The historic and beloved Gold Creek Homestead in Gungahlin has been signed into new hands, after remaining vacant for years.
After much negotiation with the community, the 140-year-old northside precinct located off Gungahlin Drive has been entrusted to Lendlease to enact their plans for future redevelopment, including a residential aged care facility and 45 independent living units.
Strongly advocated for by the surrounding neighbourhood, the original Gold Creek Homestead, Stone Hut Kitchen and Slab Hut will be conserved and restored. The surrounding gardens will also be conserved and opened to the community.
Lendlease were announced as the preferred tenderer of the site in March 2021, following the homesteads’ previous owners attempting to put it on the market in 2018, but ultimately deciding to facilitate community engagement to determine the next steps for the historic site.
This bid to capture the views of the community on how they wanted the site to be treated resulted in five guidelines for potential owners of the homestead to abide by: pay homage to the site’s past; create a caring, inclusive, and safe place; retain the visual character of the place; be sustainable; and involve the community in the ongoing development.
“Lendlease’s concept best captured the place and community values of the historic site. It will ensure Gold Creek Homestead’s preservation in the future and is the exciting start into the next chapter of its history,” ACT Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Yvette Berry said.
The homestead dates back to 1860 and has passed through a number of hands since then. However, it has always been central to the community around it, from acting as a venue to hold functions and fundraisers in the 1960s, to being used by farmers for grazing sheep and cattle until 1983, and even attracting the awe of teenagers in recent years as they explored it in its vacant state.
Now potential tenants will be explored through the ongoing community engagement process. The Homestead historic precinct will be connected to nearby residents through a public walking and cycling path.
Arabella Rohde, Senior Development Manager at Lendlease Retirement Living said, “Our intention is to retain, restore and activate the original Gold Creek Homestead and ensure the design of the precinct respects its rich heritage.”
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