No one knew the fence was placed 1.5m on the wrong side of the boundary line between a council-owned lane and the orphanage grounds, more recently used for Guadalupe House.

Even Albury Council didn’t know and some years ago workmen placed a water meter behind the fence on what really is the nature strip.

The error has just been discovered in a ground survey undertaken for Rick James Design prior to the construction of a group home for people with disabilities near the old orphanage building.

It has forced Mr James’ client, the Mercy Centre Lavington, to ask the council to make an exception and allow a fence in front of the new building to follow a line extending south from the iron fence, so that a “dog leg” isn’t required.

This would also avoid having to moved the building a further 1.5m back from the lane to comply with setbacks.

Mr James said yesterday it would make sense to keep the new fence in line with the old one, which is being retained.

“The old fence has been in place over 100 years with no adverse effects on the streetscape or pedestrian or vehicle movements,” he said.

His proposal wouldn’t make much difference as the lane is blocked to traffic at either end, he said.

City director of planning and environment Michael Keys said the new fence’s location wasn’t a discretionary matter but a case of keeping to the law on property development.

“But I don’t think we’d be requiring anyone to shift the old fence,” Mr Keys said.

Similar wrought iron fences remain at St Patrick’s and St Matthew’s churches in Albury.

St John’s Orphanage was opened in 1882 and the fence added in one of several extensions between 1897 and 1913.

It closed as a children’s home in 1978 when the remaining children went to group homes or foster care.