Statement of Recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria to the Heritage Council of Victoria
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Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria to the Heritage Council of Victoria Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria to the Heritage Council of Victoria Name: Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion Address: 3 Fairfield Park Drive, Fairfield Registered Aboriginal Party Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation Local Government Authority: City of Yarra Fairfield Park Amphitheatre (March 2021) Pavilion (February 2021) Executive Director recommendation Under Part 3, Division 3 of the Heritage Act 2017 I recommend to the Heritage Council of Victoria that the Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion, Fairfield should not be included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). STEVEN AVERY Executive Director, Heritage Victoria DATE OF RECOMMENDATION: 21 April 2021 This report may contain images and/or names of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are now deceased. Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion 1 Hermes No: 206940 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria to the Heritage Council of Victoria Executive Director recommendation to the Heritage Council of Victoria The Executive Director, Heritage Victoria recommends that the Heritage Council not include the Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion, 3 Fairfield Park Drive, Fairfield in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) in accordance with section 49 of the Heritage Act 2017 by determining: That this place is not of State-level cultural heritage significance and should not be included in the VHR in accordance with s.49(1)(b) of the Act. The information presented in this recommendation suggests that the Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion may be of potential local significance. This place is located within an area - Fairfield Park – which is subject to a Heritage Overlay in the Yarra Planning Scheme (HO147 - Fairfield Park). The ‘Fairfield Park’ Heritage Overlay and Yarra Council’s Statement of Significance exclusively focuses on the place as ‘a major recreational facility representing early and diverse recreational uses along the Yarra, as well as extensive plantings and landscaping typical of the Edwardian period’. The existing Statement of Significance for Fairfield Park does not refer to features such as the Amphitheatre, Kiosk or Pavilion. Under section 49(1)(c) of the Heritage Act 2017 Heritage Council may wish to: i. refer the recommendation and any submissions to the to the Yarra City Council for consideration for an amendment to a planning scheme for inclusion of the Amphitheatre, Kiosk and/or Pavilion in an individual Heritage Overlay(s). ii. determine that it is more appropriate for steps to be taken under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 or by any other means to protect or conserve the place. This might include acknowledging the Amphitheatre, Kiosk and/or Pavilion in a Statement of Significance. Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion 2 Hermes No: 206940 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria to the Heritage Council of Victoria The process from here 1. The Heritage Council publishes the Executive Director’s recommendation (section 41). The Heritage Council of Victoria will publish the Executive Director’s recommendation on its website for a period of 60 days. Submissions must be received by Heritage Council on or before Monday 21 June 2021. 2. Making a submission to the Heritage Council (sections 44 and 45) Within the 60 day publication period, any person or body can make a submission to the Heritage Council. This submission can support the recommendation, or object to the recommendation and a hearing can be requested in relation to the submission. Information about making a submission and submission forms are available on the Heritage Council of Victoria’s website: https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/registrations-reviews/executive-director-recommendations/ 3. Heritage Council determination (sections 46 and 49) The Heritage Council of Victoria is an independent statutory body. It is responsible for making the final determination to include or not include the place or object in the VHR, or amend a place or object already in the VHR. If no submissions are received the Heritage Council must make a determination within 40 days of the publication closing date. If submissions are received, the Heritage Council may decide to hold a hearing in relation to the submission. If a hearing does take place, the Heritage Council must make a determination within 90 days after the completion of the hearing. 4. Obligations of owners of places and objects (sections 42 and 43) The owner of a place or object which is the subject of a recommendation to the Heritage Council has certain obligations under the Heritage Act 2017. These relate to advising the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria in writing of any works or activities that are being carried out, proposed or planned for the place. The owner also has an obligation to provide a copy of this statement of recommendation to any potential purchasers of the place or object before entering into a contract. 5. Further information The relevant sections of the Act are provided at Appendix 1. Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion 3 Hermes No: 206940 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria to the Heritage Council of Victoria Description The following is a description of the Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion, at the time of site inspections by Heritage Victoria in February, March and April 2021. The whole place The Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion are located in a landscaped area of 1860m2 (0.19ha) which is part of Fairfield Park. This section slopes up away from the Yarra River east to west and contains established trees, access pathways and three buildings (the amphitheatre, kiosk and pavilion) which respond to the sloping site. The amphitheatre The amphitheatre is built from rough hewn bluestone blocks (pitchers) and sawn bluestone slab steps over a concrete base and is located approximately 25 metres west of the river. It comprises a flat circular stage ten metres in diameter from which extends eleven tiers of terraced seating in a semi-circular form. A projection booth with a brown timber hatch is set into the centre top level and has an access door to the rear pathway. Several fixed lighting trees (tall metal posts) project upwards from the outermost walls of the amphitheatre and are designed to support stage lights plugged into power grids underneath them. There is power cabling under the amphitheatre. The kiosk Above the northwest side of the amphitheatre is a small circular bluestone kiosk featuring an octagonal conical corrugated iron roof, with an approximately 3 metre covered walkway on the north side leading to three square ticket-sale windows. The interior consists of a continuous curved service bench in front of the ticket windows, and a kitchen bench and sink unit built against the eastern wall. The floor is tiled, the pine beams of the conical roof are exposed and there are roller doors on the inside of the ticket windows. The pavilion At the south, approximately 45m from the Yarra River, is a two-storey tilt-slab precast concrete building (pavilion) set into the steepest part of the site. Three large sliding doors on the east open onto the ground level which comprises two large open workshop spaces. An internal staircase leads to the first floor which consists of two dressing rooms with toilet and shower facilities at the south part of the building, all internally linked. These rooms open onto an external balcony walkway which runs the length of the building offering views to the river. To the north of the balcony walkway are three toilets which were intended for public use. The balcony walkway extends approximately six metres into the parkland at the north but abruptly stops as it has never been connected to a pathway in the park as was intended. The rooftop of the pavilion is level with the main access pathway to Heidelberg Road. It consists of a flat concrete barbecue area (with no fixed facilities such as barbecues or seating) of approximately 145m2 part of which is covered to the southern end by a four-sided symmetrical gazebo of approximately 60m2. It sits on twelve posts and has a partial corrugated-iron pyramid-form roof which is completed by a cube shaped light box (ventilation chimney) featuring 27 timber slats on each side, on top of which sits a flat roof of steel tray roof decking. Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion 4 Hermes No: 206940 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria to the Heritage Council of Victoria 2021, Kiosk building at the top of the 2021, Detail of upper seating tier of amphitheatre amphitheatre with lighting/projection box F2021, Sliding door into Pavilion at ground 2021, Roof of the pavilion showing gazebo with light box (ventilation box) and level viewing fence overlooking the river Fairfield Park Amphitheatre, Kiosk and Pavilion 5 Hermes No: 206940 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria to the Heritage Council of Victoria 2021, Changeroom in the Pavilion 2021, View from Pavilion walkway towards the amphitheatre History Amphitheatres Amphitheatres can be traced to Ancient Greece (≈800 BC to 146AD). They are circular or oval shaped venues for theatre and outdoor entertainments (semi-circular forms were originally known as ‘theatres’). The amphitheatre form was adopted by many later civilisations, such as Ancient Rome (≈ 31BC to 1453 AD) especially those aspiring to reflect a glorious classical past. In England the word first appeared in the 14th century. Shakespeare’s circular Globe Theatre in London (1576) was an amphitheatre. In modern parlance, an amphitheatre is any circular, semicircular or curved, acoustically vibrant performance space, including those with theatre-style stages, sloping seating, particularly those located outdoors. Natural formations of similar shape are sometimes known as natural amphitheatres.