In its first Corporate Plan formulated in 1987, the Society resolved to continue its efforts to develop a child care centre in the Sydney CBD near Chinatown, thereby fulfilling one of its founding aims. Before long, the Board of Directors received some good news.
The Powerhouse Museum, which was about to open at its new premises, planned to have an Occasional Child Care Centre nearby so that parents with young children could visit the Museum without worry. After receiving the Museum’s request for assistance, the Federal Government’s child care department approached the Society and proposed that it establish the Centre. This was because the Society had achieved excellent results in managing Campsie Child Care Centre and had previously expressed its wish to operate a child care centre in the Sydney CBD.
The new Powerhouse Museum was located in Ultimo, close to Chinatown and Darling Harbour. The building was originally a disused coal-fired power station. Under the design and transformation by architects J Thompson and Lionel Glendenning, it was converted into a spacious and open modern museum displaying large exhibits such as old steam locomotives, vintage aircraft and space technology equipment. The project received the Sir John Sulman Medal for Public Architecture that year.
The proposed child care centre was to locate behind the Museum, at the corner of Harris Street and William Henry Street. It was in an excellent location, the rent offered by the Museum was low, and the Federal Government was willing to provide funding for the renovation and operation of the Centre. The Society therefore gladly accepted the offer.
On 10 March 1988, the Powerhouse Museum held a grand opening ceremony at its new premises. Several directors of the Society were invited to attend and witness this historic occasion.
The Society then began preparing for the establishment of the new child care centre. The leased building had originally been a post office. It was more than 100 years old and was heritage-listed. Its exterior could not be altered, while the interior had to be renovated to meet child care service standards and requirements. The project was therefore far more difficult and complex than an ordinary renovation.
Eventually, the Society received a grant of $300,000 from the Federal Government for the renovation and negotiated the details of the lease with the Museum. Renovation work formally commenced at the end of 1988.
Owing to the age of the building, it was very difficult to locate the relevant building plans and documents. As a result, one problem after another emerged during construction. The most difficult issue concerned the stormwater drainage system. The architect said that no information about the local stormwater system could be found. He therefore proposed digging a deep pit in the middle of the Centre’s children’s playground and directing the collected rainwater into it.
When Henry learnt of the proposal, he strongly objected. He argued that the arrangement might not cause a problem during light rain, but in a severe storm, a large volume of accumulated water could flow towards the adjoining Powerhouse Museum. The Museum housed many valuable exhibits. If they were damaged, the loss could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, which the Society could never afford to pay. Henry stipulated that if any loss occurred, the architect would have to accept responsibility for the compensation. Faced with such a condition, the architect did not dare to proceed hastily.
Henry firmly believed that the local council must have records of the stormwater drainage system in the area. After contacting the Sydney City Council, the architect finally located the relevant information, and the stormwater drainage problem was readily resolved.
Five years later, Sydney experienced a severe rainstorm, and both Harris Street and some parts of the Powerhouse Museum were flooded. It was fortunate that Henry had strongly opposed the architect’s original proposal.
🤔Would the renovation of the child care centre be completed smoothly? There’s more to share in the next article!