Latest news with #HeritageNSW
Sydney Morning Herald
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trailblazing friends who became first female Olympians honoured
A trailblazing Sydney swimmer who won an Olympic medal more than 110 years ago has been honoured with a blue plaque, unveiled today at her family's namesake ocean pool. Wilhelmina 'Mina' Wylie won silver in the 100 metres at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, making her the second Australian female swimmer to place at the Games – her friend, Sarah 'Fanny' Durack, placed first. The blue plaque, a Heritage NSW initiative designed to acknowledge and honour the extraordinary people who have shaped the state, was unveiled on Friday at Wylie's Baths, the Coogee pool built by her father Henry Wylie, also a competitive swimmer. Durack's blue plaque was unveiled on Thursday, at her childhood home on Douglas Street, Stanmore. The two women, who had to fight for Australia to enter women's swimming events – because the NSW Ladies Swimming Association did not believe women should compete in front of men – were among the country's first women Olympians. Wylie went on to hold world records in freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke before her retirement in 1934. NSW's blue plaques are inspired by similar schemes in the UK. Unveiling the Wylie plaque, Coogee MP Marjorie O'Neill spoke of the importance of recognising female athletes in NSW history, and the community of the eastern suburbs, where Wylie grew up.
The Age
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Trailblazing friends who became first female Olympians honoured
A trailblazing Sydney swimmer who won an Olympic medal more than 110 years ago has been honoured with a blue plaque, unveiled today at her family's namesake ocean pool. Wilhelmina 'Mina' Wylie won silver in the 100 metres at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, making her the second Australian female swimmer to place at the Games – her friend, Sarah 'Fanny' Durack, placed first. The blue plaque, a Heritage NSW initiative designed to acknowledge and honour the extraordinary people who have shaped the state, was unveiled on Friday at Wylie's Baths, the Coogee pool built by her father Henry Wylie, also a competitive swimmer. Durack's blue plaque was unveiled on Thursday, at her childhood home on Douglas Street, Stanmore. The two women, who had to fight for Australia to enter women's swimming events – because the NSW Ladies Swimming Association did not believe women should compete in front of men – were among the country's first women Olympians. Wylie went on to hold world records in freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke before her retirement in 1934. NSW's blue plaques are inspired by similar schemes in the UK. Unveiling the Wylie plaque, Coogee MP Marjorie O'Neill spoke of the importance of recognising female athletes in NSW history, and the community of the eastern suburbs, where Wylie grew up.
The Age
04-07-2025
- General
- The Age
Why Sydney's oldest home has been stuck in a long limbo
For the past 210 years, Sydney's oldest colonial residence, Cleveland House, has been home to everything and anyone, ranging from convict-turned-merchant prince Daniel Cooper, to butchers, bakers, brewers and bottle makers. Now, though, neighbours of the NSW state heritage-listed home in Surry Hills say the building is dying before their eyes. Locals including Alistair Graham, who lives next door, say they have witnessed a rapid decline in Cleveland House's condition over the past 15 years, despite some repairs and internal works, including to its basement. Described in the City of Sydney's archives as a rare and exceptional example of a grand Georgian mansion, the home is thought to have been designed by convict architect Francis Greenway. 'Aside from the historical value, it's an eyesore,' Graham said. 'Everyone would love to see it restored.' Today, Cleveland's roof resembles a patchwork of new and rusty old. There are visible holes in gutters and walls, and the temporary tarps erected over the verandah awning have been reduced to shreds. After inspecting the site, Heritage NSW wrote to the owner, Brian Vincent of LGS Enterprises Pty Ltd, in April outlining the company's obligations under the Heritage Act. 'We take our responsibility to help preserve heritage-listed properties seriously – and owners of these rare places can face penalties for not maintaining them to the appropriate standards,' a spokesperson said.
Sydney Morning Herald
04-07-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why Sydney's oldest home has been stuck in a long limbo
For the past 210 years, Sydney's oldest colonial residence, Cleveland House, has been home to everything and anyone, ranging from convict-turned-merchant prince Daniel Cooper, to butchers, bakers, brewers and bottle makers. Now, though, neighbours of the NSW state heritage-listed home in Surry Hills say the building is dying before their eyes. Locals including Alistair Graham, who lives next door, say they have witnessed a rapid decline in Cleveland House's condition over the past 15 years, despite some repairs and internal works, including to its basement. Described in the City of Sydney's archives as a rare and exceptional example of a grand Georgian mansion, the home is thought to have been designed by convict architect Francis Greenway. 'Aside from the historical value, it's an eyesore,' Graham said. 'Everyone would love to see it restored.' Today, Cleveland's roof resembles a patchwork of new and rusty old. There are visible holes in gutters and walls, and the temporary tarps erected over the verandah awning have been reduced to shreds. After inspecting the site, Heritage NSW wrote to the owner, Brian Vincent of LGS Enterprises Pty Ltd, in April outlining the company's obligations under the Heritage Act. 'We take our responsibility to help preserve heritage-listed properties seriously – and owners of these rare places can face penalties for not maintaining them to the appropriate standards,' a spokesperson said.
Sydney Morning Herald
28-06-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Heritage NSW rejects application to register nude beach
A NSW gay beach's application for state heritage status has been knocked back, as a community battle over the site causes a splash on the NSW North Coast. Community members are vowing not to give up the fight to recognise Kings Beach, south of Byron Bay, for its cultural significance for the LGBTQ community, after their proposal was formally rejected. The beach has been a clothing-optional meeting place for gay men since the 1980s. Community members had hoped a heritage listing would 'recognise and celebrate' its sandy shores as part of the cultural and heritage significance of Australia's queer community. Their proposal comes amid a separate battle with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service over a new plan of management for the site, which included erecting signs and publishing online material stating that nudity on the beach is not allowed, sparking resistance from some beach users and claims of homophobia. A Heritage NSW spokesman said the NSW Heritage Council, the independent statutory body responsible for reviewing nominations, determined the beach did 'not meet the threshold' for a listing. Kings Beach user Rohan Anderson, who lodged the heritage application, said he had not been given reasons for the rejection. Anderson met his husband, Jonathon Lee, at the beach. 'This is the best gay beach in the world and NSW Heritage should be proud of it. It's hosted everything from AIDS vigils to funerals and the scattering of ashes and has huge significance for the community,' he said. The heritage nomination described Kings Beach as a 'rare and valuable cultural site for the LGBTQIA+ community in regional Australia, serving as a public space of safety, identity, and celebration over several decades'.
