Today the Royal Park Protection Group made a formal submission to Heritage Victoria to have the former Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital heritage precinct included on the Victorian State Heritage Register and to have an interim protection order placed on the Precinct buildings and surrounding park. The Group considers that the buildings and the landscape setting are threatened, as it is possible that Games Minister Madden might shortly authorise demolition of significant buildings on the site. The Minister is expected to make a pronouncement next week on the future plans for the Royal Park development, ostensibly a Games Village, but in reality a private real estate development - now referred to as a new “suburb”.
Julianne Bell RPPG Convenor comments on why the whole precinct is worth saving:
“The Royal Park Hospital is an irreplaceable part of
Victoria’s architectural legacy. This superb collection of Edwardian pavilion
buildings (in the so-called Federation style) set amidst spacious grounds,
demonstrates the new and more enlightened approach to the treatment of mental
illness at the turn of the last century. It has major historical significance
as the first mental hospital in Victoria, as distinct from a mental or lunatic
asylum. The parkland setting is an integral part of its significance, as it
reveals a new attitude to the importance of the healing powers of fresh air and
tranquil surroundings, in the treatment of mental disorders. It has
important historical associations with Dr John Cade, internationally associated
with the invention of lithium in the treatment of bi-polar disorder.”
Mary Kehoe a RPPG member who prepared the submission to
Heritage Victoria explains: The
Royal Park Hospital heritage precinct is not protected from inappropriate
development even though the buildings are graded ‘A’ in the City of Melbourne’s
Heritage Places Inventory 2000. This
means that they are defined as being of national or state importance and are
irreplaceable parts of Australia’s built form heritage. Also the buildings are identified on the
Register of the National Estate in Canberra and are classified by the National
Trust (Victoria) as being of Regional
Significance. It would be unthinkable
if these nationally recognised buildings should be damaged or disfigured in the
process of building a Games Village for a two week sporting event”.
RPPG is determined that this important part of our architectural and social history should be protected and retained for future generations and is concerned that public land and public assets should be given away so readily by the Bracks Government and transferred into private ownership.
Media Contact: Julianne Bell, Convenor, Royal Park Protection Group 98184114 or 0408022408 www.royalparkprotect.org.au