By Alison Mills, Parramatta Sun, 26 August 2010

THE surname Benaud and the game of cricket seem inseparable. But part of the story of the great cricketing and sporting family - the North Parramatta home where brothers Richie and John spent their formative years - is under threat of demolition.

At Monday night's council meeting, Parramatta's lord mayor, Paul Garrard and deputy lord mayor Chiang Lim proposed seeking an interim heritage order from the Planning Minister to protect the inter-war era brick bungalow at number 5, Sutherland Road.

Their unanimously endorsed lord mayoral minute called for council staff to investigate whether the property could gain national heritage status.

The council will also explore the feasibility of a fund where cricket fans can contribute to its maintenance.

The council will ask local MPs to support the interim heritage proposal. One of those, David Borger, who is the member for Granville, Minister for Western Sydney and a former Parramatta lord mayor, bought the property from the Benaud family in 2003.

It was recently sold to the current owner who wants to demolish the house to build a two-storey dual occupancy dwelling.

``Australians and international cricket fans should be invited to help save Richie Benaud's family home, whether by a petition or donating a bit of money,'' Cr Lim said.

The council's heritage adviser, Zoran Popovic, said the detached cottage was an average example of the period and would not meet heritage criteria solely on the basis of its fabric.

But Mr Popovic said it did meet the local and state listing criteria of having an association with significant persons or events.

Richie Benaud is currently in England but his brother John told the Sun it was ``a pity'' that the matter had reached this point.

``We are very happy that someone at Parramatta Council has heritage uppermost in their mind. Parramatta is a famous place historically and I think its heritage deserves to be maintained,'' Mr Benaud said.

``Dad and mum moved there in the early 1940s. I was born in 1944. Dad passed away in 1993 but Mum lived there until 2003, when it was sold.

``Richie is 14 years older than me, but when we lived there [Richie moved out in about 1954] we used to play cricket in the backyard and also out in the street. There used to be a lot of similar houses in the street and it used to be a really fun time and relaxed growing up there.

``Dad coached me in cricket, and in life, in the backyard. I remember the street had a lot of character with its plum-coloured brick cottages.

``I did like the street. It is a pity it has been reduced to this.''