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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-02 Daily Xml
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UNION HALL

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH (15:56): I move:

That this council—

1. Notes with concern the University of Adelaide's plans to destroy the historic Union Hall building on its North Terrace campus;

2. Acknowledges the significant community support behind the retention and utilisation of Union Hall for its artistic, cultural and historical value;

3. Acknowledges the importance of Union Hall as an historical demonstration of the architectural influence of prominent South Australian Louis Laybourne Smith; and

4. Recommends that the South Australian Heritage Council protect Union Hall by adding it to the Register of State Heritage Places.

Many honourable members will have heard the University of Adelaide's recent decision to demolish the historic Union Hall building adjacent to the university's Barr Smith lawns, the library and Union House. While simultaneously claiming that it does not have the money to maintain Union Hall, the university has released plans for a $77 million science precinct on the site. It markets the project as a redevelopment, despite the fact that the first phase consists of destroying Union Hall outright and building a new complex in its place. It also boasts that in its place will stand a new, bigger lecture theatre—with a measly five more seats than the Union Hall building that currently occupies the site.

Union Hall frames the cultural hub of the North Terrace campus, an area renowned for its vibrant O-Week events, graduation formalities, university and student-run festivities, and the occasional student demonstration. Union Hall itself has hosted dozens of cultural and educational events throughout its 51 year history. Originally funded by the university, government and further student contributions, it was designed by one of South Australia's most prominent architects, Louis Laybourne Smith.

Mr Laybourne Smith was a life fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and was also named a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. Interestingly, while the University of Adelaide seeks to demolish a key piece of Laybourne Smith's architectural contribution to the North Terrace campus, the neighbouring University of South Australia has honoured the late architect and engineer by naming its school of architecture after him. Alongside Union Hall, Smith's other notable designs across South Australia include the South Australian National War Memorial, the Australian Mutual Provident Building on King William Street, the former Balfours building facade on Rundle Mall, the Repatriation General Hospital in Daw Park and Union House at Adelaide University and its adjoining cloisters.

Already, the impact of the university's moves to destroy a part of the state's cultural heritage has been felt. Following the university's announcement, the Premier promptly commissioned an audit of the state's cultural spaces, fearing that this and other recent losses of theatre space could be plunging the state into a cultural crisis, especially during peak festival periods.

The South Australian arts community has also reacted strongly against the move. Thousands have joined online groups protesting the destruction of Union Hall. Around 100 people recently turned out at a demonstration in 39 degree heat to voice their disappointment about the university's decision. A number of applications to heritage list Union Hall have also been submitted, including by the National Trust.

Unfortunately, Union Hall is yet another building of significant cultural and historical value that is under threat. It is now commonplace to see attempts to destroy South Australia's heritage for the sake of tasteless and short-sighted development. As South Australia scrambles to be just like every other major city, it is quickly losing its character and unique appeal, becoming a second rate Sydney. Communities are thankfully becoming more vocal about their opposition to this kind of short-sighted development and are rallying to protect their local and international icons.

I am moving today to call on this council to take the community's lead and call on the South Australian Heritage Council to enter Union Hall on the register of State Heritage Places. The criteria for registration are as follows.

To be entered in the Register as a State Heritage Place, a place must satisfy one or more of the criteria in Section 16 of the Heritage Places Act 1993:

(a) It demonstrates important aspects of the evolution or pattern of the state's history;

(b) It has rare, uncommon or endangered qualities that are of cultural significance;

(c) It may yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the State's history, including its natural history;

(d) It is an outstanding representative of a particular class of places of cultural significance;

(e) It demonstrates a high degree of creative, aesthetic or technical accomplishment or is an outstanding representative of particular construction techniques or design characteristics;

(f) It has strong cultural or spiritual associations for the community or group within it;

(g) It has a special association with the life or work of a person or organisation or an event of historic importance. Section 14(2) provides that, in relation to a State Heritage Place, an object can be entered in the Register if it has 'heritage significance', which s16(2) defines as follows:

it is an artefact (including an architectural artefact) that satisfies one or more of the above criteria; or

it is a geological specimen, a fossil or part of a natural cave formation that satisfies one or more of the above criteria; or

it is intrinsically related to the heritage significance of a State Heritage Place or Area.

As is immediately apparent, Union Hall meets criterion (a) as a key demonstration of the evolution of Laybourne Smith's works as one of South Australia's most prominent architects. It meets criterion (b) as one of the few theatres constructed at this time and as a key part of Smith's set of buildings on the campus, as noted earlier. Criterion (c) could be met if the university's own development over the past century and a half and its previous support of the arts are considered.

Other criteria are equally relevant to the preservation of Union Hall, in particular, the last two criteria: strong cultural associations and a special association with the life or work of an organisation or person. These are both clearly relevant. For a place to be heritage listed it need satisfy only one of the criteria. I believe I have adequately demonstrated why this council should give a recommendation to the Heritage Council to add Union Hall to the state's heritage registration list and shown how it meets the Heritage Council's criteria.

Last month in his speech at the rally for Union Hall, Professor Brian Coghlan, an honorary life member of the Adelaide University Theatre Guild, said:

Union Hall is essentially in good condition. Its primary advantageous, positive features do not age:

Width of auditorium relative to depth, together with seating rake. This guarantees virtually perfect acoustics, audibility and vision.

Concealed orchestra pit which runs back beneath the stage, guaranteeing very high quality acoustics, i.e. performers on stage can see the conductor, but are not 'drowned' by the orchestra, as in many older and not so old theatres. NB This was deliberate imitation of Wagner's Bayreuth Festival Theatre, completed in 1876, with its world famous, indeed unique, acoustic/sound quality.

Back, under, and side stage facilities are equally good; e.g. proscenium opening/width is 38 foot, wing space is 19 foot, on each side. There is/was a cyclorama at rear of usual performance space. This, in practice, was highly effective. NB Space behind cyclorama is even greater than the space in front of it. The sightlines are effective right to the back exit.

In other words, it is an ideal space for an art-oriented state.

Former University of Adelaide chancellor, Dr Harry Medlin, a well known academic, educator, community and cultural leader at the university, and who for a number of years following his chancellorship continued to be a member of the university's governing council, has condemned the university's decision as 'bureaucratic managerialism'. Dr Medlin has described Union Hall as 'one of the truly great little theatres of the world'. Dr Medlin says that the university should be ashamed at what it has done to Union Hall, and wholeheartedly supports moves to heritage list the building.

It is imperative that we protect our unique and valuable cultural heritage and character and, in this particular case, acknowledge the contribution that Union Hall has made and continues to make in our festival state.

The Hon. M. PARNELL (16:06): I rise on behalf of the Greens to support this motion. I, too, attended the rally outside Union Hall on a very hot day last month, and I was impressed by the degree of passion shown by those in attendance. These were people from the theatre, the arts world and the area of dance who, universally, had a great affection for and fond memories of performances and rehearsals and time spent in Union Hall.

What I think we need to recognise is that heritage values are not just about age. In fact, if we do not protect important 50 year old buildings then we will have no 100 year old buildings. The heritage debate also needs to have reference to function as well as form. This building has served the people of South Australia well and, as I said, a great many people have a real affection for it.

Something that I have learned over the years relating to architectural merit is that it does not always equate with beauty. This is probably not the most beautiful building in Adelaide. In some ways it is in the same category as the nurses' quarters at the Glenside Hospital, but both of these buildings, whilst not beautiful in any classical sense, are important representatives of a bygone age, and they are very much a result of the times, whether it is in relation to post-war austerity, a particular architectural movement, or something else.

So, we need to make sure that we are not prejudiced against buildings because they are not old enough or they do not look beautiful enough. There are many heritage experts who support the case for retention of Union Hall. This motion calls for heritage listing, and on behalf of the Greens I am happy to add my voice to that call.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (16:08): Government members note the honourable member's concern regarding the future of Adelaide University's Union Hall and, indeed, it is easy to have some sympathy with the sentiments expressed in his motion, but once again the Hon. David Winderlich seeks to pre-empt proper process, so let me put on the record the process to date.

Since the announcement in late September that the University of Adelaide intends building a new maths, science, teaching and research centre in place of Union Hall, the South Australian Heritage Council has received two nominations of the hall for entry on the South Australian Heritage Register as a state heritage place. The Heritage Council is required, under the Heritage Places Act 1993, to consider those nominations. I understand that it is currently assessing the heritage significance of Union Hall.

The Heritage Council will consider whether Union Hall meets the threshold of state significance. If the Heritage Council decides in favour of entering Union Hall on the South Australian Heritage Register, it will be given a provisional entry. There is then a three month period in which the owner, and members of the public, will be able to make submissions for or against confirmation of the listing. The council will then consider any submissions that may be received and a decision will be made either to confirm or remove the provisional entry.

Advice provided by the Heritage Council is based on the stringent application of heritage assessment criteria contained in the Heritage Places Act 1993. With regard to Union Hall, the question the Heritage Council is required to answer is not simply whether the building has architectural, aesthetic, cultural, historic or other value: its task is to determine whether the values of the Union Hall are sufficiently outstanding to be considered of state significance.

I set out these processes at length to demonstrate why the government will not support the motion. The stance has nothing to do with the merits or the nomination of Union Hall as a heritage site, but has everything to do with good decision making. An independent body is charged with the responsibility of determining whether the Union Hall should be listed in the State Heritage register. That independent body is required to make its decision by reference to clear criteria. It would be bad judgment, in my view, for the parliament to pre-empt or otherwise attempt to influence the independence of the Heritage Council's deliberations.

Taking the politics out of heritage decision making was no doubt one of the key rationales for the establishment of the Heritage Council and for giving it the role of determining heritage status. That ensures that decisions about heritage status will be based on merit by people with expertise in that area. It will be a significant backward step if this chamber decides to return to the days when the heritage status of a site could become a political football.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.M. Gazzola.

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