Old Bega Hospital Reserve Land Manager

Acting Chair’s Report to Land Manager meeting on 10 December 2024 prior to standing down at end of appointment on 12 December 2024

I had not expected to be writing the 2024 report as I stood down last year: but am doing so as Vice-Chair of the Land Manager as sad circumstances decreed that Eric Myers was not able to attend many meetings. I record also that Claire Lupton, a long term Land Manager member, died unexpectedly in late June 2024. We have missed their input but carried on with the OBH major restoration task which has been the focus of each Trust and Land Manager since the devastating fire in May 2004. I was appointed to the OBH Reserve Trust in December 2003 so only experienced a complete site to manage for 3 meetings in early 2004 before the fire. In many ways, despite the best efforts of the trustees, the site was in poor condition. Although there were 41 groups using the site at that time, income was limited and the trust was reporting annually (a hand written document and rather hard to read) that it was unable to afford commercial (the only available type) insurance cover for the site. It would seem that the document was noted and filed with no further response from Crown Lands.

The OBH fire changed a great deal. Crown Lands officials chastised the then trust for failing to provide insurance cover. As a new member I was quite resentful that volunteer community members were being held responsible for an issue where they did not own the site; and had been reporting so for some years without any government reaction. The trust was ordered to immediately commence paying the commercial rate - some $7 to 8000 per annum - which meant there was no money left for maintenance and repairs. I note that members did effect some urgent repairs at their own expense and purchased ongoing expenses e.g. toilet paper and other necessities as well. Financial reports never revealed administrative expenses because no one claimed. Some months later it became known that Crown Lands had been prompted to check the insurance cover of all NSW sites and, it seems, many were in the same boat as OBH. It took until late 2009 before Crown Lands offered all trusts the opportunity to join the government Treasury Managed Fund Insurance scheme - about $100 per annum at this time. I can’t imagine that many trusts chose to keep their former commercial arrangement. So, as soon as trusts had some money to spare there must have been a flurry of repairs and maintenance. It certainly made a difference at OBH. I suspect that Crown Lands was deemed a low grade government responsibility where heritage was not highly valued and was poorly funded; and few tentative projects were successful.

Over the following years the roofs of almost all the outbuildings have been replaced, asbestos removed (in a special funding allocation), and many other upgrades and replacements achieved including the new veranda floor and kitchenette of the Nurses Quarters building. We had, and maintain, a good and respectful relationship with the BVSC heritage advisor and BVSC staff and Mayors and councillors: but on the understanding that BVSC supported volunteer plans and efforts but did not have the funds to effect projects (excepting in a limited way). Similarly, the trusts have engaged in information giving and project-funding seeking consultations with our state and federal members of parliament and their ever-helpful and listening staffs. I recall Andrew Constance telling us at the end of one meeting that we were “the most dedicated, passionate set of volunteers he had ever met”. We had a goal; and the determination to achieve it. It has taken 20 years - not quite what I had expected.

For a number of years, despite many funding applications submitted, it seemed our goal would not proceed. However, we persevered and, finally, an agreed combination of a Crown Lands grant and a new federal grant opportunity allowed us to spend some money on new toilets including the much needed accessible one. So we could begin to hope that our dream could succeed. When Andrew Constance called us to a meeting at OBH in February 2018 and announced that he had found a $3million source of funds we were initially stunned. We still had a wait until the aftermath of the devastating fires in 20/21 brought another source of funding that we could combine to facilitate preparatory planning. From then we have had a lot of issues to consider and decisions to make. And many hours of meeting and discussion and much thinking in between. The seven board members have not always agreed: but, for significant issues where solid agreement seemed necessary, we have sometimes agreed to put it aside for a few days and come together again for further consideration. Pursuing our restoration goal was more important than personal preferences and we have all practiced .compromise. We have found the architects chosen for the project to be respectful of our dream and done their best to honour it. A heritage project presents many challenges - in what stays true to the original presentation and what can be sourced now. Many more choices and decisions!

It was an amazing day in late June 2023 when our (Land Manager board) chosen project manager (Public Works) chosen local construction firm (LeserBuild) arrived on site and started work. And so it has continued through 2024. It is almost completed but not quite the full restoration that we had planned. The last couple of years have brought huge increases in material costs in the building trade and that has forced some compromises in scale. The Land Manager has recently identified several possible sources of further funding to complete the original plan and has submitted applications.

These decisions will not be known until early 2025.

By mid-2024 we became aware that various people had approached the LeserBuild staff and been shown through the works; and were reporting that the work was impressive. As the principals in this project we were becoming concerned that we hadn’t been the first to view the progress.

However, in July the board and Friends committee members were invited to take a look. We can only say we were impressed too. LeserBuild has been very generous in what they have done so well and the extras they have included. They have had concerns that some of what the Land Manager could not afford would reflect more upon LeserBuild neglect rather than the LM. It has been a very harmonious relationship between LeserBuild, the project manager, Public Works and especially Design5 architectural staff and Richard as the LM representative and John as someone frequently on site. As the Land Manager members, we are very proud of what this group has achieved. One sad note is that Claire, who had been a very strong advocate for the installation of the community kitchen - following on the successful former community kitchen in the old Bega Town Hall – died suddenly 2 weeks before we were able to tour the Main building. Although the kitchen was not fully installed at the visit she could have seen the kitchen items that she had been a part of choosing.

In the meantime the five year gazetted appointments of the Land Manager Board will finish on 12 December. Three members - myself, Richard Bomford and Eric Myers - of the current Board have elected to stand down and three nominated to serve again (and been accepted pending a preliminary internal Crown Lands procedure). A fourth person - new to the board and currently not identified - I understand will join the experienced three -John Reynolds, Jay Ellard and Gordon Beattie. The board can consist of up to 7 members. It is rather disappointing that only the Bega Men’s Shed has nominated a tenant member. Crown Lands prefers members who are actively involved with community activities on site so that decisions are made with a strong comprehension of relevant activity. These four face a big task ahead to create a thriving hub of eclectic cultural and community activities. The current board has spent considerable time and effort thinking and planning policy to get the activity started. The challenge is to balance the intention to be attentive to wishes of the centre tenants and participants while providing the practical administrative foundation, fiscal commonsense and ongoing “care, control and management” which Crown Lands and the funding bodies demand. Many thanks, also, for the assistance of Bendigo Bank and the Community Foundation (and Graham Stubbs in particular).

One point I would mention is that, although Crown Lands have provided some of the funding for this restoration project, they have - to my surprise - not thought it necessary to nominate a staff member as the first point of contact between the department and the appointed Land Manager. I note there is some official checking arrangement. The restoration has been a very large project for a small, volunteer board. There have been times when such a contact would have been very useful and time saving. I would like to recommend such an arrangement to support any other volunteer boards tackling such a task. I know Bega is a long way from the Goulburn Office where there is some administrative responsibility for OBH. When we came under the responsibility of the Nowra Office, we had occasional official visits. So the Land Manager members got to know the officials and they, us. That worked very well. Clearly, modern technology has provided photographic input to the written documents but it can’t compete with a personal visit and a chance to appreciate the atmosphere of the building and the site in general.

We have been very grateful for the support provided by the Bega District News over the years and the generosity of the business community and the Bega Chamber of Commerce. I thank the OBH tenants for their practical help and forbearance over the construction period. And their practical contribution to the fundraising events - the Trivia Night and Raise the Roof -organised by the Friends of OBH Inc and the Events Committee. I thank the spouses and families of the Land Managers and Friends for their patience and forbearance over the years of formal and informal meetings and lots of thinking, despair and distraction. Most of all - thank you to the Land Manager members themselves who have given up years of time and effort to achieve this restoration. And never gave up! One group which has also provided much welcome practical assistance is the people serving out their Community Service Orders at OBH. And all the locals and visitors who have attended activities at OBH over the years and helped to make our fundraising events so successful. The Raise the Roof event in October was an outstanding event and the first opportunity for the Land Manager to be able to show people through the almost finished main building. A great day of celebration of achievement and a demonstration of the quality of construction skills and style in the Bega Valley.

Over the last couple of years Claire Lupton had been working on writing the history of OBH in conjunction with Rebecca, her daughter. We had thought it was finished but we have identified several men in the district who stayed at OBH in the Boys’ Hostel while they attended Bega High School during the week - boys who lived too far out of town to be able to travel in each day and went home each weekend. We’re working on conducting interviews with them so that we have captured a part of each era of activity since 1888. Then the Land Manager will discuss possible publishing opportunities with Rebecca and the Lupton Family. I have read the current edition through at Rebecca’s request. I think it makes a terrific read. Hopefully an edition will be available for sale in 2025.

With all the above support and interest in the restored Main Building, I have great confidence that OBH will continue making a strong, useful and welcome contribution to the Bega Valley community fabric.

Patricia Jones, Acting Chairperson