Push is on for cottage relocation

A SLICE of local history could be preserved and moved to the Bayles Fauna Park.
For two years the park’s committee has been in talks with the Cardinia Shire Council to relocate the former Strzelecki Railway house in Cochrane Park, Kooweerup, to the site adjacent to the Bayles reserve.
Gloria O’Connor, a member of the committee and the president of the Cardinia Ratepayers and Residents Association (CRAA), said she wanted to see the old house preserved and moved to the Bayles Fauna Park.
“I think everyone agrees it would be a great advantage as caretaker accommodation to oversee security of the park and carry out some of the daily feeding and maintenance required for the welfare of the animals and their habitat,” she said.
Ms O’Connor said the Cardinia Council responded to the idea by allocating $40,000 towards the relocation project and that the committee was looking for support from local businesses if the relocation went ahead.
“But costs appear to have blown out above that figure and in order to install the building at Bayles and carry out some renovation, more financial support will be needed for the project to go ahead,” she said.“So we desperately need community interest and practical assistance from businesses and trades people to keep the project on track.”
The railway cottage is listed in the Cardinia Shire Heritage Survey as a significant part of the history of the Strzelecki Railway which serviced the Kooweerup and Lang Lang districts before closing in 1959. Ms O’Connor said there was also a similar cottage in Bayles before it was moved.
“The site of the Bayles station has been identified within the park where an identical class four railway house previously existed, and a lot of history is available about the activities of the former rail service to Strezlecki,” she said.
“Therefore there is double the advantage to be derived from relocating and restoring this original railway cottage, as it will add to the interesting history of the surrounding area and provide tourism incentives.”
Ms O’Connor, who has a keen interest in local history, said there were lessons to be learnt from selling off shire icons and important pieces of history.
“I would prefer my rates to go towards preserving some existing areas of our shire rather than writing up precinct structure plans for hundreds of new houses,” she said.
“Passing on our history is an important and valuable contribution to the future.”
Bayles Fauna Park committee president Bruce Bell said the park had a lot of potential.
“At this stage it’s sort of a semi-blank canvas, there are a few projects we’d like to undertake,” he said.“We have been preoccupied with the chance to move the house here.”
Mr Bell said it looked like the house was a rare opportunity to develop the park and secure its future.
Cardinia Council’s assets and services general manager Mike Ellis said the council was in discussions with the committee about the relocation of the railway house.
“The council met with the committee last week, and will meet with it again next week as part of the process of carefully reviewing all options before a decision is made,” he said.