At Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Councils (CGRC) final meeting for 2024, Councillors re-ceived a report about the Old Mill Gundagai in which it was recommended Council support an option for an Immersive Storytelling Experience, to be developed into a Business Case for future funding opportunities.
In 2018 Council purchased the Old Mill at Gundagai (2 Sheridan Lane) at the request of the community and in recognition of the significant local heritage significance of the building, which is the only structure to have survived the Great Flood of 1852 in which one third of the townsfolk per-ished.
In March 2023, Council resolved to utilise funds allocated to the Old Mill project from the Stronger Communities Fund to master plan the Old Mill precinct including a business case and community consultation. CGRC engaged S2 Architects and Sparrowly Group Consultants to undertake the stakeholder engagement and mapping of a master plan and business case to be used to apply for future grant funding opportunities for the Old Mill.
An Extraordinary workshop for Councillors was held on 27 November 2024, with S2 Architects and Sparrowly Group consultants presenting two master planned options for adaptive reuse of the Old Mill, Sheridan Lane, Gundagai.
Options presented were Multi-Use Recreation Space and Immersive Storytelling Experience.
Feedback from the workshop, and post workshop, was for option two, Immersive Storytelling Ex-perience to be developed into a Business Case for future funding opportunities.
In 2018, initial funding was secured Council received funding from the NSW Office of Local Government (NCIFZ) to upgrade the Old Mill as a tourist attraction which included works to renovate the site to a safe, usable condition, preparing the site for expressions of interest from commercial tenants and establishing the site as a hub for heritage and cultural tours of Old Gundagai and nearby Aboriginal heritage sites on the Murrumbidgee River floodplains.
In 2019, heritage architect Noel Thomson and structural engineer Peter Kennard prepared detailed structural rectification drawings, a Development Application (DA) was successfully approved, structural drawings progressed to Construction Certificate stage.
There were some challenges, however, such as quotations revealing the works required to make the building usable exceeded the available budget. Council applied for Regional Tourism Activation Funding, proposing a 25 percent co-contribution. Insufficient funds for the co-contribution and higher-than-expected project costs led Council to decline the funding agreement. Council resolved to utilise initial funds to develop a masterplan for the Old Mill precinct and prepare a business case and conduct community consultation. Council were given two options with the second option being the recommended one.
Option one suggested a multi-use recreation space. It suggests the Old Mill could be fitted with climbing or play equipment themed around its industrial history or local stories. It would feature a casual gathering area for a coffee van or food truck. Concept option two focuses more on an “immersive storytelling experience.”
Visitors would engage in local stories like floods, bushrangers and canola harvesting, offering a unique, interactive challenge for all ages. This experience aims to maintain the historic character but offer a modern, immersive gameplay that keeps visitors returning to explore new themes. It would theoretically tie into the Old Town experience and other historic sites around Gundagai. It was recommended Council adopt the second option.
-Jack Murray
