Oatlands Commissariat
May 2012, Southern Midlands Council purchased 79 High Street, Oatlands – an 1108 square metre parcel of land, containing the former Oatlands Commissariat Store (the commissariat), the Oatlands Guard House archaeological site, and a c1870-1880s shop and cottage fronting High Street. Council had resolved to purchase the place based on the exceptional level of heritage value of the place and the desire to keep the place in public ownership and present it as part of a suite of the earliest government buildings at Oatlands (namely together with the Oatlands Gaol and Supreme Court House).
The commissariat is a large space in a very prominent position relating to High Street and has the remains of a massive baker’s oven (c1880s) attached. The building offers significant potential to create meaningful public space with supplementary interpretation and possible reinvigoration of the baker’s oven. Such a use would link with the original use of the building – i.e. provisioning the town. The shop and cottage offer potential to work as ancillary buildings in support of the use and interpretation of the commissariat and act as a gateway to the site. The building may also have commercial potential to raise revenue for the ongoing maintenance of the commissariat.
Council has recently endorsed the Oatlands Commissariat Master Plan.
Click Here to to view or download the Oatlands Commissariat Master Plan
