into the fight to stop the demolition of Tennyson’s historic Estcourt House after fierce community backlash to the plans.

Top-level politicians, including Labor MP Stephen Mullighan and Opposition Leader Steven Marshall, have joined the chorus of voices from residents and historians against the plan to bulldoze the 135-year-old home and build a retirement village.

They have included the fight in their pledges for the state election this March.

The retirement village proposal comes from Epic Group business owner Petar Jurkovich, who has privately owned the State Heritage-listed home for the past 20 years and spent $1.6 million renovating it in 2000.

Labor MP Stephen Mullighan started a petition against the plan on January 14. It already has more than 300 signatures.

“We have learned of the shocking plans for its owner to knock it over and build a development in its place,” Mr Mullighan says in the petition.

“This has to be stopped.”

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said he would “use all ministerial powers” to block a demolition bid if he won the March state election.

Mr Jurkovich’s spokesman, Marius van Rensburg, said maintenance costs for the historic home – which was built in 1883 by businessman Frederick Estcourt Bucknall – were “very high” and increased annually.

Mr van Rensburg said 60 units would be built at the site.

He said there was also a “shortage” of beachfront property along the Tennyson coastline.

“This opportunity will create work for the local community,” Mr van Rensburg said in his applica­tion to the council.

“This retirement village will reinstate the original use of providing a home for the elderly that was established in 1894.”

Estcourt House at Tennyson pictured circa 1900. Picture: Supplied

After the failure of several investments, Mr Bucknall sold the property in 1894. It was used as a convalescent home for children, the blind, polio victims and people with intellectual disabilities.

Mr Jurkovich, who owns Royal Park Salvage, which is part of the Epic Group, spent $1.6 million renovating the mansion 18 years ago after it was vandalised.

He could not be contacted for comment.

National Trust of South Australia chief executive Darren Peacock said he was “surprised” at the proposal given its popularity in the area.

“Everyone expects these State Heritage places to be preserved into the future,” Mr Peacock said.

“The major parties have come out pretty clearly saying there is no reason why a demolition like this would be approved.

Estcourt House as it appears today. Picture: Emma Brasier/AAP

“People should be outraged if someone is proposing to demolish State Heritage places and it is a sentiment that has strong public support.”

Charles Sturt Deputy Mayor Robert Randall said he was shocked by the plans.

“I am surprised the developer would try and demolish such an iconic State Heritage building,” Mr Randall said.

“If it is demolished, it makes a farce of any listing on the State Heritage Register because we ultimately list buildings to retain them.”

Western Adelaide Coastal Residents Association president Jim Douglas said demolishing the building would be a “travesty”.

“It’s got a very long history of use for social justice and welfare and health services and to have it pulled down would be to lose all of that history,” he said.