Council seeks community input on the East Melbourne Heritage Review

The City of Melbourne has launched the first heritage review of East Melbourne in more than 20 years, with consultation still open until September 6. 

The ongoing consultations, which began in late July, will inform the heritage review that will be undertaken until June next year. 

The long-overdue review of heritage across East Melbourne comes as welcome news to the local community, with the council’s most recent heritage information on the area based on a study conducted in 2000.

After community consultation closes on September 6, an independent heritage consultant will provide a historical overview of the area and propose changes to existing heritage places and precincts, as well as protections for new ones. 

The resulting proposed heritage overlays will offer protection to places of local significance by requiring the council to issue planning permits for any new developments.

The heritage review will go before the Future Melbourne Committee in late 2025, after which an amendment to the Melbourne Planning Scheme will be proposed.

A public exhibition of the proposed amendment will take place in 2026.

This review is the latest in a series of heritage studies undertaken by the City of Melbourne during the past four years, including reviews of the Hoddle Grid, South Yarra, Parkville, North Melbourne and Carlton.

According to East Melbourne Group president Greg Bisinella, the community has been calling for a heritage review since one was promised at the beginning of the 2020 council elections.

Since then, Mr Bisinella said the community had “fought several applications that have threatened the heritage fabric of East Melbourne,” costing “much time and expense” at VCAT.

In 2021, East Melbourne residents advocated against a proposal to partially demolish Eblana, a mansion built in 1883 for Young and Jackson pub founder Thomas Jackson, to make way for a luxury apartment building. That redevelopment has since proceeded and is expected to be completed in 2025.

Plans show that the remodelling will follow a recent trend in redevelopments of heritage buildings where only the building’s facade is retained as an homage to its history.

“The last 70 years has seen the degradation of our heritage,” Mr Bisinella told Inner City News. 

“East Melbourne could be described as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of intact heritage properties in Melbourne. Others have referred to it as an oasis. What is unequivocal is that our heritage is under threat from inappropriate development applications, lax planning regulations and a system that is biassed towards those with the most money.”

The Participate Melbourne webpage has been open for community submissions since July 29. 

Among the buildings that the East Melbourne Historical Society hopes will be considered for heritage protections is Ascot Lodge on Hoddle St, which is an Art Deco building.

Though it now sits empty, Ascot Lodge was once a hostel with 22 rooms, one of which was let to local figure Scarfy, who was known for selling hand-knitted footy scarves out of his window in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Other buildings being submitted for consideration include the interwar flats built by notable architect I. G. Anderson at Tunbridge Manor, as well as a 1940 apartment block at 246 Albert St and the Moderne style flats at 23 Albert St.

Consultation remains ongoing through a range of avenues; individuals can upload to the council’s “East Melbourne postcard wall” which asks submitters what they would feature on a postcard for the area, add to a digital memory map of locations of historical, cultural or social significance, and sign up for community-led walks covering specific areas within East Melbourne.

Council officers and heritage consultants will also be holding an information session at East Melbourne Library on Thursday, August 29 from 5.30pm. •