The Bathurst and District Branch of the National Trust has presented their monthly heritage award for July to a joint Oberon/O'Connell project aiming to restore the region's historic buildings.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Oberon Council allocated a $110,000 grant from the NSW Government's Office of Environment and Heritage towards a series of workshops teaching O'Connell residents how to maintain and repair earth buildings.
O'Connell is believed to have one of the highest surviving concentrations of earth buildings in Australia, with some structures dating back to the early 1800s.
For workshop coordinator Angus McKibbin, fond memories of playing in the state heritage-listed Lindlegreen Barn [built in 1827] as a child encouraged him to kick-start the project.
"Over the last 50 years, I've watched the barn deteriorate and after discussions with the current owners, we decided to resurrect the building before it was too late," Mr McKibbin said.
"There's a lot of earth buildings around O'Connell that have been demolished over the years because the owners had no idea how to repair them."
In late May and early June, Mr McKibbin ran three workshops for the O'Connell community, attracting an average of 20 participants to each event.
Mr McKibbin said the restoration of earth buildings is a very hands-on process that relies more on traditional construction skills.
"We mix the dirt with clay, straw and sand to create cob, a natural material that is continuously piled on top of each other to mold and reinforce a structure," he said.
"Modern building materials such as concrete are unsuitable for these structures because the build-up of moisture causes the foundations to rapidly deteriorate."
Mr McKibbin and his team are currently working on four buildings in the O'Connell area, and said the heritage award was recognition for the outstanding efforts of all involved.
"We've now got a great group of people around O'Connell with traditional building knowledge, and we hope to continue this project," he said.
Iain McPherson, chairman of the National Trust's local branch, said the workshops received the award on the basis of their strong drive to preserve the region's history.
"If we're going to protect and promote our heritage, it requires a collaborative effort between communities and authorities," Mr McPherson said.
Oberon mayor Kathy Sajowitz said council were honoured to partner with O'Connell for the project.
"Council is in the process of developing a village plan with the O'Connell community, which will encompass a variety of heritage projects," Ms Sajowitz said.