SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
169-199 RATHDOWNE STREET AND 2-40 PELHAM STREET AND 154-184 DRUMMOND STREET CARLTON, MELBOURNE CITY
WORLD HERITAGE ENVIRONS AREA
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Statement of Significance
WHEA AREA OF GREATER SENSITIVITY
What is significant?
The Church of the Sacred Heart Complex comprises the former St Georges Church and School, the former Church of the Sacred Heart (now Our Lady of Lebanon), the presbytery and Our Lady's Grotto. The bluestone St Georges Church was built in 1855-6 to the design of architects George and Schneider. The land bounded by Rathdowne, Pelham and Drummond Streets had been reserved in 1853 at the request of the Very Reverend Dr P B Geoghegan of the order of St Francis and permanently reserved in 1862. Originally consisting simply of a nave and tower, the transepts and apse were added in 1866 to an unknown design. Priests from St Francis Church in Lonsdale Street served from 1855 to 1881 when a separate parish of Carlton was formed. The parish presbytery was designed by prominent Melbourne architects Reed and Barnes in 1881 and constructed in 1882 by Carlton contractor George Richardson. Following the erection of St Georges Hall and Schoolroom in the south east corner of the site in 1883-4, it was decided in 1886 to erect a large new church with the older bluestone building reverting to its original use as a school. The new church was designed by Tappin Gilbert and Dennehy and constructed in 1897-99 of red brick with unpainted cement render dressings in the Baroque style. A chapel and large dome were proposed in the original design but never constructed. The remarkable interior decoration is by A F D Cavallaro who arrived in Australia from Italy in 1899. The altar in the new church was relocated from St Patricks Cathedral where it had been originally installed in 1868. In the 1930s and 1940s the Church of the Sacred Heart became a primary focus for Carlton's Italian community, and this continued into the 1960s. Our Lady's Grotto, also known as the Marian Grotto or the Lourdes Grotto was erected in the grounds of the church by volunteers in 1941 to the design of the Italian priest of the day Reverend Father Modetti.
How is it significant?
The Church of the Sacred Heart Complex is of historical, architectural, aesthetic and social significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The Church of the Sacred Heart, although never completed, is of architectural significance as one of the first and finest full blown red brick Baroque church designs in Victoria, and the second classically styled Catholic church built in Victoria. The interior is of aesthetic significance for exhibiting a richness of decoration particularly the paintings by A F D Cavallaro, executed on canvas and then fixed to the elliptical barrel vaulted ceiling. The encaustic tiled floor by the Australian Tessellated Tile Company, stained glass by Hardman of Birmingham, and Brooks Robinson of Melbourne, Stations of the Cross by J Hennessey, and altar decorated by Ferguson, Urie and Lyon are also important elements. The Presbytery is a fine, relatively intact and representative example of a presbytery building of the late nineteenth century, designed by prominent and distinguished architects Reed and Barnes.
The former St Georges Church and School is of historical significance as an early example of a building intended to take advantage of government funding for denominational schools. It is also of historical importance as a reflection of the expansion of Melbourne at the time and of the efforts of the Catholic church in the early 1850s to provide for Catholics outside the city area.
Our Lady's Grotto is of social significance for its association with Melbourne's Italian community. Its construction was undertaken as an act of solidarity of Melbourne's Italian community at a very difficult time during the Second World War.
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SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH - Permit Exemptions
General Exemptions:General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions. Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.Specific Exemptions:General Conditions:
1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it.
4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authority where applicable.
The following exemptions apply to buildings B2, and B-4:
* Interior painting to walls , provided the preparation work does not remove evidence of the building’s original paint or other decorative scheme.
* Removal of non load bearing partition walls
* Removal of existing carpets and flexible floor coverings.
* Installation of carpet and flexible floor coverings.
* Installation of curtain tracks, rods, blinds and other window dressings
* Refurbishment of bathrooms, kitchens and toilets including removal of sanitary fixtures and associated piping, mirrors and installation of new fixtures.
* Installation of hydronic or concealed heating ( ceiling radiant foil or under carpet) provided the installation does not damage existing skirtings and architraves and the location of the heating unit (boiler etc) is concealed from view.
* Installation of hooks, nails and other devices for hanging paintings, mirrors, and wall mounted works of art.
* Installation of smoke detectors
* Installation of insulation to the roof space
The following exemptions apply to all buildings and land on that part of the site shown hatched on the accompanying plan entitled Permit Exemptions Diagram:
* All internal works
* External alterations to the permitted new buildings, including additions less than 25m2 in floor area.
* All landscaping works including alterations to existing paving.SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH - Permit Exemption Policy
The registered place is located within the declared World Heritage Environs Area for the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. In accordance with the permit considerations set out in the Heritage Act 1995, proposed works to the registered place must consider:- the effect of the works on the World Heritage values of the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens; and
- the approved "World Heritage Environs Area Strategy Plan: Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens" (Department of Planning and Community Development, 2009).
The Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000, as they relate to actions that may impact on World Heritage values, must also be considered.
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