Magill residents push for Murray House community access

Murray House at Adelaide University’s Magill campus. Picture: Emma Brasier.

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Magill’s heritage-listed Murray House should be opened to the community once Adelaide University’s lease of the property ends, locals say.

The South Australian Government has committed to retaining the landmark building under redevelopment plans for the 14.6ha Magill Campus but has not yet determined what its future use will be.

Magill Matters committee member Denise MacGregor said residents were keen for the public to have access to the 15-room stone house, which was built in 1881 by Alexander Borthwick Murray and extended by his son in 1910.

While Murray House is not currently open to the public, Ms MacGregor said the community did have access to the building during organised Open Days.

She said increasing its accessibility even further would be welcomed by locals.

An aerial view of Adelaide University’s campus at Magill, which will be the site of a major residential redevelopment. Picture: Supplied.

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“Anything where the public can use it would be good, especially if it could be integrated into some kind of social community hub for the area,’’ Ms MacGregor said.

“Everyone wants to see it used as a community space of some sort – whether that’s galleries or community activities or wedding venues.

“Anything that could be accessible for the community to use is what people are really looking for.’’

The Magill Campus was purchased by the state government as part of the recent merger of UniSA and the University of Adelaide.

Under the government’s redevelopment plan, 3ha of the site on the eastern side of St Bernards Rd will be sold for 100 new residential homes, as well as an aged care facility.

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Adelaide University will continue to lease the western part of the campus until the early 2030s and then it is proposed that space will be converted to aged care and retirement living.

More than 60 per cent of the western parcel will remain open space, with protection given to the Third Creek biodiversity corridor.

A sports oval will also be retained.

Public consultation on the redevelopment plan is now underway, with a community drop-in session to be held on site on Saturday.

Ms MacGregor said residents were largely satisfied with the plans but sought more detail about how many new buildings would be built to the development’s five-storey height limit.

The Urban Development Institute of SA has criticised the proposal, however, calling it a “missed opportunity to respond meaningfully to South Australia’s housing crisis’’.

“The constrained housing outcomes proposed for the site mean fewer opportunities for key workers – including those employed in education, health, aged care and essential services – to live close to their jobs,’’ said institute chief executive Liam Golding when the plans were released prior to the March state election.

“It also means local young people will continue to be pushed further away from their families, support networks and communities simply to gain a foothold in the housing market.’’

SA Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion said the plan recognised the need for more housing and aged care living and also the importance of green space.

“The good thing about Magill Campus is it will be an all-generation housing development for the local community and it will also have pretty significant protection of Third Creek,’’ he said.

– by Lauren Ahwan