The Wonderland house on Baden Street in Coogee will remain standing following the rejection of a development application to demolish the property for a new residential facility.
Randwick City Council refused DA/523/2020 after six months of assessment. According to the Council’s report, the application does not comply with the Randwick Local Environment Plan, the Randwick Development Control Plan 2013, and the Apartment Design Guide.
The rejection also stated that the building designed to replace the iconic Wonderland house is not compatible with the bulk and scale of the streetscape. However, the developer could still appeal the decision to the Land and Environment Court within six months of the refusal.
The Council issued its decision in April 2021.
It comes as the Randwick community opposed the development application, citing that the Coogee building is a historic and iconic site with a rich social and cultural impact.
“It is a fine example of post-war art deco architecture with a unique and fascinating provenance,” Randwick Heritage Action Group stated.
“Its nautical details and the brightly painted facade is instantly recognisable in Coogee and is a nod to earlier times.
“As well as its jaunty seaside art deco architecture, once so popular in Coogee, the building has a fascinating social history. It was built in 1922 by McLeod who owned the garage located in the dome building (now the Coogee Pavilion).”
In recent history, the house was the set of the television series, Wonderland, which aired from 2013 to 2015. However, the Wonderland house is not a heritage-listed site.
