the Newssheet of the Balmain Association PO Box 57•Balmain•NSW•2041 www.balmainassociation.org.au Vol 52 No 2 Issue 343 Founded November 1965 June 2017 Balmain Speaks Out National Trust Heriatge Festival 2017 Having a Voice he Balmain Association presented building placed in their hands to Tthis exhibition about the protests restore and use as headquarters. and struggles that helped to preserve The Police Department were our heritage, our history and our reluctant to lease to a community community and continue to do so group who may disband after today. Also the protest and advocacy a couple of years but at John’s by people such as Maybanke instigation the property was ceded Anderson who lived in Wharf Rd and to the National Trust who then later produced a fortnightly paper, leased to the Balmain Association Woman’s Voice, in 1890s. on condition that it be conserved The exhibition opened on Saturday 8th and maintained. This has been April. John Morris reminded us of the achieved by much effort and time in 1965 when the newly formed continues today. Balmain Association was looking for Our thanks to the many people headquarters and the Watch House who contributed stories, photos John Morris reminds us of 1965 was under threat of demolition. He and memorabilia to the exhibition: Kath Hacking, Jan Wood, Amie Zar was Assistant Director of the National Cathy and Richard McCabe, Friends (Local History and Archives IWC) Trust and with the enthusiasm of the of White Bay, Save Baileys Group, and a special thanks to Elliot Nolan members of the Balmain Association Elizabeth Stamaolis, John Stamolis, for his presentation about Maybanke was urged to negotiate to have the Friends of Callan Park, Michele and Anderson (see her story pages 4 and 5) Balmain Speaks Out - My Impressions - Jan Wood few years ago a friend visited Sadly, in these days of Neo development with little open space. me. “I’ve been for a walk around Liberalism, many have the attitude “Balmain Speaks Out” documents ABalmain” she said. “How lucky you “What’s in it for me? How much can the social, political and technological are to live here! The streetscapes are I make on my capital investment?” change of the past 60 years as well as so delightful. Where I live in North The Balmain Association archives the evolution of Balmain’s waterfront, Sydney all the old cottages have been group including June Lunsmann, industrial working harbour to the demolished and replaced by high-rise.” community worker, since she moved highly gentrified suburb that it is I felt very cross. Luck? “It’s not luck” here in the mid sixties must be today. We tend to forget that white I said. “It’s been a long, hard, bitter congratulated on “Balmain Speaks settlement in Australia began in 1788, struggle!” Out”. Can you imagine the enormity which is only 229 years ago. So the 50 The exhibition “Balmain Speaks Out” of encapsulating 50 – 60 years of the - 60 years of Balmain history covered honours our political activists; their countless struggles? Although the in this exhibition is basically a quarter passion, vision, tenacity and courage. exhibition focuses on the Five Sites of this time. (contd page 3) “People Before Profit” became the catch (Caltex, Unilever, Ampol, Monsanto cry of the time as developers circled Balmain Power Station), Mort Bay, IN THIS ISSUE vacant industrial land. Colgate/Palmolive, Clontarf Cottage, P. 1 Launch of Balmain Speaks Out and One of the activists featured in the and today’s struggles: the White Impressions Bay Cruise Terminal, forced council P. 2 Planning Matters exhibition, Maybanke Anderson, P. 3 Planning Matters and Impressions contd campaigned for Women’s Rights and amalgamations, Callan Park, there P. 4 & 5 Maybanke Anderson Suffrage. A Birchgrove resident, she were many, many more struggles. P. 6 Macquarie’s Mausoleum on the Isle Of epitomises the spirit of our local heroes Some of the battles were lost but some Mull, Scotland P. 7 What are Council’s prioities? today. The catch cry of these early 20th were won. The fabulous Ballast Point Park would have been hundreds of P.8 What’s on at the Watch House, Century women “For the Betterment of History Council Week POP in All”, I think expresses beautifully the million dollar townhouses. Mort Bay September 2017 motivation of our activists. would have been a massive housing Planning Matters - John Stamolis Fenwick’s Store (Weston Street) – Council welcomed the concept plans. Council is still reviewing tenders and subject to that, have approved Telstra’s DA to demolish expect that works will commence in July the front of the building but there are a 2017 and will continue for 22 weeks. The number of things that Telstra needs to do nature of the works will include an internal before demolition can commence, such fit-out, a kitchen, electrical works and a as: the remaining building must satisfy new floor. This will make it ready for the fire regulations, new entry and exit points intended use as a café. New public toilets to the building must meet standards and will be provided behind the café. External there needs to be internal reorganisation to the building, a lift will be built. Council of the building. All of this needs to be intends to run an Expression of Interest done as part of the demolition and before (EOI) process for potential operators of the work on the civic space can take place. café once the contractor for the works has Council are moving along well with been appointed. In fact, Council has already consultation, reporting and exhibition of received contact from several interested plans so that all approvals are done in operators who will no doubt respond to the readiness for the works on the new square EOI. to commence when Telstra have finished Caretaker’s Cottage, Elkington Park their demolition and restoration works. – Council are looking to exhibit a draft Western Harbour Tunnel - this is at an transport projects, including Metro Rail, amended Plan of Management (PoM) early stage of planning. The announcement future Metro West, Inner West Light Rail with the amendment to the PoM being of this project in March 2017 included the and future White Bay / Balmain Light Rail; ‘to allow the option of using of the preferred route, the start of geotechnical • the project will accommodate buses and caretaker’s cottage as a café. The cottage drilling and the commencement of a market will create new bus links, but does not is currently occupied by a Council staff sounding process for delivery of the project. include dedicated bus lanes; member. There is an Administrator’s The tunnel will connect to the WestConnex • the project is intended to remove traffic determination to exhibit the draft amended M4-M5 Link at the Rozelle Interchange, from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and PoM, with the proposed wording to go cross underneath Sydney Harbour between Military Road, creating opportunities first to the Local Representation Advisory the Birchgrove and Waverton and connect for additional bus capacity and other Committee (LRAC). As such, a report with the Warringah Freeway at North improvements along those corridors. will be prepared for the Inner West LRAC Sydney. If the project proceeds, Council would like June meeting to amend the PoM to allow Over the next six months, borehole sites to see a greater commitment to use of the a café as a permissible use and to request will be tested in suburbs on the north side motorway for public transport, including that this be publicly exhibited. The LRAC of the harbour and within the harbour. guided electric buses. consists of 28 ex-Councillors who will The borehole investigations will feed Community sessions were in Balmain on make recommendations on the proposed into engineering design, final costings 18th and 20th May. amendments. If the PoM is amended, and further route analysis. RMS will This next stage of work is expected to be after public exhibition and consultation commence consultation with property completed in mid-2018 and will include a has taken place, Council will investigate owners over possible acquisitions in the reference design; confirmed final project this use further and prepare a business northern suburban areas. Further work costings; funding strategy including plan. Normal community consultation over the coming months will include tolling options and private sector and a DA process would take place if detailed financial analysis, discussions involvement; and construction timeline Council decided to proceed with this. See with the private sector over funding including start and completion dates. comment on page7. options, community consultation, as Our thanks to John Stamolis who is Pellegrini (107 Elliott Street) – a report well as extensive field work such as keeping us up to date with current issues is being prepared and is expected to geotechnical studies, traffic analysis, noise during Christina Ritchie’s absence. ed. go to Council in July 2017 which will and air quality monitoring, and flora, outline future options for this site which fauna and marine ecology studies. was once a fish and seafood restaurant. On 27 April 2017, Roads & Maritime Services A large development is currently taking (RMS) staff briefed the Inner West Council on place next to the Pellegrini’s site (i.e. the the project. Key points discussed were: Nutrimetics/Roche development) where • though the tunnel would pass beneath Council will gain foreshore access for the Balmain, there would be no mid-tunnel community and this affects the Pellegrini construction dive site in Balmain and no site. Council has a number of options spoil trucks travelling through Balmain - such as building a new restaurant and spoil would be removed by barge at a mid- leasing this out or returning the land to tunnel site in Sydney Harbour; community open space.