The Carlton Association was a community
action group that campaigned on behalf of residents of the suburb of
Carlton
Carlton may refer to:
People
* Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname
* Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy
* Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia, between the years 1969 and 1993. The group was involved in protests against some of the most controversial redevelopment plans in the city’s history and was arguably the most politically successful residents’ action group that Melbourne has seen.
Beginnings
The Association was formed in March 1969 by residents of Carlton and neighbouring
Carlton North
Carlton North is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Yarra local government areas. Carlton North recorded a population of 6,177 ...
, in order to mobilise opposition to the
Housing Commission of Victoria
The Housing Commission of Victoria (often shortened to Housing Commission, especially colloquially) was a Victorian State Government body responsible for public housing in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1938, and was abolished in 198 ...
's (HCV) plans to redevelop large tracts of the two suburbs under its program of ''
slum clearance
Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...
''. The HCV had long considered much of the housing stock of the inner suburbs of Melbourne to be unfit for habitation. The Commission’s
modus operandi
A ''modus operandi'' (often shortened to M.O.) is someone's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also more generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode (or manner) of op ...
involved the
compulsory acquisition
Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...
of dwellings in a designated block, the wholesale demolition of these, and construction of high-rise flats of public housing. The ''commission flats'', as they are known to locals, feature prominently in the skyline of Melbourne’s inner suburbs to this day. The first such complex of high-rise Commission flats in Carlton, announced in 1957, was constructed in the block bordered by
Lygon, Rathdowne, Princes and Neill Streets. Despite vocal protests by residents whose houses were ‘reclaimed’ to make way for this development, the response from the Commission to these and other voices of opposition was invariably that ‘broader community goals must take preference over individual interests’.
When additional plans to redevelop of Carlton emerged in the mid-1960s, a group of Carlton
traders published a vociferous pamphlet attacking the proposal under the title “HANDS OFF CARLTON”. Whilst the long-term goal of the Commission was to redevelop this entire block of land, the Commissioners focused their immediate attention on a smaller parcel of land within this selected area: the block bounded by Lee, Lygon, Princes and Drummond Streets in Carlton North, containing
nineteenth century terrace housing. However, this proposal was met with significantly more opposition from locals, who, this time around, were able to organise themselves effectively.
First meeting
The first public meeting of what would become the Carlton Association was held on 17 March 1969 at St Michael’s Hall in
Princes Hill. It was attended by 170 Carltonians who heard fiery speeches from residents whose homes were threatened. The meeting concluded with the election of a ten-person committee and a plan for action. The Committee decided upon an organisational structure that would best enable the Association to address the central concerns of residents. In addition to three permanent sub-committees (architecture and town planning, community services and education), action groups would be established to respond to urgent concerns. The first of these action groups got to work immediately on the most pressing matter: the proposed demolition of the Lee Street block.
The action group prepared the case for preserving the existing buildings in a report addressed to the Commission. This report contained a comprehensive analysis of the block, demonstrating the historical significance and structural soundness of the buildings, the acceptable level of sanitation and the lack of ‘overcrowding’. It argued that there were no reasonable grounds upon which the houses could be demolished. Moreover, it challenged the HCV to prove that the area constituted a ''
slum
A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
''. The Carlton Association represented the views of many Melburnians in its warning to the Commission that “posterity will be justifiably angry if we permit destruction of this and similar areas – destruction of the historic heart of Melbourne.” However, the Commissioners were unable to see it this way, convinced as they were that the condition of ‘slum areas’ that had shocked the public during the Depression could never be rehabilitated.
Compulsory acquisition and black bans
Once the occupants of the Lee Street block were served with compulsory acquisition notices, members of the Association intensified their efforts. They visited distraught residents and pleaded with them not to capitulate, and also held ‘open days’, whereby they invited people to tour the houses and observe their condition. ‘These are not slums!’ became the rallying slogan of the movement. The action group was also able to secure broader support from both the
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
(which classified eleven homes in the block as historically significant) and the
Union movement
The Union Movement (UM) was a far-right political party founded in the United Kingdom by Oswald Mosley. Before the Second World War, Mosley's British Union of Fascists (BUF) had wanted to concentrate trade within the British Empire, but the Uni ...
. The
Builders Labourers Federation
The Builders Labourers Federation (BLF) was an Australian trade union that existed from 1911 until 1972, and from 1976 until 1986, when it was permanently deregistered in various Australian states by the federal Hawke Labor government and some ...
announced a ‘
black ban’ on the site on 26 June 1969, which forbade its members from participating in either the demolition of the existing houses, or any subsequent redevelopment on the site. Eventually, the Carlton Association prevailed, and the wholesale demolition of the Lee Street block was averted. Several individual dwellings were replaced, but most of the Victorian fabric was to remain intact.
Over the following two-and-a-half decades, the Association was involved in numerous other battles to preserve the historic built fabric of the suburb against external threats, such as the proposal in 1971 to
extend the F19 Freeway through Carlton, which would have necessitated demolition of houses and encouraged a major increase in traffic volumes through the area. Throughout its history, the Association also campaigned for improved educational facilities and better provision of community services, particularly in the areas of child care, aged care and immigrant services.
Association's legacy
The Carlton Association ceased to exist in 1993, as many of its original members were battle-weary and wanted to pursue other interests. Nevertheless, the Carlton Association has left Melbourne with a significant legacy, which has been interpreted in several ways. Founding members believe that the group’s success was due to a coincidence of factors in Melbourne during the 1960s and 70s. At this time, there was a renewed appreciation of the historic and architectural value of Carlton’s Victorian-era housing, spearheaded by the increasing number of young professionals and academics who were purchasing terraces in the suburb and restoring and renovating them. It was also an era of protest and direct action – a period in which citizens were questioning the authority of public decision-makers.
Other commentators have seen the actions of the Carlton Association as linked to the
gentrification
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
of the suburb during the same period. As in other parts of inner Melbourne, the gentrification process in Carlton has resulted in a decline of the social mix once present, as escalating property prices have displaced poorer residents.
The Association also provided a successful model for community action groups which sprung up in Melbourne during the 1990s, such as the Carlton Residents Association and
Save Our Suburbs
Save Our State (SOS), formerly known as Save Our Suburbs, was a community group concerned about the impact of contemporary development on established low-density residential suburbs in Australian cities.
It was established in Melbourne, Victori ...
.
[For a detailed account of resident action groups in Melbourne in the 1990s, see Miles Lewis, Suburban Backlash: The Battle for the World’s Most Liveable City, Melbourne: Bloomings Books, 1999.]
Criticisms
The Carlton Association has been heavily criticized for not allowing the widening Macarthur Ave to match that of Elliot avenue through Royal park and associated roads, and the general widening of the roads connecting them to Princess st and Eastern Freeway. Also the diverting of traffic through some of the back streets of Carlton using One way signs and Speed humps to reduce traffic flow for residents, which has been attributed to more traffic congestion on surrounding roads during peak hour.
References
{{Reflist
History of Melbourne
Political organisations based in Australia
Organisations based in Melbourne
1969 establishments in Australia
1993 disestablishments in Australia