Image: Beaumaris Art Group Studios, courtesy of Beaumaris Modern. 

In February, the City of Bayside voted to overturn their earlier decision to demolish the Beaumaris Art Group Studios at 84–98 Reserve Road, Beaumaris. Council will now undertake a heritage assessment of the building and proceed with a new design that aligns with any identified heritage values of the building and precinct. Council have announced that the new design will protect the heritage values of the place, whilst providing a facility that is fit-for-purpose and meets the needs of the community.

This result is a huge win for the community and Save the Beaumaris Art Group Studios who have coordinated a strong grassroots campaign to halt the immediate demolition of the building, which has been supported by the National Trust. In 2019, Save the Beaumaris Art Group Studios alongside community advocacy group Beaumaris Modern commissioned an independent heritage assessment of the building by twentieth-century architecture specialists Built Heritage Pty Ltd, which found that the studios are aesthetically and historically significant at a local, and possibly state, level.

The National Trust eagerly await the result of the heritage assessment by the City of Bayside and look forward to the opportunity to review the new building design to ensure that the aesthetic and historic significance of the building is respected.

Read the full statement by the City of Bayside here.