Decision Maker: Council
Decision status: Recommendations Determined
Moved by Councillor Thalis, seconded by the
Chair (the Lord Mayor) -
It is resolved that:
(A)
Council note:
(i)
the
importance of the work of City Architect Albert Smillie
and City Landscape Architect Ilmar Berzins in the design of post-war Sydney;
(ii)
Albert Smillie joined the Sydney Municipal Council as an
architectural draftsman in 1924, was appointed Chief Architect in 1949 and
became the Council's Principal Architect in 1953, a position held to 1969;
(iii)
the
period following World War Two was characterised by economic prosperity and a
full job market. Albert Smillie's appointment as
Council's head architect in 1949 coincided with a period of intense post-war
reconstruction, which was accompanied by a boom in the construction of
community facilities including baby health centres, libraries and welfare
centres;
(iv)
Albert Smillie oversaw many public projects while at Council such
as; sports facilities including Victoria Park Pool, welfare centres,
kindergartens, baby health centres, Council housing including in Pyrmont and
Glebe and libraries including Anthony Doherty in Surry Hills, Catherine Sloss in Woolloomooloo and Florence Bartley in Kings Cross
(awarded the Sulman Medal and now demolished);
(v)
Ilmar Berzins was the first qualified landscape architect to be
employed in local government in Australia when he was employed by the City in
1951 and became Director of Parks and Gardens in 1984;
(vi)
in
1946, the City Engineer A H Garnsey and Alderman Ernest Marks had produced a
major report to Council which recommended a program of increasing the City’s
parks, open spaces, children’s playgrounds and street tree planting. The scheme
was adopted by Council as a ‘master plan to prevent haphazard development’ for
the next 30 years. Ilmar Berzins
was recruited to this team;
(vii)
Ilmar Berzins designed many existing public spaces while at
Council including; Arthur McElhone Reserve in Elizabeth Bay, Sandringham
Gardens in Hyde Park, Fitzroy Gardens in Kings Cross (much altered), Chessboard
Garden in Hyde Park and others which have been demolished including; Fragrance
Garden in Cook and Phillip Park;
(viii)
there
is a risk that other public works by Albert Smillie
and Ilmar Berzins could be
lost if they are not identified and if necessary protected;
(ix)
the
City commissioned a Heritage Study Review in 2019 into Modern Movement
Architecture in Central Sydney;
(x)
Council
endorsed the planning proposal for the Modern Movement Heritage Items in June
2020. The report told Council that:
"Central Sydney
contains one of the greatest concentrations of post-war Modern Movement
buildings in New South Wales. The Modern Movement represents one of the most
significant and far-reaching twentieth century design aesthetics. For Sydney,
1945 to 1975 was an exciting and challenging architectural period that
determined much of the present physical form of the city centre. The dominance
of modern office buildings from this period records the changing role of
Australia in an international context and Sydney’s new-found role as a major
world financial centre during the 'Long Boom'."
(xi)
a
further heritage study could be expanded to include important works under
Albert Smillie and Ilmar Berzins in the City of Sydney Local Government Area; and
(B)
the
Chief Executive Officer be requested to:
(i)
investigate
the commissioning of a heritage study of City projects under Albert Smillie and Ilmar Berzins in the Local Government Area; and
(ii)
report
back to Council via the CEO Update on which items could be considered for
heritage listing.
Carried
unanimously.
S129265
Report author: Erin Cashman
Publication date: 09/08/2021
Date of decision: 09/08/2021
Decided at meeting: 09/08/2021 - Council
Accompanying Documents: