Discussion

Adding information to the web site

This is evolving as we go along...

Images need to be 72 dpi and 35cm wide

file names come up in searches, so do the address, but do not use search tags (the idea is to search the site pages)

additional detail EG kitchen, door, electrical plate, joinery, furniture etc can be searched through image names

naming image files - keep simple, avoid search tags but includes description eg door, kitchen, eucalyptus, stonework

eg

8 Smith

8 Smith side

8 Smith rubbish bin

8 Smith Ave if 8 Smith exists

Pages

Start at the Shire and work down, making pages for suburb and street

then a new page for each place

name as 8 Campbell (no St) with house /business name

include suburb name somewhere in the page

so we can search by suburb

put the most recent photos at the top of the page

most relevant search tags at the top of the page, others can be in description

add any other description directly under the image then leave a space

I started with a search tag "beach house" but decided not to refer to "beach" as it is too subjective

so just use "post WW2 house"

add a question mark if unsure

November 29th update

We have extended the program to the16th March 2012 to give more time for uploading and to make conclusions about the Moffat Beach pilot study. We have had some good press coverage which is recorded on the "News" page of the website. There has been a lot of favorable comments. Cr Tim Dwer is correct in pointing out that conservation of these houses and Moffat's character in general will have an impact on the development rights of individuals, and is a "difficult" one for Council. There is, however a view that the character of Moffat impacts on "value" for everyone, and that a more flexible response from Council might result in better conservation outcomes. For instance, facilitating development in the backyards, or relaxing carparking for adaptive reuse. Work on the website is going well. We are starting to tag the "good examples" for easy searching

Press Release

25th Oct

Friends of the Caloundra Lighthouses

Post War Moffat Beach Pilot Study

With a grant from the Sunshine Coast Council, the friends are working on a project to investigate post World War 2 development on the Coast. The initial work involves a pilot study of Moffat Beach. The idea is to do a photographic survey of the existing development, and compare with historical aerial photos and maps in order to find out what remains from the post war period.

The buildings of the time reflected the laid back beach culture and have a distinctive style. Moffat Beach has a good number of surviving examples, and they underly its unique character. When people built in the city they wanted to project their wealth and success, but at the beach all that could be left behind. Enclosure of “personal territory” was not a big consideration either, and there was less desire to “tame the landscape”.

The Friends believe we need a better understanding of this aspect of our heritage, and with understanding will come respect. The Coast’s population is growing at an exponential rate. While there is a clear need to develop to accommodate this increase, it does not have to be at the cost of the heritage places which have traditionally defined the Coast’s character and identity.

The current planning scheme lists only two buildings of heritage significance on the old Caloundra City Council coastal strip. The study may well recommend that Council takes a more proactive approach to conservation of places connected with the Post WW2 boom. One possibility for Moffat Beach is that a character area could be declared. If Council was at the negotiating table at planning stage, better outcomes could be possible. Places are being lost, often for no good reason other than failure to consider and facilitate conservation outcomes.

Moffat’s narrow 16 perch blocks are unsuitable for McMansion style residences, where the street frontage ends up a two meter high solid fence and garage doors. Maybe we need some design guidelines and incentives to conserve the better examples from the post war era. Often people come to the Coast, then buy, demolish and build before they really understand the local culture.

A web site has been set up at www.sunshinecoastplaces.com.au It is hoped that this project is a starting point only. The site can go on to record significant places throughout the Sunshine Coast. There are currently web sites for historic photos, but none which aim to build up information for individual places. There is a search box and a list of suggested search tags. As the site is developed, people will be able to search specific areas of heritage.

The web site launch is Saturday 5th November, 11:00am, at architect Roger Todd’s studio at 8 Campbell St, Moffat Beach. All are welcome. We are still looking for old photos and stories. The office will be open all day, so feel free to drop in and learn more. Bring photos for scanning, or on a memory stick.

Press Release

6th Sept

Heritage of the Beach House

So what is a beach house? Is it just a house at the beach, or is more than that?

Where did the idea come from? Is it just a post WW2 thing? What does it mean to the Sunshine Coast? Is it part of our heritage?

The Friends of the Caloundra Lighthouses want to find out. Together with a group from the Australian Institute of Architects, and with help from a grant from the Sunshine Coast Council, they plan to complete a pilot study at Moffat Beach.

President of the Friends, architect Roger Todd, has been a resident of Moffat since the early 1980’s, and has seen a lot of houses built in the post WW2 boom lost to new development. He believes that the surviving building stock forms part of the essential character of the Coast, yet as a community, we don’t encourage their conservation; and we don’t understand and promote them enough as part of our heritage and character.

When people built in the city they wanted to project their wealth and success, but at the beach all that could be left behind. Enclosure of “personal territory” was not a big consideration either, and there was less desire to “tame the landscape”. The buildings conveyed a feeling of a relaxed holiday lifestyle at the beach. Some were quite stylistic, reflecting modern architectural ideas, others were more humble, maybe owner built - one step up from a campsite.

The rationing of the war years had finished. There was prosperity and all that came with it - jobs, holidays, cars, better roads. The 1950’s saw the biggest building boom since the gold rushes, and the post war baby boom is evidence of the optimism of the times. Modernist architecture had an impact, and new material and technologies were available.

The study will include taking photos from the street of all the buildings in the central Moffat area to provide a record of what is there now. Comparison with early maps and photos of the area will provide information of what remains from the post war period. We should then be able to draw conclusions and suggest strategies to retain character.

Preserving the original places is not always possible, but better promotion may influence people to consider a conservation approach rather than demolition. There are often advantages to working with the existing rather than taking a “clean slate” approach. Leaving some “memory” of what came before gives another dimension to a building.

There is currently no system through Council to provide guidance and concessions if required for conservation. People building new houses could might tune into these ideas rather than importing styles more suitable to somewhere else. Our relaxed beach lifestyle and character could be compromised unless we are more proactive.

We are appealing to the public to help us document some of the stories and pictures of the times. Even if we lose the buildings, we can hang onto the ideas and memories. This is “baby boomer heritage”. If we do not record it now, it may be lost forever.

Interested people are invited drop in to 8 Campbell St, Moffat Beach, on Saturday 24th September to find out more. If you have any photos from the 50’s and 60’s showing buildings and street scenes, maybe holiday photos with buildings in the background, we would like to put as much as possible on our website. There is a test site at http://sites.google.com/site/sunshinecoastplaces. Roger’s email is toddarch@powerup.com.au

11th Aug 2011

We are signed up to to do a pilot study of Moffat Beach, so we would aim to photograph all the buildings within a limited area, house by house, street by street, then we would identify examples from post WW2 so they would come up in a search. We can add more “in depth” information for selected buildings. Examples of post WW2 buildings beyond the study area can also be added, but we will not do the “house by house” documentation.

The web site is set up to capture a wide range of significant places or classes of places across the Coast, both existing and “lost”. We were originally working on three projects - post WW2, late 20th Century architects work, and view corridors. The site is searchable and search “tags” are listed on the home page, and at the top of each page as applicable. These can be added to as more classes of place are added to the site - so, for instance, you could search for an architect’s name, state listings, 1940’s, tree etc. Currently, if I search post WW2, seven addresses come up.

So there is no real limit to what places could be added. I would hope that the site would be added to with more projects in the future, and that it would eventually become a key source of information. The web site is set up to record any significant place or classes of places across the Coast

For Dragi’s example, you could include a tag or tags called “modified landscape” “pathways” or “steps”. I can think of places around Moffat Beach which would fit those headings too - so as information is added, you could find other places on the coast that are similar.

Cheers Roger.

At this stage do we have a list of buildings we are wanting to document or are we waiting on community suggestions / feedback as well?

Dan Sparks

Thanks Roger

Should be able to make it…. U12 soccer dependant.

Regards

Adrian

Hi Roger,

What are the criteria for place or building inclusion, are landscapes also to be included, ie built or natural, for instance Coolum 2nd bay 99 rock steps built by locals with no council knowledge.

regs

dragi (no”e” on the end)

Hi Roger

I have just looked at the site. I thought you were focusing on beach houses

but you have included the whole caboodle! Vv ambitious

See you on Saturday

Meredith

10th Aug 2011

Thanks Dan

I’m thinking you won’t be the only one in that situation

The meeting on Saturday was really just a chance to get together, talk about the project, maybe see how to upload information. Some of us have distances to travel too, so Im happy to do it electronically. That said, I’ll be here and pleased to catch up with whoever can make it.

I’m really not in a position to ask for much of people’s time. There are 12 of us booked in to help, so that is only $500 plus GST each after expenses. (more if not everyone is available)

The most important dates are the public meeting on Sat 24th Sept and the launch on Sat 5th Nov. Much of the work will be photographing places or receiving information and posting on the web site, but we also need people at the research and conclusions ends. Meredith has indicated she will help with the final report.

I have a page on the site for Research - we could put any documents or references there.

We can get some press coverage to advertise the public meeting. I thought we could do it our front yard - it would save costs and its right in the middle of Moffat.

We can BBQ some prawns and stuff. Maybe we could do some photos and scan stuff on the same day. We are sure to drag out some information from the public. Maybe we could ask them to email in photos and written stories. If anyone doesn’t want to do uploading, they could email too

The launch may be more of the same, then another three weeks so more could be uploaded

I’ve attached the budget (area with green text is projected)

I’m still wrestling with Google Apps to get the web site up beyond 100MB - I think I set it up without the www in front so need to wait a week before the first account lapses then try again. Then I will be able to sign people up to the account.

Cheers

Roger

On 10/08/2011, at 2:53 PM, Dan Sparks wrote:

Hi Roger,

I have been meaning to get back to you about Saturday. I have been flat out. Unfortunately I can't make the Saturday meeting. I am still very keen to help out though. Do you know roughly how many hours per week it will entail? rate we doing it in teams? What exactly we be required of us??? No doubt questions which would be answered on saturday but if you could bring me up to speed as much as possible it would be most apprciated.

Dan Sparks

Hi all

Time to get to work on this one

I have signed you all up to edit the web site

https://sites.google.com/site/sunshinecoastplaces

You need to open a Google account the sign in to add pages and information

I've booked in Sat 13th 1:00pm to meet up and do some planning/web site familiarization

We could meet at my place at 8 Campbell St Moffat Beach

Or I've added a Discussion page on the site so we can talk to each other there

Attached is the program

I still need to figure out how we can get a searchable web address

Thanks all

Roger