This humble weatherboard building in Moore Street, in the heart of the Liverpool CBD, was built almost 100 years ago in 1930.
Bu unless it is heritage listed in a hurry, the old Liverpool Scout Hall will soon be history – demolished and eventually forgotten.
The owners, the NSW Scout Association, have put it up for auction on July 25.
Fighting to save this priceless piece of Liverpool and South West Sydney heritage from demolition is the local historical society.
Glen op Den Brouw (pictured below), the long time president of Liverpool Historical Society, has written to the NSW Heritage Council urging it to list it as a heritage item on the NSW Register.
That would help prevent any plans for demolition, and probably scupper the proposed auction of the site.
He has also written to the minister and the governor of NSW.
“The process of having the Scout Hall listed has dragged on for several years now as the NSW Scout Association have lobbied Liverpool councillors against having it listed locally,’’ Mr op Den Brouw wrote in his letter.
“The scouts claimed it has no heritage value, that they would be financially disadvantaged if it was listed and claim the hall would be too expensive to restore.
“This claim is nonsense as it is their fault to have left it to be demolished by neglect for the past 20 years.
“They also don’t recognize the land was gifted to them by a group of Liverpool philanthropists and the cost of the building of the hall paid by local Liverpool fundraising,’’ he said in the letter.
Despite the Liverpool Council heritage officer recommending the listing to councillors, the motion to have it listed was defeated 5-4 at the May meeting of council.
“I urge the heritage council to act quickly to protect the hall from demolition,’’ Mr op Den Brouw wrote in his letter.
“Its heritage value is without any doubt. As a scout hall, it has local, state, national and international heritage value.’’
Mr op Den Brouw told the South West Voice there was one more reason the old scout hall building should avoid demolition.
“It would also be the oldest standing if not the last weatherboard building in the CBD,’’ he said.
“There’s a few fibros hanging in there, but most of them are derelict awaiting demolition.’’
