Darlington Public School Redevelopment

As a State Significant Development (SSD 9914) the key assessment issues included Aboriginal cultural heritage and built heritage (including built form and urban design, in relation to the historic context).

While the school building, constructed in 1975 to the design of Government Architect E.H. (Ted) Farmer as a Demonstration Public School, was well placed in its historic context, it was not heritage listed. The site is located in the vicinity of a number of local heritage items, including Victorian terrace houses, a church, early 20th century warehouses and buildings associated with the University of Sydney.

Through the Heritage Impact Assessment process, GML worked closely with the project architect FJC Studio to ensure that the new school design would be a compatible design in the Darlington / West Redfern Locality, as well as developing mitigation measures which could recognise the significant tangible and intangible heritage values of the school, in the new design.

The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment, through collaboration of GML with the local and school communities, determined the intangible elements of education at the school to be ‘celebrating and recognising Aboriginal culture and history, teaching Aboriginal culture, art and display of Aboriginal culture, and the art collection.

The photographic archival recording captures the 1975 Brutalist school design as well as the significant art collection. High resolution images were taken so that fixed artwork unable to be saved, could be ‘reinstated’ or re-represented in the new school design. An Interpretation Plan guides the interpretative opportunities of the site and its redevelopment.