Record of Proceedings of the Community Forum held in the Council Foyer, 62-64 Menangle Street, Picton, on Monday 14 April 2008, commencing at 6.33pm.

Mr and Mrs Laura and Jason Burt representing residents of Menangle Matter raised – Agenda Item PE9 – Development Application No. D853-07 – Demolish Existing Infrastructure and Erect Security Fence – Station Street,
Menangle
Mrs Burt addressed the community forum.
We request that Council oppose the application for the demolition of the Menangle School and all buildings within the site and commission a comprehensive historic and heritage study of the Menangle School and site for the following reasons:
That the Menangle School and site is of local and State heritage significance because it was partly donated by the Macarthur/Onslow family to Council of Education in the 1860s/1870s to be used for the education of the children of Menangle.
It is an example of the model of village life English settlers tried to recreate in Australia. The building is constructed using rare Flemish or Dutch bond brickwork. The school celebrated its centenary in 1971 as a continuous village school. During WW1 Menangle school served as accommodation for 30 NCO’s and 6 officers stationed at military schools nearby. The school is as a result of the successes of the Australian Primary Industry and served the community of the historically significant Menangle Village which was initially built by the Macarthur and Onslow families to house the workers and children of Camden Park Estate. The Menangle school in NSW is of state heritage significance as it is part of the fabric that includes state education, state railway works, the history of disease in NSW, the history of the Great War in NSW, the wool, wine, dairy, beef and other primary industries in NSW, religious history in NSW, sport and recreational history in NSW, economic history in NSW and indigenous history in NSW.
The Chairperson thanked Mrs Burt for her comments.