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Living museum plans for Cooneana Heritage Centre
Ipswich City Council and the Ipswich Historical Society will work closely together to turn the Cooneana Heritage Centre at New Chum into a “living museum”.
Council and the society have agreed to enter into a Heads of Agreement partnership to investigate developing the Cooneana property on Redbank Plains Road, which dates back to the mid-1800s.
Works, Parks and Recreation Chief Operating Officer Bryce Hines said the IHS committee shared council’s long-held vision to see Cooneana Heritage Centre be more accessible from a tourism perspective.
“Council has recently undertaken a series of site reports for Cooneana to assess the feasibility and viability of Cooneana Heritage Centre being developed into a ‘living museum’. Council engaged a specialist consultant to review the conservation values of the site and assess the tourism potential for Ipswich as a historical recreational destination,” he said.
“Council and IHS have agreed to establish a formal strategic plan that will provide some long term support for IHS and the community groups to fulfil the vision of a historical and cultural community centre. A master plan was identified as a key project document required to address the complex historical, cultural and economic constraints and opportunities.”
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Mr Hines said the HOA combined with the master plan will assist in the delivery of priority projects and operations to offer a tourism heritage experience for Ipswich.
The document will capture a collective vision supported by a formal strategic plan to develop the site over time.
“In the interests of both parties and the Ipswich community, master / business planning for the development of Cooneana Heritage Centre should be undertaken through a partnership agreement document.”
The society, which had occupied the Cooneana property since 2002, had continued tenancy on a month-by-month basis since its lease expired in 2011.
There would now by a formal lease agreement put in place to extend the partnership.
Conservation and restoration work has been ongoing on the 150-year-old Cooneana Homestead. Initial work involved stabilising the structure to halt any further deterioration, with the house restumped.
Ipswich First
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Mentions: Redbank Plains Road · Ipswich · New Chum · Redbank Plains
Source: Ipswich First (Ipswich City Council) — CC BY 4.0.