Members of the Headland Preservation Group (HPG) greatly appreciate the Trust’s briefing on the draft plans for 10 Terminal outlined by the Trust's Consultant Michael Pender. The Vision for the buildings and adjacent parklands is exciting and generally aligns with HPG’s view for the site.
HPG and associated community organisations have long advocated for the adaptive and interpretive reuse of 10 Terminal, for the following reasons:
10 Terminal and surrounds has the best combination of environmental/heritage (historic, indigenous, military) assets and accessibility for all Sydneysiders/visitors.
10 Terminal is a site of major military significance. It was built in 1941 and is the only remaining example in Australia of a British Military Base, the design of which was used by the British worldwide. The personnel stationed at 10 Terminal played an important part in 3 wars supporting the Defence forces in education, engineering, communications, transport and intelligence to name a few.
10 Terminal’s buildings and footprint provide an interesting, historic, eclectic and compellingly unused set of interrelated structures.
It stands at the effective midpoint of the Bondi-Manly Walk and will inevitably become the effective transit fulcrum busing walkers in and out in both directions.
10 Terminal should be recognised and elevated as the ‘holistic anchor’ for Headland Park, activating Middle Head by providing a destination that is welcoming, inspiring and educative, with hospitality, interpretation and exhibition spaces that attract visitors.
Office space generates revenue but will not create a dynamic and interesting venue. This is evidenced by ASOPA and Georges Heights. The Trust has done an excellent job in refurbishing and tenanting these buildings, but the public does not visit either for enjoyment, interpretation or education.
In short, Middle Head, its adjacent Trust and NPWS parkland, the 10 Terminal buildings, and their combined heritage value, need a mix of synergistic and imaginative uses that will bring vibrant life to the area and encourage understanding and appreciation of Middle Head’s unique heritage value.
The rehabilitation of 10 Terminal and surrounding landscape area should be funded by the Commonwealth Government to a minimum ‘soft shell‘ stage to facilitate adaptive reuse of the precinct.
The 10 Terminal adaptive reuses suggested in this proposal are as follows:
Restaurant, café and function hospitality (Buildings 6 and 7)
Welcome and site explanation space for Trust and NPWS areas including tourist shop (eastern end of Building 1)
Indigenous, Environmental and Military Interpretation (eastern wing of Building 3)
Office and other commercial leasing (parts of Buildings 1 and 3)
Conference facilities and exhibition space (centre and perhaps wings of Building 3)
Display/exhibition and event space (western room of Building 1)
Integrated outdoor areas.
Restaurant and Function Space
The front garage Building 7 boasts dimensions, view, location and parking that would attract a high yielding restaurant investment. It could be similar to but have an advantage over the attractive Boiler House restaurant at the Quarantine Station because of its easy access.
The adjacent garage Building 6 could house a café and/or function centre. The courtyard adjoining Buildings 6 & 7 could be covered and provide cafe and refreshment facilities to service increased visitor numbers from the planned 80 km Bondi to Manly walk and greater promotion of Middle Head generally.
Welcome Centre And Site Explanation
There needs to be somewhere for visitors to understand the geographic layout of Middle Head, including Headland Park, Chowder Bay, the adjoining NPWS parkland and historic sites, and 10 Terminal itself. Indeed, the NPWS draft Management Plan for their area of responsibility emphasises the need to visitors to have a “seamless” experience when visiting the whole of Middle Head.
A Welcome Centre would not replace the need for a Smart Phone App but rather provide a bird’s eye view of how the whole site fits together. It would point visitors to individual places of interest.
The inclusion of an attractive and judiciously stocked Visitor/Tourist shop, staffed by volunteers, could generate good returns.
Interpretation
The Trust Act calls for the interpretation of Trust lands. Middle Head’s unique combination of indigenous, military and environmental values MUST be addressed. It requires an area large enough to do this, all in one location and adjacent to where people will be, namely the indoor and outdoor café facilities, welcome area, toilet facilities, etc.
“The legacy of defence initiatives and installations are directly related to the defence of Sydney from early Colonial days to World War II.
The whole defence heritage of Middle Head and Georges Heights is to be interpreted through the conservation of significant buildings and structures, reinstating or conveying previous patterns of land use and access to the gun emplacements. Provision of an interpretative centre will also be investigated. Partnerships with other agencies, historical societies and museums in Sydney and elsewhere could extend the educative and interpretive reach of the area.” (Pg 118)
The development of an Aboriginal Cultural Centre will be investigated with the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. It could serve as a focal point for the Aboriginal people of the Sydney region to pursue cultural interests, to conserve and protect heritage sites and to interpret the headland and early contact between the Europeans and Aboriginal people, such as Bungaree’s farm.”
(Comprehensive Plan – Pg 119)
The Trust and NPWS both enjoy committed volunteer support for guiding, bush regeneration and related activity. There is also potential for community interest groups to initiate and fund projects.
For example, documenting Middle Head stories such as the HPG “School of Torture” initiative could be screened in one room of the Interpretation space and prove a real attraction.
Mosman Rotary is looking for a local project. Perhaps the Club could fund additional documentaries and the fit-out of the screening room.
Other projects might be a Drone View of the site and an underwater experience such as that produced by SIMS at Chowder Bay. This wonderful display is under exposed because it is relatively inaccessible and needs a stronger volunteer base to explain the marine presentation.
Innovative Office Space & Boutique Shops
Areas in Building 1 could provide short term and/or serviced office accommodation. Much of the original military internal fit out in Building 1 is very suitable for serviced office accommodation although the current office condition is uncertain.
There is certainly a market for small short-term office accommodation in Mosman. With access from Middle Head Road and adjacent parking Building 1 is an excellent location for serviced office accommodation.
Areas in the western and southern parts of Building 3 make them very suitable for a variety of imaginative commercial spaces, for example, a bar, beer garden in the outdoor area adjoining ASOPA, specialty shops, etc.
Conference Facilities, Exhibition And Event Space
The centre of Building 3 originally housed the main kitchen facilities for the 10 Terminal community. Assuming the services to this area are in some working order it could be refurbished to provide catering facilities for a multi-purpose use such as conferences, exhibitions, and small events.
The adjoining rooms are also suitable for uses supporting the aforementioned uses, such as breakout rooms, thus unifying the southern end of Building 3. It incorporates the front terrace with its refreshing harbour views through the trees and the potential benefit of the adjacent outdoor courtyard areas.
Alternatively, these rooms, if reconfigured, might offer other ‘learning’ purposes, for example yoga in a peaceful setting with separate entrance and adjacent car park.
Income Generation
The above balanced use facilitates income generation to fund the ongoing operation of the 10 Terminal complex. It is pertinent to note that, excluding areas for the Welcome Centre and Interpretation, the remaining 80% of all building space is used for income generation.
Courtyard And Outdoor Areas
There is the potential to provide passive indigenous and environmental education in the outdoor areas around 10 Terminal (see the hatched area in the layout plan). These could be largely developed and maintained by volunteers. They would be low impact external spaces showing native regeneration planting and low height structures such as firepits and outdoor learning areas to augment the indigenous interpretation in the adjacent building.
The smaller courtyard areas within the curtilage of the building could be used for breakout areas supporting uses of the Building or for passive recreation.
The main courtyard inside Building 3 could become a vibrant community space with various uses and/or a place of tranquillity.
Funding
Michael presented an estimate total costing of $16.6 million for the project made up as follows:
Demolition for the Barracks $ 2.6m
Construction of walkway and landscaping $ 2.7m
Restoration of 10 Terminal $11.3m
Thus far the Federal Government has only committed $10m for 10 Terminal. Based on the above figures and assuming demolition and landscaping have priority, only $4.7m is allocated to 10 Terminal. Clearly this is grossly inadequate.
Even the $10m, if totally used for 10 Terminal remediation to ’soft shell’ stage, is insufficient. HPG has received experienced advice that up to $15m may be required to remediate 10 Terminal to a ’soft shell’ condition.
In light of the above, how does the Trust propose to fund the completion of the 10 Terminal project?
Community Consultation
The Review of the Harbour Trust highlighted the need for strengthening the Trust’s partnership with the community. The Trust’s Letter of Intent to Minister Ley dated 13th July 2020 acknowledges the need to revitalise arrangements for community consultation.
It begs the question: Why is the Trust proceeding with haste on the long-awaited 10 Terminal project when the Review recommendations in relation to reforming the Trust’s approach to stakeholder engagement is in its infancy?
HPG suggests that the Trust should engage with the wider community prior to this matter proceeding any further. As the events of 2014 have shown, the community has an active vested interest in the future of 10 Terminal, and Middle Head generally, and will consider any late-stage public display of completed, DA-approved plans as ‘tick-the-box’ consultation.
Conclusion
HPG believes the ‘soft shell’ conservation of the 10 Terminal buildings provides the Trust with a not-to-be-repeated opportunity to evolve the entire complex into a vibrant, multi-purpose visitor hub for the whole of Middle Head. It provides the Trust with the opportunity to deliver on the Interpretation Centre and the Aboriginal Cultural Centre envisaged in the Comprehensive Plan.
HPG would appreciate the Trust’s feedback on the above ideas and the opportunity for further discussion with Mary Darwell and Michael Pender. We strongly encourage the Trust to tap into HPG’s combined and considerable professional expertise, knowledge of Middle Head and 10 Terminal history, understanding of community sentiment and continuous involvement with the Trust since its establishment.
With the right combination of imaginative and synergistic uses, 10 Terminal can be brought to life and provide our community and visitors greater amenity and appreciation of Australia’s heritage values.
Jill L’Estrange, President
Headland Preservation Group
References
Conservation Management Plan – Middle Head Sites, Robertson & Hindmarsh Pty Ltd, May 2007
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust – 10 Terminal Middle Head, Lettable Areas, December 2008
Trust Comprehensive Plan – Chapter 7 Page 116
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001 with amendments to July 2014– version
Trust Letter of Intent to Minister Ley dated 31 July 2020 – Point 6 on Page 3