Heritage exemption for landmark Newcastle building

by · Newcastle Herald
Newcastle's historic T&G Building. Pictures Colliers

Newcastle's T&G Mutual Life Assurance building has been given a site-specific exemption from the NSW Heritage Act to allow for minor works to be undertaken within the historic structure.

The landmark English Renaissance-style building was built in 1923.

Most of the seven-storey building's original fabric remains well-preserved.

Professional services occupy most of the commercial suites within the building, which is at 45 Hunter Street.

The building was added to the state's heritage register in 1999.

A site-specific exemption allowing for minor works to be undertaken was recently published in the state government gazette.

The exemption allows for the removal, replacement or alteration of non-significant internal elements and fit-outs within suites, offices, retail and commercial spaces, as well as certain non-significant ground-floor shopfront elements.

The building is owned by Cedtoy Pty Ltd.

T&G Building photographed from the former Newcastle Post Office in 1947.

Spokeswoman Cheng Smart welcomed the new exemption, but said any proposed internal works needed to be approved in writing by the building's owners.

"We are very committed to ensuring that all fit-outs remain consistent with the heritage character and tradition of the building," Dr Smart said.

Dr Smart said about $1.6 million, which included $350,000 in heritage grants, had been spent on maintaining and upgrading the building in recent years.

A government spokesman said specific exemptions were developed case-by-case and applied only to the specific works outlined in the exemption. An exemption does not change the heritage listing of an item.

Any substantial conservation or activation works of an item needing significant alterations to fabric still require approval under the Heritage Act 1977.

The building, originally named Scottish House, was built in 1923 for McIlwraith, McEacharn & Company for about £100,000.

It was bought by the T&G Mutual Life Assurance Society in 1935 for about £90,000, which at the time was the biggest sale of any single freehold property in Newcastle.