On 12 November 2020, the National Trust (NSW) held its first-ever virtual National Trust Heritage Awards ceremony as part of of the Australian Heritage Festival. The ceremony was filmed at heritage-listed Lindesay in Darling Point, and was broadcast on YouTube, featuring special guest speakers.
Celebrating its 26th year in 2020, the National Trust Heritage Awards aims to celebrate and recognise excellence in the conservation, advocacy, education, events and interpretation of heritage in New South Wales.
Entries are called for across 10 categories, with three individual awards put forward by nomination. The prestigious Judges’ Choice Award is the singular project the jury sees as outstanding across all categories.
This year the Judge’s Choice Award went to the new Marrickville Library and Pavilion at Pateygarang Place which was entered by Inner West Council and designed by award-winning architecture firm BVN.
The new library was built into a heritage restoration of the former Marrickville Hospital. The building intergrades contemporary design and technology with the original, conserved heritage elements of the main hospital building.
Inner West Council describes the building as being uncompromising with regards to sustainability, with recycled elements wherever possible and clever design features that reduce energy consumption.
Notably, due to an increase in library shelving space, over 20,000 new books will be added to the current collection taking the collection to 85,000 books. For the first time, there will be a robotic collection available to borrow.
Additionally, the entire second floor of the library is dedicated to the Council’s historic art book collection that previously (due to space issues) was not easily accessible to the public.
The win adds to a growing list of awards for the library. Earlier this month the library took out two major awards at the prestigious Australian Institute of Architects Awards 2020.
The Inner West Mayor, Darcy Byrne, said: “This beautiful public facility is more than a library, it’s a new town square for Marrickville which is helping to bring the whole community together.”
The winners for 2020 National Trust Heritage Awards and their locations across New South Wales are:
Aboriginal Heritage
- The Springs; an Aboriginal Journey – entered by Orange City Council Orange, NSW
- Darug Caring-as-Country Project – entered by Yanama Budyari Gumada Collective Yellomundee Regional Park, Hawkesbury, NSW
Adaptive Re-use
- Marrickville Library and Pavilion – entered by Inner West Council, GML Heritage, BVN Marrickville, NSW
- Bulli Railway Guesthouse – entered by Resin Brewing Bulli, NSW
Advocacy
- Roxy Theatre Action Group – entered by the Roxy Theatre Action Group Parramatta, NSW
Conservation Built Heritage
- Old Dromana Grain Silo – entered by NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service Bullarah, NSW
- Leichhardt Town Hall – entered by Inner West Council Leichhardt, NSW
- James Street Bridge – entered by Sydney Trains, Aurecon, Abergeldie, Shreeji Consultant, Artisan of Stone Lithgow, NSW
Conservation Landscape
- Mulloon Rehydration Initiative (Stage 1) – entered by the Mulloon Institute Mulloon, NSW
Conservation Interiors & Objects
- State Theatre Conservation of Butterfly Room – entered by State Theatre, Urbis & International Conservation Services Sydney, NSW
- The Forgotten Works of Pixie O’Harris and Olaf Harris – entered by MidCoast Stories and Manning Regional Art Gallery Taree, NSW
Continuing Tradition
- The Yallamundi Rooms, Sydney Opera House – entered by Sydney Opera House Trust, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Design 5 Architects & Patterson Building Group Sydney, NSW
Education & Interpretation
- Devoted Service, Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park – entered by The Trustees of the Anzac Memorial Building Sydney, NSW
- Marrickville Library & Pavilion, Pateygarang Place – entered by Inner West Council Marrickville, NSW
Heritage Events, Exhibitions & Tours
- The Stranger’s Guide – entered by City of Sydney Sydney, NSW
- We open the line in 1979 – The ESR Turns 40! – entered by Sydney Trains, UBW, Art of Multimedia, Barocky Chocky, National Film and Sound Archive Sydney, NSW
Heritage Resources & Publications
- The Timber Truss Bridge (book) – entered by Transport for NSW
- Australia Modern: Architecture, Landscape & Design 1925 – 1975 (Australia) – entered by Thames & Hudson Australia
Presidents’ Prize – special award for 2020
- Mulloon Rehydration Initiative (Stage 1) – entered by the Mulloon Institute Mulloon, NSW
Cathy Donnelly Award
Jacqueline Goddard
Heritage Skills Award
Michael Bielby
Lifetime Achievement Award
Alan Croker
Judges’ Choice
Marrickville Library and Pavilion
You can watch the National Trust Heritage Awards ceremony on YouTube here.