Conservation work at five Central Wheatbelt heritage places

9/11/97

Conservation work at five Central Wheatbelt heritage places will go ahead with support from the State Government's new Heritage Grants Program, Heritage Minister Graham Kierath announced.

More than $126,000 will be provided by the Heritage Council of Western Australia to undertake conservation planning and works on the Moore River Settlement Church, Walebing at Moora, the Wyening Cellar in Victoria Plains and Gingin's Moondah Homestead and St Luke's Anglican Church and Cemetery.

Commonly referred to as Mogumber Mission, the Moore River Settlement Church will receive $14,000 to replace the corrugated iron roof. The settlement was established in 1917 and the cemetery is the largest Aboriginal burial ground in Australia.

Walebing Farm at Moora will receive $4,000 to replace the iron and timber roof. Descendants of the Lefroy family, who had the station built with convict labour, still own and run the 1850s-dated station, which is in the Register of Heritage Places.

Wyening Cellar, Victoria Plains will receive $37,200 for restoration work at the former Benedictine winery. Work will include the replacement of the corrugated iron roof to the cellar and stone tanks, reinstating gutters to the winery, and repairing and replacing fascia boards.

Stone flags from the first bush pole and slab house, built in 1879, still remain. Wyening was a farm and then a winery under the New Norcia Benedictines, and then reverted to farmland.

The Moondah Homestead, Gingin, will receive up to $29,300 to prepare a conservation plan and carry out urgent work. St Luke's Anglican Church, cemetery and belfry in Gingin will receive $41,600 to treat wall delamination to the top stone course, repair bearing stonework and check cross ties.

Mr Kierath said more than $775,000 of the $1 million grant program had been allocated to regional WA under the scheme by the Heritage Council of WA.

"The response to the Heritage Grants Program, which was announced in May, has been considerable," he said.

"In all there were 239 applications for grants, requesting some $10 million in total, demonstrating the high level of need in the community for such a program.

"This program reflects the Government's commitment not only to protecting the State's heritage, but doing it in a way which gives places new life and maintains a valuable community asset."

Under the program, priority has been given to urgent works, to projects which already have a conservation plan in place, and where a specific program was in place for future use of the site. Consideration was also given to applicants who were making a contribution to the project.

"The average grant is $13,140 and they range from $1,000 to $81,000. The projects which will get support are all across the State," Mr Kierath said.

"The funding recommendations were made by the Heritage Grants Program Assessment Committee, headed by Mr Gerry Gauntlett of the Heritage Council of WA.

"The grants assessment panel included representatives from local government, regional WA, and the National Trust as well as people with relevant professional expertise."

Other wheatbelt projects to receive money are:

·      No 3 Pumping Station at Cunderdin - $28,700 to undertake structural work including repointing and replacing eroded mortar;

·      Corrigin Railway Water Tower and Tank - $4,500 to prepare a conservation plan;

·      Kulin Railway Station and Goods Shed - $3,500 to prepare a conservation plan;

·      former Australian Inland Mission Hospital, Lake Grace - $3,000 to prepare a conservation plan;

·      Uralia, Northam - $2,300 to prepare a conservation plan;

·      Brook Cottage, York - $4,000 for work on roof drainage, timber treatment and replacement; and -

·      Bridge House, York - $3,000 to prepare a conservation plan.

Media contact: Steve Manchee 9481 2133