Latest news with #ParagonCafe
The Age
3 days ago
- Business
- The Age
This idea helped build the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Could it save NSW heritage?
The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge wouldn't exist today except for popular public lotteries that sold millions of tickets to support their construction. Now experts say a lottery like the UK Heritage Fund, which has raised $19 billion over the past 30 years, could save NSW's heritage before it is too late. The fund provides grants of $20,000 to $20 million to projects ranging from oral histories to castles and outdoor pools. Thanks to the British public, a $10 million payout supported the restoration of Brighton's art deco Saltdean Lido to its previous grandeur. The outdoor pool was built in the same era and style as the North Sydney Pool and Newcastle Baths. Asked whether she supports the idea of a UK-style heritage lottery, NSW Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe replied: 'We are open to any idea that could help raise funding for our state's heritage.' Sharpe said the government was committed to better supporting communities to protect, commemorate and enhance heritage for the next generations. The NSW draft heritage strategy released in mid-May – open for public feedback until early July – said more funding for conservation and enforcement had been a top concern in consultations. It coincided with coverage of the decline in Katoomba of famous art deco properties, including its old cinema, the Paragon Cafe and Mount St Mary's College and Convent. Former premier Bob Carr, now chair of the Australian Heritage Council and the Museums of History NSW, said it was worth interrogating how the UK heritage lottery worked, though criticism was inevitable. As a form of gambling, a heritage lottery was 'a relatively benign one, compared with poker machines and casinos'.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
This idea helped build the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Could it save NSW heritage?
The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge wouldn't exist today except for popular public lotteries that sold millions of tickets to support their construction. Now experts say a lottery like the UK Heritage Fund, which has raised $19 billion over the past 30 years, could save NSW's heritage before it is too late. The fund provides grants of $20,000 to $20 million to projects ranging from oral histories to castles and outdoor pools. Thanks to the British public, a $10 million payout supported the restoration of Brighton's art deco Saltdean Lido to its previous grandeur. The outdoor pool was built in the same era and style as the North Sydney Pool and Newcastle Baths. Asked whether she supports the idea of a UK-style heritage lottery, NSW Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe replied: 'We are open to any idea that could help raise funding for our state's heritage.' Sharpe said the government was committed to better supporting communities to protect, commemorate and enhance heritage for the next generations. The NSW draft heritage strategy released in mid-May – open for public feedback until early July – said more funding for conservation and enforcement had been a top concern in consultations. It coincided with coverage of the decline in Katoomba of famous art deco properties, including its old cinema, the Paragon Cafe and Mount St Mary's College and Convent. Former premier Bob Carr, now chair of the Australian Heritage Council and the Museums of History NSW, said it was worth interrogating how the UK heritage lottery worked, though criticism was inevitable. As a form of gambling, a heritage lottery was 'a relatively benign one, compared with poker machines and casinos'.
The Age
13-05-2025
- The Age
Skip this ‘forlorn' Blue Mountains town? You'll be missing out
Once upon a time, in the dawn of Australian tourism during the early 20th century, the Blue Mountains hub of Katoomba was the cutting edge of style, a place where Sydney socialites came to 'take the air' and party in grand hotels with spectacular vistas of the vast Jamison Valley. During the 1920s and '30s, it was known as the honeymoon capital of Australia; while generations of Sydney families have fond memories of weekends admiring the famous Three Sisters or riding the Scenic Railway. But as noted by this masthead on Saturday, poor old Katoomba has seen better days. Many of its once-glorious heritage buildings, including the ornate Paragon Cafe, are in a shocking state of decay – boarded up, scarred by graffiti, uninhabitable. Blue Mountains residents, myself included, are invariably appalled by the neglect, frustrated by the lack of action and accountability as local council, Heritage NSW and absentee slum landlords play the blame game for the sorry state of affairs. But to suggest Katoomba be avoided by the three million tourists who visit the region each year or bypassed en route to the sights of Echo Point does the town a major disservice. For behind the grunge and 'to lease' signs lies a quirky, eclectic soul, with a vibrancy and funkiness reminiscent of inner-Sydney suburbs like Newtown or Enmore. From thrift stores to art galleries, cafes to bookshops, there's no better place to potter and poke around than K-Town, especially if the weather is inclement (as it so often is!) And for every neglected building, many more have been lovingly restored by business owners passionate about the region's heritage. Overseeing the town behind an imposing circular driveway is the magnificent circa-1883 Carrington Hotel, its stained-glass windows and Tiffany dome a wonder to behold; while across the road, the dress circle of the art deco Savoy Theatre now houses the retro-fitted Avalon Restaurant, replete with Barbie dolls in birdcages and creepy boa-wearing mannequins. A few steps down Katoomba Street leads to an old bank building, now the excellent Tempus restaurant; while beyond the eye-catching street art of Beverly Place is Bowery, a chic cocktail bar and restaurant within the walls of an old Federation-Romanesque church.
Sydney Morning Herald
13-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Skip this ‘forlorn' Blue Mountains town? You'll be missing out
Once upon a time, in the dawn of Australian tourism during the early 20th century, the Blue Mountains hub of Katoomba was the cutting edge of style, a place where Sydney socialites came to 'take the air' and party in grand hotels with spectacular vistas of the vast Jamison Valley. During the 1920s and '30s, it was known as the honeymoon capital of Australia; while generations of Sydney families have fond memories of weekends admiring the famous Three Sisters or riding the Scenic Railway. But as noted by this masthead on Saturday, poor old Katoomba has seen better days. Many of its once-glorious heritage buildings, including the ornate Paragon Cafe, are in a shocking state of decay – boarded up, scarred by graffiti, uninhabitable. Blue Mountains residents, myself included, are invariably appalled by the neglect, frustrated by the lack of action and accountability as local council, Heritage NSW and absentee slum landlords play the blame game for the sorry state of affairs. But to suggest Katoomba be avoided by the three million tourists who visit the region each year or bypassed en route to the sights of Echo Point does the town a major disservice. For behind the grunge and 'to lease' signs lies a quirky, eclectic soul, with a vibrancy and funkiness reminiscent of inner-Sydney suburbs like Newtown or Enmore. From thrift stores to art galleries, cafes to bookshops, there's no better place to potter and poke around than K-Town, especially if the weather is inclement (as it so often is!) And for every neglected building, many more have been lovingly restored by business owners passionate about the region's heritage. Overseeing the town behind an imposing circular driveway is the magnificent circa-1883 Carrington Hotel, its stained-glass windows and Tiffany dome a wonder to behold; while across the road, the dress circle of the art deco Savoy Theatre now houses the retro-fitted Avalon Restaurant, replete with Barbie dolls in birdcages and creepy boa-wearing mannequins. A few steps down Katoomba Street leads to an old bank building, now the excellent Tempus restaurant; while beyond the eye-catching street art of Beverly Place is Bowery, a chic cocktail bar and restaurant within the walls of an old Federation-Romanesque church.
The Age
29-04-2025
- The Age
The state of the iconic Paragon Cafe left everyone in shock. Now ‘enough is enough'
The NSW government has started formal action against the owner of the heritage-listed Paragon Cafe in the Blue Mountains, claiming the Sydney solicitor failed to protect the 110-year-old building that lives large in the childhood memories of visitors to Katoomba. Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said the Paragon was an 'incredibly important historical site and protected on the State Heritage Register'. 'The failure to protect this item has been devastating for those who have been hoping to see the building restored to its former glory,' she said. The decision follows visits by NSW Heritage and council officers to the art deco cafe in Katoomba to inspect extensive damage caused by squatters and thieves to its once richly decorated interior that spans three floors, including a ballroom. Images leaked to the Friends of the Paragon Cafe a week ago by an anonymous source showed water damage in its wood panelling, and its historic marble and mirrors were covered in graffiti. Said to be the last of the very best of the Greek cafes that were once popular across Australia, the Paragon's famous Moruya-marble soda foundation was graffitied with RIP. Areas where families ate the Paragon's famous chocolate, or stopped for a milkshake, had been used by squatters and others for parties and to drink beer and take drugs. On Monday, Heritage NSW gave solicitor John Landerer, whose company Conset Investments owns the cafe, notice of its intention to issue a heritage compliance order under Section 120 of the act. If an order is issued under the act, an owner can be compelled to commence repairs. They can be prosecuted for or convicted of an offence in respect of the failure to maintain or repair a property.
