MINISTER ENDORSES BARWON BRIDGE DECISION
At the end of July, the Victorian Minister for Planning endorsed Heritage Victoria's decision to refuse permission to demolish and replace the Barwon River Bridge. As part of the decision-making process, Lovell Chen was commissioned by VicRoads to undertake a review of the related heritage issues and constraints.
The Barwon River Bridge links the towns of Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads. It is considered a significant icon by the local and wider community and is on the Victorian Heritage Register. It is also one of the longest timber road bridges extant in Victoria. Our role involved advising on the tabled options, which were the demolition and replacement of the bridge with a new structure or the construction of a new bridge upstream and maintenance of the present bridge.
[ photos: Peter Lovell ]
MELBOURNE GPO INTERPRETATIVE SIGNAGE READY
Just installed at Melbourne's former General Post Office is a suite of intepretative signage, the result of work over the past year by Lovell Chen's Robyn Riddett and Michelle Knehans, working in conjunction with architects Williams Boag, together with graphic designers and signage manufacturers.
The historic Melbourne GPO Postal Hall was severely damaged by fire in 2001, which was the catalyst for Australia Post to vacate the building as a working mail centre. The building — on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets — was then converted into a retail complex. One of the heritage permit conditions for the redevelopment was that an interpretation programme be implemented to trace the history of the building and outline its significance to Victoria.
The interpretative signage explores postal themes and the history of the development and construction of the building. The information is presented on seraphic glass and aluminium.
[ main photo (circa 1925): La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria ]
HERITAGE GRADING REVIEW FOR
CITY OF BOROONDARA
Our heritage team recently completed a project for the City of Boroondara to review properties graded 'B' in the former cities of Kew, Camberwell and Hawthorn.
The project built upon and updated the assessment and gradings of earlier studies. We undertook selective historical research to support the surveying, re-appraisal and recommendation process for over 200 properties in the municipality.
[ illustrations: the Sands & McDougall Directory of Victoria ]