MY THOUGHTS

Revitalisation Newspapers for the works. Newspapers against the works. Images.

Before you read the following it is encouraging to note that the recent (May 2008)
dig at Glenrowan was done professionally and has been great for the town.

In my comments below I do not wish to apportion blame to anyone in particular.

I have been visiting Glenrowan at irregular intervals over many many years but during this period
had been visiting every fortnight.

I had been going up there to see what the ‘Revitalisation’ of the site looked like.

I thought maybe it was going to be a good thing for the town, I was really hoping it would be.

Then I received word from Gary Dean of Glenrowan that it (the siege site) had been destroyed.
I e-mailed the head archaeologist and asked several questions, including why they had filled
in the drains the police used to seek refuge in 1880.
He (Jeremy Smith) told me that it would be unsafe to have them there. (someone might fall in)
Don’t worry that these drains had been there since 1880!
I know these days there is issues with litigation if some drongo falls in, but how about a fence
if that is such a worry?

They say that the site had changed a lot over the years anyway and was not like it was in 1880.
Apart from the major overpass I do not believe this to be true entirely. Yes of course it has changed some,
however most of the soil removed was soil that had been there all along, it was not fill etc.
Diggers removed so much soil I was amazed and shocked.

The Glenrowan Masterplan stated the following:

(5) TRENCH.
History & Description.
During the siege. Sub-inspector O'Connor and his trackers took cover in a shallow depression
near the railway station, variously described as a trench, gully, drain or creek. A drain line still
exists..............................................................................

Significance.
The trench is of some historic significance as the place where policemen & trackers took cover
during the siege. While it is likely to have been modified, IT IS THE ONLY REMAINING
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF WHERE THE POLICE CORDON TOOK POSITION...........

Policy.
The site should be INTERPRETED. INVESTIGATIONS SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN TO
TRACE THE ORIGINAL COURSE OF THE WATERWAY..........................

The council have not followed their own plan.......

Previously there were contours at the site, you could feel the action taking place. You could imagine what it must have been like and most importantly you could get a feel of where you were standing within the battle area as you knew where things had happened. Well unfortunately people this is no longer the case. (hopefully future signage may help rectify the situation)

There is what looks to be a car/bus park now sitting in the railway reserve! The ground has all been flattened out with bulldozers, drains filled in and new ones created, native vegetation and trees removed. (ironically the sign pointing to natural vegetation still stands)

Previously on the ground I saw fragments of glass and pottery that were from the 19th century I believe. These you would have thought were the sort of items to be preserved in some way or at least left alone. There was a massive $60,000 fine I was told if you removed anything over 50 years old. Yet permission was given to run a dozer over the spot and throw away the soil! (relics and all) Heritage Victoria says it was only modern rubbish anyway.

I cannot imagine any other historic site, eg Port Arthur doing something as insane as this!

They overdid the pathways, sure a little path leading to what we want to see would be ok, but these paths are huge. The paths in fact match the car parking area which is out of place in such a sensitive
place.

In the end it will be a very neat but stark area. You will have a viewing platform above and can look down on cars and buses and wonder what the hell it is all meant to be.

I love Glenrowan, that is why I have worked so hard on this site and my other research, I always look forward to visiting and have many friends up there. My last visit was the first time I left the town feeling low and not wanting to return in a hurry. This is a monumental stuff up and it will never be the same.

So much for consultation, yes and then take no notice of what people suggest. Could this mess
possibly be what was intended? I don't think so.

Here I was worried about the Interpretive Centre changing the town, they could stick a skyscraper there now and it will make it no worse.

This is arguably THE most important historic site in Australia, so how did we allow someone who was supposed to make it more attractive destroy it?

I know that over the years the town got a bit shabby in places and needed a lift, but it did not need this.

I know that at times we need to see the finished product before commenting. That once the place greens up and is finished it might look ok. However in this case I doubt it, there is so much granitic sand (I think you call it that) there that it appears much of the site will be for cars and the like.

Near where Ned fell there was a nice little stream running by. It was no bigger than this in 1880 and again you could picture things, Ned as he fell at this exact location. Yet they went and used a backhoe here widening the creek and then added some sort of material with plants through it.
(this was not one of the Masterplan's recommendations)

How about this for a crazy idea, leave the place alone, add some proper informative signs, get rid of the cheap ones that tell you ‘Ned fell here’ and create a professional diorama of Ned falling instead of a bundle of painted logs. Why is it that Glenrowan is the one town on the Kelly Touring Route that does
not have the well made signs the other towns have?

A missed opportunity is what it is/was.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe the busloads of tourists will like it. They will have a nice path to walk.

Thousand of dollars spent, what a waste.

Thanks to those organisations meant to save our Heritage, you have ruined the most historic place in the country. Maybe you better start ‘fixing’ the Eureka Stockade site now.

Dave.