News Alert |

The 2019 Ballarat Heritage and Design Excellence Awards, including the National Trust People’s Choice Award and the Mayoral Award for Emerging Heritage and Design Practitioners, were announced at an official presentation ceremony held on Friday 24 May, 2019. The Award ceremony was hosted by the City of Ballarat and the National Trust of Australia (VIC) Ballarat Branch.    

THE 2019 WINNERS ARE:  

CATEGORY: CONSERVATION OF A HERITAGE PLACE   

Winner: Uniting Ballarat and S.J. Weir’s (Ballarat) Pty Ltd  

Former Reid’s Coffee Palace Restoration, 128 Lydiard Street North 

External works returned the building’s exterior to a safe, sustainable and historically accurate condition, enhancing the building, the Lydiard Street streetscape and occupant experience. Internal works reversed changes that had occurred to the main entry and stair hall and revealed the early decorative paint scheme.   

CATEGORY: NEW DESIGNS IN A HERITAGE CONTEXT-COMMERCIAL  

Winner: Garry Goyne and Morton Dunn Architects  

ANA Building Redevelopment, 22 Camp Street 

The ANA Building redevelopment re-imagines the former ANA Building and adjoining car-park. This project demonstrates impressive treatment of the heritage building, presenting the beautiful detail of the ANA building in a crisp new way, as well as providing a new building adjacent that takes advantage of the significant views. 

CATEGORY: NEW DESIGNS IN A HERITAGE CONTEXT-RESIDENTIAL  

Winner: McNiece Buildig Group, Ryan Adamson Design and Rhino Landscaping  

Roswell Retreat, 422 Raglan Street 

This project provides a great example of a well-designed addition providing a comfortable modern home without compromising the original cottage and its appearance in the heritage streetscape. Good use of light and space create a comfortable and enjoyable home with good connection to the outdoors.        

CATEGORY: EXCELLENCE IN HERITAGE SKILLS  

Winner: Hishon Bros., Bill Hollick and Artcare  

Former Reid’s Coffee Palace Restoration, 128 Lydiard Street North  

Internal works revealed the early decorative paint scheme, deep upper wall frieze with floral shields on the second floor, dado with stenciled frieze and decorative upper wall frieze and floral shields on the ground floor. This project is a great example of a multi-skilled team approach to restoring a significant Ballarat landmark building.  

CATEGORY: COMMUNICATING, PROMOTING AND CELEBRATING HERITAGE  

Joint Winner: Arch of Victory/avenue of Honour Committee Inc. and Phil Roberts  

Avenue of Memories Book  

This book tells the story of Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour and Arch of Victory from 1917 to 2017. The research for and production of the Arch of Memories book represents a comprehensive documentation and commemoration of a century of community-based work by the Avenue of Honour Committee. The Committee has protected, preserved and promoting the great vision of those women who sought to generate an internationally significant memorial to those Ballarat registered service men and women who served in the First World War. 

Joint Winner: Integra Group  

Lucas Ballarat  

The Integra Group has created a sense of place,  ownership and pride through the development of the Lucas Estate. This has been achieved by weaving the story of the Lucas Girls, the names of men and  women in the Avenue of Honour and the Arch of  Victory, through the estates’ street names, signage  and specific marketing. Through this process, the  Integra Group reinforces this significant part of  Ballarat’s history. 

Highly Commended: Wind & Sky Productions  

Many Roads: Chinese on the Goldfields 

In the 1850s, tens of thousands of Chinese people flocked to regional Victoria chasing the lure of gold. This online documentary film and digital exhibition brings together the collections of eighteen Victorian cultural organisations, both metropolitan and regional, to tell the story of the Chinese on the goldfields of Victoria.  

CATEGORY: MAYORAL AWARD FOR EMERGING HERITAGE AND DESIGN PRACTITIONERS  

Winner: David Sexton  

David Sexton’s Masters degree concept plan for Norwich Plaza –The Bridge – sympathetically bridges the past and future in his vision for the site’s future. A high level of research, innovation and creativity is shown in the design. His project has contributed to a greater understanding of the importance of historic contexts and retaining heritage while also promoting change. 

AWARD: The Greg Binns Award for Outstanding Community Contribution to Heritage  

Winner: Ballarat Historical Society 

The Ballarat Historical Society began in 1933 to preserve, record, collect and research the events and growth of a unique city and 86 years on, the charter remains the same. The Society holds a significant collection of photographs, artefacts, maps and other material of regional, state and national status. Many thousands of photographs and images of the city have been collected over their 86 year history which are stored at the Gold Museum in a partnership with Sovereign Hill which now spans 43 years.  

AWARD: The National Trust People’s Choice Award  

Winner:  David Waldron, Katrina Hill and Tom Hodgson  

Tales of Rat City  

Tales from Rat City is a free podcast series made by a dedicated team of Ballarat researchers, writers and actors that celebrates our unique historic heritage. Tales focuses on lesser-known stories, bringing to life historic voices and stories from our early and post-Goldfields history. The project has combined academic rigour alongside community outreach and digital storytelling to uncover the seedier side of the history of Ballarat.