Now unused except by vandals, Macedon House stands derelict and decaying. Once it was not. Macedon House was built as a pub in 1847. (Surely reason enough to look after it.) In 1851, gold was discovered in Victoria and the hostelry found itself on the dust and mud road of dreams on which thousands of people travelled from Melbourne to the gold fields. One of Melbourne's founding fathers, John Pascoe Fawkner, reputedly used to drink there. Macedon House Hotel was delicensed in 1867, the consequence of a fall in trade coinciding with decline in the heady Goldrush days and the coming of the railway through the area. From the late 1880s, for more than century, it then served as a boarding house, private residence, restaurant and school. Its place in village society can be gleaned from this report from 1906, of "Easter at Macedon House" during which "with glorious weather and a house full of congenial spirits, things went very merrily". Its last incarnation was as a kindergarten until 2004. And then, for the past 10 years, time has stood still. Nothing, zilch, naught, zero. But nothing is not nothing. For when nothing happens, entropy steps in, eats away inside and out. In March 2005, The Age reported on Macedon House's plight in light of plans by People First Retirement Living, a company of businessman Ted Sent's, to demolish the house and turn the site into a retirement village. Many locals were livid. A company spokesman said at the time it had to look at the "economics of the project". The property was nominated for heritage listing and, after an investigation by Heritage Victoria, the listing was accepted. People First rejigged its plans to include the building.

Macedon House in its serene grandeur Credit:State Library The land also had to be rezoned. This never happened. The council's online register says the latest application, lodged in June 2005, had "status prohibited" attached to it. Last December, ownership was transferred to Macedon House Estate Pty Ltd, whose sole director and secretary is Melbourne businessman Brian Forshaw. He, too, according to the council and Heritage Victoria, wants to build a retirement village on the site. Heritage Victoria says it was informed that the owner was talking with the council. In a local newspaper last month the council said there was nothing on file about discussions with the owner or any new applications. Ten years ago: Macedon House. Heritage Victoria says regular maintenance is being pursued. The council and Heritage Victoria have been in contact. The council says meetings have been held between the new owner with its officers and councillors about rezoning and permit application proposals.

At the same time a statewide survey is being conducted to assess the condition of 150 places on the Heritage Victoria Register. Heritage Victoria has put together a toolkit to "help owners and managers understand and plan for costs associated with maintaining a heritage place or object". A review of the Heritage Act is also being conducted. Macedon Ranges Shire Council also has a heritage strategy. Among its praiseworthy aims is ensuring "adequate protection is applied to sites of heritage significance in the shire". Job done then, Macedon House. Under the Heritage Act, the owner must not a) remove or demolish, b) damage or despoil, c) develop or alter or d) excavate – all or any part of a registered place. The penalties can be monetary or jail. They also must not a) allow that place or object to fall into disrepair; or b) fail to maintain that place or object to the extent that its conservation is threatened. The past is a foreign country and, outside its borders, progress is measured in different metrics. What chance a crumbling old pub in a corner of a hill in a little town? The preservation of history may be a mark of progress, too, but it requires time and money. More crucially and, in the first instance, most importantly, it requires the will to do so. Everyone always says they have the best of intentions. This, of course, absolves anyone and everyone of blame. Minister for Planning Richard Wynne has this to say about heritage: "From the grandeur of Flinders Street Station and Parliament House to small community halls and local public buildings: each plays a vital role in our daily life and reflects the many interests and activities of the people of Victoria.

"Their continued care and maintenance ensures their ongoing use and relevance for the community. "The government is custodian of a significant collection of heritage places and objects which are greatly valued by the community. Many retain their original function, while others have long been successfully adapted to new uses so they continue to play a valuable role in the community. "Understanding the value of our heritage and ensuring best practice in its maintenance is critical to ensure these places have an ongoing role in meeting our future needs. "It is essential that the Victorian government leads by example and sets the standard for other owners and managers of heritage places and objects." Wouldn't it be nice if the minister could visit Macedon House? Perhaps he could bring along Premier Daniel Andrews to see a small part of Victoria's history before it is gone.

Here's a thought: the government initiates compulsory acquisition of houses for new roads and railtracks, why not employ the same principle here? To preserve the past is a noble thing; to do nothing is vandalism.