Hope for long-neglected heritage ‘eyesore’ in eastern suburbs
A crumbling Victorian-era building devastated by an explosion and built by a former premier may finally be getting help in the leafy eastern suburbs.
The vacant Bell’s Plumbers Shop on Payneham Road in College Park could finally be restored after deteriorating for more than three decades.
Bell’s Plumbers Shop was confirmed on the State Heritage Register in 1985, with the National Trust of SA saying in 2009 “it is significant as an example of a Victorian era shop and dwelling in what was until last year an unusually original condition”.
The building has suffered extensive damage through the years, with an explosion in 2008 causing an estimated $300,000 damage, while a fire also ravaged the building in 2017.
A spokesperson from the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters (NPSP) confirmed the owners of 15 Payneham Road, College Park had lodged an application to restore the building, saying council was “pleased” with the outcome.
Former NPSP councillor and St Peters Residents’ Association spokesman David Cree said he was “heartened” by the fact the property owner was looking to restore the building.
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Cree said the former Town of St Peters council expressed concern about the condition of the building as far back as the early 1990s when he was a councillor there.
“We would love to see Bell’s Plumbers Shop, at least the front rooms restored,” he said.
“There’s no reason why a modest residential development could not be built there – it could be two storeys without any problems because it’s got two storeys either side of it.”
Greens MLC Robert Simms, whose bill to toughen penalties for heritage neglect passed parliament in 2024, said one of the big challenges with heritage laws in South Australia was enforcement.
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“Parliament’s done its job in terms of changing the law – the question now is why they’re not being enforced; that’s something the Greens are obviously concerned about,” he said, adding that he would write to Environment Minister Emily Bourke to request an update on Bell’s Plumbers Shop.
“I don’t think we really should adopt a principle of use it or lose it when it comes to these heritage buildings.
“I don’t think you should be able to purchase an iconic heritage building and then let it rot, particularly when we have people sleeping on the street in the middle of a housing crisis.”
According to the St Peters Residents’ Association, Bell’s Plumbers Shop was built in 1883 by Thomas Miller and former South Australian Premier John Colton.
It was later sold to Scottish-born plumber and gasfitter David Charles Bell, whose family owned the property for more than 100 years.
Bell’s Plumbers Shop was later bought by former national sprint car champion Phillip March, who was found guilty of failing to comply with a heritage Protection Order to restore the site in 2016. InDaily was unable to ascertain the current owner of the property.
A state government spokesperson said that it had communicated with several owners of heritage sites “to try and reach a durable solution to the protection of these properties”.
“Since strengthening South Australia’s heritage protection framework, the State Government has written to 12 State Heritage Place owners including Bell’s Plumber Shop and Edmund Wright House regarding the condition of the properties,” she said.
“The majority of owners have responded, and ongoing communication has resulted in upgrades without the need for enforcement tools to be used.
“Communication with the owners of Bell’s Plumber Shop is underway in regards to the development application, with more information sought to ensure the property’s heritage values are conserved as a part of redevelopment proposals.
“This is a positive step toward conserving Bell’s Plumbers Shop.”
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