The City of Greater Geelong will ask the state government to fund the reconstruction of McAteer’s Bluestone Cottage if it adopts option three of an independent feasability study.
The much-loved 1856 cottage was dismantled and stored to make way for the Barwon Heads Road duplication.
The study recommended several options for the building, including ‘option three’ to restore it and move it to a suitable location.
On Tuesday night, councillors resolved to support further investigations into the cost, potential use, planning and detailed design requirements for option three of the study, which is to relocate the cottage to Marshall Reserve (also known as JF Field Memorial Park).
Should Council proceed to construction, it would seek full funding from the state, given its removal was necessitated by the state government’s road upgrade.
Save Marshall Bluestone Cottage group has advocated for the cottage to be reconstructed at JF Field Memorial Park on the other side of Barwon Heads Road from its original location.
One option for the cottage is to turn it into a tourist information centre while retaining its original structure.
Heritage Deputy Chair, Councillor Belinda Moloney, said the worker cottage was of local heritage significance given its role in the development of Marshalltown.
“We listened to community group feedback and worked with the Victorian Government to appropriately dismantle and store the heritage cottage,” Cr Moloney said.
“We will continue to work with the community group to find an appropriate use for the cottage.”
City of Greater Geelong mayor Peter Murrihy said the feasibility study has considered all the options for the relocation, interpretation and reconstruction of the cottage.
“The feasibility study gathered valuable information about the history of the cottage, including detailed discussions with the local community group and heritage authorities,” he said.
“We will complete further works to investigate the best way to retain the cottage as a symbolic landmark of the hamlet of Marshalltown.”
