6 Highmoor Ave Bayswater: Fears over plans for childcare centre at site of historic home

Neighbours are up in arms about plans to develop the site of a historic home in Bayswater, which has ties to famous opera singer Dame Nellie Melba.

Neighbours are worried about a plan to build a childcare centre at 6 Highmoor Ave Bayswater, home to historic Highmoor House.

Neighbours are fighting plans for a huge childcare centre at the site of a historic Bayswater home Dame Nellie Melba regularly visited.

Knox Council has received an application to build the new centre at 6 Highmoor Ave, home to Highmoor House — Bayswater’s oldest building which dates back to the 1880s.

The historic house would be retained, with a childcare centre for 142 children built behind it, and recently added outbuildings removed.

The council said the application proposes to construct a childcare centre, lop vegetation, and partially demolish and undertake works to the existing building, which will also be used and incorporated into the overall design of the childcare centre.

The home is protected by a heritage overlay and was once owned by famed opera singer Dame Nellie Melba’s sister Annie Fraser Box, with Melba attending many musical soirees at the property.

Dame Nellie Melba attended the home for musical soirees many times. Picture: State Library NSW.

The application is being advertised and the council is yet to make a decision on the proposal.

Nearby resident Noni Harrison has started a petition against the plan and said Highmoor Ave was already “dangerously overcrowded” with parked cars and traffic.

“It can be so bad on both sides of the street,” she said.

“The council workers deserve a medal the way they get the trucks up and down.”

She said the proposed new childcare centre would make the street even more congested.

“And parents can’t just drop the children off, they’ve got to park, take the children in, then go and it will be the same when they pick them up,” she said.

“I can’t see 142 people being able to do that when there’s room for about six cars to be parked.”

Many residents are worried about the plan to develop the site.

Ms Harrison said she was also opposed to any further loss of trees on the site, with myrtles and wattles already cut down.

And she wanted to make sure the heritage house was protected.

“We haven’t got any heritage left,” she said.

“The buildings they are proposing to put on the site are huge.

“I can’t understand it.

“I know we have to make way for progress - but sometimes progress isn’t a good thing.”

Ms Harrison also questioned the need for another childcare centre in the area, when there were already two within 500m of the site.

Another resident Cathy, who did not want her surname used, was worried about the increased traffic and parking in the nearby streets.

“I just think it is an overkill,” she said.

“It’s not necessary — there are already enough childcare centres in this area for the amount of little kids there are.”

She said the streets were already full with people who parked and walked down to Bayswater train station, along with people who lived in nearby high-rise unit developments.

“All of the streets around here are ridiculous now (with parked cars),” she said.

A render of the proposed development.

But Leo van Neuren, who also lives nearby, said he had no problem with the proposal.

“It is progress and the heritage is being protected,” he said.

According to a heritage citation at the site, the single storey Highmoor House with full veranda was built by Matthew Davies in about 1890.

It had six large rooms with tall ceilings, slate roof, and commanding views of the Ranges.

It also has a wine cellar leading to the suggestion Davies wanted to establish a wine hall on the site.

The first recorded owners were the Morphett family, who owned the property from 1893 to 1914.

An old image of Dame Nellie Melba

The next owner was Annie Fraser Box, sister of Dame Nellie Melba.

Melba visited the house on many occasions for musical soirees.

The property was subdivided in the 1920s and the house became part of a private hospital.

It became a residence again in the 1930s with a list of various owners.

Residents told Leader they remember the house being used as a guest house, and also by Dr Lawrence for many years.

According to the development proposal currently before the council, the new proposed building is responsive to the site’s evolving neighbourhood within the residential precinct, respecting the existing house.

The single storey childcare centre will have a combined floor area of 1080sq m with an outside play area of 1027sq m. There will also be 31 new car spaces.