Save the Brickworks is actively lobbying for the conservation of the Hoffman’s Brickworks.
The Hoffman’s Brickworks are of national and international significance as an industrial heritage site. The brickworks was first recognised as an important heritage site in the 1982 Brunswick Conservation Study. The National Trust classified the site in 1987; it was added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 1989 and to the heritage overlay of the Moreland Planning Scheme. In 1997, several years after the site was sold to developers, a compromise was reached and a development plan was agreed to by the City of Moreland, save the Brickworks and the Brunswick Community History Group (a link to the Letter of agreement will be placed here shortly).
Saving the brickworks goes beyond conserving just the bricks and mortar. It’s about ensuring that the site is a vibrant centre that gives the local and wider community the opportunity to learn and explore the social, historical and industrial past represented in this place.
Save the Brickworks is committed to a community vision for the brickworks based around three ideas:
Low impact uses for the kilns, brick press shed and gatehouse which respect and enhance their heritage values
Interpretation of the history of the site to communicate its importance to everyone who visits and those who live and work on the site
Public access and community activities at the site so that the brickworks lives as a vibrant and functional activity centre for the Brunswick community
Save the Brickworks is not satisfied with what is proposed for the historic core of the site. Three current proposals that we strongly oppose include:
Subdividing the kilns into strata titled offices: this will destroy important parts of the kilns and evidence of the way they operated. Our view is that Kiln 2 at least must be kept intact and used for interpretation and community purposes.
Demolition of the gatehouse: this building is a key element of the historic core and should be retained. The developers are now arguing that they must have a new, multi-storey building to replace the gatehouse so that they can fund re-use and interpretation of the kilns and brick press shed.
The central car park: the developers want the area between the kilns to be primarily a car park. Our view is that is should be a space for activities such as markets and performance.
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