Project: Collingwood House Activation Plan
Organisation: Liverpool City Council
Place: Sydney
Year: 2021–2022
Project Type: Culture-led Placemaking, Strategy, Policy & Research, Business and operational planning
Header image: Collingwood House viewed from surrounding parklands (City People)
Liverpool City Council requested strategic direction and operational planning one of Australia’s oldest historic houses situated on Dharug Country in a declared Aboriginal Place. City People developed an activation plan for the heritage property and surrounding parkland in collaboration with heritage management advisor Peter Watts and Dharug / Dharawal engagement consultants Venessa Possum and Thelmerie Rudd.
Through advice on activation, uses, presentation and curation, City People and the project team delivered a wide-reaching and holistic plan that modelled sustainable programming options that would allow more frequent and open access to a valued heritage property as well as wider awareness and recognition of the Cabrogal lands and stories within which the property sits.
Collingwood House is a Council-owned heritage property fronting parkland beside the Georges River, south of Liverpool’s commercial centre. Situated within a declared Aboriginal Place (gazetted by the state government in 2009) the house itself is a modified Georgian residence from 1810 and was originally the home of American whaling captain Eber Bunker. The broader site holds significance for Aboriginal people and is recognised as a ridge-line meeting ground for Dharawal, Gandangara and Dharug people.
Collingwood House (Heritage 21)
Objectives
- Determine operational, curatorial/programming and commercial options for the use and presentation of the house.
- Propose and detail different place activation approaches for the house and parkland.
- Re-establish the site’s profile, engage the public and communicate that the property is available for a variety of community and creative uses.
- Consider partnership opportunities, including with other Council assets, historical and volunteer organisations, existing festivals, education and academia.
Outcomes
- A portfolio of activation directions was proposed to Council. A key focus was promotion of the site’s designated Aboriginal Place status and emphasis on Cabrogal local custodians, stories and interpretation opportunities alongside the European heritage of the Bunker House.
- Strategic assessment that included trends analysis for historic houses, recommendations for governance and management requirements and suggested curatorial approach.
- A set of case studies of similar New South Wales properties that modelled use options and accompanying fit-outs, as well as commercial hire rates.
