Design+Architecture’s Morgan Street Revitalisation project up for award
A design studio is behind the stunning revitalisation of a main street in a town once home to one of the world’s most lucrative gold mines. See the redesign hoped to make the town a must-see destination.
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A Rockhampton design studio is behind the stunning revitalisation of a main street in a rural town once home to one of the world’s most lucrative gold mines.
Design+Architecture have submitted two projects, the Morgan Street Revitalisation project and Cocobrew Express Yeppoon, for an Australian Institute of Architects award.
Director Colin Strydom said they had waited many years to submit the Mount Morgan project for an award.
The $2.4 million revitalisation was completed in 2018.
Rockhampton Regional Council, working in collaboration with Design+Architecture, started a master planning process to revitalise the main streetscape in Mount Morgan in 2014.
The project transformed the existing 10-metre-wide park down the middle of the main street with landscaping and meandering paths to take people on a journey through the town’s history, and also included seating areas, an improved street crossing for local students and refurbished amenities block.
Mr Strydom said Mount Morgan had a great history, which was brought into the foreground of the rejuvenated streetscape.
“We tried to tell the historic story of Mount Morgan,” he said.
While the historic Running the Cutter statue was preserved, Mr Strydom said the Mafeking Bell was added to the streetscape.
The Mafeking Bell was cast at the Mount Morgan Mine in 1900 and was made from copper pennies donated by schoolchildren.
Mr Strydom said the council salvaged the bell after the Boy Scouts Hall, where it was housed, was demolished 10 years ago due to asbestos and that they designed and made a new tower for it in a very prominent spot in the streetscape.
He said part of the revitalisation also included replacing the original Tree of Knowledge with steel arbours designed for bougainvillea to grow up them.
“All the old blokes would sit around that tree and tell stories – where was the gold, where would they find it,” Mr Strydom said.
“It was significant to the local background and history.
“That tree was sick and had to be removed.
“We could plant a new tree but it would take 50 years for it to grow to some level of maturity.”
He said they had also incorporated history into the bougainvillea, with their canopy representing old open cut mines.
Mr Strydom said the reason they had to wait so long before entering into the awards was to give time for the landscaping to reach maturity.
“We wanted the bougainvillea to get to a nice size in that tree arbour,” he said.
The Morgan Street Revitalisation project and Cocobrew Express Yeppoon are also up for a people’s choice award.
Mr Strydom said for the Mount Morgan project to win an award would mean the town could get more exposure and put it on the map.
“Mount Morgan is such a special place,” he said.
“It has so much history and great people.
“It needs to be celebrated.”
Voting for the people’s choice award closes May 20.
To vote for the Morgan Street Revitalisation project, go to www.architecture.com.au/archives/awards/morgan-street-revitalization-designandarchitecture-and-m-ramsay.
To vote for Cocobrew Express Yeppoon, go to www.architecture.com.au/archives/awards/cocobrew-express-coffee-drive-thru-designandarchitecture.
Design+Architecture have previously won four Australian Institute of Architects awards.
Mount Archer Nurim Circuit won Regional Project of the Year in 2019 and Fig Tree Galleries won the same award in 2023.
OURHOUSEWANDAL won House of the Year Central QLD in 2021 and Kingsley College won a People’s Choice Award in 2022.
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