Heritage Springs in Pakenham is almost as far from the Paris end of Collins Street as a Melbourne neighbourhood gets, but the two places share one distinguishing feature. The streets of the outer suburban estate, 60 kilometres south-east of the CBD, are filled with replicas of the century-old lamp posts that line Collins Street’s east end. Bill and Jillian Ronald with the street lamp they salvaged after it was taken down, and which led to Bill’s ejection from a council meeting.
Credit: Penny Stephens The decorative street lamps were installed by the developer 14 years ago, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, to give the new estate a point of distinction. But the lamp posts have begun to disappear over the past two years, replaced by LED lamp posts with a new and more utilitarian design that locals argue is erasing the estate’s character. Following a short and fiery campaign, the council voted last week to investigate a way to preserve the remaining lamp posts but warned residents there is no guarantee they can be saved.
The decorative lamps are lit by mercury vapour globes, which are subject to an international ban. Residents are urging the council to find a way to replace the globes without removing the beloved lamp post heads. “They’re absolutely magnificent.
I find the light is a lot kinder to the eyes than the new ones, which are quite glary. They are just beautiful lights that make the estate,” said Alison Haddock, a member of the Heritage Springs .