In with the old.

No matter how far we are from an architectural or town planning guru, as soon as there’s a vacant building in our town, we’re all pretty certain of who or what should occupy it.

If you ask my partner, all empty spaces should be turned into sandwich shops (there’d be one on every corner, if he had his way). My answers vary slightly more. The vintage shop of my dreams is all planned out to fill the bubblegum pink walls of the old Molly’s Lolly Shop in Stratford. The old Commercial Hotel in Bairnsdale is begging to be transformed into a gallery space.

Lately, we’ve noticed an exciting surge of brave Gippslandians repurposing these dormant spaces.

East Bairnsdale’s century-old milk bar, which has been sitting unused since I was a child spending my pocket money on Wicked Fizz, was recently transformed into a stylish bar with a menu that playfully references milk bar favourites. Mirboo North’s Colonial Bank of Australasia, built in 1907, has been lovingly reimaged into a luxurious private sanctuary where couples can cosy up in the old bank vault.

To keep the innovative momentum going, we reached out to some Gippslandians who are much closer to fitting the label of architectural genius than us to hear about the vacant spaces they daydream about transforming.

“...there's often been community interest in doing something to utilise this amazing piece of historical infrastructure.”

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Isley Sutherland
Architect and director, IS Architecture

I can see the Leongatha railway station building from the rear window of my studio. Reminiscent of the train journeys that historically occurred through the beautiful rolling hills of South Gippsland, to me, it conjures the goodbyes and hellos of human connections.

Its unique but now defunct use renders it a relic, slowly decomposing through lack of use. But I’m drawn to its brick detailing, elevated platform and cantilevered platform roof, and sometimes I imagine breathing new life into it. A contemporary architectural reno or insertion could create a new use for the building and intertwine it with the adjoining recreational leisure area that is now the rail trail precinct.

There was a market held recently in this precinct, and the station building stood idly by as a backdrop. I’d love to see it be an active participant in the bustle of events.

John McAuley
Architect, John McAuley Architecture

Having grown up in Bairnsdale, I'd love to see a rejuvenation of the water tower in the centre of town. Given its scale and prominence, there's often been community interest in doing something to utilise this amazing piece of historical infrastructure.

Heritage architecture is at its best when it balances preservation and adaptation for active contemporary use. The amazing Las Arenas in Barcelona and Devil’s Corner Winery in Tasmania spring to mind.

Adapting the Bairnsdale water tower to incorporate a lift and stairs to a lookout would allow visitors to appreciate the circular architecture of the tower itself and afford a unique vantage to admire the beautifully planned gardens and streetscape of Main Street, the adjacent bell tower of the iconic St Mary's Church and the hills and lakes of the district beyond.

Kate Hannaford & Dic Coates
Designers, Moth Design & River Drive Motel

Built in 1907–08 and designed by Walter Butler (of the Mission to Seafarers in Flinders Street, Melbourne), 34 Stanley Street sits proudly on the corner of the main street of Toora – a romantic and nostalgic strip where it's easy to imagine yourself in a completely different era. It was originally the Union Bank of Australia; the gumnut and gumleaf rendered relief on the entry to the residential space and the generally warm, welcoming feel of the brick exterior were in stark contrast to other bank buildings of the time.

The function of banks has changed so much since – to the point that they’re all but non-existent in most country towns. It would be an interesting project to restore some of its original appearance while changing its functionality entirely. We reckon it would make such a great little guest house or hotel!

Shelley Banders
Interior designer (& amazing Gippslandia writer)

I have spent years walking the streets of South Gippsland with my pram and dog, eyeballing empty spaces, daydreaming of potentials and generally wondering what it takes for a bricks-and-mortar venture to prosper in a regional setting.

My initial ideas, almost always involving coffee or wine, have evolved to contemplate community-building projects – places for meeting and incidental interactions.

I am drawn to neglected, overlooked and transitional spaces; I would love to see hole-in-the-wall refreshments served in laneways, or vacant blocks in industrial estates transformed into community gardens. The decommissioned signal buildings along the Great Southern Rail Trail and the old car saleyard next to the former South Gippsland Sentinel-Times building on Radovick Street often catch my attention. The opportunity for this is endless in our Gippsland towns, many of which are in their own state of transition.

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Gippslandia - Issue No. 31

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