THE Old Geelong Gaol will be preserved as an interactive museum after the City of Greater Geelong agreed to sell the property to a Geelong-based company that owns several other historically significant buildings.<\/p>\n
As part of the $1.5 million sale, Montgomery International has committed to keeping the gaol open to the public for at least 500 hours per year.<\/p>\n
The company has also agreed to carry out almost $1.6 million in maintenance works within the next three years, and to allowing the Lazarus Community Centre to remain a tenant (via a council sub-lease) until at least April 2022. Lazarus, which operates in the Governor\u2019s Residence, provides support services to homeless and isolated members of the community.<\/p>\n
Rotary International\u2019s lease on parts of the property, which runs until April 2020, will also be honoured.<\/p>\n
Montgomery International plans to locate its head office at the site, as well as providing commercial car parking.<\/p>\n
The sale concludes a process that started in 2013 when the council first identified selling the property as its preferred option.<\/p>\n
Old Geelong Gaol is included on the Victorian Heritage Register and is within a Heritage Overlay in the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme.<\/p>\n
This means Heritage Victoria has control over any changes to the building fabric, including demolition, and those controls will apply to the new owner.<\/p>\n
The gaol housed some of Victoria\u2019s most notorious prisoners from 1853 until its closure in 1991. It has been owned by Council since 1994.<\/p>\n
Montgomery International\u2019s sole shareholder is Dean Montgomery, a local resident who also owns Glenormiston College, Terang, Fletcher Jones Factory and Gardens, Warrnambool, and St Albans Stud, Geelong.<\/p>\n
The council will now seek permission from the Minister for Planning to use funds of the sale otherwise repayable to the state ($360,000) for restoration of other heritage assets.<\/p>\n
Geelong mayor Bruce Harwood said the sale was \u201ca great outcome for the Geelong community and for the city\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sale also releases some pressure on our budget as the gaol has been a very expensive property to retain.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Old Geelong Gaol will be preserved as an interactive museum after the City of Greater Geelong agreed to sell the property to a Geelong-based company that owns several other historically significant buildings. As part of the $1.5 million sale, Montgomery International has committed to keeping the gaol open to the public for at least […]<\/p>\n