Singleton Council votes against heritage listing of Ravensworth Homestead and Scott Franks sends request to NSW Heritage Council calling for urgent interim protection of the site

This decision by Singleton Councillors promoted an immediate response from Scott Franks, a representative of the Plains Clan of the Wonnarua People (PCWP), who has led a long campaign to have the site protected.

On Tuesday (February 28) his legal representatives, the NSW Environmental Defenders Office, sent a letter to the NSW Heritage Council calling for an urgent interim protection order for the site.

Mr Franks is of the opinion a development application could be made to relocate or demolish the Ravensworth Homestead, and that in the absence of a listing on the State Heritage Register or an Interim Heritage Order, the Heritage Council would not be consulted on an application to do so.

"Don't they realise the importance of this complex, the colonial history alone should make them want to protect the site. I am shocked at Council's vote absolutely shocked," he said.

"On my heritage I would say to Council why do a welcome to country if you don't care about our Wonnarua country.

"This whole process stinks in my opinion as I never had a chance to speak at the Council meeting."

Cr McNamara's motion was seconded by Cr Mel McLachlan and Crs Tony Jarrett, Sue George and Danny Thompson spoke in favour of the motion.

Those who voted in support of the motion were Sue Moore, Tony McNamara, Val Scott, Danny Thompson, Sue George, Tony Jarrett and Mel McLachlan.

Only Cr Sarah Johnstone voted against the motion. Hollee Jenkins recused herself and Godfrey Adamthwaite was absent from the meeting.

Cr Johnstone said the support for the heritage listing was recommended by Council's heritage advisor and heritage committee and she voted for their recommendations.

"I have to say I was blindsided by the motion, to reject that recommendation" she said.

Cr Scott, who is a member of the heritage advisory committee, said she voted to support the motion because she was concerned about another historic home being lost due to mining company neglect.

Speaking before the formal Council meeting and therefore not recorded was Stewart Ewen representing the Broke Village Square and Shane Scott from Glencore's Glendell mine.Both spoke in support of not listing the homestead on the heritage register instead relocating it to Broke.

When asked why these two people were able to make a public presentation to the Councillors Singleton Council said Council staff emailed Glencore Glendell Mine (as the landholder) on February 10, 2023 to advise them that the matter would be considered by Council at the February Council Meeting and they may request to present at the Public Forum. This is standard process. An application to speak at the Public Forum was received on February 17, from Shane Scott.

Singleton Council said Mr Ewen had sent Singleton Councillors a submission on the matter in January. As a matter of courtesy, Council advised Mr Ewen that a late report was being prepared on the matter for consideration at February's Council Meeting. Mr Ewen requested to participate in the Public Forum.

Singleton Council said both men spoke from prepared notes. However, a request to Glencore for comment on Mr Scott's speech was declined.

The Ravensworth Homestead complex and its associated pastoral holding was established by surgeon Dr James Bowman from the 1820s with the historic homestead built in the 1830s.

Ravensworth Homestead become a place of controversy in recent years as it is located atop of a significant coal reserve which mining giant Glencore wished to extract by relocating the homestead.

The plans, known as the Glendell Continuation Project, were rejected by the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) in October 2022. The reason for the IPC's refusal was the heritage value of the homestead and its surrounds.

Following the IPC determination the NSW Heritage Council proposed listing the site on their heritage register.

Speaking on his motion Cr McNamara said the IPC got it wrong.

He was also highly critical of the heritage assessments provided to the IPC and he was damning of the claims that massacres occurred on the Ravensworth property.

"The best thing that can happen is for the homestead to be relocated and the mine approved," he said.

"Look at Wambo homestead. I know that homestead - now it is falling down. We want to preserve Ravensworth homestead by relocating it," he said.

Glencore have not appealed the IPC determination.

In their Statement of Significance on the homestead complex the Heritage Council says:

"Ravensworth Homestead Complex and its Setting provides rare evidence of colonial efforts to expand settlement into the Hunter Valley, and the way that this impacted the lives of the Aboriginal traditional owners, settlers, overseers and convicts.

"The place retains tangible evidence of the pre-and early colonial period including Aboriginal and European archaeological remains, significant views, landscape features and cultural plantings together with the surviving c1832 homestead complex including its configuration and siting within the landscape.

"It has the potential to provide rare insights into pre and early contact Aboriginal history, colonial building techniques, 19th century lifestyles, agricultural and horticultural practices and the working lives of convicts in a non-institutional setting."

"It is also of potential State historical significance for its association with frontier violence in the Hunter Valley.

"Documentation attests to a number of escalating historical episodes of violence on and/or around the property from 1825 and the involvement of Ravensworth's European inhabitants.

"It is associated in name, and in popular consciousness with the 1832 slaughter of Aboriginal people known as the Ravensworth Massacre.

"The place is of social significance to the Wonnarua Aboriginal people as a symbol of the violence and displacement experienced by their ancestors, the effects of which continue to be experienced by the contemporary community today."