Interim heritage order to protect historic site in Chinatown

The newspaper notice about the interim heritage order (dated 1 April 2019)

The City of Sydney has made an interim heritage order effective from 22 March 2019 over the unlisted Kwong War Chong building at 82-84 Dixon Street, Haymarket. The order provides a temporary heritage listing over the building for 6 to 12 months to allow staff of the City of Sydney to consider its heritage significance and investigate permanently listing the building.  

The building at 82-84 Dixon Street is the former site of the Kwong War Chong store. Established in 1883 by Phillip Chun LEE,  Kwong War Chong store was a typical overseas Chinese store in the early 20th century, selling imported Chinese goods and provide remittance services to local Chinese market gardeners who were from Zhongshan. 

The City will commission a heritage assessment to investigate the building’s significance and report to the Council with the recommendations from the assessment within the next 6 months. 

The building was sold in 2017, the Council has received advice that the property owner intends to demolish the building and redevelop the site. 

The City will work with the owners of the property on an appropriate redevelopment of the site, using the assessment to consider heritage significance as part of any development applications for the site.

For more information, please go to https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=5056577