About 50 people attended a meeting on October 27 to stop the sell-off of Gleniffer Brae, a historic, heritage-listed manor house in Wollongong. Organised by Reclaim Our City, the meeting discussed the need for Gleniffer Brae — owned by Wollongong City Council — to stay in public hands, and questioned the right of unelected administrators to decide the future of such a valuable community asset.
The October 27 Illawarra Mercury supported the campaign. It said: “Perched on a gently sloping hillside overlooking the magnificent Botanic Gardens is one of Wollongong's most beautiful and historic buildings.
“The building is the heritage-listed Gleniffer Brae … situated on 2.5ha of superbly maintained grounds, which for decades has been part of the fabric of Wollongong. It's the home of Wollongong's Conservatorium of Music where some of this region's finest musicians were taught and, in some cases, took their first steps towards a career in the arts.”
The meeting resolved to hold a public meeting at the main gate of Gleniffer Brae at 6pm on November 15 and called on council to place a moratorium on the assessment process.