Heritage Stations on the Dandenong Line

Edith · Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 4:18 pm

I am interested in the ‘MATHS’ stations on the Dandenong Line. These are: Malvern, Armadale, Toorak, Hawksburn, and South Yarra. I believe that they have a very functional and beautiful design and would hate to see them “modernised” into the current style. Lately, I have noticed severe cracking on some of the brickwork on a couple of the stations and would hate to think that the stations are being run down in preparation to demolition.

I have checked with the Victorian Heritage Register and have found that only Malvern, Caulfield and South Yarra Railway stations are included. Although most of the buildings at these sites now date from the early part of the 20th century, these are all old stations dating from the 1870s in the case of Malvern and Caulfield and South Yarra from the late 1850s. Likewise Hawksburn, Toorak and Armadale Stations were all constructed in the early years of the 20th Century, and these stations are all protected through a Heritage Overlay in the City of Stonnington's planning scheme.

I am neither a town planner nor an architect. Is this Heritage Overlay enough to protect them from major alteration or demolition ? Am I worrying about nothing or should I nominate them to the Victorian Heritage Register (www.heritage.vic.gov.au) ?
Confused

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Hypernovean · Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 10:53 pm

I don't think there are any plans on the table for any of these stations, except possibly South Yarra, though still not in the near future IMHO. And just look at the fuss over Camberwell, I'd imagine the same reaction in Stonnington - prospective developers wouldn't get very far.

PalmerEldritch · Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 1:38 pm

Oakleigh station would also fall under the same style of building as well wouldn't it?

I recall hearing that a heritage overlay isn't enough to guarantee protection and that the only way to be sure is for the building to be put on the Victorian Heritage Register (which IIRC is under the jurisdiction of the National Trust?)

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chairman · Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 3:06 pm

National Trust (Vic) is a private member-based body of do gooders who run a classification system that has no legal impact. That's not to say that they didn't have lots of good impact in saving many things before there were proper legslitative provisions in place, and sometimes still have positive effect but there credibility in our circles has been weakened by their approach a few years ago to the W tram issue.

Victoria's Heritage Register does give statutory protection for things of state significance. See www.heritage.vic.gov.au/index1.asp and the extract quoted below

A Heritage overlay is a different thing again. That's something in the local planning scheme. In a Scheme the Zones reflect the primary character of land, such as residential, industrial or rural, and indicate the type of use which may be appropriate in that zone. Sometimes, local areas have special planning controls (known as overlays), such as areas of significant vegetation or special heritage significance. These controls are in addition to the zone controls and ensure that important aspects of the land are recognised.

PalmerEldritch · Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 3:21 pm