Heritage House, South Perth

Our famous and much-loved Heritage House was built in 1904, originally to be the Council House. Since a new Civic Centre was built in 1960 this building has had a number of uses. The building was recognised by the Heritage Council of WA in 1999. This means that the City is required to protect the site. Most recently it has been the home of the May and Herbert Gibbs Art Gallery, recognising the creators of much famous work, including the Gumnut Babies. The rooms also display items of local history, a vital and fascinating link with our past.

Nearby is the Perth Zoo, the destination for six hundred thousand visitors a year. Equally close are coffee shops, other heritage buildings, the lively Windsor Hotel, Mends Street shopping precinct and the ferry to Perth. What is missing is a permanent use and attraction that brings regular visitors, and some way of providing financial support to keep it alive.

Until recently this little gem was staffed by one person and saw almost no visitors. To keep Heritage House going we need imagination, at least one distinct purpose and a full-time staff of at least two. The likely running costs will be about $150,000 per year. How do we do it?

My vision is that we can change the zoning from ‘Civic and Cultural’ to ‘Commercial’ to match that of the rest of the Mends Street area, and create two purposes within the building. One purpose would curate and display works of art and history; the other would contribute to community development while providing funds for operation and maintenance. Oh, and a shop would probably not fit either of these needs.

I have heard that the Australia Day Council of WA has expressed interest in using the facility. Their patron is His Excellency Dr Ken Michael AC, Governor of Western Australia and the Vice Patron is Premier of WA, Colin Barnett.

Another use could be to provide a Sustainability Information and Demonstration centre, supported by relevant industries. This has been done very successfully in Woollahra, Sydney, an area much like South Perth.

What are your thoughts? I’m really interested in hearing positive, optimistic, imaginative ideas for the future of this place. Please click ‘Comments’ below to add your thoughts. Just log in as “Name” (no password required) or email me and I’ll publish your words right here.

Had Enough Graffiti

Care about your street? Tired of scribble? Here’s what I do; you can too. I go to the hardware store, buy a can of discount water-based paint and a cheap brush. I get the shop to add some suitable tint then I get to work in the street.

Where I live my neighbours care about the park. If they see a bit of rubbish, a milk carton or a dog bundle they put it in the bin. In McDougall Park they’ve even formed  Friends of the Park group that keeps the park smart. They even pull up weeds around the lake and check the sand play-pits for sharp objects. Oh, and they all get together for coffee in the park on Sundays.

This is a tremendous place to live and our Council staff do a wonderful job. What is extra-special is that our neighbours do their bit too. All around the City there are local groups looking after their environment. In Manning the residents formed a team with the City to work on mosquito and wetland management. In Jackson Road some residents are working together to plan for the impact of possible traffic changes and to promote light rail along Manning Road. Some home builders are developing methods to stop sand washing into drains from building sites. An action group of dog owners has got together to work out cooperative ways of sharing parks with sporting groups. Some inspired locals have put together sporting and activity groups for young people, such as Moorditch Keila, Millennium Kids, skate, cricket and football clubs .There are plenty more examples around here.

People say that caring for the world around us makes us feel good too. I think that doing it with our friends and neighbours is even better.

As usual, please click ‘Comments’ below to add your thoughts. Just log in as “Name” (no password required) or email me and I’ll publish your words right here.