Concord sports club destroyed by fire was part of historic Arnott’s factory
When fire claimed a sports club in Concord West at the weekend it was thought just a sports pavilion was destroyed. However, it has since emerged a priceless piece of Australian heritage also went up in smoke.
Inner West
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When a fire took hold of the Arthur Walker Reserve cottage on Saturday, it claimed a priceless piece of Sydney’s history.
The blaze, which broke out about 4am, left nothing but burned rubble in its wake where the heritage-listed building once stood.
City of Canada Bay Council confirmed the modest looking clubhouse was previously restored and transported to the reserve from the Arnott’s biscuit factory in North Strathfield in a bid to preserve the local heritage of the area.
It was the home base for the West Concord Cricket Club and the Inner West Harbour Cricket Association.
Now, it has been demolished.
“Police are investigating and are yet to confirm whether the fire was suspicious,” a Canada Bay Council spokeswoman said.
“A structural engineer attended the site and confirmed that the remaining structure in unsafe and the remains of the building had to be demolished.”
The burnt-out cottage presented a grim backdrop to this weekend’s junior cricket games at the Arthur Walker Reserve, with police tape and forensic investigations playing out in the background.
In 2003, after the Arnott’s factory relocation from Homebush, Canada Bay moved the structure onto the reserve to preserve the beloved Aussie company’s ties to the area.
Arnott’s has a strong link to the inner west, with the business calling the area home since the early 1900s.
Its founder William Arnott, and other members of the family, were born and raised in Strathfield.
A police spokeswoman said detectives were still investigating the cause of the blaze.
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