mount buffalo chalet

222 Pages·2002·8.08 MB·English

MOUNT BUFFALO
CHALET
MOUNT BUFFALO NATIONAL
PARK,
POREPUNKAH, VIC
HERITAGE ACTION PLAN

MOUNT BUFFALO CHALET
MOUNT BUFFALO NATIONAL PARK,
POREPUNKAH, VIC
HERITAGE ACTION PLAN
Prepared for
PARKS VICTORIA
Allom Lovell & Associates
Conservation Architects
35 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000

November 2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS i
LIST OF FIGURES iv
PROJECT TEAM vii
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background and Brief 1
1.2 Methodology 1
1.3 Location 1
1.4 Listings and Classification 1
1.5 Terminology 3
2.0 HISTORY 5
2.1 Early Visitors to the Plateau 5
2.2 The First Tourists 5
2.3 Tourism and the Chalet 10
2.4 George B H Austin, Architect 12
2.5 Public vs Private Development 13
2.5 Comfortable, but no Heating: Early Days of the Chalet 15
2.6 The Bungalow 16
2.7 Formation of a Management Committee 16
2.8 New Management and a Much Needed Upgrade 16
2.9 The American Model: Railways and Tourism 20
2.10 The Victorian Railways Department: The New Managers 20
2.11 The Question of a Liquor License 21
2.12 Health and Safety 23
2.13 Railways Style 24
2.14 A New Road from the Chalet to the Horn 24
2.15 Major Alterations 25
2.16 The War Years 25
2.17 Post-War to the Present 27
3.0 ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 41
3.1 Assessment of Significance 41
3.2 Social and Historical Significance 41
3.3 Assessment of Aesthetic Significance 51
3.4 Statement of Significance 59
3.5 Applicable Assessment Criteria 60
4.0 THE MOUNT BUFFALO CHALET 63
4.1 Introduction 63
4.2 Approach 63
4.3 Chalet Exterior 64
4.4 Entry Lobby (including main north-south corridor) 69
4.5 Reception (including the General Office) 73
4.6 Main Lounge 75
4.7 Lounge (Former Smoking Lounge) 78
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4.8 Ballroom 81
4.9 Carlile Room (rear of Ballroom) 85
4.10 Drawing Room 86
4.11 Buffalo Bar 90
4.12 Billiard Room 92
4.13 Sauna, Spa and Gymnasium 94
4.14 TV Lounge 96
4.15 Laundry Block 97
4.16 Ski Hire 99
4.17 Marriott Room 101
4.18 Dining Room 103
4.19 Kitchen 106
4.20 Cafe 108
4.21 Bedrooms 110
4.22 Corridors and Stairs 115
4.23 Staff Accommodation 119
5.0 OUTBUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES 121
5.1 The Chalet Garden 121
5.2 The Swimming Pool 123
5.3 Manfield’s Chalet Site 125
5.4 Gorge Visitor’s Hut 127
5.5 Gorge Toilets 129
5.6 Old Tennis Court 131
5.7 Sewerage Treatment Plant 133
5.8 The Oval 135
5.9 The Chalet Garage 137
5.10 The Carpenters’ Shop 140
5.11 Store Shed Opposite Tennis Courts 143
5.12 New Tennis Courts 145
5.13 Lock-Up Garages 147
5.14 Tractor Shed 149
5.15 Firewood Store 151
5.16 Former Steam Generator House and Fuel Oil Store 153
5.17 Engine House 155
5.18 Fire Hydrant and Sprinkler Pump House 157
5.19 Sand Filter House 159
5.20 The Staff Recreation Block and New Accommodation Wing 161
5.21 Horse Paddock & Stables 164
5.22 Gas Cylinders 167
5.23 Fire Services Header Tank and Pump House 169
5.24 Radio Mast and Shed 171
5.25 Communication Tower (Telstra) 173
5.26 Water Tanks 175
5.27 The Rubbish Tip 177
5.28 Lake Catani Weir 179
5.29 The Bridges at Lake Catani 181
5.30 Lake Catani Shelter 183
5.31 The Doctor’s Hut Site 185
5.32 Rangers Residence 186
6.0 CONSERVATION POLICY AND MANAGEMENT PLAN 187
6.1 Purpose of the Policy 187
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6.2 Levels of Significance 187
6.3 General Policies 190
6.4 Specific Policies and Approaches 194
BIBLIOGRAPHY 201
ENDNOTES 205
APPENDIX A BURRA CHARTER A-1
APPENDIX B HERITAGE LISTINGS B-1
APPENDIX C ROOM SURVEYS C-1
APPENDIX D WORKS COSTINGS D-1
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Location Plan 2
Figure 2 View of the gorge at Mt Buffalo, c. 1885 6
Figure 3 Alpine Lodge, built by James Manfield Junior, c. 1904 7
Figure 4 Manfield’s Chalet, c. 1910. The new Chalet can be seen in the background. 7
Figure 5 Mt Buffalo, Camp Plain, Monolith and Old Hospice, c.1875-1938. 8
Figure 6 Carlile’s Hospice, c.1902-1950. The sign on the hospice building reads ‘Buffalo Hospice
E. Carlile’. 8
Figure 7 Winter at Mt Buffalo, with hospices in the background. 9
Figure 8 The road to the Mt Buffalo Chalet, undated. 9
Figure 9 A postcard featuring the Government Chalet, c.1910 10
Figure 10 The opening of the Chalet, 1910. 11
Figure 11 The Chalet c.1910 showing the original paired casement windows. 11
Figure 12 One of the lookouts at Mt Buffalo. 13
Figure 13 Postcard featuring Lake Catani, c.1909 14
Figure 14 Skating on Lake Catani, c.1908 14
Figure 154 The Bungalow at Mt Buffalo. 17
Figure 16 Postcard depicting Coaching Day on Mt Buffalo. 19
Figure 17 Tobogganing at the Chalet, c.1900-1930 19
Figure 18 The Chalet c.1930. 22
Figure 19 The Chalet c.1930, showing the casement sash windows to the smoking lounge and
drawing room. 22
Figure 20 The Dining Room c.1945. 23
Figure 21 The Chalet, 1939, showing the new single pane centre windows to the smoking lounge
and drawing room. 25
Figure 22 The Chalet lounge, c.1945 26
Figure 23 Dingo Dell ski run, c.1954 26
Figure 24 The Chalet, c.1960s, showing the three fixed pane windows to the smoking lounge and
drawing room. 29
Figure 25 1910 Development of Mount Buffalo Chalet and environs 32
Figure 26 1915 Development of Mount Buffalo Chalet and environs 33
Figure 27 1940 Development of Mount Buffalo Chalet and environs 34
Figure 28 2001 Current Development of Mount Buffalo Chalet and environs 35
Figure 29 1909-10 Sequential Development Plan, Mt Buffalo Chalet 36
Figure 30 1911-12 Sequential Development Plan, Mt Buffalo Chalet 36
Figure 31 1915 Sequential Development Plan, Mt Buffalo Chalet 37
Figure 32 1922 Sequential Development Plan, Mt Buffalo Chalet 37
Figure 33 1924-26 Sequential Development Plan, Mt Buffalo Chalet 38
Figure 34 1939 Sequential Development Plan, Mt Buffalo Chalet 38
Figure 35 Postwar Sequential Development Plan, Mt Buffalo Chalet 39
Figure 36 Contemporary Development Plan, Mt Buffalo Chalet 39
Figure 37 2001 Current Development Plan, Mount Buffalo Chalet 5
Figure 38 The Kosciusko Hotel, erected in 1909 and destroyed by fire in 1951. 42
Figure 39 The original Kosciusko Chalet, built 1930 and destroyed by fire in 1938. 43
Figure 40 The second (and present) Kosciusko Chalet, erected in 1938-39. 44
Figure 41 The first Mount Buller Chalet, built in 1929 and demolished in 1939. 44
Figure 42 The second Hotham Heights Chalet, built 1939 and destroyed by fire in 1976. 45
Figure 43 The reconstructed Waldheim Chalet at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania 46
Figure 44 The Mount Franklin Chalet in ACT, erected 1938 and now no longer in use. 47
Figure 45 Chronological table of major Australian alpine resorts, 1900-1940 48
Figure 46 The Ocean Grove Chalet (dem.1969), originally built 1887 as a coffee palace. 50
Figure 47 Army Ski Lodge near Davos, Switzerland, erected in 1935 ‘in the local style’. 51
Mt Buffalo Chalet iv Allom Lovell & Associates
Figure 48 A “Swiss Chalet” from J F Robinson’s Designs for Ornamental Villas (1827) 52
Figure 49 The picturesque half-timbered Marysville Chalet as it appeared c.1930. 53
Figure 50 The Carinya Chalet at Healesville, designed in the Swiss mode. 54
Figure 51 The Harry Martin House, designed by Oakden & Ballantyne in 1908. 56
Figure 52 Ballarat Drill Hall, designed by S E Bindley in 1888. 57
Figure 53 The former Waitchie State School, near Swan Hill (built 1916) 57
Figure 54 A selection of the work of versatile and eclectic PWD architect G B H Austin. 58
Figure 55 The exterior 64
Figure 56 Side elevation 65
Figure 57 Termite activity in the sub-floor structure 67
Figure 58 Sub-floor structure of the chalet 67
Figure 59 Sub floor structure 68
Figure 60 Entry Lobby looking north 69
Figure 61 Central Hall between the Lounge and Ballroom looking north to the main corridor. 71
Figure 62 The Reception looking through to original rear verandah. 73
Figure 63 Main Lounge looking west. 75
Figure 64 The Lounge, c.1937. 75
Figure 65 The Former Smoking Lounge looking west. 78
Figure 66 The Smoking Lounge, c.1937. 79
Figure 67 The Ballroom looking west. 82
Figure 68 The ballroom screen showing leadlighting to the fanlights and the foyer carpet. 82
Figure 69 The original dining room, c.1912, prior to conversion to the ballroom. 83
Figure 70 The Carlile Room looking west. 85
Figure 71 The Drawing Room looking west. 87
Figure 72 The Drawing Room, c.1937 87
Figure 73 The Bar looking west. 90
Figure 74 The Billiard Room looking west 93
Figure 75 The gymnasium. 94
Figure 76 The TV Lounge looking south 96
Figure 77 The Laundry 98
Figure 78 The Ski Hire area looking north. 100
Figure 79 The Marriott Room looking east. 101
Figure 80 The Dining Room looking east 103
Figure 81 The Dining Room Lounge looking through to the Dining Room 103
Figure 82 The dining room, c.1930s, showing the original chairs and carpet runners. 104
Figure 83 The Café looking south towards the original fireplace location 108
Figure 84 Typical bedroom interior 110
Figure 85 A single bedroom, c.1937. 111
Figure 86 A double bedroom, c.1937 111
Figure 87 The main stair rising above the original phone booth 116
Figure 88 The main north-south corridor looking north 116
Figure 89 A remnant of corridor carpet from the 1930s. 118
Figure 90 The staff quarters 119
Figure 91 The Chalet Garden 121
Figure 92 The Swimming Pool 123
Figure 93 Manfield’s Chalet (Granny’s Place), c.1910. Note the new Chalet in the background. 125
Figure 94 The site of Manfield’s Chalet with the existing chalet in the background 125
Figure 95 The Gorge Visitor’s Hut 127
Figure 96 The Gorge Toilets 129
Figure 97 The Old Tennis Court and Pavilion 131
Figure 98 The Sewerage Treatment Plant 133
Figure 99 The Ravine Bridge to The Sewerage Treatment Plant 133
Figure 100 The Oval 135
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Figure 101 The Chalet Garage 137
Figure 102 The Carpenter’s Shop 140
Figure 103 Interior of The Carpenter’s Shop 140
Figure 104 Store Shed opposite New Tennis Courts 143
Figure 105 The New Tennis Courts 145
Figure 106 The Lock-Up Garages 147
Figure 107 The Tractor Shed 149
Figure 108 Firewood Store 151
Figure 109 The Former Steam Generator House and Fuel Oil Store 153
Figure 110 The Engine House 155
Figure 111 The Fire Hydrant and Sprinkler Pump House 157
Figure 112 The Sand Filter House 159
Figure 113 Staff Recreation Block 161
Figure 114 New Staff Accommodation 161
Figure 115 The Stables from within the Horse Paddock 164
Figure 116 The interior of the Stables 164
Figure 117 The LPG Storage Cylinders 167
Figure 118 The Fire Services Header Tank and Pump House 169
Figure 119 TheRadio Mast and Shed 171
Figure 120 The Communication Tower 173
Figure 121 The Water Tanks 175
Figure 122 The rubbish tip in Winter 177
Figure 123 The Weir at Lake Catani 179
Figure 124 The Vehicle Bridge at Lake Catani 181
Figure 125 The Pedestrian Bridge at Lake Catani 181
Figure 126 The Doctor’s Hut 185
Figure 127 2001 Development Plan, Mount Buffalo Chalet Environs 188

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