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Client Name

City of Ryde

Date

2009

Project Description

Brush Farm House, located in the Sydney suburb of Eastwood, was built c.1820 by explorer Gregory Blaxland. It is not only one of Australia's oldest houses but also one of the most substantial houses surviving from the Macquarie period. It was purchased by the City of Ryde in 1993. It provides a rare and tangible link with Ryde's early heritage, and the level of importance it holds for the Ryde community has been recognised and celebrated in its extensive restoration in 2007. This important work created new opportunities for sensitive re-purposing of the house.

Our Role

Recognising that Brush Farm has been a catalyst for community building and placemaking over a long period, the City of Ryde commissioned Root Projects Australia to develop a Business Plan that would provide a platform for a sustainable future for the House, exploit its potential in the community and create excitement about the future. Drawing on consultations with stakeholders and our own extensive experience in cultural and heritage areas the Business Plan defines the business and the mix of products and services Brush Farm can offer, which markets will most profitably meet commercial and community expectations, how to engage with those markets, how the business will be run and importantly what investment returns can be expected. The Plan provides the City of Ryde with a base from which to operate, set targets and measure results.