Pavers to commemorate Healesville’s 150th birthday have been restored, following their removal and damage as part of a property development.
The pavers, which feature names of local families and details of local businesses, were organised by the community as part of the Healesville 150th celebrations in 2014.
During the course of works to develop land adjacent to Healesville ALDI, the pavers had to be temporarily removed to accommodate footpath works.
Unfortunately, several pavers were damaged as part of these works.
Yarra Ranges mayor Jim Child said a condition of the building permit for the site required the pavers to be reinstalled when works were complete.
“We’ve recently had confirmation that the pavers have finally been reinstalled, after being remade earlier this year,” Cr Child said.
“We know there’s been some nervousness and uncertainty from members of the community since the temporary removal, especially noting that some of the pavers were damaged beyond repair.
“We’ve been liaising with community members and the property developer to ensure the pavers would be reinstated.
“Community members may notice that the colour of the pavers differs from the originals.”
This is because the original pavers were made in Victoria from local clay.
However, the pavers are no longer manufactured in the state, so have been sourced from Queensland where the clay is a different colour.
“Spare pavers were donated to the Yarra Valley Railway to be used at Yarra Glen Station, which will be a well-visited part of our region, particularly with the ongoing construction of the Yarra Valley Trail,” Cr Child said.
“We’re pleased that the pavers are back, commemorating the vibrant history of our town and the people who gathered to celebrate Healesville’s 150th.”
Works to restore, replace and reinstate the pavers were wholly paid for by the property developer.
