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Clr Chiang Lim
Address: Level 3, Council Chamber Building, Civic Place
PARRAMATTA, SYDNEY
NSW, 2150

Address:
(02) 9806 5000

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Address:
(02) 8079 0729

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Home arrow News & Media arrow Media Releases arrow All except one Parramatta Councillors abandon saving Richie Benaud's childhood home

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All except one Parramatta Councillors abandon saving Richie Benaud's childhood home

MEDIA RELEASE - 8 NOVEMBER 2010

Without even a seconder, former Deputy Lord Mayor Chiang Lim was unable to receive support from his fellow Parramatta Councillors to help save Richie Benaud’s childhood home.

“For Parramatta Councillors to say on the one hand that they want to protect local heritage, then abandon any possibility of saving Richie Benaud’s childhood home when the going gets tough, this is utterly disappointing,” said Clr Lim.


The Benaud home, where Australia’s most famous cricketer since Sir Donald Bradman lived as a child, was in the family until sold to former Parramatta Lord Mayor and now NSW Roads Minister David Borger in 2003. It was bought by a developer in May and soon after an application to demolish it for redevelopment was lodged with Parramatta Council.

But Parramatta Councillors and the community only found out about the house’s impending fate when the local newspaper revealed it in mid August 2010 after a tip-off from a resident.

Richie Benaud, who is as well-known internationally as a cricket commentator as he was an Australian Test captain, is regarded as Parramatta’s most famous person.

“What my fellow Parramatta Councillors have done is to walk away from even trying. What they have done is to run away after not listing this property for heritage listing in the first place by those who knew of its importance, and the NSW Minister for Planning, the Hon Tony Kelly MLC’s refusal to intervene with an interim heritage order,” said Clr Lim.

On Monday evening, 8 November 2010, ten Parramatta Councillors present did not support Clr Lim’s motion to form a fundraising committee that would invite participation from the Federal Government, the NSW State Government, Cricket Australia, Channel 9, ESPN, the Parramatta District Cricket Club, the National Heritage Trust, and any other organisations, individuals and corporate supporters from across Australia as well as from other cricket loving nations. Richie Benaud’s childhood home is on 5 Sutherland Street, North Parramatta.

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For any further information, please contact Clr Chiang Lim,
Parramatta City Council on 0427 277 299 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it