Perched high on the Palmers Road hill, overlooking the town of Lakes Entrance, sits the East Gippsland Shire’s Lakes Entrance site.
Built in the 1980s, just years before the municipal amalgamation that centralised local government in Bairnsdale, the large facility has slid into virtual obsolescence.
While currently used as office space for some shire staff, the future of the site is now up for debate. Facing south with breathtaking views of Bass Strait, suggestions for the 14.9-hectare site — the last undeveloped high ground in town — range from a hospital or art gallery to commercial housing, or even demolition.
However, local resident Josephine Jakobi is urging the public to consider an entirely different, forward-thinking proposal: transforming the site into a permanent, community-held sanctuary and campus of learning.
“Imagine this: 100 years into the future, townsfolk could be walking the pathways of parkland on the hill, enjoying sheltered grottos, watching songbirds in botanical gardens, and dabbling in ponds,” Ms Jakobi said.
“This hill, with its ‘white elephant’ reputation, could be as beloved to locals as Kings Park is to Perth.”
The site already boasts a significant ecological pedigree. On the lower slopes lies a belt of regenerating bushland planted in the late 1990s by renowned local botanist-ecologist Bill Peel. Peel used the steep slope to test his theories on land rehabilitation, work that served as the foundation for his CSIRO-published Rainforest Restoration Manual for South-Eastern Australia.
Left to thrive under “benign neglect”, this area has become a rich habitat for native birdlife. The adjoining lower ground already hosts the indoor pool, gym, public tennis courts and a dog park, with recent proposals mooted for a new indoor recreation centre.
Under Ms Jakobi’s vision, the existing office building would be repurposed into a ‘School of Natural Philosophy’.
“There is a rare opportunity here to occupy the site while the design is developed, learning by observation and engaged immersion in the environment,” she said.
“The land and building could be secured as Common Land, so the asset is held in perpetuity rather than for capital gain. The land would own itself.”
The proposal, which incorporates the concept of “Futuring” to create a lasting legacy for future generations, has been gaining traction since its first public meeting at the Slipway Sheds a couple of years ago.
Ms Jakobi reported a groundswell of interest from major regional and environmental organisations. The Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) has agreed to advise on the project, ensuring the deep history of the land and its traditional owners are respected.
Additionally, organisations including Greening Australia, the Gippsland Community Foundation, Business Volunteers Australia, LEADA, the Bairnsdale Field Naturalists, the Lakes Entrance Garden Club, FLOAT, and Landcare have all expressed enthusiasm or interest in partnering with the project.
To drive the initiative forward, Ms Jakobi is now looking to formalise community involvement.
“An expanding group of local people is keen to help. I am looking at forming a Friends of 55 Palmers Road group, as this is an opportunity to create something really special,” she said.
Citing the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne as inspiration, Ms Jakobi envisions the site as a premier showcase for a unique, coastal endemic garden. The core priorities for the project include protecting the land as parkland for future generations, fostering long-term planning, observing the existing ecology, and nurturing creative expression through living systems.
For more information or to get involved, residents can visit the White Elephant Project Facebook page or contact the Lakes Post for details.
