ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0191 Barton Residents Association Papers

Scope and content notes

Call Number	HMSS 0191
Collection	Barton Residents Association Papers
Date Range	1979-1996
Quantity	0.18 m (1 manuscript box)
Access Conditions	open
Copying Conditions	with attribution
Related Collections	-

The Barton Residents Association (BRA) was formed in January 1979 to protect the built heritage of Barton, one of Canberra’s oldest suburbs. At the time, new Parliament House was under construction, and some redevelopment in Barton was already proposed. Residents believed that this and other potential development would adversely affect an important area of local and national heritage.

The Association’s activities evolved from recognising and recording heritage buildings, through a court action brought against a proposal to demolish a heritage house, to ongoing monitoring of public policy in heritage matters.

The Collection was came to the ACT Heritage Library in two deposits.

The first deposit were papers collected by Trevor and Joan Lipscombe and are identified as the Lipscombe Deposit.

The second deposit were the personal papers of Ian Morison, an active foundation member of the BRA and resident of Darling Street, Barton. Ian handed his papers to John and Celia Burgess of Belmore Gardens. The Burgess’ in turn provided the papers in 2011 to Nick Swain who is interested in the suburb’s history and planning matters. They agreed that these papers were best held with the other BRA papers held in the ACT Heritage Library.

Collectively the Lipscombe and Morison papers provide a comprehensive record of significant matters affecting the Barton area from the late 1970s through to the mid 1990s. These included the operation of Pine Lodge (formerly Barton House hostel), the fight to save a heritage dwelling from demolition, the lead up to and eventual heritage listing of the Barton Housing Precinct, and a number of planning proposals that would have radically changed the character of Barton. There were community meetings and significant lobbying of local politicians. Importantly these papers cover the period leading up to and immediately after the creation of self-government in the ACT. They show how some matters, such as heritage protection, were put on hold leading up to self-government and then took some time to be sorted out afterwards, providing developers with opportunities that otherwise might not have been available.

Box List

Box No.	Description	QTY	Date Range
1	Lipscome Desposit Part 1: Papers relating to proposals to rezone Barton Papers concerning development proposals and their potential effect on the existing built environment, and the idea and practicalities of heritage listing, including: Public notices of Barton community meetings, newscuttings. Correspondence between the Association and the National Capital Development Commission, John Haslem MP, Australian Heritage Commission. Report by Latona Masterman & Associates (1980) on Telopea Park Conservation Area.	1 file	1979-1986
1	Lipscome Deposit Part 2: Papers relating to the court action against demolition of a heritage house in Barton Barton Residents Association newsletters, fact sheets, press releases and circular letters to residents. Newscuttings. Correspondence between the Association and Dept of Arts and Territories [and successors], National Capital Development Commission, Interim Territory Planning Authority, National Trust, Commonwealth Ombudsman, ACT Heritage Committee, National Capital Planning Authority. Correspondence between the Association and local members in federal parliament, and candidates for / members of first ACT Assembly. Documents relating to formation of ACT political parties. Correspondence between the Association and legal counsel and the Attorney-General concerning court action. Correspondence between the Association and ACT government concerning heritage street furniture, lights, tenancy regulations, etc. Nomination: Barton Urban Conservation Area [to the Register of the National Estate]. 14 Nov 1988. Barton Residents Association. Submission to the ACT Heritage Committee concerning Redevelopment Proposals in Barton, 15 May 1989. Barton Residents Association. Barton: Federal Capital Commission Housing. 1990.	1 file	October 1988 – May 1992
1	Lipscombe Deposit Part 3: Papers relating to proposals for future planning for Barton and Kingston National Capital Planning Authority and ACT Planning Authority. Future Planning for Barton: Issues and Opportunities. A Joint Discussion Document. October 1991. Submission to National Capital Planning Authority by the Association on Future Planning for Barton, January 1992. Signatures supporting the Association’s submission, March 1992. Submission to the ACT Planning Authority by the Association on the Draft Territory Plan, April 1992. Barton Residents Association newsletters and fact sheets (undated). Newscuttings. Submission to National Capital Planning Authority and ACT Planning Authority by Trevor and Joan Lipscombe on proposals to redevelop Kingston Section 25, 1993. Comments on draft citations for the ACT Interim Heritage Places Register, by Trevor and Joan Lipscombe.	1 file	October 1991 – Feb 1993
1	Morison Deposit reports, newsletters, correspondence, newscuttings, and records of BRA meetings in reverse chronological order. Topics include heritage listing of Barton Housing Precinct, Barton issues in the Draft Territory Plan 1993, National Capital Planning Authority and ACT Planning Authority. Future Planning for Barton: Issues and Opportunities. A Joint Discussion Document. October 1991 planning appeals and demolition of 37 Telopea Park West	1 file	1988-1996