RTA PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES (SYDNEY) ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC RhCORD DERELICT SQUARE BRICK BUILDING WITH METAL TOWER

Transcription

1 1 - RTA PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVCES (SYDNEY) ARCHVAL PHOTOGRAPHC RhCORD DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON STREET LECHHARDT NSW Anne Bickford MAACA Heritage Consultants 135 Catherine St Leichhardt NSW 2040 Phone Fax abickford@peg.apc.org November 1997

2 i PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 NTRODUCTON Background 1.2 The Client 1.3 The Brief 1.4 Authorship of Report Fieldwork 2.0 HSTORY OF STE 3.0 DESCRPTON OF STE PLANS AND ARCHVAL RECORD PHOTOGRAPHS

3 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER NTRODUCTON 1.1 Background This report is an archival photographic record of the derelict brick building to the east of the railway bridge which crosses Norton Street Leichhardt Sydney, near the Lilyfield Road end of Norton Street. The building has a metal tower on top of it. The site is in the way of the proposed City West Link Road and is to be demolished. Anne Bickford Heritage Consultants was engaged to make an archival photographic record of the building and to carry out background research as to its purpose, as the former use of the building is not known. 1.2 The Client The client for this project is the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), Project Management Services (Sydney), Rozelle Bay Office, James Craig Road Rozelle, PO Box 380, Rozelle, NSW, The Liaison Officer is Mr. Paul Goldsmith, Project Manager, Project Management Services, Rozelle Bay Office. 1.3 The Brief The brief for this project from the RTA states: Section 3 of the City West Link Road project requires the demolition of a small redundant Rail Services Authority building located adjacent to the Glebe goods delivery line, near Norton Street, Leichhardt. A Heritage photographic record survey and documentation is to be undertaken of the subject building in order to record its significance for the Rail Services Authority and Leichhardt Council. The study should include: - A full written description, and photographic archive of the building. - Statement of any heritage significance of the building. - A written report summarising the findings of the above, including relevant plans and/or diagrams. Prepare for comment 2 unbound hard copies of the draft report, and 6 bound hard copies of the final report including photographic archive. n fulfilment of the brief 6 reports including labelled prints have been produced. One album also contains the photographic negatives. 2

4 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER Authorship of Report All photography was taken, and this report was written, by Anne Bickford. 1.5 Fieldwork All fieldwork took place on Friday 7th November Anne Bickford was accompanied by Mr. Lance Elliot, an officer of the Rail Service Authority's External Party Works section. The film used to record the site was Kodak TMX 5052 black and white film at ASA 100. The building was measured and a sketch plan of the site was drawn (See Figure 1.3). 2.0 HSTORY OF THE STE 2.1 ntroduction Extensive archival research and personal inquiry of experts took place. A similar building, but in better condition, was also inspected. However, despite all this research, the original function and use of the subject building could not be concluded. n this case, details of the research carried out, experts interviewed, and of the similar building can be given, and the site itself described in words, plan, and in the detailed photographic study provided. Copies of this report will be deposited in several places including the State Rail Archives, the Heritage Section Rail Services Authority, the NSW Tramways Museum, and the Local History section of the Leichhardt Municipal Library, and if in the future information emerges as to the site's use, then the new information can be filed with this report. 2.2 Archival Sources Searched State Rail Archives The State Rail Archives, located in Transport House York Street Sydney, are managed by the Archivist, Mr. Victor Poljanski. Mr Poljanski was shown the photographic archive of the site and interviewed as to sources. Four hours was spent researching records and books on the railway and tramway structures and buildings which 3

5 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 might have related to the site. Mr. Poljanski had already received an inquiry about the building from Mr. Stuart Sharp of State Rail, who had himself received an inquiry from someone at the RTA, and Mr. Sharp was on the trail of the building. 2.3 nterview with Mr. D. R. Keenan, Tramways Expert Mr. D.R. Keenan is an expert on the history of the tramways in NSW. As Stuart Sharp had suggested the site was most likely to be a tramways building all of David Keenan's books related to the area were consulted at the SRA Archives. These were Tramways of Sydney1 and The Western Lines 2 n Tramways of Sydney it was noted that the Norton Street - Leichhardt Depot was opened on 12 January nterview with Mr. Stuart Sharp, Heritage Section, Rail Services Authority Stuart Sharp was the person who was able to information about the site. He considers that: 4 provide most Although the building is close to the Glebe goods railway line to its north, it is related to the trams which used to go down Norton Street to its east, not the railways He considers that it could have been a transformer building or an electrical substation He does not think that the tower is related to the brick building, but that it had a separate function He considers that the tower was built to hold a flight beacon as it was on the flightpath to Mascot Airport as it is now. There is a structure on the top of the tower which could have been a beacon, but it is not connected to any electricity system now There is a very similar building next to the railway bridge over Crystal Street, on the corner of Trafalgar Street, Petersham. He considers that this building was also related to the tramways system, which went down Crystal Street. Anne Bickford inspected this building. t is protected by the RSA fence and cannot be approached closer than about 3 metres. t is the same shape and very similar in architectural style. t has no tower on top. 1Transit Press, Transit Press 1993.

6 i PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER DESCRPTON OF STE 3.1 The Building Bricks The building is all of brick. The bricks are dry-pressed bricks consistent with the period 1920s-1940s Size The dimensions of the building, (3.50 metres by 3.08 metres) and its form can be seen in the sketch plan (Figure 1.3) Architectural style The style of the building is very plain except for the buttresses on the corners. The building is almost square, with a buttress in each corner. t has a door about 2 metres high in the centre of the eastern side. A square of timber is attached in the centre of the western side. This is probably a remnant of a larger structure - a square-shaped thin timber fuse box such as that seen attached to the similar building at Crystal/Trafalgar Streets Petersham, or the side of a domestic dwelling. 3.2 The Timber Post The timber post (Figure 20) is on the north-eastern side of the building. t is about the thickness of a telegraph pole and is now about 60 cm high. t was probably of electricity pole height, and cut off when the building became redundant. Nearby is a square brick hole, about one brick square and 500mm deep. The function of these two structures is not known, but it is assumed that they were connected with the brick building. The post may have been used to bring in electricity cables to the brick building. 5

7 f'estern 1928 Balmain Area & Ab botsford line 0 n inside rear cover PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER PLANS AND ARCHVAL RECORD PHOTOGRAPHS Figure 1.1 Location Map Figure 1.2 Air Photograph ioeation of site LNES ~:: ~:i"~ 6

8 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 Figure 1.3 Plan of building tf!s-l.~...~_..._. ~_1....,.. 00'_" r 11f1e,.~ / _---J _!JooK. ' -T "--"'-" t t'r"\ --'7N._ PL-JlCrJl:f /" t====- \ / 1 1 Anne Bickford Heritage Consultants 135 Catherine St. Leichhardt NSW 2040 Ph:02/ Fax;02/ i " i 7

9 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER Proof Sheet: Nos. 1-24A NOTE: Scale is in 500mm black and white segments

10 ', PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No.l nterior, South wall NOTE: Scale is in SOOmm black and white segments No. 2 nterior, West wall 9

11 ' PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RAlLWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 3 nterior, North wall No. 4 nterior, North half of East wall 10

12 ,', ' PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 5 nterior, East wall, looking out doorway. 11

13 , PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 6 Roof No. 7 Part of Roof and part of wall 12

14 ' PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 Nos. 8 Photograph not used No.9 Close-up of brackets in centre of South wall 13

15 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 10 Exterior, East side No. 11 Photograph not used 14

16 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 12 Top of east side showing Tower No. 13 Detail of Tower 15,, _

17 , PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 14 Exterior, North side No. 15 Photograph not used 16

18 . PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 16 Wooden back of fuse box bracketed onto west side No. 17 North-West buttress 17

19 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 19 Close-up of North-west buttress 18,

20 ,,, PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 21 Tower, from South-east corner No. 22 Photograph not used,, 19

21 PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 23 Tower from Railway Bridge across Henry Street No. 24 Close-up of Tower showing Beacon on top 20

22 ,,, PHOTOGRAPHC RECORD OF DERELCT SQUARE BRCK BULDNG WTH METAL TOWER AT RALWAY BRDGE NORTON ST. LECHHARDT SYDNEY NOVEMBER 1997 No. 24A Close-up of Brick building 1 _ 21