St John’s Orphanage in Goulburn remains abandoned after fires
The owner of Goulburn Airport says he still has “no idea” when something will be done with the dilapidated St John’s Orphanage, taken over by vandals and squatters.
The Bowral News
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The owner of Goulburn Airport says he has “no idea” what he will be able to do with the
abandoned St John’s Orphanage more than two decades after he bought it.
Businessman John Ferrara purchased the site on Mundy Street, Goulburn, more than 20 years ago and says he has been hamstrung by the building’s heritage significance and despite lodging a number of development applications, has no immediate plans to develop it.
The decommissioned orphanage which was first opened in 1913, is not heritage listed, but is recognised as holding local historical significance by Goulburn Mulwaree Council.
After the building became a Youth With A Mission base for Christians around the world in 1978, it closed its doors in the 90s before Mr Ferrara bought it.
Since then, the site has been left to deteriorate, with squatters and vandals causing large-scale damage to the buildings, most extensively by fires in 2015 and 2016, a well as recently in June.
The desolation and haunted history of the site has even inspired ghost tours.
Mr Ferrera said he hasn’t been able to develop or repair the building, including restorative efforts, because it would costs millions of dollars.
The most recent application for a medical centre in 2013/2014 was refused.
When asked what he planned to do with the property, Mr Ferrara remarked “no idea” and said he was waiting to get assistance for the site to be tidied up, so that he can hopefully build 75 new units on the land.
“When a person buys a building, he should be able to do whatever he wants with it,” he said.
“If the government or council decides they want to keep it as a heritage building, they should be able to offer you market value and buy it off you so that you can go and do something else.
“Council expects you to pay for it (maintenance of historical sites) – they should be helping builders and owners maintain these buildings at a particular level”.
However because Mr Ferrara is the owner, a council spokesman said “the ball is in his hands.”
“Goulburn Mulwaree Council is open to any proposed development in order to see an improved use of the site, and welcomes those conversations and lodging of a development application,” the spokesman said.
An emergency demolition order has been issued for the property, citing public safety reasons of the three outbuildings, which Mr Ferrara has agreed to comply with.
The council will require significant features such as the crucifix, specific stone elements and the foundation plaque to be recovered, the spokesman said.
It has also requested the mason boundary wall, driveway, forecourt area and remnant trees and shrubs be retained and restored.
The spokesman said due to security fencing not being put up earlier, the council is holding Mr Ferrera is responsible for the damage to the site.
“As a result, the council has not issued him any development permits until restoration work of the former orphanage is complete.”
Many Goulburn residents believe the state of the building has made it a target for vandals.
Brooke, who asked her surname remain anonymous, said: “As a neighbour I would like to see it built into something useful. At the moment it’s only attracting vandals, squatters and young kids are going in. Each time there’s a fire all the neighbours are affected by smoke as well as the fear of the fire spreading, road closures, streets around us filled with traffic, sirens and lights flashing through our windows at 2am.”
Hannah Cleary said the site shouldn’t be demolished.
“I understand it’s a complex issue, but old buildings like this give Goulburn its heritage richness,” she said.
“A lot of houses hold awful tragedies, but they’re not demolished.”