Celebrate

And the Winner is – Community

BY LYNDAL STUART, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

The 2021 National Trust Heritage Awards celebrated everything from window repairs to playgrounds. The stories were varied: the grit of urban industry, a harbourside submarine factory, Aboriginal history, and threats to our natural environment. Among these worthy entries, the judges chose a park on the Central Coast as their favourite. This article explores why.

The path into ‘the Coast’ from the M1 is one I know by heart. I am lucky enough to have family friends in Terrigal, so no prizes for guessing where I’ve spent many a summer holiday since childhood. In the blazing heat of summer, that glimmer of the Brisbane Waters through the trees as you wind your way down the Central Coast Highway was always the sign that we were ‘nearly there’. As we sped past Gosford CBD before heading uphill to make our way to the beachside suburbs, the Leagues Club and its neighbouring park was something that maybe…maybe…got a peripheral glance. Until recently.

A family excursion with my own children took me down that very familiar road. Reflexively, my line of sight was on the marina and the water. But my children were plastered to the windows on the opposite side of the car, screeching, “Mum can we go there?” Puzzled, I turned to see what can only be described as an uber playground with kids, just, everywhere. And they were all having an absolute ball.

Why wouldn’t they? There was a tidal pool with a metal boat climbing frame, wooden canoes elevated out of the water, what looked like a giant fishing net that served as a climbing tunnel, and two huge climbing frames that ascended to – direct quote from 10-year-old – “awesome slides”. I could see a circle of poles adorned with beautiful artwork. How could I say no?

In the week leading up to the National Trust Heritage Awards ceremony, I had the opportunity to visit Leagues Club Park, and I shared this story with the Chief Operating Officer of the Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation, Valentina Misevska. She smiled and nodded in recognition.

“Before, this was essentially an open green where people would play footy at lunchtime, and that was about it. People weren’t using the space to its full potential, and we knew it had an important story to tell. Now, we see so much of the community coming together – families, older couples, people working in the CBD,” said Ms Misevska.

“We worked in close partnership with the Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council to co-design this space and interpret stories we heard. We worked with local artists, we worked with local stone, we told the story of the water line before the land was reclaimed and brought water back into the park with the tidal pool. “The tidal pool is a really innovative feature using technology that is an Australian first for recreational uses. It rises and falls with the natural tide and, as it does, reveals stone sea creatures that tell the story of the natural heritage of this special place. The art poles are placed around a community circle that conveys the story that this is an important meeting place. Along with traditional designs from an Aboriginal artist, the poles feature the handprints of school children from the local area,” Ms Misevska said.

The National Trust Heritage Awards judges selected Leagues Club Park as ‘best in show’ because it demonstrated best practice in consultative co-design to interpret Aboriginal heritage, integrated natural and accessible building design, and brought the space’s story to life through interactive play.

A recurring theme The Leagues Club Park also highlighted a recurring theme in this year’s awards. The spaces, places and events celebrated community. For example, Sub Base Platypus, open to the public for the first time in 150 years, and Spains Wharf received accolades. There was also an exhibition on the fragility of natural heritage and a documentary on homes produced by Tim Ross in the winner’s list. The conservation of the Cathedral of St Michael and St John in Bathurst was impressive for the work involved and even more impressive for the fact that it was largely community funded.

The National Trust’s Director of Conservation, David Burdon, touched on the Greenway Building at Kirribilli in his keynote speech. The conservation project restored the windows of 309 public housing apartments – more than 1,000 windows. As David said, the judges were impressed by the scale, the community engagement and the investment in maintaining the character and original fabric of this landmark post-war building that is a defining feature of the Sydney skyline.

At the 2021 National Trust Heritage Awards ceremony, it was mentioned repeatedly that what made the event so special – in addition to celebrating the winners – was that it brought people together again. The projects recognised this year tell that story too.

Opposite Winner, Judges' Choice Award and Winner, Aboriginal Heritage: Leagues Club Park, Gosford, Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation.

Since writing this article, Lyndal Stuart has moved to a new role at the YMCA. We wish Lyndal all the best at her new role and thank her for her contribution to the National Trust.

Congratulations to each and every one of the deserving winners in the National Trust Heritage Awards for 2021.

ABORIGINAL HERITAGE Leagues Club Park, Gosford Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation

ADAPTIVE RE-USE Sub Base Platypus Lahznimmo Architects

ADVOCACY The Conservation of the Mulgoa Valley as a cultural landscape Friends of Fernhill and Mulgoa Valley Incorporated

CONSERVATION BUILT HERITAGE The Restoration of Cathedral of St Michael and St John, Bathurst The Cathedral of St Michael and St John, Bathurst The Greenway Window Conservation and Upgrade Product Land and Housing Corporation and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Shell House, Sydney Adriel Consultancy

CONSERVATION INTERIORS & OBJECTS The Restoration of the Historic 1890 William Hill & Son Organ in the Hunter Baille Memorial Presbyterian Church, Annandale Hunter Baillie Conservation Sub-Committee

CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE Spains Wharf, Kurraba Point Aspire Stone Masonry

CONTINUING TRADITION The George Proudman Fellowship Program Ministers Stonework Program

EDUCATION & INTERPRETATION Fairbridge Children’s Park, Molong Clouston Associates EVENTS, EXHIBITIONS & TOURS Fragile Beauty, Rich and Rare Pamela Pauline Photography Carrington Road Industrial Heritage, Marrickville Louisa King and Ali Wright

RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS Designing a Legacy Tim Ross, Modernister Films and Production Group

JUDGES’ CHOICE Leagues Club Park, Gosford Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation

HERITAGE SKILLS AWARD Andrew Markerink

CATHY DONNELLY MEMORIAL AWARD Lorraine Simpson

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Graham Quint

Opposite: Clockwise from top Winner, Adaptive Re-use: Sub Base Platypus, Lahznimmo Architects; Winner, Education & Interpretation: Fairbridge Children’s Park, Molong Clouston Associates; Winner, Advocacy: The Conservation of the Mulgoa Valley as a cultural landscape, Friends of Fernhill and Mulgoa Valley Incorporated; Winner Heritage Resources & Publications: Designing a Legacy, Tim Ross, Modernister Films and Production Group; Winner, Heritage Events, Exhibitions & Tours: Fragile Beauty, Rich and Rare, Pamela Pauline Photography.

The National Trust Heritage Awards is a signature event of the Australian Heritage Festival in New South Wales and is proudly supported by the NSW Government through the Heritage Council of NSW.

Find out more about the winning projects

Visit our website to learn more about this year’s winners, including: • Read our winners showcase booklet.

• Watch a video about the winners, including an interview with Valentina

Misevska, Chief Operating Officer at the Hunter Development Corporation, which won the Judges' Choice award for Leagues Club Park at Gosford. • Watch David Burdon, Conservation Director, National Trust (NSW) deliver the keynote address this year. • See the Minister for Heritage, the Hon. Don Harwin, deliver his speech and present the Judges’ Choice Award. • Watch the complete awards ceremony. Visit nationaltrust.org.au/news/2021-heritage-awards-winners