The staddle and nearby hearse shed were saved from demolition in 1980 through the action of concerned citizens and the Heritage Council of NSW.

But 30 years later the fight has returned.

“We’re seeking a grant to do further conservation work on the building,” society president Dr Cameron Archer said.

“The staddle is an icon within the park and the village, and it’s one of the rarest buildings of its kind in the district and Australia because there are very few staddles in existence.

“The staddle has a good roof on it, but there’s a fair bit of termite activity and the building has become a target for vandals, but we can get across all that with a bit of help.”

In Tucker Park, the 100-year-old corn staddle and hearse shed are the remnants of the once-thriving coaching business conducted by two generations of Maitland’s well-known Fry family.

The Australian Heritage Commission included these two buildings on the National Estate List in 1990.

The Paterson corn staddle was built to store cobs of corn until they were ready to be milled for the horses.

“We have had some funds to conserve the staddle, but that was many years ago so the building has once again become one of the projects of the historical society,” Dr Archer said.

“We’re not going to let it slide because the staddle is of intrinsic value.”