Department of Education Building - Heritage Significance

Heritage Significance

The building is widely recognised and of State Heritage significance and there is a permanent conservation order over the building, land and curtilage of the site. It is listed in the Central Sydney Local Environmental Plan, 2000, the Register of the National Estate, the National Trust of Australia and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) Register of Twentieth Century Buildings of Significance, Sydney Local Environment Plan 1992.

Building Management and tenants should be aware of the building's heritage significance in that no alterations are permitted which will compromise that status. Nowadays, some repairs and maintenance are allowed by the State Heritage Regulations, 2005.

The Education building is owned by the NSW Treasury and managed by State Property, Department of Commerce and any alterations to the building have to be approved by the Heritage Council of NSW – the Heritage Council has replaced the Heritage Branch of the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning as the consent authority.

Many of the accepted conservation policies have already been addressed. The last refurbishment of the building was done in mid 1990’s although still retaining a number of features of heritage significance.

However, there is a need for ongoing conservation work to be carried out, particularly relating to the sandstone facades and to certain designated interiors.

The building has a number of elements of major heritage significance, including:

• all sandstone elevations (i.e. street frontages to top of sandstone parapet, excluding level 8); and in particular the existing fenestration and detailing

• Several foyers and related stair lobbies preserved and enhanced, with Australian marbles in wall panelling, columns, pilasters and stair surfaces, specifically:

• Bridge Street entry porch, bronze grilles and timber doors, columned lobby including corridor access doors and hardware, stair hall excluding information booth, upper stair hall including columns and memorials and corridor access doors.

• Loftus Street entry porch stair lobby and staircases serving levels 1-7, including access doors from a sub lobby into the northern offices on each level.

• Farrer Place entry porch, bronze doors, foyer including brass edged Directory Board, but excluding contemporary lift doors and surrounds.

• Minister's private entry stair linking Young Street with level 2.

• Department of Education Ministerial Board Room including panelling, and panelled doors and relate architraves, skirting and carved over-doors, plasterwork and a purpose built bookcase that dates back to 1915. The material currently in this bookcase spans the period 1883 to 1978. The greater part of the collection is dated between 1883 and 1919 and would have been acquired by the early Directors-General of Education.

• Subject areas include:

• Child development and child psychology
• Economics and industrial relations
• Education, Australian and International
• Educational theories and educational history
• Geography
• History - American, British and European
• Literature, biographies and poetry
• NSW Parliament, legislation
• Parliamentary reports (NSW Parliament)
• Pedagogy
• Philosophy and philosophical theories
• Psychology
• Social reform, sociology and social evolution
• Statistics: Australian and New South Wales
• Theology and humanism

• William Wilkins Gallery and adjoining meeting room and related skylights, including access stair to roof.