Friends of Newcastle Baths (FONOB) believe an application from the City of Newcastle to have the Newcastle ocean baths listed on the State Heritage Register should now proceed without further delay.
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The possible heritage loss to this city is too high to contemplate, the consequences too tragic to imagine. After more than 100 years, the old school, rustic, robust, simple, and open-air character of the baths could be lost forever.
Generations of memories will be consigned to photographs.
On December 18, 2021, the Newcastle Herald reported that the City of Newcastle would formally apply to list the Newcastle ocean baths on the State Heritage Register (SHR). The Herald also quotes a NSW Heritage spokesperson as stating that NSW Heritage had not received a State Heritage Listing nomination form for the Newcastle ocean baths.
FONOB applied to Heritage NSW for documents under the Freedom of Information Act (GIPA) following our unsuccessful application for an Interim Heritage Order (IHO) to stop the concreting of the pool floor.
Several of these documents reveal that The City of Newcastle has been encouraged and advised how to proceed with an application for nominating Newcastle ocean baths on the SHR.
On March 10, 2022, to quote from a letter by a CN officer defending CN intentions for Stage 1 works at NOB: "We are proceeding with works to examine the requirements to nominate the site to be listed on the State Heritage Register, noting the prerequisite of a Notice of Motion from Council to proceed with any application."
On March 17, 2022, the executive director Heritage NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet writes to the acting manager of assets and projects at City of Newcastle explaining the reasons for refusing FONOB's application for an IHO. The executive director says: "I am aware the City of Newcastle is prepared to nominate the Newcastle Ocean Baths for State Heritage Register. If the City of Newcastle is still considering such a nomination, please see details of the nomination process on our website here."
This is certainly a very clear instruction for the City of Newcastle on how to proceed.
On March 24, 2022, the senior heritage officer in summarising the refusal of rejection of the IHO regarding concreting of the pool floor also said: "The Newcastle Ocean Baths is of heritage significance for many other values, none of which are under threat due to the redevelopment project." (Concreting of pool floor). However, the senior heritage officer further says: "The Newcastle Ocean Baths are likely to be of State heritage significance, and has encouraged the City of Newcastle (and the Friends of Newcastle Baths) to complete a nomination for State Heritage Significance."
The GIPA documents reveal that the chances of a successful application is high if Newcastle Council stops dragging the chain and proceeds with an application. A document, reference no. #8B, from the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) that was prepared for a Heritage NSW preliminary assessment of the heritage significance of Newcastle ocean baths and pavilion complex against the Heritage Council's heritage significance criteria, indicates that it does meet the threshold for state significance.
The document lists seven criteria why the Newcastle ocean baths and pavilion may be of state heritage significance. The criteria are: historical values, associations with people or groups of people, aesthetic values, community esteem, research potential, rarity, and lastly representative values.
The document outlines why Newcastle ocean baths and pavilion would be of state heritage significance to the people of Newcastle and NSW, describing the baths and pavilion not only as an architectural style that may be considered rare in Newcastle and NSW, but an icon of Newcastle, dominating the city coastline as a stage for the cultural pursuit of ocean bathing and contributing to Newcastle's sense of identity and providing a social contribution to a community's sense of place.
The rare quality of the size of the canoe pool and its former world map relief structure is also noted. The document can be viewed at savenewcastlebaths.com
The full cost of the stage 2 restoration may be in the tens of millions. FONOB believes there is no doubt from the GIPA documents we have obtained that the Newcastle ocean baths and pavilion are worthy of an application for State Heritage listing by the City of Newcastle.
We look for leadership from the elected council to proceed with a notice of motion and application to Heritage NSW. Almost 19 months have passed since the City of Newcastle said it would formally apply. Surely there is no justification in further delaying the application.
There is much heated debate about the next stage of restoration of Newcastle ocean baths. Here is a suggestion: have Newcastle ocean baths complex listed on the State Heritage Register, then NSW Heritage can be the umpire for what stays and goes in the restoration.
FONOB offered to help the City of Newcastle with an application in March 2021, and again in February 2022, when we were told our offer was appreciated, but we wait in vain while major changes are being planned for our beloved baths. We offer this help once again.
Peter Wickham is the president of Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths
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