Local Heritage Place in Beaumont Slated for Demolition!

A development application has been lodged to demolish Bryson’s House, a 19th century Local Heritage Place in Beaumont.

The house was built by Mr Alfred H. Bryson in 1906. It was located in the midst of an olive grove planted by Alfred and his son, both of whom later set up an oil press on the property. After the death of Alfred and his wife, the house was lived on by their daughter Mrs. Miles.

The dwelling was damaged by a fire last year and an engineering report has now deemed that “the scope of works required to achieve structural integrity and serviceability of the structure would far outweigh the replacement costs of the residence.”

Our new planning system is allowing such expedient demolition without requiring a balanced assessment of options for retention. Demolition should not be the default solution for heritage listed properties that are structurally compromised, without proper consideration of other options to save the building.

We are hoping the Burnside Council will seek better alternatives that preserve the heritage values of Bryson’s House. Demolition should only ever be a last resort for our heritage places.