WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO THE EXISTING BUILDINGS AND OPEN SPACE ON MIDDLE HEAD?
Cubba Cubba Project is all about working to achieve better outcomes for the magnificent natural resources that we are lucky to still have exist in the middle of a large, modern international city. It has been a series of unplanned intentions that meant Middle Head did not get changed dramatically after the First Europeans arrived in 1788. Sydney Cove, The Rocks, The Tank Stream, Dawes Point, Barangaroo, Garden Island and The Domain would be unrecognizeable now to Eora people living in the Sydney Basin in 1787. But because of a number of historic decisions and events Middle Head has remained relatively untouched compared to most of the fringes of Sydney Harbour
it was allocated a defence role in the new colony very early on
the soil made it totally unsuitable for European style of farming
the headland was far too rocky and steep to be used for housing, especially around the water’s edge
In 2016 the community should be more thoroughly engaged in the process of deciding how the future use of Cubba Cubba (Middle Head) is decided.
By broadening the spread of people and organisations who are brought into the discussions about the future of Middle Head the better the chance of finding the optimal solutions or ideas
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING IDEAS
Cultural
Historic
Social
Environmental
Economic
Middle Head should not be used as a land bank – selling or leasing off chunks of this national landscape to fund NSW Government projects elsewhere in Sydney – such as motorways, metro rail lines
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Doing more with less
IDEAS LIST
Investing in a Bungaree Cultural hub for all types of activities that can be showcased in Cubba Cubba’s national landscape – theatre, dance, opera, bush tucker
Investing in vocational training that will leverage the success of activities already happening at NCIE, Tribal Warrior, etc
Indigenous experience events for interstate and international visitors
An outpost for Sydney’s new International Conference Centre at Darling Harbour
“Black markets” – farmers produce, Indigenous craft work, which is already working well at Carriage Works, La Perouse, and Barangaroo.
Major focal point 1 in the landscape for 19th military history on Middle Head, which would be located adjacent to the artillery installations of that period
Major focal point 2 in the landscape for the 20th century military history on Middle Head, including the WW I era military hospital, WW II training infrastructure and the “tiger cages” used for training during the Vietnam War,
Major focal point 3 for the 20th century military should recognise the role of “Black ANZACS in every war since the Boer War.
Multi-purpose education facility, which could be booked by local and remote universities, TAFEs and private vocational trainers who want to offer short or medium length courses which could benefit from a classroom setting in an area of outstanding natural geological, bush and marine environment e.g. tourism and hospitality courses, environment management, land care, marine studies, Aboriginal language and culture, Aboriginal Studies Cert 3 and 4 for TAFE and secondary students, carpentry, maritime qualifications using wharf in Chowder Bay and classrooms on Middle Head.
John Young
14-jan-2017