Save school listing bid

By Ed Merrison
A NEW volunteer group has applied to have historical buildings on a disused school site heritage listed as a vital step towards their preservation.
The Association for the Preservation of the Ferntree Gully Primary School Historical Buildings has made the application as part of a two-pronged attack to save the buildings on the premises of the school which ceased operating in late 2005.
Association secretary Edward Plenty said an assessment by the Victorian Heritage Council would take up to 60 days to decide whether the teachers’ residence and an original classroom dating back to 1883 could be listed along with two other classrooms built shortly afterwards.
The group has already submitted a petition with more than 200 signatures to the State Parliament calling for the government to maintain the buildings, a request that has received backing from Ferntree Gully MP Anne Eckstein.
“Anne Eckstein has been fully supportive of the idea of retaining and maintaining the buildings on behalf of the local community,” Mr Plenty said.
Ms Eckstein tabled Mr Plenty’s petition in Parliament on Wednesday, 31 May but has warned that either the council or a community group must be prepared to take ownership of the buildings to prevent them being sold off.
Ferntree Gully Liberal candidate Nick Wakeling is also keeping a close eye on the situation after declaring in May that the buildings must stay in the hands of the community.
Mr Wakeling said the retention of the former Ferntree Gully Shire Hall, which is now the Knox Community Health Service, provided the perfect example of how an historic building could be kept for community benefit.
“It would be fantastic if the historic buildings at Ferntree Gully Primary School could be put to good use like the Ferntree Gully Shire Hall has been,” he said.