Camberwell: Two historic Burke Rd buildings knocked down
Developers have taken the wrecking ball to two landmark century-old buildings in Melbourne’s inner east to make way for apartments, leaving neighbours distraught.
Inner East
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Two century-old century buildings have been knocked down in an inner city suburb to make way for apartments, angering neighbours.
Two houses on either side of the Victoria Rd intersection with Burke Rd in Camberwell are being torn down or have already been demolished with apartment blocks slated to take their place.
The Le Pine Funerals Camberwell building at 981 Burke Rd is getting knocked down, while Cairnmillar at 993 Burke Rd was demolished previously.
Canterbury History Facebook site manager James Nicholas questioning why the two buildings, each aged more than 100 years old and which had “so much social importance to the community” did not have a heritage overlay.
“It is symbolic of why so many people’s homes have been lost as so few are on the register as significant,” he said.
“They are being excluded if they have the most trivial changes or alterations.
“How many buildings built in the 1880s will not have had changes?
“The integrity of the frontages facing Burke Rd were authentic.”
Lee Brown also said she was “sad to see” the funeral parlour being demolished at the weekend, as her best friend’s funeral was there and “it was a beautiful old building”.
Boroondara city planning director Shiran Wickramasinghe said neither of the properties were included in the heritage overlay, with Cairnmillar not protected as it was “significantly altered throughout the years”.
Both sites have been subject to disputed development plans.
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The 991-993 Burke Rd block had a three-storey building with 17 apartments rejected by council, only for VCAT to give the green light for a 16-apartment development.
Meanwhile, a massive seven-storey development at the Le Pine site at 979-981 Burke Rd was also turned down by the council, attracting 52 objections. It is to go before the tribunal on June 29.