Melbourne’s history under threat from wrecking ball

Private period homes and landmark historic hotels alike are being demolished across Melbourne, sparking calls for councils to review and toughen up heritage laws.

The former period fireplace at the now-demolished Seymour Rd home.

Neighbours of a historic Elsternwick home which was last week bulldozed are among those calling for tougher heritage controls.

The home at 55 Seymour Rd was torn down after Glen Eira Council failed to include it in a heritage overlay.

Sam Dugdale told Leader the destruction of the 129-year-old unprotected Edwardian family home should serve as a wake-up call to the council to not let history slip through the cracks.

55 Seymour Rd, Elsternwick, sold for $3.1 million in December last year...

…and was bulldozed last week.

Ms Dugdale called for a municipal-wide heritage study to try and save other period homes in the area from a similar fate.

She said she feared there were gaps in heritage studies across Melbourne, putting hundreds of historic buildings at risk of demolition.

Neighbouring Port Phillip Council faced similar backlash in 2016 when Port Melbourne’s landmark London Hotel was bulldozed to make way for apartments.

The council had scrambled to fast-track a heritage assessment of the 150-year-old building when it discovered it was not protected.

The London Hotel in Port Melbourne was demolished in 2016 to make way for a new apartment block. Picture: Norm Oorloff

Just months later it was revealed the beloved Greyhound Hotel had also missed out on heritage protection and the iconic gay bar was hit with a wrecking ball.

So popular was the bar that former patrons came from as far as Sydney to scavenge for memorabilia — including bricks and plaster — at the demolition site.

In 2015, a $20 million mansion in one of Toorak’s most exclusive streets was razed, despite Stonnington Council’s efforts to obtain heritage protection for it.

And last month the Leader revealed people in Ascot Vale were fighting to save a 134-year-old home from being demolished after Mooneey Valley Council stripped a street of hertiage protection a decade ago.

Moonee Valley Heritage Action group president Adam Ford said it was “exactly the type of highly valuable heritage propertythat the community expects our councils to protect”.

Glen Eira Council planning and place director, Ron Torres, confirmed a heritage review was being done.

Mr Torres said an update was due to be presented at next Tuesday’s council meeting.

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He said the previous heritage assessment — done about 20 years ago — found the Seymour Rd home was not worthy of protection.

“Elsternwick’s main heritage protected area lies between Orrong Rd and Hotham St, including the historic Rippon Lea Estate,” he said.

“This area contained the finest, intact examples of 19th century buildings.”

The Greyhound was once a beloved gay bar…

…but couldn’t be saved from the wrecking ball.

Mr Torres said 55 Seymour Rd did not compare to buildings in the main heritage area.

The study involved “significant community and stakeholder consultation” as well as analysis by an independent heritage expert.

“Community feedback at the time was sharply divided between fervent opposition to heritage controls and strong support,” he said.

A spokesperson for Planning Minister Richard Wynne said councils were responsible for protecting sites of local heritage significance.

“It is up to a council to investigate the merits of including relevant buildings or other places in their local heritage overlay,” the spokesperson said.