Community fights to save historic Essendon mansion from partial demolition, redevelopment
Essendon locals are desperately trying to stop plans to subdivide and redevelop a heritage-listed mansion built in 1888 for Carlton and United Breweries founder Alexander McCracken.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Plans to carve up and sell a historic Melbourne mansion and property built by a beer baron and footy pioneer has sparked a community fight to rescue it from developers.
Heritage listed North Park mansion on the highest hill of Essendon was built in 1888 for Carlton and United Breweries founder and the VFL’s first president Alexander McCracken.
The Victorian Heritage Register lists the estate built by McCracken — also a Victoria Racing Club chairman and Essendon footy club president — “of architectural, historic, and aesthetic importance’’.
But a $36 million plan for its redevelopment including partial demolition, four lot subdivision and construction of 25 townhouses and a “residential village’’ has alarmed the local community.
Neighbour Michael Whelan said locals had engaged lawyers to try and save the landmark.
“Our biggest issue is that it’s just excessive and well and truly over the top,’’ he said.
Moonee Valley Council is considering an application by owners of the property, the St Columban Catholic Mission, to sell the mansion and a portion of the 19,720 sqm grounds.
The St Columban’s want to build new lodgings for retiring priests on part of the land and sell the 42-room mansion and most of the property to pay for it.
A 1960s office block, interwar weatherboard house and sections of garden and fence would be demolished and almost 100 trees cut down.
The mansion – deemed “architecturally important as a pioneering example of the Queen Anne Revival style’’ by experts – would be sold with part of the gardens.
And a three storey residential village would be built as permanent accommodation for the priests.
Mr Whelan called for all levels of government to help block the redevelopment, suggesting the site could become an arts hub, wedding and conference centre such as Abbotsford Convent or a school.
“It’s a place not just for locals but Melburnians, Victorians and Australians to say ‘no, wait on, we want to save this and why can’t it be ours?’,’’ he said.
In a letter to Heritage Victoria, St Columbans Australia leader Rev Peter O’Neill said if the permit was refused “there will be no alternative but to leave the site following a successful sale to a developer’’.
Geoff Hurst, who lives behind the mansion, said locals were desperate to keep it intact so it could be a “community asset’’ with parkland for families.
“I will not accept them bulldozing this facility and removing 100 trees that are part of the networks of parks in the neighbourhood,’’ he said.
He said the connection to McCracken – who once stood against Alfred Deakin for a seat in parliament and was VFL president from 1897-1915 — was reason enough to preserve it.
“It’s a place where his history could be displayed … some part of it could be for the heritage of McKracken and his achievements,’’ he said.
Council acting chief executive Kendrea Pope said the application would be assessed “against the site’s heritage listing’’, vehicle access, parking and traffic impacts, residential amenity and community submissions.
MORE NEWS:
WHEN MONEY IS TIGHT, DON’T GO IT ALONE