The fate of an old Queenslander at 219 Middle Street Cleveland, proposed for heritage listing by Redland City Council and demolition by a developer is discussed in two letters to Redlands2030.
The deadline for making properly made submissions in response to proposed demolition of this house as part of development application MCU21/0063 is Thursday 1 July 2021.
Another letter published this week is in response to changes in Queensland’s defamtion laws which were discussed in a recent post by Redlands20320.
Will heritage listing save 219 Middle Street?
Your story of the heritage listed house in Middle Street was not news to me!
Redland City has for years been absolutely sacrificing our Heritage !!!
I’m so tired of fighting for our heritage. Once lost it is gone forever.
Similar heritage listed properties at Camp Hill are selling for a $million.
I am moving from Redland City – high rates paid provide nothing, no plans for conservation for our future children, just destruction of everything for big business.
The UK, where I was accepted as an “Aussie convict”, preserved their heritage and natural environment, a great place to explore.
No wonder Aussies like myself, travel to establish our ancestors, everything in the past here gets knocked down or some person wants to cancel my culture.
V.A.
Cleveland
Will Heritage listing have real weight?
I refer to an article Redlands2030 published 12 June about the heritage house in Middle Street.
The original builder of this house may not have been notable in the history of Cleveland. From my brief research he is not ‘any person of local historical significance’.
But surely it is the ‘ordinary’ people we should record how they lived and who they were.
The building, like many of it’s vintage, has been changed but the main structural design of this early Queenslander remains.
His name was Mr Elfert and by the way he is written about in papers of the 1920’s – he had an accident with a truck and survived, he was stung on the heel by a catfish eel!
He was also involved in local community events and was in charge of music for a dance in 1933.
His wife too was involved in local events. He celebrated his golden wedding in 1952 after he and his wife had resided in Cleveland for 47 years.
YES he was an ‘ordinary’ man but isn’t that what the Redland’s is about we can’t all be ‘a person of local historical significance’!
This house is of and by, and about an ‘ordinary’ man and that too should be recognised as a significant home worth saving, when so many homes of the ‘non ordinary’ have disappeared.
I’d like to see many people making submission on this development, but I am concerned about the way the Council stands up for its new heritage processes.
M.S.
Thornlands
Defamation and governance in Redlands
I read with interest your article about defamation reform. . This is an absolutely fabulous newsletter giving us vital facts on interesting topics and some important opinions.
We need to hear more on the devastation caused by social media and threats of defamation and what it’s doing to proper governance in the Redlands.
Can I suggest that you could maybe do an article on changes in Queensland defamation laws and how changes would improve petty dysfunctional threats?
Z.J.
Cleveland
More Opinions Expressed By Redlanders
Toondah plans provoke community reaction
World Environment Day, Toondah Planning And Biased Reporting
Lights In The Mud Rally Shows Toondah Angst
Development application for 217 & 219 Middle Street, Cleveland
Redlands2030 story: Demolition of local heritage house in Cleveland
More information about Redland City Council’s process for local heritage listing is available on the Council’s webpage for Local Heritage Places.
Development application MCU21/0063 for 2017 and 2019 Middle Street Cleveland can be found on PD On-line.
Redlands2030 – 27 June 2021
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
3 Comments
Hopefully, highly valued dwellings as reminder of our past will be heritage listed that would be of interest to tourists as will, crumbling Lamb House at Kangaroo Point that will be fully restored by a wealthy couple that will be open to tourists every two years to view. Too many places have already been demolished in Brisbane with regrets. Value what cannot be replaced…this being one of them in Redlands, along with Willard Homestead on ex-commonwealth land, Birkdale.
I sent an email about the proposed development at 217 Middle Street, to Council offices on 14 June, and Council staff got back to me, providing info re proper format of submission and email address to send it to, and reminding me that deadline was 15 June.
I managed to send a proper submission, opposing the development, on the 15th.
Hopefully it helped.
It was pleasing to at last see the Redland City Council making a stand on protecting the built heritage. This was done by the identification of 45 properties for listing including the dwelling at 219 Middle Street, Cleveland. This property, looks in good condition, and was professionally assessed as having heritage value “in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of the region’s history..(in)..the second phase of development at Cleveland west of Cleveland Point in the early twentieth century..”.
Arguably, the property is even more important now in maintaining a link with the former character and appearance of the area given that the area is now being subsumed by medium density apartment blocks.
I trust that the Council meets this test of its commitment to our local heritage by defending its decision to seek heritage protection for this building which could also prove to have tourism value.