Case Study: Spring Farm Urban Release Area
The Spring Farm Urban Release Area, a mostly rural environment bounded by the Nepean River and the Camden Bypass, is characterised by sand mining and poultry farming. Other subsidiary land uses of the approximately 500 hectare area include the Camden Estate Winery and Collins Turf Farming.
Godden Mackay Logan was commissioned by Camden Council to prepare a Heritage Assessment report providing specialist heritage assistance on the draft Local Environment Plan for the Release Area. The brief asked us to identify any potential heritage items and to advise on appropriate planning controls in respect to potential and known heritage items and their curtilages.
The study comprised surveys of the Spring Farm Area to identify potential heritage items in the form of buildings, roads, trees and landscapes, as well as the historical and Aboriginal archaeological potential associated with any of these items. We identified several individual items and landscape features as having potential heritage significance based on historical research and an assessment of the associated social and aesthetic values.
The study also identified a significant colonial landscape between the Nepean River and Macarthur Road where the land-use patterns continue to conform to the recognisable pattern of original grant portions. Two of the earliest houses in the area are located within this cultural landscape, which was recommended for retention. Galvin’s Cottage, the only heritage item identified on the LEP for the Spring Farm Area, was the first recorded building in the area. Built by Thomas Galvin, it was later to become the local centre for Roman Catholic services. Martin Thurn, another of the area’s early occupants, established a vineyard on the banks of the Nepean River where he built his home, The Thurn’s.
The Godden Mackay Logan team maintained a dialogue with Council to keep them informed of findings and how they could be integrated into the proposed Masterplan for the area. Our aim was to provide Council with a balance between the heritage values of the Spring Farm Area and the requirement to develop the area for residential purposes.
The outcomes have given the Council and local residents a better understanding of the heritage values of the Spring Farm Area, which are to be retained in the Masterplan. Godden Mackay Logan’s combined skills and experience in heritage assessment and heritage planning provided the client with the best possible outcome for developing the area for residential use while retaining the distinctive heritage values of the place.
Location: Camden, NSW
Client: The Council of Camden
Project Type: Heritage Assessment