West Chatswood Library is currently closed due to flooding. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Please check the website for updates, or call Chatswood Library on 02 9777 7900.
2 Small Street, Willoughby
Walter Burley Griffin, Eric Milton Nicholls and Nisson Leonard-Kanevsky formed the Reverberatory Incinerator and Engineering Co. Ltd. in 1929, building 12 incinerators in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The Willoughby Incinerator and Sewage Dump was opened by Mayor Ernest Edward Alcorn in September 1934, and closed in 1967 although the Sewage plant operated until 1972. The Federal Government offered Willoughby Council a restoration grant of $10,000 in 1976 to repair the deteriorating building but was refused as it was not nearly sufficient. Colin and Gary Dilworth were granted a 21 year lease to restore the building and convert it into a restaurant, with the help of a $100,000 loan from the NSW Heritage Council. The restoration eventually cost nearly $500,000 and the Incinerator Restaurant opened on 6 Sept 1980, closing in 1988. The lease was sold to Design Six Properties Pty Ltd and the building converted into offices. In 1996 the building was damaged by fire, and has since been restored.