THEMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY & ASSOCIATED TASKS OVERVIEW REPORT Prepared for City of Greater Bendigo FINAL REPORT June 2013 Adopted by City of Greater Bendigo Council July 31, 2013 1.0 Introduction 2 1.1 What is a ‘Thematic Environmental History?’ 2 1.2 Background 2 1.3 Heritage places 2 1.4 Project tasks 3 1.5 Acknowledgements 3 2.0 Preparation of the Thematic Environmental History 3 2.1 Secondary sources 4 3.0 Community consultation 4 3.1 Consultation with the Indigenous community 5 4.0 Identification of places of heritage significance 5 5.0 Mapping of places of potential heritage significance 5 6.0 Statement of significance for the municipality 6 7.0 Summary history document 6 8.0 Recommendations for future work 6 8.1 Localities/discrete areas 6 8.2 Twentieth century development 7 8.3 Industrial heritage places 7 8.4 Aboriginal heritage places 8 8.5 Places on public land 8 8.6 Other ‘gaps’ 8 APPENDIX A PLACES OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE & POTENTIAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE A1 APPENDIX B PLACES OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE & POTENTIAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE B1 APPENDIX C STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE C1 APPENDIX D SUMMARY HISTORY D1 LOVELL CHEN 2013 1 1.0 Introduction This ‘Overview Report’ has been prepared for the City of Greater Bendigo. It describes and summarises the methodology, tasks and outputs of the recently completed ‘Thematic Environmental History’ (TEH) project. Lovell Chen was assisted in the preparation of the TEH by sub-consultants Dr Robyn Ballinger and Dr Colin Pardoe; Dr Ballinger was also involved in the community workshops and identification of potential heritage places. Others who assisted the consultants are identified below under ‘Acknowledgments’. 1.1 What is a ‘Thematic Environmental History?’ A Thematic Environmental History (TEH) documents the principal historical themes in the development of a municipality, in this case Greater Bendigo, with a focus on those which have been instrumental in the development. It examines and analyses the land use and settlement patterns of the municipality within an overriding thematic framework. The TEH is not intended to be a history of the municipality, or a chronology of events, but instead describes and outlines the physical evolution and development of Greater Bendigo, while identifying the important distinguishing characteristics of the municipality. The report has been structured, at the request of the City of Greater Bendigo, to directly reflect and respond to the main themes and sub-themes of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes.1 Accordingly, the history is not structured chronologically. The Greater Bendigo Thematic Environmental History is a post-contact history that focuses on this municipality after Europeans arrived in the area. How the Aboriginal peoples of this country were affected by, and survived, this contact is detailed in Theme 2 ‘Peopling Greater Bendigo’s places and landscapes’. The latter is a condensed version of the separate ‘Aboriginal history’ report, bounded by the geographical area of the Greater Bendigo municipality and the post-colonial contact timeframe. The history in this separate volume is the unabridged Aboriginal history researched and prepared for the Thematic Environmental History. 1.2 Background The City of Greater Bendigo places emphasis on identifying, protecting, maintaining and promoting its cultural heritage. The City also anticipates population growth over the next two decades which will likely result in development pressures, in some cases in areas of heritage sensitivity. Council commissioned preparation of the TEH to assist with managing and protecting its cultural heritage into the future, including through being a resource for the comparative assessment (and understanding) of heritage places and their relative significance to the municipality; and a foundation document which will serve as a basis for a future work program of (gap-filling) heritage studies in the municipality. 1.3 Heritage places Heritage places in Greater Bendigo encompass buildings, structures, gardens and vegetation, landscapes and other items associated with the history and settlement of the area. These places are located on private and public land, including sites in parks, conservation reserves and forests. Some of these may be Indigenous sites, or ruins such as historical archaeological sites. Sites of natural significance, specifically of geological value, are also within the Greater Bendigo area. 2 LOVELL CHEN 2013 1.4 Project tasks The principal project tasks included: Preparation of study Overview Report (this report) Preparation of Thematic Environmental History (TEH) Community consultation (via public workshops in the municipality), including with the Aboriginal community Identification of places of heritage significance and potential heritage significance (see spreadsheet at Appendix A) Mapping of places of potential heritage significance (in Council’s GIS system and Appendix B) Preparation of a statement of significance for the municipality (included in this report at Appendix C) Preparation of a summary history document (based on the TEH, included in this report at Appendix D) Identification of priorities for future work (heritage places identification and assessment) The approach to, and outcomes of, the various tasks are outlined below. 1.5 Acknowledgements The consultants wish to thank the following people for their advice and input into this project. Dr Dannielle Orr, Heritage Planner, City of Greater Bendigo, provided considerable input and assistance into the final revision and structure of the history, including editorial assistance. Project Steering Group (includes City of Greater Bendigo) Rachel Haynes, Katie Nolan, Prue Mansfield, Andrew Cockerall, Nick Byrne, Emma Bryant, Peter Cox, Sue Pilley, David Bannear and Sandra Bruce. Others These include members of the Project Reference Group, community workshop attendees, people who responded to the questionnaires (see below), and others who offered their assistance and advice. Dianne Anderson, Greta Balsillie, Anthony Bier, Sue Bier, Laurie Brown, Helen Bruinier, Leo Bruinier, Brian Chirgwin, Colin Cleary, Jane Cleary, Bill Comer, Maureen Comer, Helen Cronin, Terry Davidson, Mikelle Dingwall, Elaine Doling, Toni Domaschenz, Jim Evans, Stuart Fraser, Faye Frewin, Jeannette Grant, John Hall, Elaine Harrington, Glenis Hawthorne, Michael Hawthorne, Dr Gary Hill, Norma Holmberg, Carol Holsworth, Barbara Huggins, Rita Hull, Anita Jack, Amanda Jean, Pip Johanson, Margaret Justice, Joy Kelly, Aylene Kirkwood, Karoline Klein, Rob Krober, Trevor Lamb, Bambi Lees, James Lerk, Christina Lonsdale, Jordana Lory, Val Lovejoy, David Lubke, Janet McCalman, Daryl McClure, Kathryn Mackenzie, Leigh McKinnon, Dr Michele Matthews, Kim Monohan, Andrew Mooyman, David Mulqueen, Elizabeth Murfitt, Brian O'Mahony, Ann Morton, Noel Morton, Jan Orr, Rod Orr, Judy Pearman, Judith Perry, Rebecca Phillips, Rosemary Porter, Wendy Radford, Kath Read, June Sahwell, Rod Spitty, John Steele, Dorothy Strauch, Wendy Talbot, Rod Thomson, Sally Thomson, Esma Turner, David Walker, Ray Wallace, Tristen Wearne, Wayne Webster, Edna Westhead, Lisa Wheeldon, Neville Whyman, Noelene Wild, and Darren Wright. 2.0 Preparation of the Thematic Environmental History The following tasks were undertaken in the preparation of the TEH: LOVELL CHEN 2013 3 Review existing documentation and undertake research into secondary sources (reports, local histories, municipal heritage studies, etc) and primary sources (historic images, maps and plans, archival records, historical society records, etc). Identification of relevant themes and sub-themes in reference to Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes. Exploration and explanation of how the themes have influenced and shaped settlement and development patterns in the municipality. Collation of historic images/maps/plans for inclusion in the TEH. The history also includes reference to places associated with the historical themes, either in the body of the text or listed at the end of each section, as ‘Related places’. These include known extant places; potential but unconfirmed places; places of documented or potential heritage value or significance; and places which are not necessarily of heritage significance. The TEH lists these places to illustrate how tangible the themes are, and how they are physically represented in the municipality. The ‘Bibliography’ at the end of the TEH identifies the sources used in the preparation of the history. 2.1 Secondary sources A number of secondary sources, reports of studies and local histories were regularly referred to in the preparation of this report; these are listed in the ‘Bibliography’ at the end of the TEH. These sources, including local histories, were of immense assistance to the authors of the TEH, providing valuable information in terms of documenting the history of the municipality, and affording much appreciated local historical insights and analyses. 3.0 Community consultation Community consultation workshops were held in 2011, at the following locations: Bendigo (21 May and 29 July) Marong (23 May) Eaglehawk (23 May) Strathfieldsaye (26 May) Heathcote (26 May) Elmore (7 July) Huntly (7 July) The workshops were preceded by preparation of a consultation and communication plan, based on the City of Greater Bendigo’s Community Engagement Policy, and modelled on the recommended approach to consultation as outlined in Heritage Victoria’s Model Consultants Brief for Heritage Studies (January 2010, Appendix 7 ‘Community Involvement’).