THE former owner of an 1870s historic cottage that was part of the original Thomas Holt Sutherland House Estate in Evelyn Street North, Sylvania is angry that it is to be demolished by the council.
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Jan Buchanan, who now lives in Brisbane, sold the property to Sutherland Shire Council in 2003 for $610,000 believing that the council would restore it.
The timber cottage, called Gunyah, is believed to be one oldest existing houses in Sutherland Shire.
Her family had owned the cottage since 1932 and her aunt, Phyllis Hulse, lived there from the mid 1960s to the end of the 1990s. Miss Hulse died in 2001 aged 88.
During this time the council put a heritage listing on the cottage without informing the rest of the family.
After Phyllis Hulse died, the family wanted the heritage listing removed but the council refused.
"We even offered to let them take the house away and put it elsewhere," Mrs Buchanan said.
"The forward part of the house is up on stumps and could have easily been moved to another place.
"But they eventually offered to buy the cottage for restoration. We couldn't sell it otherwise with its heritage listing so we agreed to sell it to the council."
But with the estimated restoration costs blowing out from $200,000 to about $495,000, the council recently decided to demolish the cottage and sell the land.
Past heritage studies on the site have divided opinion on the importance of retaining the building, so the council has gone for the "document, demolish and sale" option.
Councillors recently approved a development application for the cottage's demolition.
Its historic significance will be documented by NSW Heritage Office Standards.
The news has upset Mrs Buchanan.
"When I sold it, the council told me they had grandiose ideas about its restoration. They promised there would be a caretaker to look after it, but the last time I went to visit it was vandalised and rundown. I had to walk away.
"They say I am the ex-owner and why should I have any say. I don't suppose I should but I still have an emotional connection with the place.
"I was disappointed with the council putting a heritage listing on it and then not going through with it.
'There were lots of promises but nothing happened."
Should the old cottage be saved?
