Save Fort Largs
UPDATE: June 2016- Success!
After years of uncertainty about the future of Fort Largs at Taperoo, the National Trust has joined a partnership with the State Government and developer A V Jennings to restore the historic fort and open it to the public as part of an overall redevelopment of the site. Read the whole story
ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN
Fort Largs at Taperoo is one of only two forts built to defend South Australia. The other, Fort Glanville, is further down Adelaide’s coastline at Semaphore. Both forts have great heritage significance as evidence of nineteenth century defence strategy and technology.
Now, there is a new risk to the fort. Not the Russians, but a State Government proposal to sell off the Fort Largs site to developers, including the historic fortifications and associated buildings.
As part of the British Empire, South Australian colonists took a keen interest in international affairs. Following Russia’s easy victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-8, Britain moved to shore up defences against possible attacks by Russia’s Pacific fleet. South Australia’s governor, Major-General Sir William Jervois, personally oversaw the strengthening of coast protection in all the Australian colonies, including the new forts at Taperoo and Semaphore.
Fort Largs was constructed between 1883 and 1884. It operated as a military installation for almost 80 years. Between 1961 and 2011, it housed the South Australian Police Academy until a new facility opened in 2012. Thousands of people have served at the site for both the army and the police force. Fort Largs was officially confirmed as a listed State Heritage Place in 1986.
In March, the State Government announced plans to sell off the Fort Largs site. Despite a number of representations to the Government, Deputy Premier and Minister for Housing and Urban Development John Rau has declined to provide any assurances about the future of Fort Largs. He has advised that the site will be offered for sale by Renewal SA as a whole, including the heritage listed structures. He is proposing that it will be up to the new owner of the site to determine a new use for the Fort.
Simply shifting responsibility for preserving the Fort to the new owner of the site provides no guarantee for the Fort’s preservation or for providing public access to this important heritage site.
Recent experience with sites like Union Hall at the University of Adelaide, the City Steam Biscuit Factory (home of the Jade Monkey music venue) Eastwood Lodge at Glenside, Islington Railway Works and the Mission to Seamen building at Outer Harbor shows interim heritage listing offers uncertain protection from demolition. And even permanently listed sites such as Bell’s Plumbing in Stepney can be allowed to deteriorate into ruins. In recent years successive Planning Ministers have summarily removed provisionally listed sites from the heritage register to make way for their demolition. South Australia’s heritage protection system has been seriously undermined by Ministerial whims and the special pleadings of developers.
We seek your support to demand that the heritage of Fort Largs is not sold off to developers but protected and preserved for future generations.
What can you do?
You can write to the Premier, Hon Jay Weatherill, GPO Box 2343 ADELAIDE SA 5001
or the Planning Minister Hon. John Rau, GPO Box 464 ADELAIDE SA 5001
Join the Facebook Page Say NO to selling Fort Largs to show your support. Or get social and talk back on social media #SaveFortLargs
Local residents can also press the Port Adelaide and Enfield Council to take a stand to protect this irreplaceable piece of South Australian heritage.
You can also sign our online petition to the Premier below and share this website and petition via social media.
[emailpetition id=”1″]
What about our history there in SA? It is outrages that people even consider destroying a Old Fort like that in this country. How about if it this was happening to be in the UK or somewhere in Europe or anywhere else? People travel all over the world to visit special places like this. What about our service men & women? (where is our respect?) Don’t think about now think about the future. It needs to be preserved, not destroyed. Look after this and people will come from all over to see this. It’s cannot be replaced at all.
Well said David. It is shameful that the Government is thinking about selling off our heritage to make a quick buck. Thousands of men (and women) served at Fort Largs. Their service needs to be honoured there not turned into a ‘housing development’. We have asked the Government for an open day at Fort Largs too, but they just refuse to let the people in (like they did with Z Ward.) Please consider signing our petition to the Premier about Fort Largs.
we do not need to sell off everything to get money just stop wasting tax payer money
I think it’s appalling that governments sell of these heritage buildings and sites.
We’ve lost Glenside, is the same going to happen to Martindale Hall and Fort Largs for a quick buck??? When that money’s gone, then what???
There will be no history left. Enough has gone already.
They should be supporting these places not selling them.
If they turned them into tourist sites they could make money off them for the upkeep. How about a bit of thinking outside the square for once politicians???
Why should they even have the power to sell it all off?????
Well said Kay. It is very short sighted thinking to sell off our heritage for a quick buck. We need to remind the Government that these assets belong to the public and we want them preserved for future generations. With the support of people like you we can make the Government reconsider its position on the sale of Fort Largs and Martindale Hall.
Save Fort Largs DON’T let the Politicians BLOCKADE IT UNTIL THEY SEE SENSE! Selling off history WONT FIX THE STATE DEBT TOURISM WILL GO ALONG WAY TO FIXING THE DEBT.
Hear, hear, Bruce! Please make sure you sign our online petition: http://heritagewatch.net.au/act-now/online-petitions/
The campaign is continuing to ensure the Fort is protected and kept in public hands.
Better still sell off the SA government if you could find a buyer.
Good luck with that!
When??? is someone in our exalted leadership going to wake up that this country is far too over governed (Too many chiefs & not enough Indians ) Don’t sell off our heritage for
a quick short sighted return .Sell parliament house with all the pollies thrown in as a job lot . This State would be in the black financially in a very short time . Our politicians have forgotten that they were voted in by the people for the people therefore they should get rid of this secret regime that exists in South Australia .
That’s part of South Australia from generation to generation everybody know about Fort Largs. Why does everything have to come down to Government deciding what stays and what goes. It needs to be preserved as one of our Nations Icons not get rid of it because its now a burden everything cost money surely Government can fix it up instead of spending rate payers money where its not needed. Instead of wasting money redressing Parliament house put it were its needed back here in South Australia LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE WHATS BEST WE MAKE THE BETTER DECISIONS THAN GOVERNMENT.
Well said Josephine. It is a unique irreplaceable asset that is deserving of investment. The National Trust has proposed a complete renovation and adaptation of the fort so it could be open every day and preserved forever. The Government claims it cannot afford to do the work, so the fort continues to rot.
Stop destroying our state!!!
Too many historical sites are being destroyed. Save Fort Largs. This could be a major tourist attraction
Yes Joanne, we believe it could be a unique tourist destination, like Fort Scratchley in Newcastle and other forts in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. Our Fort Largs is the only one of the original fort network that is not open and accessible to the public.
This is part of who we are. Our history might be regarded as boring by some but it is vital to protect.
Yes Gordon. It’s not boring if we can bring the fort back to life and share the stories of those who served there.
I hope you win i am tired of our governments trying to destroy our past one of my grandfathers was in the lighthorse charge at bersheba
Thanks for your support Robert.
Save our history
Like to take my son the one day
Let’s hope you and he get a chance to do that. It’s a remarkable place.
I never quite made it past the first interview (colour blind) so I never quite made Fort Largs, however my brother did his 3 years before becoming a police officer, I believe it should be saved
Thanks Craig. Yes it is an important part of police history.
We should protect our history
Why dont we make it an Election Issue next March , I am the Registered Facilitator for the PUB TEST PARTY and the Sale of this Historic piece of South Australia dosnt Pass the Pub Test. Is there a n organisation or individual to contact ? This is Michael Pratt pubtestparty@nullgmail.com
Thanks Michael, I’m sure many people would agree. You can also visit the Say No the selling Fort Largs Facebook group.
That’d be right. Need money, sell something of value. Doesn’t matter if it has significant historical value. It’s part of our history. We need it to stay, be upgraded or conserved. Open it to public & make money. That way, everyone is a winner. Oh! Government couldn’t do something SENSIBLE like that. Just look at their last 12 years in power?????? Not happy with their decision!!!☻
Thanks Vicki, that is what the National Trust is proposing, to create a tourism attraction that we can all be proud of. The Fort is too important to be left to rot.