Historic Wellington Point cottage sparks anger over heritage register

Time may have run out for a 136-year-old cottage south of Brisbane, after a council noted its demolition certification, weeks after naming it as a candidate for a heritage listing.

The historic Wellington Point cottage which has been given demolition approval, above; houses at Dunwich which were once part of the Benevolent Asylum and are earmarked to be put on the register; the Cleveland lighthouse which is already on the register.

Time may have run out for a 136-year-old cottage south of Brisbane, after a local council was advised of its proposed demolition, weeks after naming it as a candidate for a heritage listing.

A private certifier approved the demolition of the cottage at Wellington Point in November, which was given to Redland City Council just days after announcing it was of historical significance and suggesting it be added to Redlands Local Heritage Register.

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Tenants living at the Main Rd property at Wellington Point had until midnight on January 12, to vacate, ahead of the proposed demolition, expected this week.

Neighbours reported seeing real estate agents visiting the house yesterday as tenants were given their final notice.

Council plans to add 48 properties to its Local Heritage Register also sparked anger from landowners who did not want their assets listed, fearing devaluation and constraints on redevelopment.

Houses at Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island, earmarked to be put on the council heritage register which has caused anguish to owners.

North Stradbroke Island resident Jim Campbell said he was concerned a listing would prohibit upgrades to his property, once part of the Benevolent Asylum buildings at Dunwich.

“The council doesn’t realise the impact and stress that a heritage listing puts on a property owner – it’s detrimental financially, mentally and physically,” he said.

“We don’t want to be on the register as it serves no purpose and if my home and shop is so significant, the council should buy it.”

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The council launched a 54-day public survey in October asking people for their views on adding the private properties to the register which currently only includes 50 council-owned sites.

The Main Rd house is one of 10 Wellington Point properties earmarked for the register, including Casurina Cottage on Fernbourne Rd, near the site of Fernbourne House, which was more than 100 years old when fire razed it to the ground in 2012.

There are also 10 properties on North Stradbroke Island which will be assessed for listing on the register including nine at Dunwich, mainly buildings related to the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum.

Cleveland’s lighthouse and a 400-year-old tallowwood tree at Capalaba’s Indigiscapes were put on the register.

The iconic Wellington Point wooden house, with bullnosed verandahs, looked like it was on the home run to being preserved with the council saying in October it had “strong historical values” and was an intact example of an early settlement house.

The historic property which backs on to the train line at Wellington Point.

But that all changed when a private certifier was engaged to assess demolition on November 9 and it was approved by two weeks later on November 23.

Less than a month later, the Victorian-era house, one of the first built at Wellington Point, was sold for a cool $1.25 million on December 21.

Aerial shots of Main Rd, Wellington Point showing the development starting from top left: 1946; 1960; 1973; 1985; 1999 and today.

The sale and imminent demolition prompted outrage from some locals who successfully protested in 2019 about ripping the building down to make way for a childcare centre.

Plans for the childcare centre were withdrawn in November 2019 after complaints that the 2957 sqm property was unsuitable as it was on a busy roundabout bordered by the Wellington Point train station.

Community group Redlands2030 secretary Chris Walker said the change in plans for the cottage highlighted a “terrible disconnect” in council processes.

“It’s hard to fathom when a building under consideration for a heritage listing was able to have a demolition order signed off against it,” he said.

“The council should been able to ensure that properties with assessed heritage significance are not demolished prior to a final decision about inclusion on its local heritage register.”

An Environment and Science Department spokesman said the state government was unlikely to intervene and halt the demolition as the house was not on a state heritage list.

“This specific property is not listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, nor has an application been received to list it on the register,” a spokesman said on January 12.

“As such, from a Queensland heritage perspective, the Department of Environment and Science currently has no role to play regarding the property.”

Another historic building in Redland, Willards Farm was saved from demolition but has since been left to rack and ruin.

The state invoked the Heritage Act and issued a stop order to save the historic Willards Farm at nearby Birkdale in 2015.

Capalaba MP Don Brown, who played a role in that Willards Farm stop order, said there were always going to be properties that would “fall through the cracks” and be demolished while waiting to be listed on the council register.

“We expected teething problems and for owners to run out and demolish properties before the council gets the chance to register them,” he said.

Redland City councillor Paul Bishop said residents had been asking council to manage private properties of historic significance for more than a decade.

“It’s good to see some movement in this direction and we should look at an holistic strategy to retain properties of critical value before they are lost forever,” he said.

“This could include offering property owners some incentives to allow their properties to be listed.

“Property owners who decide to list can add value to their properties and, importantly, to the local area.”