Wonthaggi Historical Society curator Mark Robertson peruses Sir Roy Grounds’ hand-drawn plans for Wonthaggi’s Historical Park. By Catherine Watson
THERE was to be a visitors centre, a lecture hall and a lookout. Visitors would be transported by train around the old mine site to take in the buildings and artefacts.
Wonthaggi’s historical theme park would be the real deal, “a magnificent state asset”, the architect assured the Wonthaggi Lions club when he unveiled the project. “There is no risk about its success.”
This was no two-bob tout but the famous architect Sir Roy Grounds, then at the height of his fame. He had completed the National Gallery of Victoria and was working on the Melbourne Arts Centre, incorporating Hamer Hall and the theatres.
Yet in 1973 he found time to visit Wonthaggi to map out a 60-acre park on the grounds of the old No 5 mine brace area.
“Wonthaggi’s coal mining theme will be unique and if I did not believe in its success I would not be associated with it as your honorary architect,” the Sentinel Times reports him telling the Lions.
THERE was to be a visitors centre, a lecture hall and a lookout. Visitors would be transported by train around the old mine site to take in the buildings and artefacts.
Wonthaggi’s historical theme park would be the real deal, “a magnificent state asset”, the architect assured the Wonthaggi Lions club when he unveiled the project. “There is no risk about its success.”
This was no two-bob tout but the famous architect Sir Roy Grounds, then at the height of his fame. He had completed the National Gallery of Victoria and was working on the Melbourne Arts Centre, incorporating Hamer Hall and the theatres.
Yet in 1973 he found time to visit Wonthaggi to map out a 60-acre park on the grounds of the old No 5 mine brace area.
“Wonthaggi’s coal mining theme will be unique and if I did not believe in its success I would not be associated with it as your honorary architect,” the Sentinel Times reports him telling the Lions.
Tony Lee is an architect and historian who as part of a retirement project is documenting all the work that Roy Grounds did. While Grounds is famous for the NGV, Melbourne Arts Centre and Australian Academy of Science building in Canberra, Lee says his other work is little known. “I’ve enjoyed his work very much.”
Amongst the major Grounds projects, he was surprised to find a reference to Grounds’ plans for a pioneer village in Wonthaggi.
When he emailed the Wonthaggi Historical Society recently, Mark Robertson and Irene Williams immediately replied to say Grounds’ original hand-drawn designs for the project were stored in the museum, along with newspaper reports and photos.
Amongst the major Grounds projects, he was surprised to find a reference to Grounds’ plans for a pioneer village in Wonthaggi.
When he emailed the Wonthaggi Historical Society recently, Mark Robertson and Irene Williams immediately replied to say Grounds’ original hand-drawn designs for the project were stored in the museum, along with newspaper reports and photos.
Lee visited Wonthaggi last week to inspect the plans and visit the No 5 mine brace site.
From the Sentinel Times report, it appears the Wonthaggi Lions Club commissioned the plans. The wonder is that they could contemplate engaging such a renowned architect.
The answer, Lee says, is that they probably didn’t have to pay. “Grounds is described in a newspaper cutting as ‘the honorary architect’, which usually implies that he was doing the work pro bono.
“As the State Government was his major client, he might also have wanted to maintain his position with them.”
Wonthaggi was in sore need of a boost. The State Coal Mine had closed in 1968. At the time, it was seen as the death knell for Wonthaggi, although as we now know the obituaries were premature.
Lee says it was an age when folk museums and pioneer villages were all the rage. Swan Hill’s museum (also designed by Grounds) was a big crowd puller. Old Gippstown opened at Moe in 1973 and Coal Creek opened at Korumburra in 1974.
Perhaps because so many other historical theme parks went ahead, Wonthaggi’s didn’t.
In the decades since, the State Coal Mine has emerged as a more than worthy alternative, with volunteers assisting Parks Victoria in maintenance.
And although the park did not proceed on the old mine brace site, the rescue station is now a thriving arts centre and the decaying brace has become a tourist attraction in its own right, celebrated in paintings and photographs as “a beautiful wreck”.
From the Sentinel Times report, it appears the Wonthaggi Lions Club commissioned the plans. The wonder is that they could contemplate engaging such a renowned architect.
The answer, Lee says, is that they probably didn’t have to pay. “Grounds is described in a newspaper cutting as ‘the honorary architect’, which usually implies that he was doing the work pro bono.
“As the State Government was his major client, he might also have wanted to maintain his position with them.”
Wonthaggi was in sore need of a boost. The State Coal Mine had closed in 1968. At the time, it was seen as the death knell for Wonthaggi, although as we now know the obituaries were premature.
Lee says it was an age when folk museums and pioneer villages were all the rage. Swan Hill’s museum (also designed by Grounds) was a big crowd puller. Old Gippstown opened at Moe in 1973 and Coal Creek opened at Korumburra in 1974.
Perhaps because so many other historical theme parks went ahead, Wonthaggi’s didn’t.
In the decades since, the State Coal Mine has emerged as a more than worthy alternative, with volunteers assisting Parks Victoria in maintenance.
And although the park did not proceed on the old mine brace site, the rescue station is now a thriving arts centre and the decaying brace has become a tourist attraction in its own right, celebrated in paintings and photographs as “a beautiful wreck”.