Sell-more Development
(The Beechworth
Gaol)
What
a bloody disgrace! How in God’s name this
Sam Lawson character (Salmore Developments) got his
grubby little hands on one of Australia’s best
known Heritage icons is beyond me. But that’s
not all folks; he picks it up for a best mate’s
rate of just $1.7 mill. Now anyone who checks out property
values in the township of Beechworth will know that
$1.7 mill will buy us mere mortals about four medium
priced homes and not necessarily of Heritage ranking.
He somehow picks up half of Beechworth for the same
bloody price. You don’t have to be Elliot Ness
to know that someone’s done an Al Capone with
some indifferent bugger in the Victorian Government.
The
small township of Beechworth in Victoria’s
north east is recognized as being one of the most well
preserved historic towns of the Victorian era. Over
many years it’s taken a lot of hard work and
commitment on the part of the Indigo Shire Council
and it’s electorate to keep it this way for the
benefit of all Australians, and now this disgrace happens.
The
old Beechworth Gaol sits on a rise at the top of
the main street and overlooks the town and the well
maintained historic precinct. In 1860 it was completed
at a cost of 40,000 pounds. In today’s money
that would be about $9 mill for the building alone.
Not a bad little deal when you consider the real-estate
thrown in as well for Mr. Lawson for just $1.7 mill.
It has definitely enforced that little saying; It’s
not what you know but WHO!!
The old gaol over the years has held many inmates
including Ned Kelly, Jim Kelly, Dan Kelly, their mother
Ellen, Steve Hart, Joe Byrne, the Lloyds, Wild Wright,
the innocent sympathisers and countless others from
our historical past. So why has such a place with such
historical value been sold off by the Victorian Government
to a developer who wants to use it as the centre for
a bloody building estate?
Let’s take a peek at what old Lawson’s
got in mind for this historical site.
The
Governor’s house looks like it’s going
to end up as three housing units. There’s also
1400 sq mtrs of dirt set aside within the Gaol’s
wall that nobody seems to know what the hell he’ll
do with it. There are also about 19 blocks of around
400 sq mtrs around the Gaol he intends to use for housing.
But to soften his outrageous building plan he’s
decided to go environmentally friendly. What a double
standard. Have a gander at his Residential Design Guidelines;
1.Consideration of view points
to/from gaol features (are you serious?)
2.Integration
with public spaces
3.Streetscape lighting of low energy
consumption.
4.The
future residents are to be aware of their responsibilities
and the benefits as the future use of the gaols compound
is to be a tourist facility incorporating high level
accommodation. What a bloody joke. (I know one bloke
who won’t be staying there.)
I
don’t know if I’m
reading it right, but I think Mr. Lawson wants the
body corporate to put their hands in their pockets
to help pay for some of the gaols maintenance fees.
The
design committee set up for these dwellings is governed
by three groups. Sunjoule Design Wodonga, Salmore
Developments of course, and Environmental Design
Management Wodonga. I wonder if they’re also
owned by Mr. Lawson?
I
believe these guys are going to set a covenant on
this so called estate, but we all know just how much
a covenant is worth don’t we? Absolutely nothing.
Even if they do stick to it, can you just imagine these
21st century historic eye sores scattered amongst the
surroundings of an original Victorian heritage icon?
It’s a shame that such things are allowed to
happen. For a bloke who is so caring of this historic
landmark, why is he allowing it to decay in front of
our very eyes until he gets what he wants? No Mr. Lawson,
you don’t give a rat’s arse about heritage
or the environment, just the almighty dollar. Well
you haven’t got what you want yet and I hope
you never bloody will. To the people of Beechworth
and its council; Keep the bugger at bay!
Link:
Ghost of Kelly tumult in torrid tussle over fate of jail
Alan Crichton web site Ned Kelly Tales |
