THE PADDINGTONPADDINGTON PEOPLE PASSIONATE FOR PADDINGTON The official newsletter of The Paddington Society. Registered by Post Publication No NBG 1470. paper ISSUE 170 | JULY 2014

PASSION | CARING | ACTIVISM CELEBRATING 50 YEARS On 11 August 2014 The Paddington Society The Paddington Society invites you to our celebrates 50 years supporting heritage, environment and 50th Anniversary community values in Paddington. Established in 1964 to oppose pressure Celebration Dinner from private developers, council rezonings and arterial road proposals, The Society has Paddington Town Hall been prominent and pro-active in seeking the conservation of heritage in Paddington and Monday 11 August 2014 public domain improvements which provide a better quality of life for the community. 7:00 pm Over this period dedicated residents from various walks of life have volunteered their Society Members $110 | Friends $115 Jack Thompson time, energy and professional expertise to Jack Thompson, son of founding members ensure the quality of this unique precinct is Guest of Honour: of The Paddington Society Pat and John, maintained, conserved and improved. and brother of filmmaker Peter Thompson, His Excellency the Honorable This edition of the Paddington Paper is a major figure of Australian cinema. Sir Peter Cosgrove outlines the broad acheivements of The He is best known as a lead character actor Governor-General of the Society over this 50 year time span. in acclaimed Australian films including such Commonwealth of Australia You are invited to read and enjoy classics as , The Man and recognize the considerable from Snowy River and Breaker Morant. contribution which has been made on Guest Speaker: Jack Thompson He has won Cannes and AFI acting awards your behalf. and the recipient of a Living Legend Award More importantly join us to celebrate this Booking and information: in 2005. milestone at the Paddington Town Hall with www.paddingtonsociety.org.au Jack has also developed a love of poetry guest speaker, Paddington’s favorite son Robyn Attuell | 0412 414 144 or (his father was a poet) and features in Jack Thompson, actor, film star and son of [email protected] a series of recordings of Australian poetry the founding members of The Society, John reciting the works of Henry Lawson, RSVP Wednesday 30 July 2014 and Pat Thompson. and C.J. Dennis. Celebrating 50 Years of The Paddington Society 1964 – 2014

1960s | the beginnings 1970s | bold plans 1980s | saving heritage These resident actions lay the Juniper Hall, a grand villa built in the early The Paddington Society was foundations to preserve the heritage village 1820s was the home of Robert Cooper, formed in 1964 at a meeting in of Paddington. a gin distiller. A hundred years later it was The Paddington turned into flats and hidden behind a row Paddington Town Hall, called Society formed of shops along the Oxford Street frontage to support the preservation a Special Area in the 1920s. When further commercial of Paddington in the face Committee development was approved in 1984, The which met fort- Paddington Society and the National Trust of post-war planning nightly, to pre- mounted another very public campaign schemes which designated pare ‘A Plan for organising a rally and march along Oxford Paddington as a ‘slum’ Preservation’ for Street leading to the removal of the shops suitable for redevelopment. Paddington to and restoration of the building. Fortunately assist Woollahra it was an election year and substantial Council in the funds were forthcoming – $750,000 from A vigorous campaign was mounted in the preparation of the State Government, the National Trust mid-sixties to have Paddington recognized its development contributed over $1 million, $200,000 from as a place of architectural and heritage controls. The Plan was based on a thesis Woollahra Council, the Paddington Society merit and to combat proposals to widen a by Terry Dorough and prepared by Society members raised $5,000 and Society number of streets to improve arterial traffic volunteers including Don Gazzard, member Lesley Bridle bequeathed her flows. The widenings, in Liverpool Street Keith Cottier, George Clarke and other entire house and estate to its restoration and later Jersey Road, would have resulted enthusiastic members of the committee; in the loss of multiple terrace houses and Juniper Hall March 1984 its implementation was recommended and streets, which threatened the fabric supported by the National Trust and to and substance of Paddington as this day remains a milestone and a a heritage precinct. model for planning for inner city living. After much campaigning by Society members, including • Five streets - Regent, Ulster, a major rally in Jersey Road, Newcombe, Stewart and Elizabeth which attracted over 3,000 were closed to prevent constant people - politicians, planners, rat-running from Oxford Street to architects and celebrities; it Moore Park Road. was the lead story on all four TV • Sydney City Council purchased channels that evening. There appeared to land on the corner of Oatley Rd and be hope for Paddington’s future. Oxford St, once the site of the derelict Commissions of Enquiry led by Glenview Hotel. It was developed into a Commissioners Bunning and Abraham park area alongside Walter Read Reserve resulted in these proposals being rejected. and included a memorial fountain to The Sydney Morning Herald stated “The John Thompson poet and founder of • The barricades once placed around Paddington Society has saved Paddington”. the Society designed by Don Gazzard. Trumper Park Oval were removed returning this green space to community use. • The reservoir site was saved from a multi- story carpark with a permanent conservation Paddington Street order placed on the site. • RTA’s proposal to make Barcom Avenue a two-way street at Oxford Street to increase its use as a distributor road was defeated.

< Impending devestation to Jersey Road. Photo shows terraces to be demolished. and was presented at the Commission of Enquiry 1967. Donated to the Society Jersey Road by Commissioner Walter (Wally) Abraham.

< John Thompson (middle), Commissioner Walter Windsor Street Bunning (right) with Paddington resident, 1968

Moncur Street Hargrave St Celebrating 50 Years of The Paddington Society 1964 – 2014

1990s | taking control 2000s | overdevelopment 2014 | 50 years later In the early 1990s The Paddington As the push for urban consolidation and Oxford Street - the High Street – the Society took a pro-active approach to the re-development momentum gained tacit Paddington Society together with BIKEast, redevelopment of the Royal Hospital for Government support, The Paddington has prepared a plan for the design of Women site. As part of the Reference Society campaigned ever more strongly Oxford Street as a pedestrian friendly High Group set up by the Benevolent Society, against the overdevelopment of large sites. Street to unite both sides of Paddington, Society members prepared and presented • White City – the Society developed a slow traffic and foster improved commerce. a concept for redevelopment of the site concept plan and with further community The proposal, which reduces traffic which was subsequently adopted by the consultation Woollahra Council drew up a speed to 40 kph, rationalises traffic lanes, Benevolent Society. The plan provided a DCP for the site, ongoing. repositions traffic lights and incorporates total structure and form for site development • Cross City Tunnel – our plans for a wide pedestrian friendly central median, and included a 0.5ha park on Glenmore gateway works at Glenmore Road/New has been presented to the City of Sydney, Road, now enjoyed by many Paddington South Head Road, pedestrian crossings Woollahra Council, and most recently residents. At the time the process was and stop signs at the Cascade Street to the Director of Roads and Maritime considered a model for community intersection, footpath widening on Nield Services (RMS) who has undertaken to engagement achieving excellent results for Avenue and narrowed roadway at Dillon conduct further studies into the concept. the Benevolent Society and the community. Street Park were implemented by the RTA. • The Paddington Development Control Plan (DCP), as a separate detailed document was demanded by The Society and contributed to over 10 years by our technical experts, via the DCP Working Party. It is now the bible of advice on how to maintain our built heritage and neighbours’ amenity when upgrading dwellings and commercial buidlings. DAs are continuously monitored by The Society for compliance. • A group of six Victorian ‘Gothic’ terraces in Stafford Street were saved from demolition. Oxford Street proposal by The Paddington Society with wide median and rationalised traffic. • Our Integrated Traffic Management Plan for • The Scottish Hospital - the proposed The History of Paddington Paddington was developed overdevelopment of the site resulted To celebrate our 50th year, the Society emphasising it as a walking in the Society putting forward detailed is currently embarking upon an ambitious suburb where vehicle traffic is subservient submissions. project to research and publish the definitive to amenity. • St John’s Church Oxford Street is history of Paddington documenting • We successfully advised Sydney being restored and the site developed for the development of its early history, Grammar School that the upgrade to the retail and residential. The DA for a mix of architectural, social and environmental Nield Avenue fence be transparent to allow residential and retail uses, for the OTC aspects. This will take a number of years. views into the playing fields. carpark owned by the Uniting Church, is Donations to assist with research and Concept plan for redeveopment of RHW site currently in hiatus. printing costs would be greatly appreciated. • Ater extensive community consultation, The Paddington Reservoir site was We continue to: restored and transformed into a public - work with Council preparing Paddington garden by City of Sydney. streetscape plans to enhance public spaces • We opposed the transfer of the lease on - brief Councillors on Paddington issues Crown land to Paddington Bowling Club and meet regularly with Mayors of both and at the time, with Clover Moore MP and Councils Mayor Petrie, met with the Minister Kelly, - monitor all Paddington DAs, about 250 ongoing. each year and support neighbours against • The Society has promoted improved non-complying development pedestrian facilities in Paddington and - participate in Land & Environment Court argued for traffic management proposals hearings on destruction of heritage and which are sympathetic to the heritage overdevelopment nature of the village. Over 20 pedestrian - consult with RMS and Sydney Buses on crossings have been introduced, gateway traffic and bus movements landscape treatments established, - promote the return of Nield Avenue and Fiveways upgraded, and road narrowings McLaughlan St to two-way traffic as a key introduced to modify driver behaviour and principle of traffic calming in Paddington provide greater pedestrian amenity. - promote a Public Domain Plan to • We successfully lobbied Government for provide a systematic basis for urban design a 40km speed limit throughout Paddington. throughout Paddington ...continued overleaf 2014 | 50 years later...continued Paddington Society Objectives Children’s Photo Competition - submit detailed submissions to NSW Department of Planning The Paddington Society was formed 50 - keep members informed of local issues years ago by concerned citizens with clear - help ‘Clean-up Australia’ as annual objectives that encompass architectural volunteers integrity, lifestyle, cultural development and - hold social events showcasing galleries, maintaining Paddington’s history. These restaurants and pubs farsighted urban activists developed aims - support the ‘car share’ program to ease that are still relevant today. They are: parking for residents and visitors. • To conserve and maintain all features of Paddington having beauty, architectural, Who has lived in your house? historic and social value. • To conserve all significant heritage fabric, both internal and external to ensure The City of Sydney website now has changes to private property do not diminish the Sands Directory online – no more the heritage value of the area. headaches from searching microfiche in • To conserve and improve all elements of libraries! From 1858 to 1933 residents are the public domain including open space, listed by street, businesses, professionals parks, streets, lanes and passageways and etc. Just go to http://www.cityofsydney.nsw. to ensure that any changes recognise the gov.au/learn/search-our-collections/sands- Show us Your Paddington! heritage value of the place and do not inhibit directory public pedestrian access and movement. 15 July – 21 August 2014 Choose a year your house may have been built, then look up the surburban street • To promote Paddington as a sustainable, Age divisions: 5 – 8 years listing in the directory for that year. If you find compact, pedestrian neighbourhood where 9 – 12 years it, go back to earlier years until you can no the pedestrian has priority over motor If you live or go to school in or around longer see it using clues about its position vehicles. Paddington, enter this competition. and/or tracking back the residents’ names in • To promote the improved governance of Categories are: your house or neighbouring houses. If you Paddington as a place with special urban My Favourite Building | My Favourite don’t find it the first time or the houses are and heritage attributes which require Street | My Favourite Shopkeeper. not numbered in that year, you may need to appropriate care and consideration. Email photos to: go to a later year. With no numbering you • To encourage improved traffic [email protected] may need to work out the position of your management and reduced traffic speeds with your name, age school, photo house (and the terrace group it is part of) through sympathetic urban design category and brief description. There are relative to the nearest cross street. Your measures which are not detrimental to the prizes for each age group and category. house was probably built in the year first heritage environment. inhabited or in the previous year. Happy Winners will be notified on Saturday • To discourage inappropriate structures hunting! 13 September 2014 and prizes presented and advertising signage which have at your school assembly. a detrimental impact on the heritage Committee Positions environment. Winning photos and runners-up will be exhibited at Juniper Hall • To enhance existing amenities and 250 Oxford Street, Paddington introduce additional amenities, activities If you are interested in joining the Free admission: and facilities which serve to develop the Society’s committee, come to a couple Monday - Friday, 10am – 4pm Paddington culture and lifestyle. of meetings to understand how we work Weekend openings: 13 - 14 September before the elections at our Annual General • To identify, conserve, record and archive and 11 -12 October 2014 Meeting, which will be held later in the year. matters and items of significance to the See submissions and information at: Our monthly committee meetings are held social, cultural and physical fabric of http://paddophotocomp.tumblr.com at 6pm (usually finishing around 8pm) at Paddington and to make them available to Juniper Hall, currently on the third Monday future generations. We wish to thank our sponsors: of the month. • To augment the sustainable form of Opus, Berkelouw Books, Cristo’s Pizzeria, The committee welcomes people Paddington by encouraging the introduction Australian Centre for Photography and dedicated to preserving Paddington of appropriate technologies which reduce Friends of Historic Houses for their with skills ranging from helping to write energy consumption without harmful effects generous support. submissions, organising social events, upon the heritage environment. conducting walks, assessing developments, The Paddington Society 2014 Committee • To promote a friendly, sociable and safe attending Council and other meetings, Will Mrongovius President living environment for use by people and providing planning, environmental, legal Geoff Ludowyke Vice President families of all ages. or other advice – in other words we would Francis Walsh Treasurer welcome your nomination and your interest. • To educate residents, potential residents Minty Smyth Secretary Nomination forms will be sent out to all and visitors as to the heritage background Robyn Attuell Committee members with the notice for the AGM. and significance of Paddington as a unique Matt Day Committee example of a successful inner urban village. John Fraser Committee Leonie Furber Committee The Paddington Paper is the official newsletter of The Paddington Society providing Linda Gosling Committee news and informed comment on local issues. Views expressed are those of the editorial Esther Hayter Committee committee and not necessarily those of the membership of the Paddington Society. Krystyna Luczak Committee John Richardson Committee The Paddington Society | Juniper Hall Oxford Street Paddington NSW 2021 Bill Morrison Committee PO Box 99 Paddington NSW 2021 | T: 9360 6159 | e: [email protected] Graham Stewart Committee Passionate for Paddington? Then join us and get involved! www.paddingtonsociety.org.au