Preservation or vandalism?
Relocating an historic building
In February 2017 the local press advertised an 1850 sandstone cottage for sale.
The cottage had been disassembled and re-located from its original site to a new locality.
The house had been completely rebuilt in a new locality.
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| Former Buxton Cottage built in 1850 was re-located to Grasmere in 1973 |
The house in question was originally built around 1850 and originally called Buxton Cottage.
The cottage was taken apart and re-built in 1973 at Grasmere near Camden on a rural property. It was re-named Wirrinya.
The re-built and re-furbished cottage was offered for sale in a rural-lifestyle estate of Grasmere. The cottage was located on 4.68 acres and offered for sale as a 'traditional sandstone homestead'.
The cottage has Indian influences with a hipped roof-line andverandah all around. It has the simplicity and symmetry of Georgian influences with a central door and balance by windows.
For those in the Museums and Galleries Sector the views are mixed on whether a historic building should be moved to a new location.
The Department of Environment in the Australian Government states that common arguments for moving historic buildings are:
- To "save" the building.
- To "improve" the museum.
- To provide more space for storage or exhibition.
- To make the building more accessible and visible.
- The building provides a cheap, new space.
- A moved building may also exclude a museum from assistance.
- Some buildings are designed to be moved.
Read more here
In 2000 Jane Lennon conducted a study for the Queensland National Trust called 'Moving Buildings, A study of issues surrounding moving buildings of heritage value for use in outdoor museums in Queensland'.
Read the report here.
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