Ghost sightings in new $40m Marrickville Library and Pavilion
The ghosts of the site’s former century-old hospital have come back to mark the opening of a new $40m library and community centre in Sydney’s inner west.
The ghosts of the site’s former century-old hospital have come back to mark the opening of the $40 million Marrickville Library and Pavilion next week.
The revelations of paranormal activity in the revamped building, on the corner of Marrickville and Livingstone roads, came to light during a pre-opening site tour today.
It’s left some Inner West Council staff and builders convinced that a ghost is haunting a section of the new library’s administration area, where the 92-year-old hospital was located before it closed in 1991.
“Our office staff have encountered paranormal activity,” a council spokeswoman said.
“They’ve heard someone knocking on an internal wall and when they’ve gone to check, near a fire escape, there hasn’t been anyone there.
“Some of the staff had relatives who died in this building, and they are convinced about the paranormal activity.
“And three of the builders have told us they saw the ghost of a woman sweeping during construction. They actually thought she was working at the site.”
The ghost sighting will add spice to the new architecturally impressive building, which blends in heritage and state-of-the-art features.
Its landmark opening on Saturday, August 31, will come 25 years after council bought the old hospital site — and the community’s call to keep a heritage presence in the revamp.
‘CENTRE OF ATTENTION’
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne predicts the new development will “turbocharge Marrickville as a destination for Sydney”.
“It’s going to be a public square, community hub, a public library and an artistic and cultural centre rolled into one,” Cr Byrne said.
“Marrickville’s a very diverse place, with people from a vast array of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, but this place will unite them all. It will transform Marrickville Rd and become the centre of Marrickville.”
Designed by architects BVN, the centre will be known as ‘Patyegarang Place’, named after a Gadigal woman thought to have been one of the first people to teach an Aboriginal language to the early colonists.
It will house 85,000 books, a pavilion available for public hire, cafe and outdoor areas including a public lawn and seating, meeting and study rooms, junior playground, a dedicated youth area and specially commissioned public artworks.
One of the best features inside the library are the timber columns, imported from Italy.
The opening coincides with the completion of Mirvac’s Marrick & Co 225-apartment and terrace development, the first One Planet Living community in NSW.
The partnership with the council has funded the library, community spaces, carparking, open space and nine affordable homes.
Recycled materials have been used wherever possible along with design features that reduce energy consumption. More than 27,000 recycled bricks have been used in construction and much of the timber on internal balustrades and external battens was sourced from two disused bridges in Taree.
“We had so much inspiration to work with from the rich industrial heritage of Marrickville, the history of the hospital and nurses’ quarters and the wonderful diversity in housing styles and the community in this neighbourhood,” Mirvac’s general manager of residential development NSW Toby Long said.
“But there was another imperative that influenced our thinking — the critical importance of creating a sustainable community, considering not only the environment but also social and economic factors as well.”
‘VIVID MEMORIES’
Toby Long’s mother, Ann, worked as a resident doctor at Marrickville hospital.
She recalls watching the moon landing in 1969 from the hospital, among many other memories, some of which were traumatic.
“Aside from the moon landing, my most vivid memory was two children who had been playing with matches in their cubbyhouse coming into emergency with the most horrendous burns,” Dr Long said.
“These sort of unfortunate things stick in your mind, but it was a wonderful facility to have worked at. The nurses were all wonderful.”
One nurse who worked at the hospital stood on the original floorboards — which have been polished and preserved — as she recounted her days of training at the facility from 1962-66.
“I remember starting out as a first-year nurse, when the seniors taught us very well, and it was a great community hospital,” Barbra Emslie said.
“It’s terrific to see how it’s been transformed to incorporate the new library. I think people will be very impressed when they see it.”
Features of ‘Patyegarang Place’ include:
• Sustainable design, including natural light and ventilation, environmentally-friendly warming and cooling, rain tanks, recycled bricks and timber and overall 25 per cent reduction of energy use.
• A home for council’s historic art book collection that has never before been publicly accessible.
• A new cafe, run by Double Roasters, with indoor and outdoor seating, and a pavilion that opens out to a sunken lawn and can be hired out.
• Specially commissioned public artworks.
• 58 underground carparking spaces including five accessible parking spaces.
• Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the library and printing facilities.
• Major technology upgrade with more public computers some with Adobe Suite and a technology teaching area.
The grand opening of Marrickville Library will take place on Saturday, August 31, at 10am with a traditional smoking ceremony and featuring roving performers, children’s activities and public art tours at 313 Marrickville Road.
The unveiling of Marrick & Co will begin on the same day at 9am, with tours of the apartments, at 20 Lilydale St, including the 10th-floor roof terrace.
‘JEWEL IN CROWN’
Mirvac has reported a “strong uptake” of the 225 apartments and terraces at its new Marrick & Co building, the first One Planet Living community in NSW.
The jewel in the crown, Lilydale House, the former nurses’ quarters which have been restored and adapted into two elegant whole-floor apartments have been sold for an undisclosed price.
A range of new modern terraces are on the market, with a top price of $1.89 million.
There are one, two and three-bedroom apartments, starting from $699,000, adjacent to the new $40 million Marrickville library and community centre.
“There’s been a strong uptake and we’ve now sold over 70 per cent of apartments,” Mirvac’s general manager of residential development NSW Toby Long said.
He said Marrick & Co fulfilled one of the goals of Mirvac’s sustainability plan, This Changes Everything, “in which we aim to be net positive by 2030”.
“With the creation of the first One Planet Living community in NSW, we are making it easier for residents to live a sustainable life, from an environmental, social and economic perspective,” Mr Long said.
Marrick & Co residents will be able to compost food waste and grow their own produce in vegetable gardens outside Lilydale House and on the rooftop.
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