Council Minutes - Section C: Assembly of Council - 24 July 2018

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Notice of Motion - Councillor Kontelj
Osborne House and the stables

Purpose


Background

Osborne House: Built in 1858 the ‘Muirhead Building’ designed by Webb and Taylor architects is the original portion of Osborne House. It was built for Robert Muirhead who emigrated from Leith, Scotland, in 1838, Osborne House at the time was a two storey stone building of eleven rooms set on twelve acres on the bay front. Robert Muirhead, had pastoral interests and was a squatter on the Yarram Yarram run in the Grampians. It is thought that Osborne House was named after Osborne House in the Isle of Wight, where pastoral Orders in Council of 1847 were issued by Queen Victoria.

In 1903 the Geelong Harbour Trust formed, the Commissioners paid the State Government £6,000 for Osborne House and in 1910 a dining room and seven additional bedrooms were added to Osborne House.

In 1912 the Navy accepted an offer from the Trust and decided to occupy the premises as a Royal Australian Naval College. £10,000 was spent on improvements and equipment. The Naval College was officially opened in 1913 by Governor-General Lord Denman, in March accompanied by Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Andrew Fisher.

In 1915 the Navy shifted the Naval College to Federal Territory at Jervis Bay and the property was used for a time as a convalescing hospital in the 1914-1918 war years. Osborne House reverted to the Harbour Trust's control in 1929.

In 1938 Shire of Corio transferred its offices from Lara to Osborne House. However, in 1941 Municipal business was stopped when, during the war years, the building was taken over by the Department of the Army and operated as a training establishment. In 1943 Osborne House was re-occupied by the Corio Shire.

The building continued its use as a Municipal office until the mid-1990s when amalgamation of Local Council’s created the City of Greater Geelong. Osborne House and the associated Stables including adjacent land are listed with Heritage Victoria as a “Heritage Place”.

Osborne House has reflected the history of Geelong through pastoral, maritime and civic eras and is extremely important to Geelong’s history and its future.

Councillor Kontelj moved, Councillor Aitken seconded -

That Council:

  1. Acknowledges and commits to retaining Osborne House and the Stables in public ownership;

  2. Accepts the State Government offer communicated through the Minister of Planning that if the Geelong Post Office and / or Geelong Goal are sold, that the recommendation would be that the Minister allow outstanding State Government Heritage Loans to be converted to a Heritage Fund which will be used towards restoration of Osborne House;

  3. Complete a Master Plan and Business case for the future use of Osborne Park, Osborne House and the Stables, taking into consideration suggestions and recommendations from the Conservation Management Plan for Osborne House and Stables 2009;

  4. Accepts Master Planning for the entire site, including Osborne House and the Stables must be completed by December, 2018:

    1. The Master Planning process, which also consists of scoping and costing the required restoration and development works, must include public and community consultation with relevant stake holders such as Osborne Park Association, Vietnam Veterans, Corio Bay Camera Club, Geelong Memorial Brass Band, Maritime Museum, North Geelong Football, Netball and Cricket Club and other Osborne House/Park tenants;

  5. Subject to appropriate Master Planning, Business Case and funding availability, acknowledges and commits to the future restoration of Osborne House and the Stables and that the planning and or works should commence by no later than the 2018 / 2019 financial year;

  6. Notes that part of Crown Allotment 56C (excluding southern portion adjacent to Crown Allotment 56A and Crown Allotment 56B – see Attachment 2) will be offered for lease to the adjoining landowner (restrictive access rights), subject to the requirements of the Local Government Act 1989 as amended, and:

    1. Vehicle access will not be permitted to the leased site from Swinburne Street;

    2. Standard make good terms should apply to the lease agreement;

    3. A valuation will be obtained to ascertain the rent payable in respect of part Crown Allotment 56C;

    4. The terms of the lease acknowledge that Council is under no obligation to sell the site;

    5. Council advertise its intent to offer a lease with a minimum of a 4 weeks submission period. If any submissions are received, establish a Public Submission Hearing Panel to consider submissions. The Panel if established makes recommendations to Council about the submissions and recommends to Council to either proceed, amend or reject a lease;

    6. Commits to working with community groups previously and currently using the Depot Site to relocate them to alternative appropriate locations so that they can continue their community based activities;

    7. All future revenues generated from the lease payment obtained for part of Crown Allotment 56C must be directed to the restoration or associated planning of Osborne House and the Stables;

  7. Subject to paragraph 4 above, endorses the commencement of a public Master Planning process for the precinct, including Crown Allotments.

Carried.


Division Requested:

For: Councillors Aitken, Grzybek, Kontelj, Mansfield, Harwood, Mason, Asher, Sullivan, Nelson, Murnane

Against: Councillor Murrihy


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