05/12/2025
The loss of local heritage also stings. The historic Willow Grove villa was demolished in 2021 to make way for the Powerhouse. Meade, who led the protest, says: “All I see is a huge convention centre where we could have the Museum of NSW.”
“What the people of western Sydney are effectively being told is that we don’t have the attention span for a real museum experience – something on the level of the Smithsonian, which was promised. So instead it appears we are being handed a dumbed-down version,” says heritage campaigner Suzette Meade.
“It’s like selling tickets to a blockbuster film and then showing the audience a TikTok; it’s frankly insulting, especially when we are completely ignoring the enormous demand in the visitor economy for authentic experiences, something Parramatta has in absolute abundance with multiple significant world and nationally listed heritage sites.”
A billion-dollar cultural experiment is about to open its doors – and no one can agree on what, exactly, it’s meant to be.
