By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on October 31, 2019
THE construction of a new building intertwining colonial and Indigenous heritage at Albany’s historic Strawberry Hill will begin at the end of this year ahead of the city’s bicentenary in 2026.
Denmark-based PTX Architects’ David Gibson and Melanie Hoessle were given the task of designing a Visitor Orientation Hub to improve visitor experience at Strawberry Hill.
The building will be placed adjacent to the existing Workers Quarters and provide a central location for visitors to purchase their entry tickets and commence guided tours from, as well as provide a space for volunteers to coordinate the historic facility from.
Construction is set to be completed by the spring of 2020.
Mr Gibson said the inspiration for the building’s design was the European wardian case – a type of terrarium invented in the 1800s – and the traditional Indigenous mia-mia dwelling.
“There are many historic aspects of this site, both colonial and Aboriginal, so this building will bring those two histories together,” he said.
“It will also take the heavy lifting off the heritage buildings and be a visible entry to where visitors’ journey will begin at Strawberry Hill.”
Ms Hoessle said there had been strong consultation with both Strawberry Hill volunteers and traditional owners to confirm there was support for the new facility.
She said there were many factors she and Mr Gibson took into consideration when designing the Visitor Orientation Hub.
“The way we’ve bridged the two cultures is deliberate, so you can’t tell where one culture ends and the other begins,” Ms Hoessle said.
“We were very conscious of the weight of the heritage and fabric of this place, so we didn’t want the new building to overpower what’s already here; we wanted it to have equal standing to honour what’s here.”
Mr Gibson and Ms Hoessle crafted the building’s design to reflect and acknowledge an Indigenous travelling route that winds through the Strawberry Hill property.
The multitude of glass windows also gives visitors the opportunity to view Mount Clarence and the property’s surrounding lake and gardens.
Volunteer coordinator Judy Williams said the Visitor Orientation Hub would be a massive step-up for volunteers and visitors at Strawberry Hill.
“It expands our possibilities,” she said.
“We often have weddings and functions here, so if it rains, there’s a place people can move into – it will be able to fit about 100 people.
“It will also be a very flexible interior with moveable desks, so people can have meetings and lectures and functions here.”
Currently, Ms Williams and other volunteers coordinate the facility and process visitor tickets in a small room within the two-storey stone house.
Ms Williams hopes that by lessening foot traffic through this area, it will help preserve the historic building for longer, as well as give visitors more room to stand when conversing with volunteers.
Strawberry Hill was built in the 1830s and housed Sir Richard and Lady Anne Spencer and later, Frances and Maud Bird.
Sir Spencer was appointed Government Resident of Albany on the recommendation of Sir James Stirling, the first governor of WA, in 1833.
Sir Spencer purchased Strawberry Hill where he resided with his wife and 10 children.
After Lady Spencer died in 1855, Frances and Maud Bird purchased the property in 1889 and restored it.
It came under National Trust control in 1964.
