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‘Gut-wrenching’: Police barracks demolition spurs Conlon’s Heritage Council resignation

UPDATED: Keith Conlon says the Malinauskas Government’s “shattering and inconceivable” move to raze the state heritage listed Thebarton police barracks precinct for a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital played a part in his decision to resign as Heritage Council chairperson.

Feb 08, 2023, updated Feb 08, 2023
Keith Conlon is stepping down as chairperson of the SA Heritage Council.

Keith Conlon is stepping down as chairperson of the SA Heritage Council.

The state government this morning announced that Conlon, whose lifelong fascination with local history led to him being dubbed “Mr South Australia”, would resign from the Heritage Council at the end of March.

During the almost five years he presided over the council, Conlon pushed for reforms to make it harder for developers and governments to override heritage laws.

He was most recently critical of the Malinauskas Government’s decision to build the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital at the state heritage-listed Thebarton Police Barracks site in the park lands, promising to “stand in front of bulldozers” to stop the demolition.

Conlon told InDaily this afternoon that the imminent demolition affected his “confidence in the commitment to heritage of this government” and partly influenced his decision to resign.

“It played a part predictably because it was a shattering and inconceivable thing that happened, I think, to both the nationally-listed park lands and to not just one heritage place but a whole set of them within a state heritage precinct – the police barracks,” he said.

“I did find that very challenging and I remain profoundly disappointed about it.

“It played a role, I guess, in terms of how I felt. It was pretty gut-wrenching actually and that doesn’t go away.

“Heritage has been a constant battle… you have some steps forward and some absolute knocks along the way.

“This happened to be my turn to be in a place where the knock was personally-affecting.”

Thebarton police barracks. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

Laws to speed up the demolition of 10 police buildings – some of which date back to 1917 and were added to the state’s heritage list in 1985 – passed state parliament in November.

The legislation was designed to remove what the state government described as “planning and development barriers” for the $3.2 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital project.

Conlon has led a chorus of heritage and park lands advocates who oppose the development, arguing the government’s decision to build at a state heritage site sets up a dangerous precedent.

But the government argues the demolition is necessary to build a “bigger, better hospital that is going to last us for future generations”.

Conlon told InDaily this morning that he always intended to review his appointment as Heritage Council chairperson at the five-year mark.

He said he submitted his resignation letter to Environment Minister Susan Close in December.

“Effectively really I was just taking up the option and thinking what another year would mean,” he said.

“I just came to the conclusion in the end that it was time to really give someone with maybe a different set of skills and maybe different contacts an opportunity.”

Police horses are kept outside Thebarton barracks. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

Asked if he still intended to stand in front of bulldozers to prevent the police barracks from being demolished, Conlon said: “Metaphorically, yes”.

“It will be surrounded, I’m sure, by fencing and all sorts of things, so I don’t think we’ll actually have to risk life and limb,” he said.

“I’m not quite sure because naturally it’s a project that’s going and what happens when we probably won’t know exactly and they don’t have to tell us – that is the public.

“They can simply get on with what the legislation tells them they can.

“I’m not sure there will be a date when we can rally, but if there is, I will do that because I said I would and I think it is a profoundly damaging moment to the protection of heritage in South Australia.”

Close said that given the SA Heritage Council is charged with administering the Heritage Places Act 1993, it was “only natural” that the chairperson would be concerned with “what was a difficult decision tor remove these heritage buildings”.

“While it was not an easy decision, in choosing this new site we are thinking of the long term future of our state’s health system. The reasons behind the decision to choose this site are well documented,” she said.

“The SA Heritage Council is an independent body with functions that include providing strategic advice to myself as the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water.”

In a media release this morning, Close thanked Conlon for his work.

“I want to thank Keith for his stellar contribution to South Australian heritage over the past five years, especially for his rigorous and constructive engagement with government, even when our views did not align,” she said.

“As chairman, he has been a strong advocate of Aboriginal reconciliation and telling the Aboriginal story associated with heritage listings and this has been incorporated into the daily work of Heritage SA officers – which is a great legacy to leave behind.

“With five years in the role, Keith stayed on longer than he had originally planned such is his passion for heritage issues. I’m sure he will continue to serve heritage in other ways through his many roles in the community.”

The Opposition’s assistant environment and heritage spokesperson Jack Batty said Conlon had “long been a champion of heritage in South Australia” and it was “incredibly sad” that he had decided to resign from the Heritage Council.

“Before the election, Susan Close said ‘Labor has absolutely no intention of knocking over any state heritage place’ – and now Labor’s massive backflip has cost this important council a heritage hero,” he said.

Conlon studied history before eventually embarking on a career in the media.

He presented the weeknight ABC News bulletin in South Australia from 1989 to 1992 and hosted high-rating South Australian travel show Postcards on the Nine Network from 1995 until 2011.

He said he was first described as “Mr South Australia” by then-CEO of the South Australian Tourism Commission, Bill Spurr, at an event in the early 2000s, and the moniker has stuck.

Conlon retired from his media career in 2013, before he was appointed SA History Council chairperson in 2017.

Nominations to fill two positions on the SA Heritage Council will open this month, with the process to be outlined on the council’s website.

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