Confab, your comments on the Centre.

The above image is of the 'proposal', nothing has been set in concrete.
Do you like the idea? or do you agree with me that it would be a waste of tax-payers money?

Front view of the centre, courtesy Bill Denheld & Penleigh Boyd.

THE GLENROWAN NED KELLY INTERPRETATION CENTRE.

What is it.
Newspapers.
Other Centres.
Readers opinions.   

WHAT IS IT?  

Firstly, I should point out that the image you see pictured above has been designed by 
Bill Denheld & Penleigh Boyd for a possible Glenrowan ‘Ned Kelly’ interpretative centre.  Their 
involvement was to design the building following the guidelines of a report by Sinclair Knight Merz** 
commissioned to see if it would be viable to build an interpretation centre.

The following information is from Bill Denheld’s website :  
A building to embrace all aspects of the Siege Precinct Feasibility Study final report by
Sinclair Knight Merz. For evaluation by the project lead agency, 'The Rural City of
Wangaratta', with the project Steering Committee comprising representatives from the
Glenrowan Community - Glenrowan Improvers Planning Committee, Heritage Victoria.
Tourism Victoria, Victorian Police Museum, Public Record Office.  

The Concept:
The concept can be summarised into three key ideas:
      1. Siting of the building over the rail tracks
      2. Treating the building as four interlinked pavilions - not one container
      3. Providing a lookout tower

1. Siting of the building over the rail tracks.
This bold concept has the following advantages:
      a.  brings the building to the ' ring side' location
      b.  elevates visitors to a comprehensive view over the siege precinct
      c.  lessens the "footprint" on the valuable and relaxing Park area
      d.  integrates the existing overpass with the new development
      e.  removes trains from spoiling the view out from the building
      f.   accommodates and acknowledges the trains – does not simply ignore them
      g.  provides space under the building for shaded car parking and toilets

“…..no-one can deny that the
Centre needs to be commercially viable and a great magnet for tourism”.

A twenty six meter* high lookout tower with stair and lift access ( lift also services the
ground level car park) is proposed.

My original offer to the Glenrowan community to build a landscape model to
evaluate the overpass options has been built, (voluntarily, with hope of eventual remuneration
should funding become available). This offer was welcomed by the Steering Committee and the
model was presented together with the building preliminary design concept
by Penleigh and myself on 8 October 2003.

  The lookout tower has lift access from the carpark below to the top viewing platform to take in the local tourist destinations and all Kelly related places. The viewing window looks out over the siege site as does the balcony. The four pavilions can be seen as one for each member of the gang, Ned, Steve, Joe and Dan. It is envisaged the tower be no less than 26 metres, one metre for each of Ned's short life. The lift in one leg and stairs in each column.

The Rural City of Wangaratta announced some time back that it has applied for fifteen 
million dollars from the federal government to build a Glenrowan Interpretive Centre.

The funding being offered by the government is for the identification, management and promotion 
of Australia's national heritage places. It was hoped that the proposal of the Glenrowan Interpretive 
Centre meets the criteria.

The total funding available for the program is $55 million.

According to a report titled ‘Glenrowan Heritage Precinct: Feasibility Study”**, the following would 
be included inside this proposed center.

The Foyer.
The Theatrette.
The Permanent Exhibition
The Touring Exhibition Hall
The Research Facility.

The Centre is expected to have the following:

The Foyer.
The Theatrette.
The Permanent Exhibition
The Touring Exhibition Hall
The Research Facility.

A Theatrette showing what? Old Kelly films?

A Permanent Exhibition, from where would they obtain exhibits? Would the State Library loan their suit of armour? How would it compete with a possible commercially run ‘Ned Exhibition’ planned for Beechworth?

The Touring Exhibition Hall?

A Research Facility is something I may be interested in, but I wonder if there would be enough like me to make it viable. (would you drive the very long drive to do research?)

There is also to be a café, retail shop, offices, meeting rooms and toilets. I guess my question is, do we need it and can it be sustained financially?

The report states that it is important that the centre does not dominate the site nor the landscape, for my money the centre does dominate a bit too much.

My main concerns are the size and appearance of the building, how it intrudes and destroys the peacefulness of the site, I am not against the idea of a centre as such. (I just do not like this one)

There is a major stumbling block in this whole idea, people actually live close by. Unlike places such as Sovereign Hill at Ballarat or Flagstaff Hill in Warrnambool this area has private dwellings within the precinct area. You could not run night shows or the usual tourist activities with people living within the site precinct. This is I guess the problem of having a real historical site as opposed to a re-created site as the other two examples are.

Perhaps if the centre had to go ahead, maybe its location could be reassessed. This may be difficult or impossible due to the fact that the plan for this facility requires the window to be overlooking the siege site. Could the centre however be located elsewhere within walking distance? A smaller single story facility could be. I guess you need to ask if this is a facility to educate the basic story and can be operated with minimal or no staff, or if it is so big that it requires lots of dollars to operate. I do not have the answer, maybe you do. **

One final thought, today we visit the siege site for free. Would this remain so under the proposal? If so, why would you go inside the centre? If not would you visit at all? Currently we can stand across the road at the Glenrowan Hotel and look at the siege site. Will we still be able to do that? Or will there be something in the way perhaps?

Please read what I have presented here and make up your own mind. 

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.

NEW funding announced by the Victorian government yesterday has raised hopes of building a Ned Kelly interpretive centre in the North East.

Wangaratta Council chief executive Doug Sharp said the $631 million regional blueprint opened up a range of opportunities for the region.

It included the interpretive centre at Glenrowan, expansion of the Wangaratta industrial estate and a new town square and promenade along the Ovens River.

“It’s very promising for regional Victoria and for the opportunities that Wangaratta is looking to pursue and create,” Mr Sharp said.

But the blueprint doesn’t include any specific funding for the city.

Mr Sharp, who attended the launch at Ballarat, expects $260 million committed to the Regional Infrastructure Development Fund from July 1 to help deliver the projects and grow the region.

“If we can provide the infrastructure to support industry, the lifestyle of our population, and link that with the services they need such as education and health, we think that’s a pretty good mix
for people to want to come here, stay here and to continue to grow the population,” he said.

Plans for a $15 million Ned Kelly tourist centre at Glenrowan were originally unveiled in 2002.

But a lack of government funding stalled the project, with council now in the process of scaling it back.

The council’s economic development officer, Shivaun Brown, said new ideas for the centre included linking it with the Winton wetlands project and the development of the Warby Range national park.

It would also be an integral part of the Ned Kelly touring route taking in Beechworth, Benalla, Jerilderie and Mansfield.

Ms Brown said the project fit the state government’s vision of developing regional areas as world-class tourist destinations.

“It has national significance and not just regional significance,” she said.

“So it certainly qualifies as a regional project.”

..............................................................................................................

Wangaratta Chronicle

Kelly centre feasible?

Revisiting Ned: council will spend $20,000 on study

STEVEN BURKE


PLANS to revisit the Ned Kelly Interpretive Centre will step up in the
next couple of months.

The Rural City of Wangaratta has allocated $20,000 towards developing a
feasibility study for the centre in the 2009/10 budget.

And council will look to appoint a consultant to undertake the study in
the next couple of months, as it looks to capitalise on other projects
in the region.

In its three year tourism strategic plan released last month, council
flagged the possibility of combining the centre with the Winton Wetlands
development at Lake Mokoan and the soon to be created Lower Ovens Warby
National Park.

Council's manager of tourism development, Kate Green, said any combined
effort would have to have the consent of the Rural City of Benalla, as
well as Parks Victoria.

Council's acting executive manager of economic development, Shivaun
Brown, said the aim of the centre was not to compete with existing
businesses.

Ms Green said council would not know costings of the project until the
feasibility study was completed.

In 2003 council tried to get a $15m interpretive centre off the ground,
but didn't succeed.

Kelly centre 'needed'

$20m bid 'laughable', but support for realistic bid for Glenrowan

Written by TRISH GALLAGHER.

A NED Kelly collector and curator, involved in an unsuccessful bid to
get a $3m Kelly interpretive centre off the ground at Avenel, wants to
see Glenrowan succeed.

Matt Shore yesterday welcomed the Rural City of Wangaratta's moves to
review a centre concept for the town, funded by a $20,000 allocation in
council's budget.

Council pursued for several years a centre concept costed at around
$20m, but has said a revised look would be much more modest.

That makes far greater sense to Mr Shore, who said the earlier ambitions
for Glenrowan were "laughable".

But he said a centre is 'needed' so rare 1880s and 1890s material
relating to the Australian legend can be respectfully displayed and
admired, not hidden away in cupboards.

Mr Shore curated 'Ned: The Exhibition' at the old Melbourne Gaol in
2001-02 and another Kelly exhibition at Beechworth's Burke Museum in
2005-06.

Both displayed a lot of original artefacts held by private collectors,
such as Ned Kelly's favorite Snider-Enfield rifle that he called
'Betty', after he 'souvenired' it from kangaroo hunter Henry Dudley in
Euroa.

Other material in private hands are books worth about $80,000, photos,
documents, songs, films, scripts, and the armor worn by Mick Jagger in
the 1970s Kelly film.

"I have access to all this material but there's nowhere to put it," Mr
Shore said.

"There has to be a nationally significant centre - people are willing to
put this material on display, anonymously.

"If Glenrowan is fair dinkum about doing something for less than $20
million, I'm out there putting my hand up."

Mr Shore said the Avenel project was proposed for land owned by Bill
Shelton, a grandson of Richard Shelton, the boy Ned Kelly famously saved
from drowning and received a green sash for bravery.

The Avenel feasibility study and business case was carried out by
consultants, Urban Enterprise, whose managing director, Matt Ainsaar,
said the project failed because it couldn't attract the $3 million in
funding.

Source: Wangaratta Chronicle..
 

The Wangaratta Chronicle, Friday, June 19, 2009 

Another look at interpretive centre idea for Kelly town

By Steven Burke

Plans are under way to re-visit the idea of building a Ned Kelly interpretive centre in Glenrowan.
The Rural City of Wangaratta has set aside $20,000 in this year's draft budget for a re-scoping of the concept,
which has failed to get off the ground in recent years. But the timing could be right to re-visit the idea, according
to council's economic development and tourism port-folio holder, Councillor Lisa McInerney. "It is the same idea
(as in the past), but we are trying to find a different way to go about it," she said. "With the creation of the Winton
Wetlands and Warby National Park,
there may be some possibilities in the future to involve a few different stakeholders.
"But it won't be the tens of millions of dollars idea it was in the past."
Cr McInerney said Tourism Victoria had thrown its support behind the idea. "It has been mentioned
in the Tourism Victoria strategic plan as something they see as a priority for the region," she said.
In terms of what the centre would actually do, Cr McInerney said that would depend on the outcome of the scoping study.
"It may look at the history of Ned Kelly, as well as the history of the region, and also have an educational facility," she said.
"But that's what the study is for:'
 

The Wangaratta Chronicle

State delivers $1.8m promise
By Jeff Zeuschner
Friday, 7 November 2003

THE state government has delivered on its pre-election promise to fund a $1.8 million revitalisation of Glenrowan.
Speaking on Wednesday, Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos said the massive project, involving the heritage siege site and town streetscape, will be funded over two years from the Community Support Fund.
"This project will see the heritage precinct, which embraces Glenrowan's main street and park, returned to its former glory," Mr Pandazopoulos said.
"The town's colonial features will be developed to preserve and protect key heritage assets, including the siege site.
"The heritage precinct will highlight the historical, social and cultural significance of the Ned Kelly story for the state, and generate significant economic activity for the area."
Rural City of Wangaratta mayor Irene Grant said the funding will help deliver on the vision contained within the detailed Glenrowan masterplan which council and the local community had worked on over the past two and a half years.
The masterplan seeks to improve the town, offering benefits to tourists and local residents alike through increased infrastructure and attractions.
Mayor Grant said the state government funding was a critical piece in a wide ranging jigsaw which, once completed, will enhance tourism and investment opportunities, capitalising on the township's national importance in Australian folklore.
"The $1.8 million announced on Wednesday follows recent funding from the federal government for the establishment of the Ned Kelly Touring Route and lends further support for the campaign to establish a nationally significant Ned Kelly Interpretative Centre in Glenrowan," Mayor Grant said.
Council last month began lobbying the federal government for the $15 million to build the centre.

The Chronicle Friday
October 17 2003 

" Something to talk about"
Townspeople come up with Kelly concept plans

By Jacquie Schwind

A CONCEPT model and design plans have been created to get Glenrowan residents thinking and talking about what to see in the proposed Ned Kelly Interpretive Centre.

They go on display at the Glenrowan hotel today for a week before a touring display at various Glenrowan locations.
The concept has no approval for procedure in any way. It is purely being placed in the community at this stage to encourage discussion about the centres potential location, physical structure, features and contents.

Glenrowan resident Gary Dean who is one of the 10 members of the Glenrowan Improvers Masterplan Planning Committee said he had spoken to Bill Denheld from Melbourne about the proposed centre and the obstacle of the Glenrowan overpass. Mr Denheld, who shares a strong interest in Kelly history and is an industrial designer, subsequently decided to collaborate with Canberra architect, Penleigh Boyd to create a concept model and plans,

As a result, Glenrowan residents can examine  a 3D model of the town, one in 775 scale and contoured in two metre levels, which includes a representation of where and in what form the centre could be built.

The Centre draws on ideas put forward in the feasibility study. Concept plans illustrate a building complex with a central foyer, interpretation hall, children's activity areas, cinema, cafe/restaurant, tourist information centre, bookshop and touring exhibition area.

Mr Dean said the concept plans incorporate a lookout tower over the foyer which is 26 metres above floor level, a metre for every year of Ned Kelly's life.

"The building has very little concrete and is mostly glass, steel and redgum or other timbers" Mr Dean said.

He believes they will give Glenrowan residents much food for thought. " It's designed to be something for people to look at, talk about and get an idea of what could be done" Mr Dean said. " We want to end up with something really good and we're only going to get one go at this."

One major difference to the concept model and plans is the  centre's positioning.

" It has different positioning to that mentioned in the feasibility study." Mr Dean said. " Its only about 100 metres and is located close to the siege site. It addresses  the problem of having to acquire further property - you don't have to."

Mr Dean said the different positioning didn't take up too much of the Lions Park area and its siting over the railway line tracks, with floor level in line with the top of the overpass, accommodated train requirements.

Glenrowan resident, Gary Dean, says concept plans for the proposed Ned Kelly Interpretation Centre near the Glenrowan overpass will stimulate discussion among locals as to what form the centre should take.

Unknown Source.

A new Kelly Gang, complete with a Ned-style suit of armour, plans to raid Parliament House in Canberra, looking for money.

It's a delegation from "Kelly country" of north-eastern Victoria seeking support for a proposed $NZ17,000,000 Ned Kelly Interpretive Centre at Glenrowan - where the gunman-bushranger was captured in 1880.

About 100 politicians including Tourism Minister Joe Hockey, ministerial advisers and media are being invited to see a formal video presentation of the plans, supported by seven municipalities in the area.

A suit of armour worn by Kelly gang member Joe Byrne who was killed in the 1880 Glenrowan siege, is being loaned to the group by its private owner in Canberra.

The party will include two Kelly gang descendants, Anthony Griffith and Ned Lloyd.

A spokesman says the concept of the new centre is a broad interpretation of Kelly's life - descendents in the area of his family and of the policemen he killed remain sharply divided to this day on his character.

A spokesman says the concept of the new centre is a broad interpretation of Kelly's life - descendents in the area of his family and of the policemen he killed remain sharply divided to this day on his character.

The interpretation would include the Glenrowan Heritage Tourism Precinct, enabling visitors to view key sites including where the siege and Ned's capture occurred and where the gang planned to derail a police train.

In the centre would be an auditorium where the visitors could look through a window - in reality a wall screen - and view the siege site as it looked in 1880.

March 20 2002

Benalla Ensign

The following article has been submitted by Glenrowan Improvers:

Glenrowan Improvers wholeheartedly support the draft masterplan as recommended by Chris Dance Land Design.

The plan provides a strong and clear vision for the future of Glenrowan.

We believe the consultants have consulted widely and considered all views when making recommendations, have explored all issues and opportunities for development within the constraints of their brief, and have developed a realistic strategy for the future development of Glenrowan.

We accept that tourists to Glenrowan will increase significantly over coming years and it is essential to adopt the recommendations of the draft Masterplan to ensure planned development for the next 10 years.

Without such planning the quality of life in Glenrowan is at risk.

We value the opportunity to take some control over development in our town that the Masterplanning process has afforded us.

We support recommendations to revitalise the streetscape, through shade planting, furniture, lighting, defining pedestrian priority zones, defining vehicle circulation zones and vehicle parking zones in the commercial precinct and the narrowing of the main street. These proposals are long overdue and will significantly increase the beauty, amenity and safety of the town's commercial precinct.

We support the recommendations to improve the town entry zones.

Glenrowan will become a tourist destination of national and international standing if the draft Masterplan is adopted.

The entries to our town need to reflect this standing.

We support the recommendations for infrastructure development, including the relocation of the ugly and potentially dangerous overpass - it detracts from the site and limits any opportunities to improve this site.

We understand that the overpass will only be relocated after close community consultation and the meeting of safety and practicality standards.Our support for this recommendation is on the basis of this understanding.

We support the recommendation to upgrade sewerage and water supply infrastructures.

Undergrounding the powerlines at key sites identified in the draft Masterplan is essential to develop a tourism feature of high standing.

We support the aims developed, and conclusions reached, in relation to Glenrowan's heritage.

Glenrowan's heritage needs to be sensitively and authentically presented, so there must be a protected Siege precinct and a re-established Siege Site as recommended.

We are satisfied with the way the Siege Site is integrated with the rest of the town in the draft Masterplan and are pleased there are recommendations for planned and co-ordinated development to a high standard.

We support the recommendations for the development of "a quality visitor experience" through establishing:

a Tourism Centre and interpretative facilities

a commercial precinct providing high visitor amenity

an authentic Siege Site, which includes closing a section of Siege Street

a touring trail, which includes a trail to the peak of Mt Glenrowan

quality information and interpretation.

We agree with the proposed use of the old police house, and support the re-establishment of the Siege Site to respond to its original topography and landscape.

The landscape of the North East has special character and this is reflected in the hills and valleys around Glenrowan. We therefore strongly welcome the recommendation to preserve and enhance "Glenrowan's significant environment."

We agree that what is good for Glenrowan is also good for the rest of the region and vice versa and therefore support the recommendations in the Masterplan as a way to increase economic activity for our region.

An introduction of a branch train line will help in bringing more visitors to our town and region and increase the amenity for locals, so we support this recommendation.

We are keen to continue working in close co-operation with Wangaratta Unlimited, Tourism Victoria, the Rural City of Wangaratta and other bodies to develop Glenrowan as set out in the draft plan. We support all applications for funding as outlined in the draft Masterplan. We welcome any development that meets the requirements of the draft Masterplan, whether from the private or public sectors or through a partnership of both sectors.  

EXAMPLES OF OTHER INTERPRETIVE CENTRES.

1997Bendigo Interpretive Centre, Bendigo, Victoria
This $2m visitor centre - housed within the former mail sorting room of
the historic Bendigo Post Office - uses sound, video and 2D & 3D graphic
displays to introduce visitors to the Bendigo region's fascinating
history, tourist attractions, accommodation & dining venues, and
sporting & retail outlets. Media Australia's involvement in this highly
successful project included:
tourist / visitor information needs' analysis
content & theme research & development
content acquisition & management
multimedia design & production (video, audio & computer based
interactive media) - delivered on CD & DVD formats
technical AV design & installation
ongoing marketing and educational services

http://www.tourismvictoria.com.au/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=372&op=page&op=page

Please give your opinion on the proposed Ned Kelly Interpretive Centre for a new
page titled  'Ned Centre Confab page'. Send your feedback by clicking here.

**The report ‘Glenrowan Heritage Precinct: Feasibility was by Sinclair Knight Merz.

Copyright reserved 2003-2010.