THE SYDNEY HARBOUR FEDERATION TRUST 2001-2011 ARBOUR H THE SHAPING Copyright © Sydney Harbour Federation Trust 2011 First published 2011 This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction should be addressed to the Director Publications, Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, PO Box 607, Mosman, NSW 2088 or email to [email protected] For more information about the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, visit the website at www.harbourtrust.gov.au Text: Patrick Fletcher Design: Trademark Design Consultants ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Paintings, illustrations, drawings: Nick Hollo, Rod Simpson, Richard Leplastrier Photographs: Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, Ashley Mackevicius, Simon Kenny, Chris Gleisner, Andrew Jacobs, Robert Edwards, Muscle Marketing, The Tea Room, Leading Initiatives Worldwide, Land’s Edge, The Daily Telegraph, State Library of New South Wales, Australian War Memorial. ISBN: 978-0-9757842-8-0 SYdneY HARBOUR and Its FOReshoRes HAVE BEEN CONTESTED GROUND SINCE the ARRIVal OF EUROPeans. We may speculate that the In 2007, the Government, with resources of the harbour and the bipartisan support, extended the shelter provided by its headlands, life of the Trust from 2011 to 2033. beaches and bays were contested At the same time, the Trust has by Aboriginal clans of the Sydney become a self funding agency, region over great expanses of time. dependent for its operational costs on revenue from leasing and When the Sydney Harbour licensing activities. Federation Trust was established as an interim body in 1999 to The future holds many challenges manage former defence and other for the Trust. The potential of the Commonwealth lands around the lands to contribute to Sydney’s harbour, it did so in the context quality of life as a vibrant and of vigorous debate about their liveable city has only begun to future. Community groups, wary be realised. Their natural and of the exploitation of the harbour cultural significance will underpin over two centuries, had coalesced the social benefits they bring as into an effective force to advocate accessible, exciting public spaces FOREWORD for the retention of the lands in in Australia’s largest city. public hands, properly resourced Geoff Bailey and made publicly accessible. Executive Director The Trust was put on notice that expectations were high. This publication is a summary of the Trust’s establishment and first decade of work. It also marks a gradual transition in the Trust’s primary focus, from an organisation with an emphasis on remediation, conservation and refurbishment to one encouraging visitation to its lands and providing Above right memorable visitor experiences. Joseph Lycett, Sydney from the North Shore, 1827 Dixson Galleries, State Library of New South Wales THE SYDNEY HARBOUR FEDERATION TRUST, 2001 - 2011 01 WHY THE TRUST WAS ESTABLISHED THE waYS IN WHICH A CITY GROWS ARE INTRIGUING. ITS FOUndatION IS OFTEN at THE MERCY OF LARGE HISTORICAL FORCES AND ITS GROWTH, BY FITS AND staRTS, SEEMS TO DEFY THE APPLIcatION OF ORDER. WHEN THE FIRST FLEET SETTLED at SYDNEY COVE IN 1788, IT was NOT LONG BEFORE GOVERNOR PHILLIP ENTERtaINED THE PROSPECT OF estaBLISHING A NEW SETTLEMENT AND COMMERCIAL CENTRE UPSTREAM at PaRRamatta. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SYDNEY was HAPHAZARD, RESIstant TO REGUlatION AND AGRICUltURE, AND NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE GOVERNOr’S GEORGIAN SENSIBILITIES. Sydney thrived nevertheless. As In 1992, the lease for Cockatoo Geoffrey Blainey has observed, Island expired. The closure of the the harbour has been Sydney’s dockyard signalled the end of ‘lungs, eyes and ears’ for much of an era. The legacy of this once the city’s history. It is only in recent great industrial enterprise was in memory that Sydney has ceased danger of slipping from view, to to be a working port and become say nothing of the future of the in the popular imagination a place heritage-listed convict-built prison, of leisure and a source of pride for workshops and docks. its beauty. In the wider community, there were calls to retain these lands THE HARBOUR CHANGES in public hands and to conserve These two factors intersected in and celebrate their heritage. The the 1990s to produce the Sydney calls turned into action. A group Harbour Federation Trust. At this called Friends of Cockatoo Island time, the future of former defence was formed in 1995 to lobby on lands around the harbour was behalf of the island’s future as a under review. The Army was in public space. the process of closing its defence establishments at North Head, Middle Head and Woolwich Dock. There was a strong likelihood that the lands would be sold or otherwise re-developed. 02 SHAPING THE HARBOUR Facing page: Bottom: Aerial view of Cockatoo Island, Augustus Earle, Port Jackson, looking east, 1986 New South Wales, c 1825, National Library of Australia Below: The view through the Heads from Bottom left: Georges Heights Woolwich Dock, c1960s A year later the Headland LONG HISTORY OF Preservation Group was formed in COMMUNITY AGItatION Mosman to head off plans to sell If the ‘Defenders’ were looking for surplus defence lands on Middle a precedent, happily one existed. Head and Georges Heights. The In the early 1900s, the Harbour report of a steering committee Foreshores Vigilance Committee comprising representatives of was formed to protest against the Mosman Council, the Defence potential alienation of part of the Housing Authority and others Botanic Gardens and to agitate proposed the construction of for the resumption of foreshore 120 new houses and a multi-use land for public use. William indoor recreation centre on former Notting, honorary secretary of defence bases. the committee, declared in 1910 Foreshore 2000 Woolwich took that Sydney Harbour was still up the cudgels in defence of ‘practically a pond in a privately Woolwich Dock. owned paddock’. Eventually, the committee’s campaigning In 1997, these and a number succeeded in having land set of other groups formed a loose aside for public use including coalition called Defenders of Parsley Bay, Vaucluse House and Sydney Harbour Foreshores. park, and Nielsen Park. The foreshores of Sydney Harbour have always been contested ground and there have always been people who championed public access. THE SYDNEY HARBOUR FEDERATION TRUST, 2001 - 2011 03 Below: Planning open day, North Head, 2001 In the 1990s, people like Phil A sum of $96 million was promised THE TRUST IS EstaBLISHED Jenkyn (Foreshore 2000) to fund the decontamination of An interim Board was appointed and Linda Bergin (Headland Cockatoo Island, relocate defence in March 1999 and the executive Preservation Group) were establishments and open up parts director of the agency recruited in spokespersons for the Defenders of Garden Island. August 1999. The Trust began its of Sydney Harbour Foreshores Community advocacy and work without legislation in place and worked tirelessly with their agitation would seem to have and under the watchful eye of the respective groups to keep won the day. However, a new community. The Federal Budget in former defence lands in public front soon opened in the battle 1999 made a loan to the Trust of hands. The lands in contention to save precious foreshore lands. $770,000 to enable it to operate. were in electorates held by the The Defenders realised that the Government of the day. It was a In its submission to the Trust was expected to be self pressure point worth exploiting. Department of Environment funding through commercial and Heritage in response to the Finally, in 1998, the activity, the sale of land and the release for public comment of the Commonwealth Government re-development of parts of the draft bill to establish the Trust, announced that Cockatoo Island lands under its control. They the Defenders of Sydney Harbour and defence lands at North feared much of the lands would Foreshores stated that the Head, Mosman (Middle Head, be lost or compromised. ‘Commonwealth, the State and Georges Heights, Chowder For the next three years, the community have all declared Bay) and Woolwich Dock were the debate revolved around that they have a vision for Sydney to be returned to the people of the funding of the Sydney Harbour, a vision to preserve Australia. The Government also Harbour Federation Trust and magnificent foreshore sites for announced the establishment of the provisions of its enabling future generations. The draft bill the Sydney Harbour Federation legislation. From the perspective does not fulfil that vision’. Trust, a statutory agency with the of community groups, at stake responsibility to rehabilitate the Some 46 submissions were was whether or not the lands were lands, conserve their natural values received on the draft bill and all safe from sell-off or long-term and open them up to the public. were critical of its provisions. leases that would effectively limit The funding arrangements were public access. 04 SHAPING THE HARBOUR of particular concern. Without Harbour and enrich the cultural life a sustainable funding base, the of the city? Magnificent the lands community groups feared the undoubtedly were, but they were long-term future of the lands in also degraded, run-down and in public hands was at risk. some places contaminated. The bill was introduced into The Trust realised that community Parliament in December 1999 consultation and planning were and was referred to a Senate the foundation stones of future committee whose majority report success. Leading architects recommended extensive changes. were engaged to commence In June 2000, the legislation the planning process, to put in was defeated in the Senate. place steps to preparing a master Opposition parties stood firm on plan. The Trust began to talk amendments to guarantee public to the community.