Turning the key

When transforming private heritage residences for commercial uses it’s important to have clearly articulated plans that are sympathetic to the historical significance of the building and surroundings and interpretive elements that provide the historical context of the site.

Artefact was commissioned initially to prepare Conservation Management Plan for ‘Rosebank’ - a late-nineteenth-century cottage in Riverstone west of Sydney - and then to develop a suite of interpretive elements on-site for Goldmate Group who were developing the site. The site was to undergo a process of adaptive re-use turning the original cottage and surroundings into a café, childcare centre and associated carpark. The listed heritage site is representative of a late Victorian pastoral homestead constructed during a period of subdivision and semi-rural residential occupation in the area.

OUR
SOLUTION

Artefact collaborated with the client, the architect, the Riverstone Historical Society, the Local Aboriginal Land Council and descendants of the original property owners in defining key stories and developing the content and images for a series of interpretive elements for the site.

A suite of 20 signs that explored historical themes and stories as well as the development of the site itself were devised. The signs were designed to blend with the rustic environment of the cottage and grounds.

“Thank you and your team for all of the work you have put into the interpretation panels. They will be a wonderful addition to the site and I know that myself and many others are looking forward to the completed project.”
Rosemary Phillis, Secretary, Riverstone and District Historical Society Inc.




SUCCESS

Ten elegant double-sided signs now surround the property telling 20 different stories ranging from land grants in western Sydney, Indigenous histories, biographies of property owners William and Amy Rumery and their descendants, as well as the fruit growing and poultry framing practices undertaken on the site over decades. Some signs were dedicated to the restoration of the cottage itself and how the local suburb of Riverstone developed over time.

Project stakeholders and the public love how the interpretive initiatives showcase the heritage stories of this beautiful site.

Download project sheet



Top image: Photo by David Liddle, Archival Heritagephotos. Copyright: Goldmate.

Bottom image: Rosebank, 1910. Courtesy of the Rumery family.

LOCATION

Newcastle Office
Unit 71, 8 Spit Island Close, MAYFIELD WEST NSW 2304

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