Inner West Council extends heritage order on historic properties
Image: Facebook
By REBECCA HERNANDEZ
The Inner West Council has voted to extend an ‘Interim Heritage Order’ on Macarthur Parade in Dulwich Hill, while also looking into proposing a full heritage listing for the identified properties.
An existing heritage order on 11 Macarthur Parade has been extended by six months, while 7, 9, and 13 Macarthur Parade have been placed under the same order for the first time.
Preventing Destruction
“There is no question that this home and the other three along side it make a significant contribution to the Dulwich Hill streetscape and are a part of the suburb’s social history,” said Cr Jess D’Arienzo in a Facebook post.
“We want to retain the areas of suburb we love as well as providing opportunities for new homes in Dulwich Hill.”
Maintaining the Interim Heritage Order assures that “all properties in the proposed group remain intact”, preventing their destruction and redevelopment at the hands of private buyers.
The vote to authorise the extension of the Interim Heritage Order, as well as grant it to the other properties, passed twelve to one, with only Cr Philippa Scott going against the motion.
Cr Scott did not respond when reached for comment.
The properties are a striking sight in Dulwich Hill, appreciated by councilors and residents alike.
“[They are] a row of four intact and complementary Californian bungalows built in the early 1920s,” describes Mark Skelsey in a 2022 email to the Inner West Council.
“A Strong Street Presence”
Skelsey was among a group of Dulwich Hill residents who advocated for the properties’ protection, discovering in late 2022 that 11 Macarthur Parade “was for sale and being marketed as a heritage free development site.”
“In my view, it would be a tragedy if this home (in the centre of the four homes) is knocked down, which would forever ruin the current intact streetscape,” he said to the council.
Aside from a “strong street presence”, Skelsey also underlined the local historical significance of the properties – being the homes of former “activists, businessmen, and politicians.”
“The blocks on which they stand were subdivided in 1914 from the Sefton Hall estate of prominent Sydney retailer Marcus Clark,” he wrote.
“We [also] found that 11 Macarthur Parade was the home of John Thomas Ness (1871-1947), who was an influential activist, businessman and politician (including three terms as Mayor of Marrickville Council).”
With an Interim Heritage Order secured for 11 Macarthur Parade and its surrounding properties, this small slice of local history is secured for the foreseeable future.
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