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Pattemmore House Upgrade begins |
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Written by Les Fawkes
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Tuesday, 24 May 2011 |
Friends
of Pattemore House President Su Carbery is pleased to report that
repairs have commenced at Pattemore House, Maleny's heritage listed
property, now owned by Sunshine Coast Council.
Built in 1907 from white beech felled and pit-sawn on the property, the house, which sits at the entrance to the Maleny Community Precinct, is undergoing some necessary alterations in its transition from a residential to a public use building.
Guided by a conservation and management plan authored by architect Roger Todd, the first stage of work includes disabled access, ensuring security, rewiring, and compliance with health and safety standards. Local builder Ed Lawley has been hired by SCC for the job, an historical farming connection not lost on the Friends. (And Blanche Cork of Maleny married Ernest Edward Pattemore, one of the Pattemore sons who helped build the house).
The Lawleys, like the Pattemores who dairied on a share farming basis, and the Armstrongs who continued dairying at the property until it was acquired by Council in 1995, have a long involvement in the dairying history of Maleny.
Once initial repairs have been completed, the Friends will utilise a small area of the building to continue and present their research into the timber, dairy and modern history of the property ("Fairview") and surrounding Precinct land. The original 1907 sections of the house will be preserved to enable future visitors to appreciate the pit-sawn and hand-planed timbers used in the floors and walls, whilst learning more about the history of Maleny, its industries, and its pioneering families and their place within the history of the Sunshine Coast and South-East Queensland.
The group (originally set up by Caloundra Council to assist in the future management of Pattemore House) is engaged in the promotion of the 2.4 hectare Pattemore House site as a heritage property, and to develop its future use as a heritage interpretative and cultural community asset, in partnership with Sunshine Coast Council. "There is so much potential here for young people to learn about our past", says Su.
For the last three years,the Friends have been busily researching and cataloguing the family, house and landscape history and collecting images, maps and stories associated with Pattemore House, the families who lived there and the surrounding landscape.
Members also maintain the garden and grounds, and plan to restore the house garden in partnership with the Maleny Garden Club after an analysis of the garden's history has been completed.
Further exciting news is that a heritage trail beginning at the house and meandering across to the old dairy bails and then down to historic Reynold's Crossing is to commence in June. This will be the first of the walking trails to be constructed from the network of trails planned on the Precinct by SCC; any enquiries about the Friends of Pattemore House to mihongasu@bigpond.com
Photo of Ed Lawley and Glen Cork at the house 1st day on the job 10th May 2011)
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 July 2011 )
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Range News 2005 - ON 
