The society has become extremely concerned over the lack of protection given to our many historic buildings in Lilydale’s Main Street and several other significant properties in the surrounding area. The only way to ensure the survival of these buildings is for the Yarra Ranges Council to insert heritage overlays on each and incorporate each into the council planning scheme via an amendment. The owner’s neglect of the former Lilydale Fire Station has highlighted what can happen. Neglect leads to vandalism. Vandalism leads to Squatters. Squatters need to fires to keep warm. Fire out of control. Fire destroys part of the building. The owner applies for demolition and it is approved by the council on safety grounds. This is pure and simply the owner’s way of securing demolition by neglect.

Below we have listed the actions our society has taken to protect our rapidly disappearing built heritage. If like us, you are concerned email your councillors and the Yarra Ranges Council’s CEO and voice your concerns. All of their details are on the council’s website.

You can also email us at via our contact form and we will forward your comments on to the council.

Dear Councillors and Directors,
I cannot adequately convey to you all the outrage of our members over the demolition of the Lilydale Fire Station. Sadly there is nothing we can now do but you all can ensure this demolition of our town’s buildings historic buildings stops now. Attached is the list of buildings and features just in our Main Street which are not protected by a heritage overlay so can be bulldozed tomorrow by their respective owners. You have had your own Heritage Architects reports on each of the buildings since 2019 but nothing has happened. Everyone talks about wait until the Lilydale Structure Plan. While we wait our buildings our buildings can be demolished because there is no heritage overlay. You are the only ones who can protect our buildings and preserve what little heritage we have in our Main Street.
I find it amazing our own Lilydale Primary School built in 1876 has even been investigated yet.
On behalf of all our members and many angry people in the wider community ask that as a matter of urgency, council places heritage overlays on the 11 buildings highlighted in red and urgently have the buildings marked in blue assessed, specially the property at 5 Jones street which is currently up for sale and will be demolished for town houses unless you stop it.
I would welcome the opportunity to address councillors on this issue if that would be helpful.

Resolution to be considered by the members of the Lilydale & District Historical Society

At its general meeting on Saturday, July 3, 2021, the members of the Lilydale & District Historical Society unanimously passed the resolution below and added that the resolution be sent to all executive officers and all councillors as the lack of protection of the heritage commercial buildings in our municipal administrative centre is an issue for all councillors to address.

Please note:
Green is for those buildings included in the heritage overlay
Red– not included but Heritage Report with the council since 2019.

Blue – Not in overlay but need a heritage assessment carried out.

The members of the Lilydale and District Historical Society request that:
1. copies of the Heritage Reports prepared by the council’s heritage architect be sent to the society of the following properties:
a. 2 Albert Hill Road – former Deschamp’s Wine Store remnant Olive Tree. Planted late 1870s
b. 148-154 Main Street – former Oliver’s Shop. Overlay. Built 1914.
c. 161 Main Street – Olinda Creek Hotel. Built 1870-1871
d. 170-172 Main Street – former Poon Kee’s store. Built ca 1886.
e. 245-247 Main Street – former Poyner’s store. Built 1890
f. 251 Main Street – former Hutchinson’s store. Built 1889-1890
g. 267 Main Street – Crown Hotel. 3rd hotel on site built 1891
h. 279-281 – Beresford’s buildings. Built 1906
i. 284 Main Street – Wilkinson’s building. J. 2nd on site built 1884
j. 292 Main Street – Lilydale Hotel [White Dog]. Overlay. Built 1862
k. 295 Main Street – bakery. Built 1901
l. 322 Main Street – former Fire Station. Built 1938. Demolished June 30, 2021
m. 335 Main Street – former Johnston’s shop. Built ca later 1870s
n. Main Street- Jubilee Avenue. Overlay. Planted 1897
o. Main Street – War memorial. Overlay. Erected 1922.

2. That the following properties be the assessed for the inclusion in the council’s heritage overlay and reports on each be forwarded to the society:
a. 57 Warburton Highway – “Heatherlie”.
b. 1/33-61 Edinburgh Road –Dora Mitchell House.
c. 24 North Road – reputed Dutch prefabricated house.
d. 161 Mangans Road – Keppell Palmer house.
e. 101 Anderson Street.
f. 16 Crestway, “Willowbank”
g. 63-66 Castella Street – Lilydale Primary School, No 876.
h. Lilydale Railway Station Goods Shed and the railway station precinct.
i. 64 Castella Street, Lilydale – built late 1870s.
j. 5 Jones Street, Lilydale.
k. Former bowls club pavilion in Melba Park – built Main St 1921.
l. Shops 304 Main Street.

Following is the Yarra Ranges Council’s response to our letter.

Council’s Response

Ms Kath McClusky, Director of Planning, Design and Development gave her permission for the society to publish her response.

Dear Sue,

Thank you for raising your concerns with the protection of heritage buildings in Lilydale. As you would appreciate Council takes its obligation’s under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to conserve and enhance heritage places very seriously.

To that end, Council officers are commencing work on preparing a Municipal Heritage Strategy to assist Council to more effectively protect and manage heritage places. The strategy will guide actions that address the identification, protection, management and promotion of Yarra Ranges heritage places. The strategy will include criteria for the prioritization of places to be included in the Heritage Overlay of the planning scheme to ensure significant places are regularly assessed and progressed through to a planning scheme amendment.

Commencing a planning scheme amendment to protect heritage significant properties in Lilydale’s Main Street that are not currently in a Heritage Overlay is a high priority. This work will be progressed through a planning scheme amendment to implement the Lilydale Structure Plan, following its adoption.

Thank you for your list of other buildings in Lilydale that the society consider need to be further investigated for inclusion in the Heritage Overlay. Some of these have been previously identified through a heritage gaps analysis. For those that haven’t, we will require a formal nomination to be made. Alison Fowler, Executive Officer Strategic Planning will liaise with you to advise which properties will require a formal nomination.

As you will appreciate, progressing heritage protection through the planning scheme and investigating sites for future protection needs to be balanced with other priorities currently on the strategic planning work program.

However, you will be pleased to know that further investigation has occurred for the property at 161 Mangans Road, Lilydale and this is proposed to be included in a Heritage Overlay through an upcoming general planning scheme amendment.

I appreciate your frustration with the loss of the former fire station building. In this case due to the extent of damage to the building, and following the issue of a building notice to the land owner to show cause on why they shouldn’t demolish the building or carry out works to make the building safe, a building order was issued to demolish the building as this was the safest option.

Council through the process of report and consent under section 29A of the Building Act 1993 has an opportunity to review any proposed demolition application. However in this case due to safety reasons it was not appropriate to delay the demolition.

As you are already aware, Council has no planning powers relating to demolition by neglect for heritage buildings, such as to prosecute the building owner, or issue repair and improvement notices. These powers only exist for buildings that are classified as State significant.

Council officers will continue to engage with you and the society as we progress heritage protection of places in Lilydale, and we appreciate your ongoing interest and support for protecting heritage places in Yarra Ranges.

Kind Regards

Kath