August 17, 2012
Five buildings in the South Burnett have been nominated for Queensland Heritage Listing.
Environment and Heritage Protection Minister Andrew Powell has invited the local community to share its views on the significance of the sites:
- The 1938 Kingaroy Council Chambers in Haly Street, Kingaroy (part of the Kingaroy Information Art and Heritage Precinct)
- The former Kingaroy Butter Factory in William Street, Kingaroy (the Taste South Burnett and Proteco complex)
- The South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association Factory in Murgon
- Murgon Civic Centre (the Murgon Town Hall and related buildings on the corner of Gore Street and Lamb Street), and
- The Shepherd Memorial Church of St Peter (the Anglican church) in Proston.
“The former Kingaroy Council Chambers, which dates back to 1938, is a well-preserved highly intact building which demonstrates the growth of Kingaroy as an important regional centre,” Mr Powell said.
“Kingaroy Shire Council operated from here for more than 40 years and the building is now used as an art gallery and part of the Kingaroy Visitor Information Centre and Heritage Museum.
“The former Kingaroy Butter Factory and the South Burnett Co-operative Daily Association Factory were two of Queensland’s largest dairy producers and demonstrate the growth of the industry in the region. Built in 1926, the former butter factory is still used for food production, while the dairy factory operated from 1913 to 1995.”
Mr Powell said Murgon Civic Centre was nominated because of its importance to Murgon’s streetscape.
“Built in 1938 following the Depression, the civic centre has a hall, former library, four shops and a corner clock tower,” he said.
“The Shepherd Memorial Church of St Peter in Proston has also been nominated for heritage listing.
“Completed in 1939 following a bequest from a local grazier, it has received architectural awards for its Scandinavian-influenced design and continues to function as an Anglican church today.”
* * *
Josh Gadischke, from Proteco, said the Department had been liaising with him for the past two to three years over a possible listing of the old Kingaroy Butter Factory and dairy buildings, and he could see no problem with it going ahead.
“It’s more of a register. It identifies landmarks or historic parts of a building but it’s not so restrictive as one might first imagine,” Josh said.
He said the Department was happy that the buildings were still being used commercially in food production.
“They prefer to have a building being used rather than being left sitting idle,” Josh said.
“They appreciate that a commercial operation has to make changes and they understand that as things wear out they have to be replaced.
“No authorisation is required for minor upgrades and maintenance. It’s about keeping the look and feel of it as original as possible.”
Josh said most people had a preconception about Heritage listing.
“What they’re proposing is a register of a landmark, not freezing it as it is,” he said.
He said initially he had the same fears but now he believes the listing – if approved – “should not hinder us as a commercial operation”.
Josh said Proteco had a passion for the buildings anyway, and wanted to maintain the look and feel of a historic place.
Shannon Scott, who leases part of the Old Butter Factory for his Taste South Burnett business, was surprised by the news.
“I hadn’t heard about it,” he said. “It’s fantastic because it’s a beautiful old building but I don’t know what it will mean if we want to make any changes. It’s fantastic to hear but what effect it will have is utterly beyond me.”
A spokeswoman for the Anglican parish at Proston also was surprised by the news.
* * *
To be heritage-listed, a place must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Demonstrate the evolution or pattern of Queensland’s history
- Be rare, uncommon or an endangered aspect of Queensland’s cultural heritage
- Have the potential to yield information that adds to our understanding of the State’s history
- Demonstrate principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural place
- Be aesthetically significant
- Demonstrate a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period
- Have strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons
- Have a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group of organisation important to Queensland’s history.
* * *
Written submissions about the proposed listings can be sent to The Site Registrar, Heritage Branch, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, GPO Box 2454, Brisbane 4001. Submissions will be accepted until September 14, 2012.
The Queensland Heritage Council, which is the independent peak adviser on heritage matters in Queensland, will make the ultimate decision about whether these places are entered in the register.
[UPDATED November 13, 2012 with correction]
