Australian Capital Territory
Heritage (Decision about Provisional Registration of Lees paddock, Yarralumla) Notice 2011  
Notifiable Instrument NI2011−626
made under the
Heritage Act 2004 s34 Notice of decision about Provisional Registration

1.	Name of instrument
This instrument is the Heritage (Decision about Provisional Registration of Lees paddock, Yarralumla) Notice 2011 - 

2.	Commencement
This instrument commences on the day after notification.

3.	Notice of Decision
Pursuant to Section 32 of the Heritage Act 2004 the ACT Heritage Council has decided not to provisionally register Lees Paddock, Yarralumla to the ACT Heritage Register.

…………………………….
Mr Gerhard Zatschler
Secretary
ACT Heritage Council
GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601
        
20 October 2011

STATEMENT OF REASONS

DECISION NOT TO PROVISIONALLY REGISTER LEES PADDOCK, YARRALUMLA
(Block 1 Section 121, Yarralumla) 
IN THE ACT HERITAGE REGISTER
Summary
Whilst an African boxthorn hedge row has been retained as an historical feature within the managed landscape of the extended Royal Canberra Golf Course golf course, Lees paddock has a negligible level of intactness and integrity due to this development, which renders it unable to meet any of the significance criteria of the Heritage Act 2004.

This Statement of Reasons provides an assessment of Lees paddock and finds that the place does not meet any of the criteria of the Heritage Act 2004.

Background
It is unknown when Lees paddock was nominated to the ACT Heritage Register however file material held by ACT Heritage dates to mid 1994. At that time the Royal Canberra Golf Course proposed an extension of the existing course to include an additional nine holes to be located within Lees paddock. 

An archaeological investigation of the area was undertaken by Navin Officer 1994 and recommended several historic features for retention within the golf development including tree plantings and the remnants of an African Boxthorn hedge row. Aerial photography has confirmed that the remnants of the hedge remain within the extended golf course.

At Meeting 39 on 20 October 2011, the ACT Heritage Council endorsed a Statement of Reasons which does not find Lees Paddock eligible for provisional registration.

Assessment
In assessing the nomination for Lees paddock, the Council considered:

•	The limited material identified under References below

The Council’s assessment against the criteria specified in s.10 of the Heritage Act 2004 is as follows.

Criterion (a) it demonstrates a high degree of technical or creative achievement (or both), by showing qualities of innovation, discovery, invention or an exceptionally fine level of application of existing techniques or approaches
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (b) it exhibits outstanding design or aesthetic qualities valued by the community or a cultural group
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (c) it is important as evidence of a distinctive way of life, taste, tradition, religion, land use, custom, process, design or function that is no longer practiced, is in danger of being lost or is of exceptional interest
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The remaining remnants of the African Box thorn hedge evidence a land use that is no longer practised in the ACT. The planting of such hedges generally was utilised as a method of containing stock within a particular area at a time when fencing was expensive.  

Whilst the remnant hedgerow is an historical feature within the managed landscape of the golf course there is insufficient information available to the Council at this time to determine if the hedge row is ‘important as evidence’ as required by this criterion.

The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (d) it is highly valued by the community or a cultural group for reasons of strong or special religious, spiritual, cultural, educational or social associations
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (e) it is significant to the ACT because of its importance as part of local Aboriginal tradition
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (f) it is a rare or unique example of its kind, or is rare or unique in its comparative intactness
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.
Criterion (g) it is a notable example of a kind of place or objects and demonstrates the main characteristics of that kind.
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (h) it has strong or special associations with a person, group, event, development or cultural phase in local or national history
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (i) it is significant for understanding the evolution of natural landscapes, including significant geological features, landforms, biota or natural processes
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (j) it has provided, or is likely to provide, information that will contribute significantly to a wider understanding of the natural or cultural history of the ACT because of its use or potential use as a research site or objects, teaching site or objects, type locality or benchmark site
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (k) for a place—it exhibits unusual richness, diversity or significant transitions of flora, fauna or natural landscapes and their elements
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

Criterion (l) for a place—it is a significant ecological community, habitat or locality for any of the following:
(i) the life cycle of native species;
(ii) rare, threatened or uncommon species;
(iii) species at the limits of their natural range;
(iv) distinct occurrences of species
Nominator’s assessment:
No information provided.
Heritage Council assessment:  
The place does not meet this criterion.

History
It is possible that the name Lees paddock derives from William Lee, a convict who was a servant of Thomas Aubrey Murray who owned the Yarralumla property from the 1840s. It is also possible that once he had obtained his ticket of leave from Murray’s service, Lee became the tenant leaseholder of the paddock later referred to as Lees paddock (Navin Officer 2004: 6). 

Frederick Campbell purchased the land in 1881 and extensive improvements were made. The land was resumed by the Commonwealth in 1913 and had been used for hay making. Diaries kept by Station overseer Douglas Vest record the day to day management during Campbell’s ownership. 

The diary entry of 17th July 1896 makes reference to “...an afternoon spent planting thorns in Triangle hay paddock”, and the following day on 18 July 1896, “......Mitchell, D. McInnes, Vest making Edge Row in Triangle paddock for African Box...”.

What became known as Lees paddock fell within an area of the property referred to as the Triangle paddock which was extensively cultivated and used for hay making.

Prior to the Royal Canberra Golf Club taking over the lease of the paddock in the late 1980s, Lees paddock had been used as an ACT Government horse paddock for approximately 30 years. Archaeological investigation of Lees paddock in 1994 recommended retention of the hedgerow and tree plantings within the proposed extension to the golf course. It is understood that the trees have been retained within the Golf Course extension.

African boxthorn (Lycium afrum) is identified as a noxious weed within the ACT however its location within the managed landscape of the golf course is not considered to pose a significant environmental threat (Navin Officer, 1994: 14).

Description
Bounded by Dunrossil Drive to the east, Cotter Road to the south and Denman Drive to the west, Lees paddock has been subsumed by the extension of the Royal Canberra Golf Club that occurred in the mid 1990s and included the construction of nine additional holes to the course.

Physical condition and integrity
A remnant of a box thorn hedge (approximately 250 metres in length), believed to have been planted in 1896 has been retained within the Golf Course between the 22nd and 25th holes.

References
ACT Heritage Files 94/ 18317 & 94/20964
Navin Officer (2004) Royal Canberra Golf Course Proposed Extension, Yarralumla ACT – Archaeological Investigation.

Conclusion
Whilst an African boxthorn hedge row has been retained as an historical feature within the managed landscape of the extended Royal Canberra Golf Course golf course Lees paddock has a negligible level of intactness and integrity due to this development, which renders it unable to meet any of the significance criteria of the Heritage Act 2004.

This Statement of Reasons provides an assessment of Lees paddock and finds that the place does not meet any of the criteria of the Heritage Act 2004.

Gerhard Zatschler (Secretary)
ACT Heritage Council

 20 October 2011