Jack’s Place
This thesis explores the relationship between local built form heritage and the diaspora population in the 21st century.
The site, situated in the hidden jewel of Melbourne’s West – Jack’s magazine, is an example of a forgotten relic of Melbourne’s colonial past, is becoming increasingly disconnected from its current neighbours in Maribyrnong, in which more than 40% are immigrants. “Heritage is not given, it is made” (Harvey, 2001). In the case of Jack’s, with its previous use being a gunpowder storage in the 1800s to 1900s, is associated with the wealth and safety of Victoria as a state, it is not surprising that no action has been made to the building, with authorities still waiting and longing for a full-proof proposal to uphold fully the ideal nation-building narrative.
This thesis proposes new ways of heritage interventions which aims to reframe Jack’s as a reflection of the diversity of its currrent surrounds, as an amalgamation the past, with the present and future. The outcome is to create an all-inclusive civic node where local heritage and cultural heritage of the diaspora can co-exist, and crosspollination of cultures can occur. The injection of new energy into Jack’s aim to empower the diaspora instead of marginalising them, creating meaningful civic spaces which embody narratives of the past, present and future.
