24/8/03
Two important heritage projects in the Mid-West region have attracted a total of $98,120 in grants from the Lotterywest cultural heritage - conservation grants program.
Heritage Minister Tom Stephens said the Shire of Cue would receive $78,120 for conservation works on the Old Gentlemen's Club and the Shire of Sandstone would receive $20,000 to develop a conservation plan for the State Battery Building.
"The former Gentlemen's Club, now the Cue Shire Offices and a significant local landmark, will undergo urgent works to help arrest problems associated with rising damp," Mr Stephens said.
"The grant will also fund replacement and repointing of sections of stonework on the building and restoration of the roof and lintels.
"The two-storey, Victorian Georgian-style stone building, flanked by single-storey shops, is a reminder of the years when Cue was the centre of a busy mining and pastoral district.
"As the Gentlemen's Club, it had an important role in social and cultural life in Cue, albeit exclusively for men.
"It is also associated with a former president of the United States of America, Herbert Hoover, who worked as a mining engineer in the district in the early 1900s."
Mr Stephens said the development of a conservation plan for the Sandstone State Battery Building was an important step in conserving the historic landmark.
"A conservation plan is recognised as the primary guiding document for the conservation and future use of places of cultural significance," he said.
"The State Battery was an integral part of the history of the gold mining industry in Sandstone from when it was built in 1904 and much of its original machinery is still intact."
The Minister said the battery operated until 1982 and processed in excess of 135,000 tonnes of ore.
"The Sandstone community hold the battery in high regard and are keen to see it conserved as a major tourist attraction in the town," he said.
Mr Stephens said the Lotterywest cultural heritage - conservation grants were part of a three-year commitment by Lotterywest to increase funding by $500,000 to $1.5million per year, which has allowed the Heritage Council to redirect funding towards its accelerated assessment and registration project.
Minister's office: 9213 6500
