Churchill Island Located Off the North Coast of Phillip Island, Victoria
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CHURCHILL ISLAND LOCATED OFF THE NORTH COAST OF PHILLIP ISLAND, VICTORIA CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN Date Document status Reviewed by 20/03/2015 Complete Draft Anita Brady 8/05/2015 Final Draft Anita Brady and Adam Mornement 12/05/2015 Final Draft Anita Brady and Adam Mornement 18/06/2015 Final Draft Anita Brady Cover image: Oblique aerial view looking south-east over Churchill Island, 1957 (State Library of Victoria) Churchill Island Conservation Management Plan Prepared for Phillip Island Nature Parks Australia June 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix PROJECT TEAM x EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xi 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Churchill Island 1 1.3 Purpose of CMP 2 1.4 Sub-consultants 2 1.5 Previous work 2 1.6 Content and scope of CMP 2 1.6.1 Limitations and exclusions 3 1.7 Heritage controls 4 1.7.1 Non-statutory listings and classifications 4 2.0 HISTORY 7 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Indigenous contact 7 2.3 Exploration (early 1800s) 7 2.3.1 Early exploration and settlement of Western Port 7 2.3.2 Lieutenant James Grant 10 2.3.3 Later exploration 12 2.3.4 Bunguyun Pastoral Run 12 2.4 Working farm (c. 1854-1872) 12 2.4.1 John Rogers 14 2.4.2 Pickersgill family 17 2.5 Private retreat (1872-1970s) 17 2.5.1 Amess ownership (1872-1928) 17 2.5.2 Samuel Amess 18 2.5.3 Island retreat 19 2.5.4 Cannon 23 2.5.5 Buckley ownership (1928-c. 1936) 24 2.5.6 Jenkins family 28 2.6 Public recreation and conservation reserve (1976-present) 28 2.6.1 Sir Rupert Hamer 28 2.6.2 Victoria Conservation Trust 29 2.6.3 Friends of Churchill Island Society 34 LOVELL CHEN i 2.6.4 Departmental ownership 38 2.6.5 Phillip Island Nature Parks 38 2.7 Sequential plans and aerial photographs 39 3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE 45 3.1 Geomorphology 46 3.2 Access and circulation 46 3.3 Buildings and built fabric 47 3.3.1 Rogers’ cottage (kitchen) 48 3.3.2 Rogers’ cottage (dormitory) 52 3.3.3 Amess house 55 3.3.4 Amess cellar 60 3.3.5 Amess stable 64 3.3.6 Wash house 66 3.3.7 The Grant cairn 67 3.4 Landscape elements and areas 68 4.0 ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 77 4.1 Previous assessments/statements of significance 77 4.1.1 Comment on existing statements of significance 78 4.2 Historic value 78 4.2.1 Lieutenant James Grant 79 4.2.2 Patterns of land use 81 4.2.3 Associations with individual owners 83 4.2.4 The conservation movement 83 4.3 Aesthetic value 84 4.4 Scientific value 85 4.5 Social value 87 4.6 Spiritual value 88 4.7 Assessment against Heritage Council criteria 88 4.8 Statement of significance 92 4.9 Schedule of significant elements 94 5.0 OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS 99 5.1 Significance 99 5.2 Operation and management of Churchill Island 100 5.3 Statutory considerations 101 5.3.1 Victorian Heritage Act 1995 101 5.3.2 Heritage approvals 102 5.3.3 Where permits are required 102 ii LOVELL CHEN 5.3.4 Permit exemptions and minor works 103 5.3.5 Heritage Victoria permit process and requirements 103 5.3.6 Project planning and timing 104 5.3.7 What happens when the permit is obtained? 104 5.3.8 Appeals 104 5.3.9 Other legislation 105 5.4 Environmental, natural and Indigenous values 106 6.0 CONSERVATION POLICY 107 6.1 Site layout and planning 107 6.2 Definitions 107 6.3 General policies 108 6.3.1 Significance as the basis for conservation and management 108 6.3.2 Burra Charter 109 6.3.3 Adoption and implementation of the conservation policy 109 6.3.4 Specialist advice and skills 109 6.3.5 Review of the conservation policy 109 6.4 Specific policies: buildings, structures, objects, archaeology 110 6.4.1 Significant buildings and elements 110 6.4.2 Changes to significant buildings 110 6.4.3 Remedial work and cyclical maintenance 111 6.4.4 Non-significant buildings and elements 112 6.4.5 New development 113 6.4.6 Significant movable objects 114 6.4.7 Archaeological sites 114 6.5 Specific policies: landscape 115 6.5.1 Prepare a Master Plan 115 6.5.2 Homestead plantings: trees 115 6.5.3 Homestead plantings: garden beds 116 6.5.4 Windrow plantings 116 6.5.5 Agricultural land use 118 6.5.6 Moonahs 118 6.5.7 Revegetation 119 6.5.8 Roads, paths and access 119 6.5.9 Views 120 LOVELL CHEN iii 6.6 Management policies 120 6.6.1 Temporary events 120 6.6.2 Victorian Heritage Register extent and statement of significance 121 6.6.3 Permit exemptions 121 6.6.4 Authenticity 123 6.6.5 Site recording 124 6.6.6 Interpretation 124 6.6.7 Training 125 6.6.8 Risk management 125 6.6.9 Visitor/tourism pressures 126 6.6.10 Maintaining records 126 BIBLIOGRAPHY 127 ENDNOTES 129 APPENDIX A HERITAGE LISTINGS APPENDIX B ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND ASSESSMENT APPENDIX C INVENTORY OF MOVEABLE OBJECTS iv LOVELL CHEN LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Left: Bass Coast Planning Scheme detail: Churchill Island is designated HO27; Right: Aerial view of Churchill Island, November 2014 5 Figure 2 ‘Port Western’ as shown on the chart of the French expeditions of 1800- 1804 8 Figure 3 Sealers’ settlement, Western Port, as depicted by artist Louis Saison in c. 1826 9 Figure 4 Map of Western Port by surveyor Wetherall, c. 1827. Note flags showing location of British settlements at Rhyll and near Corinella (indicated). 9 Figure 5 Barrallier chart of James Grant’s 1801 voyage showing Churchill Island. Note dotted line and markings which likely indicate the site of the garden, block house and hut 11 Figure 6 Detail of survey of islands of Western Port, by surveyor G D Smythe, c. 1842 13 Figure 7 Detail of plan of ‘Port Western’ by J L Stokes, 1843 13 Figure 8 Detail of map of eastern entrance to Western Port, 1861, with ‘White House Churchill Island’ annotated off the coast of Phillip Island. Note: map does not show Churchill Island itself 15 Figure 9 Detail of Henry Cox plan of Westernport, surveyed in 1865, with building shown on eastern side of Churchill Island (indicated), and fence lines 16 Figure 10 Detail of Henry Cox plan of Westernport, surveyed in 1865, showing buildings in centre of Churchill Island (indicated) and fence lines 16 Figure 11 Samuel Amess, photographed as Mayor of Melbourne, 1870 18 Figure 12 Undated photograph of Amess family in front of the 1870s house, with garden and pathways visible 20 Figure 13 View of Churchill Island (main image), 1880, David Syme & Co. 20 Figure 14 Amess family with maypole in front of house, c. 1880 21 Figure 15 Three men relaxing on Churchill Island, undated 21 Figure 16 Detail of undated painting of Churchill Island, likely by a member of the Amess family 22 Figure 17 Detail of undated painting of Churchill Island, possibly showing approach from the west, and likely painted by a member of Amess family 22 Figure 18 Construction of the dam in the 1930s 25 Figure 19 Churchill Island viewed from end of access road on Phillip Island, c. 1945- 1954 25 Figure 20 Map showing access to Churchill Island via Churchill Road on Phillip Island and a jetty on the west side of the island, 1940 26 Figure 21 Sketch map showing paddocks during Jenkins ownership, c. 1940s 26 LOVELL CHEN v Figure 22 View of the jetty on west side of island (no longer extant), c. 1980s 27 Figure 23 Unknown group in front of memorial cairn commemorating James Grant’s planting of wheat in 1801, 1968 27 Figure 24 Oblique aerial view of the island from the north, 1957. Note the extent of vegetation clearance; the main house and group of buildings in the centre of the island set within a strongly defined area bounded by windrows; and the bridge under construction at top centre of image 29 Figure 25 Aerial view, 1960, north is at top. Note the track leading up to the main house from the south; the same track is not evident in the preceding (1957) image 30 Figure 26 Aerial view (detail), 1960, north is at top. Regular row plantings near the house may be passionfruit plantings, grown on the island around this time 31 Figure 27 Advertisement for auction of Churchill Island in the Age, 12 May 1973 31 Figure 28 Aerial view, 1974, north is at top 33 Figure 29 Illustration of one of the Rogers’ cottages by Robert Ingpen, 1976 34 Figure 30 Aerial view, 1979, north is at top. Note significant landscaping works since 1974, including grading/ploughing in preparation for blue gum plantings 35 Figure 31 Amess house after completion of restoration work, 1984 36 Figure 32 Crowds visit Churchill Island in 1985 36 Figure 33 Aerial view, 1989, north is at top. The plantings of 1979 are clearly evident 37 Figure 34 Sign at the entrance to Churchill Island Heritage Farm 47 Figure 35 View of the Rogers cottages from the north: the kitchen is at right and the dormitory at left 49 Figure 36 Kitchen cottage: west elevation 49 Figure 37 Kitchen cottage: south elevation 50 Figure 38 Kitchen cottage interior: note multi paned single sash segmented arch window and associated timber sill and beaded architrave details 50 Figure 39 Kitchen cottage interior: detail of the battened softwood lining 51 Figure 40 Kitchen cottage interior: fireplace and retrofitted bread oven 51 Figure 41 Dormitory cottage: south elevation 53 Figure 42 Dormitory cottage: north-east elevation 53 Figure 43 Dormitory cottage interior: view of the fire place and mantelpiece 54 Figure 44 Dormitory cottage interior: view of the refurbished interior details 54 Figure 45 North-east facade of the Amess house 56 vi LOVELL CHEN Figure 46 South-west elevation to the rear of the Amess house 57 Figure 47 Ship’s tank, located to the north-east elevation of the Amess house.