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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-28 Daily Xml
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HERITAGE SITES

Ms FOX (Bright) (16:37): In order for this state to progress, it is very important to remember and, indeed, preserve the foundations upon which we were built, be they physical or philosophical. I wish to address the house today about the importance of ongoing protection and conservation of significant landmarks within South Australia which have played an important role in our state's history.

The South Australian government, of course, is committed to the preservation of historical and environmental heritage listed sites, not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of many generations to come. Within the state there is a vast array of sites that are classified under different levels of heritage listing, based on the impact they have had on shaping different groups of people or tiers of the community.

Sites such as the Naracoorte Caves, the state's only world heritage listing (I think), through to buildings such as the Adelaide General Post Office, which is registered under the Commonwealth Heritage Register, are evidence of our wealth of heritage sites. Even places that we take for granted, such as the Adelaide Parklands, are protected by the National Environmental Heritage Register and show the environmental diversity which sets us apart from the rest of Australia.

In my own electorate, of course, we have Kingston House, which was built in 1851. There was another structure on this site from 1840, but the building as we know it today was built in 1851. George Strickland Kingston, who was deputy surveyor to Colonel William Light, built it as a summer residence for his large family. As everybody here knows, his son, Charles Cameron Kingston, eventually became premier of South Australia, and was elected to the first federal parliament in 1901.

Kingston House is proudly owned by the state government, and it is leased to the Kingston House Development Committee, an extraordinary group of very hardworking volunteers. I have visited the house on a number of occasions, and I am very proud of the physical and cultural capital it brings to our community. The scones are also very good.

Ms Bedford interjecting:

Ms FOX: Yes, they are very good. I recommend you go, Frances. It is also admirable to see that local government is committed to the preservation of important sites, and I was privileged a couple of weekends ago to attend the reopening of a heritage listed site in my electorate, Bagshaw Hall, also known as the Brighton Institute. This building, constructed in 1929, has recently been lovingly restored by the Brighton Rotary Club.

The land in 1929 cost £210 and the building itself cost £698. It was named after Mr John Augustus Bagshaw, a city councillor and mayor for many years. The hall has had a number of incarnations. It was a library, a classroom for first aiders, a recreation and bridge club, a literary and debating society, a kindergarten, and a place where sewing classes were held. Since the 1950s, Bagshaw Hall has been used almost exclusively as an institute library, and it is heart-warming to see that books are once again on the shelves in Bagshaw Hall.

The Rotary club is now using this hall, and I was impressed by how many people attended its recent sale. I also enjoyed, once again, the sausage sizzle. This is the great thing about being a member of parliament—the scones, sausage sizzles.

For some years, the club has been using the sheds behind the hall for its garage sales, and in 2007 Rotary and the Holdfast Bay council negotiated a lease of the property. The Rotarians have worked extremely hard to restore this hall. They have replastered, painted, polished and basically renovated this beautiful little building, and they have brought it back to an admirable condition. I think this is a wonderful thing for them to have done, because they have done it free of charge. No-one else was doing it.

Mrs Redmond: Like it always does.

Ms FOX: Indeed. I agree with a member for Heysen: Rotary always steps up. The Rotary Club of Brighton has served our local community since 1972, and while they have, of course, carried out hundreds of valuable projects, I have to say that I have been particularly impressed by what I saw in Bagshaw Hall last weekend.

We are so lucky to have many buildings, landmarks and areas, which serve as a reminder to the rich heritage that we hold. Whether they are listed by the National Trust, Heritage SA or by local government, it is personally important to me that we as a government remember and celebrate the past as we move forward is to a vibrant and exciting future.

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