Not only have they stood the tyranny of time, in many cases they are  beautifully and faithfully restored in  keeping with the era they represent.

Their significance to the history of Maitland, and indeed Australia, should not be underestimated.

Take Caroline Chisholm’s cottage  in Mill Street, East Maitland, which was built in 1842 as a home for female immigrants, for example. 

How fortunate are we, as Maitlanders, to have this piece of ­history in our midst.

Other buildings, however, such as the iconic blue Indian Root Pill shed on the road between East Maitland and Morpeth, are technically in heritage no-man’s land.

But under new Maitland City Council powers these unlisted buildings may well be protected in the future should their owners ever seek to demolish them. 

The new powers mean that the council could issue an interim heritage order while a thorough assessment was carried out.

While there is still some way to go, with council staff negotiating their way through the development of a framework for the management of the interim heritage orders, this is cer­tainly a step in the right direction if it means that significant buildings will  be protected should there be sufficient evidence to support their preservation.

Many people already realise the importance of the buildings they own, without it being necessary for those buildings to be formally listed; others, however, see old buildings as merely standing in the way of progress.

There must be some balance.

As outspoken heritage campaigner Chris Richards acknowledges, it is a sensitive and controversial area.     

But like the sale of assets, once they’re gone, they’re gone forever and no amount of regretting the decision in the future can ever bring them back.