For over half a century, Canberra’s precast concrete “bunker” bus shelters have been an iconic part of our city’s landscape. PTCBR have long advocated for these shelters to receive statutory heritage recognition, and we are pleased to see the ACT Heritage Council move forward with their provisional registration.
However, a heritage listing should not mean freezing an asset in time at the expense of its functionality. Our latest submission highlights a specific concern that could make maintaining these shelters a bureaucratic headache for years to come.
“Orange and cream” forever?
While we welcome the protections, the current provisional registration includes the specific “cream and orange colour scheme” as an “attribute of significance”. While this attempt to summarise the shelters’ appearance is well-intentioned, we fear it risks making future adjustments cost-prohibitive and complicated.
These shelters are first and foremost functional infrastructure for our public transport system. As Canberra’s network evolves, the orange and cream livery (which has already been superseded by newer Transport Canberra branding) should not be a permanent, mandatory requirement.
A colourful history
The ability of these shelters to be easily and cheaply customised is also an essential part of their heritage. For more than four-fifths of their 51 year history, they have been adorned with vibrant murals from local schools and community groups.
Bunker shelters at places like Denman Prospect, Aranda, and Bruce demonstrate how different colours, both inside and out, can enhance their appearance and help them become much loved neighbourhood assets. We want to ensure this tradition of community involvement and visual variety continues without the need for a full heritage assessment every time a paintbrush is lifted.
A better way forward
Our submission recommends that the ACT Heritage Council remove all references to the “orange and cream” colour scheme from the final registration. Instead, protections should be limited to the aspects that are truly fundamental to their heritage significance, including:
- the original precast concrete design by Clement Cummings
- the fact that they are designed to be moveable to suit a changing transport network
- their capacity to host a variety of colours and community murals, and
- physical features such as external window moulding and internal seating.
By focusing on the shape rather than the colour, we can protect the “bunkers” we love while ensuring they remain a flexible, functional and colourful part of Canberra’s transport future.
You can read our full submission to the ACT Heritage Council below: