Heritagensw Autumn 2009 Vol. 16 No. 1

Thematic listings program launched

20th century homes honoured in latest sHR listings

2008 Volunteers Awards celebrate ‘heritage heroes’

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Contents

Message from the Minister

Message from the Chair

Griffin, Jolly, seidler saluting 20th century architects

Beating salt attack and rising damp!

Colonial records of nsw now on DVD

“Jewels in the Crown” – unique collection of Crown plans

Remains of Old Adaminaby win protection

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Newslet ter of the heritAge CouNCil of Nsw AND the heritAge Br ANCh, Nsw DePArtMeNt of Pl ANNiNg

Heritage NSW is the official newsletter of the Heritage Council of nsw and is published on its behalf by the nsw Department of Planning. Articles may be quoted with appropriate attribution.

heritage BranchNsw Department of Planning3 Marist Place, Parramatta, nswLocked Bag 5020, Parramatta nsw 2124Tel: (02) 9873 8500 Fax (02) 9873 8599Home page: www.heritage.nsw.gov.auE-mail: heritageoffice@heritage.nsw.gov.au

heritage NswEditor: Debra HollandDesign: Harley & Jones Design

Autumn 2009 Vol. 16 No. 1

Issn 1321-1099DOP 2008_031Print Post Approval no. PP 255003/01429Published March 2009

© state of nsw through the nsw Department of Planning, 2009. You may copy, distribute, display, download and otherwise freely deal with the work for any purpose, provided that you attribute the Heritage Branch, nsw Department of Planning as the owner. However, you must obtain permission if you wish to (1) charge others for access to the work (other than at cost) (2) include the work in advertising or a product for sale or (3) modify the work.

DisClAiMerThis document has been prepared by the Heritage Branch, nsw Department of Planning for general information purposes. while every care has been taken in relation to its accuracy, no warranty is given or implied. Recipients should obtain their own independent advice before making any decisions that rely on this information.

Credits: Cover page Redstone ‘View from South West’ photographer Eric Sierins; Loggan Rock photograph courtesy City Plan Heritage; Seidler House photograph courtesy Seidler family; Thematic Listings launch images – Paramount Studios; ‘Jewels in the Crown’ and ‘Unique colonial records of NSW now on DVD’ images courtesy Department of Lands; ‘Parramatta Park Trust celebrates 150 years’ photographer David Wallace.

Thematic Listings Program initiative launched

special feature – Highlighting Aboriginal, Convict, Macquarie and world wars 1 & 2 Heritage

Parramatta Park Trust celebrates 150 years

Tamworth City cleans up Tidy Towns awards

Community’s ‘Heritage Heroes’ recognised with nsw Government Awards

Heritage news

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HeadKristina Keneally MP

Minister for Planning

Message from the Minister

I welcome this opportunity to introduce myself as your new Minister for Planning. I consider heritage conservation and management as a pivotal part of my ministerial responsibilities. I look forward to the support of the heritage community along with the Heritage Council of nsw in reaching our shared goals.

One of my first tasks is to announce a new thematic approach to listings on the nsw state Heritage Register. This edition includes more on the four broad themes that have priority for assessment in 2009-2010. They are Convicts, Governor Macquarie, Aboriginal heritage, and world wars 1 & 2. This is an important new step in achieving a Register that is representative and reflective of the key themes.

I have been fortunate to have taken part in two other key heritage events since my appointment. The first was the

annual Heritage Volunteer Awards held at the Museum of sydney last november. The second was my announcement of the listing of the walter Burley Grif fin designed house “Redstone” at Telopea on the state Heritage Register in early January 2009.

On both occasions I was able to spend time with people whose contribution to heritage conservation deserves wide acknowledgement. The first group are the wonderful heritage volunteers, the quiet achievers in our communities, who give up so much of their time and devote personal commitment to undertake heritage work in their local area.

The other important group of people are the owners of heritage properties. Heritage conservation needs the support of private owners, whether as individual families or as business groups, if we are to find solutions towards our challenges in urban planning.

One of my most enjoyable readings these past couple of months has been the story of the pioneering architect and town planner, Florence Taylor – what a dynamic and interesting woman who was both of her period and yet so forward thinking in many areas. It was a pleasure for me to learn that one of the co-authors of “Florence Taylor’s Hats” is the Heritage Branch’s Bronwyn Hanna, which underscores the high level of talent and creativity of our Departmental staff.

I look forward to attending future heritage events where I can meet more members of the wide heritage community and learn more about the issues that concern you.

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Message from the Chair

Each year the Heritage Council of nsw visits a regional centre in nsw. This offers us a chance to look at key heritage projects undertaken by local councils, community groups and private owners.

These visits are not only informative but refreshing in the level of enthusiasm shown by those in regional communities who invest so much time and effort on heritage projects.

Of course the visits help us

recognise that regional nsw is facing its own unique and troubling economic issues that sometimes can impact on the potential for a positive conservation outcome.

In 2008 we visited wentworth in the far south-west of the state. The generosity of our many hosts cannot be underestimated. They welcomed us into their homes and showcased some stunning projects – a highlight being the boarding of the paddle steamer Ruby. This community-based project, which has received substantial funding under the Heritage Grants Program over a decade, is almost complete. wentworth shire now has another quality riverine tourism asset.

I must commend the wonderful efforts by everyone involved in the Ruby project, particularly the many older volunteers working in the background, who have created this significant community legacy.

My second opportunity to see community action and support for heritage took me to Junee late last year. Here I discussed the restoration of the former Athenium Theatre, listed on

gabrielle Kibble Ao

Chair of the heritage Council

the state Heritage Register in January 2004. Although Junee shire Council has received grant funding from both state and Commonwealth governments, it is facing financial dif ficulties in achieving a program of restoring the theatre for public use.

Discussions with Council covered the challenges facing regional councils and the high costs of building works, along with other potential solutions. I hope a resolution can be reached to enable the building to be restored

to a state where it can start to be used by the community. In turn this should generate further public support and financial backing to complete the works and achieve an important heritage outcome.

Finally, a warm welcome to the Minister for Planning, The Hon Kristina Keneally MP, who has shown a passion for heritage and the work being done across the field since starting her term last year.

Members of the Heritage Council and Heritage Branch staff toured the 1908 built Nampoo Station Homestead, now self contained holiday accommodation, as part of their regional visit to Wentworth.

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Minister for Planning the

hon. Kristina Keneally MP

welcomed in a new year for

heritage conservation when

she announced the listing

of the walter Burley griffin

designed house Redstone

on the state heritage

register in January.

the story behind Redstone

•   Edward Winter owned a gentleman’s outfitter’s shop in Pitt street, sydney while his wife, Greta, worked as a colourist before their marriage. They met walter Burley Grif fin through a shared interest in the single Tax Movement and the Theosophical society.

•   Also known as ‘The Winter House’ by architectural historians, Redstone is named after Edward winter’s grandfather’s cottage in wales.

•   The Dundas and Telopea area was mainly used for agriculture and orcharding before the introduction of a sewerage system in the 1950s enabled suburban development.

Built in 1935 for English born businessman Edward winter, his wife Greta and their family, Redstone is the only Grif fin designed house in western sydney.

Descendants of Edward and Greta winter joined fellow campaigners at the modest sandstone house at Telopea on 9 January 2009 to celebrate the listing.

•   Grif fin sited the house on the highest point of the original orchard landscape which enabled views eastwards to the city and south to the Parrmatta River in 1935.

•   The original lettered sign ‘Redstone’ is still displayed at the front entrance.

•   The external walls to sill height are built from locally quarried (Telopea) sandstone.

•  Redstone was built in 1935 on a 0.4 hectare (one acre) lot of former orcharding land that once formed part of the large early 19th century Adderton Estate. A plum tree from the original orchard remains to the west of the house.

Redstone is a jewel in the crown of Grif fin’s domestic architecture and is the most intact of the 19 surviving Grif fin designed houses in nsw. It is the only one of his homes that remains in the ownership of the family who commissioned it.

In her address, the Minister paid tribute to Redstone’s current owner, a grand daughter of Edward and Greta winter who along with her late mother had been a driving force behind the call for state heritage protection.

Redstone contains many of the distinctive Grif fin features including open planning, juxtaposition of robust stonework with fine oiled timber joinery, an Art Deco styled chimney, curtained interior screens and a multi-layered roof with large overhangs.

However Edward and Greta had three additional stipulations.

•  Redstone’s garden is typical of the inter-war period in its layout and includes several trees and shrubs planted by Edward and Greta winter and their daughter nella Melchert. The garden includes a rare multi trunked Canary Island date palm.

•   The original specification and original coloured contract drawings for Redstone are still in the family’s possession.

•   The family has employed high quality heritage advice in Redstone’s maintenance and repair ensuring that it has been conserved according to Burra Charter principles.

They requested that the house not have a flat roof which is unusual for a Grif fin design. They also asked for no steps and that every bedroom include a washbasin.

In typical Grif fin style, the house is built directly upon the ground, separated only by a layer of tar, then gravel, then timber boards onto which the Cypress pine floorboards are laid.

The front and back entrances open directly from the living room and back entry room respectively onto patios shaded by large roof overhangs. Grif fin intended that the two entrances have similar features and not be strongly dif ferentiated.

Grif fin never saw the finished house. He and his wife Marion Mahony Grif fin left for India in October 1935 shortly before Redstone was completed.

•  Redstone is one of five walter Burley Grif fin houses listed to date on the state Heritage Register (sHR). The others are Fishwick House at Castlecrag (sHR listing #01751), the Eric Pratten House at Pymble (sHR listing #1443), the Walter Burley Grif fin Lodge (aka the stella James House) at Avalon (sHR listing #1510) and the Duncan House at Castlecrag (sHR listing #742).

Telopea’s unique Walter Burley Griffin house gains heritage protection

Heritag

ePlanning Minister Kristina Keneally congratulates family members Mrs Aileen Winter (left), and the current owner, Mrs Kerry Lee (centre) at the listing of Redstone on the State Heritage Register.

“I am sure (WB) Griffin would have been pleased that, at Redstone, his work became the catalyst for that most civilised of values – friendship. I hope that the magic of Redstone and the spirit of the Melcherts will continue to weave their spell on a new generation of owners and their guests, and indeed, that (its) listing … will inspire all who have an interest in shaping our cities and towns to reaffirm the importance of good architecture and town planning in creating a civilised and happy society, and to aim for the highest standards in their work.”

Ian Stephenson, Former Chair of the National Trust of Australia (NSW) January 2009.

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the Killara home of the

prominent architects harry

and Penelope seidler

was added to the state

heritage register in June

2008. Designed in 1966, the

building is widely credited

as among the best of the

architects’ domestic work.

it features reinforced

concrete, stone, wood and

glass and is regarded as

a pure expression of their

architectural and design

philosophies.

The couple lived in the Killara home for almost 40 years and it has acted as a backdrop to the family’s contributions to the state’s architectural, cultural, and artistic life. The property remains within the seidler family.

Two other seidler designed residences – the Igloo House in Mosman and the Rose Seidler House in wahroonga – are already listed on the state Heritage Register.

The Harry and Penelope Seidler House has received a number of awards including the nsw Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects’ wilkinson Award (1967). Harry seidler also received the Institute’s highest honour, the RAIA Gold Medal, in 1977 for outstanding achievement in architectural design and the promotion of architecture and the profession.

one of Avalon’s most

distinctive ‘organic’ houses

Loggan Rock received

state heritage register

(shr) listing last August.

Loggan Rock is a signature work of 20th century architect Alexander stewart Jolly who is regarded as one of the most inventive practitioners of interwar contemporary design. He began building Loggan Rock in 1929 as a cabin retreat for his friend, Colonel Lionel Hurley, the Commonwealth film censor.

Loggan Rock is regarded as a good example of organic architecture where the built structures are designed to work in harmony with the natural surroundings.

The site comprises three major structures, the earliest of which is the 1929 original rustic log cabin which is built on a foundation of randomly shaped stone blocks.

There is the adjoining 1934 Jolly residence formed by a random-rubble stone tower and a separate 1950s extension. Its architect is unknown but the dwelling in the austere International style, complements Jolly’s earlier design.

The original structures were cleverly crafted from stone and timber. They incorporate natural rocks, boulders, roughly squared quarried sandstone, timber shingles, rough barked logs, tree trunks and forked branches.

The landscaped garden is a series of intimate spaces, courtyards, terraces, viewing platforms, walls, steps and pathways carefully integrated into the natural bushland setting.

several stone benches are placed strategically to capture views and spots of sunlight.

During the period of Hurley’s ownership, Loggan Rock was noted for its boisterous dinner parties attended by the burgeoning arts and film making community on the peninsula.

The Seidler family home listed

Distinctive Avalon house became centre for 1930s arts and film community

Frequent guests included Hurley’s relative, the well known ww1 and Antarctic photographer Frank Hurley; ‘Mr RKO’ Ralph Doyle the film distributor and his photographic model wife, Patricia Minchin; leading Australian film writer and director Ken G. Hall; interior designer Margaret Jay; and prolific children’s author and artist, Elizabeth McIntyre.

Another of Jolly’s ‘organic’ masterpieces, ‘Hy-Brasil’ (originally named The Gem) joined the state Heritage Register in 1999 after first gaining a Permanent Conservation Order in 1980.

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owners and managers of

heritage buildings now have

a new resource to help them

combat rising damp and

salt damage.

Technical Ad

vice

The Heritage Council of nsw has released its latest technical guide Salt Attack and Rising Damp available both in booklet and download versions.

The guide explains how to diagnose and identify appropriate repair work for cases commonly seen in Australia. while emphasis is given to buildings of heritage value, the principles apply to all older buildings.

According to publication author, David Young OAM, salt attack and rising damp are separate but interrelated processes.

Both issues must be understood to minimise damage and to take corrective action.

“while the term rising damp has been commonly used to cover both aspects, it tends to overlook the role of salt,” he said.

“This is an issue that will become increasingly important as our buildings get older and soils become more saline,” he said.

The guide is a joint project between the heritage agencies in nsw, Victoria, south Australia and the City of Adelaide. It responds to the various conditions found across nsw and south-eastern Australia, from coastal areas to arid regions.

The publication is available for $25 inc. GsT plus postage. To order, go to www.heritage.nsw.gov.au and follow the links. It can also be downloaded directly from the website for no charge.

what is the technical Advisory group (tAg)?

The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is an expert committee of the Heritage Council of nsw comprising specialists drawn from many fields, who can be called upon to help solve technical problems related to materials conservation. Members of TAG include experts in masonry, structural engineering, joinery and conservation technique. The Panel also has a wider reference group to whom more detailed questions can be addressed. The Panel provides advice on materials conservation, monitors emerging

Beating salt attack and rising damp!

Rising damp and salt damage are some of the greatest challenges facing owners of older buildings.

It was a Who’s Who in the field of technical expertise in built heritage when former and current members came together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Technical Advisory Group for Materials Conservation (TAGMaC) at Parramatta on 18 Feburary 2009.

Guests included Lorraine Cairnes (Executive Director, Fathom Consulting; former Senior Specialist, Heritage Branch and first Chair of the TAGMaC (1978-79); George Gibbons (foundation TAGMaC member, 1978-2001, Chair 1980-1995); and John Gordon (foundation TAGMaC member, 1978-1984). TAGMaC was renamed the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) in 1998.

The celebration provided an ideal backdrop for the Heritage Council of NSW’s official launch of the technical guide Salt Attack and Rising Damp.

technical issues, new techniques and promotes best practice in conservation. TAG regularly organises seminars and produces publications on technical issues. The committee’s technical notes and publications are available on the Heritage Branch website: www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/13_subnav_01.htm

A series of technical seminars will be conducted at the Heritage Branch, Parramatta throughout 2009. Application forms are also available on the Heritage website. For more information and technical advice go to ‘Conservation’ on the home page and follow the links.

DON’Ts

Don’t use hard cement mortar to repoint failed lime mortar joints – that will just drive the damp further up the wall and may also damage the bricks.

Don’t even think about sealing walls with water repellent coatings.

Don’t mulch your walls. Move garden beds away from the base of walls and remove irrigation to prevent spray and pounding against walls.

Don’t dismiss the old tar and sand DPC – reduce the damp ‘stress’ on the walls, repair the DPC, use sacrificial mortars in the joints if necessary, and monitor results before considering an expensive new DPC.

Don’t undertake insertion of any form of DPC until all the basic housekeeping measures have been completed and their effectiveness assessed over a period of time (at least a year).

Don’t accept the cheapest quote for chemical damp coursing without checking the contractor’s references and the details of the proposed works, such as drill hole spacing and depth, and how the contractor will determine when sufficient fluid has been impregnated.

Don’t try to get away with using less chemicals and then locking in the inevitable damp with waterproof plasters – your client has read this too!

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what is the role of the fire Access services Advisory Panel (fAsAP)?

FAsAP is an expert group of the Heritage Council of nsw which provides advice on the latest thinking on fire safety, access for people with disabilities, and the insertion of services into heritage places. FAsAP helps government agencies, local

councils and property owners achieve acceptable compliance with modern building standards while retaining heritage significance. The Panel consists of specialists in fire, access and services issues. Members include conservation architects, fire safety engineers and experts with links to government departments, professional associations and the heritage profession. The Panel

meets quarterly on the fourth wednesday of February, May, August and november, though occasionally the meeting cycle varies.

An application form to make a presentation to the Panel is available on the Heritage Branch website at: www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/docs/FAsAPapplicationform2006.pdf.

Applicants should first discuss the issue with the Panel’s Executive Officer, Elisha Long on 9873 8595. Advice from FAsAP is free.

For more information go to Conservation section on the www.heritage.nsw.gov.au homepage and follow the link to “Technical Advice”.

Dos and Don’ts of Damp

DOs

Do go out in the rain (the heavier the better) and check gutters and downpipes for blockages, leaks and overflows. Also check around the base of the building for water lying against walls.

Do check for the presence of a Damp-Proof Course (DPC) – and ensure that it is continuous and not ‘bridged’ by built up paving and garden beds.

Do remember that damp walls increase the risks of fungal rot and termite attack to floor timbers – always check beneath timber floors.

Do consider the possibility that your old building may have had previous treatments for rising damp, and that these may be obscuring the extent of the problem.

Do clean out existing air vents regularly – and monitor results before deciding to add new ones.

Do consider the possibility of salt attack decay into wall cavities – always inspect cavities for accumulation of debris (and corrosion of ties).

Do consider the implications of drying out the soils beneath your building. If it is founded on reactive (expansive) clay soils excessive drying could lead to structural cracking as a result of dif ferential settlement.

Do get independent advice – that way there should be no pressure to use a particular product or system. Check your adviser’s credentials.

Unique colonial records of NSW now on DVDA unique and irreplaceable record of business transactions

dating from the early colony of New south wales is now

available on DVD.

The records, collectively known as The Old Register, covered land transactions and other domestic legal matters and provide additional historical evidence of the colony’s early development and land history.

Officially known as the ‘Register of Assignments and other Legal Instruments’, the collection of nine registers covers the period between 22 January 1794 to 15 May 1824.

Governor Philip King was a key proponent behind the Old Register to give legal standing to the land transactions throughout

the colony which also included Port Philip, Van Diemen’s Land, norfolk Island and even new Zealand.

Published by the Department of Lands, the DVD provides a full searchable electronic index that allows fast access of information.

The DVD is available from nsw state Records at The Rocks and Kingswood, and online at www.records.nsw.gov.au/staterecords/publications_3353.asp. The Old Register DVD is also available from Lands’ Map sales and the Cashier, Queens square Building, sydney.

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“Jewels in the Crown” – a unique collection of Crown plansA new book produced by the Department of lands, ‘Jewels in the Crown – the history

of the Bridge Street Plan Room and Crown Plans’, takes a unique look into the

heritage and settlement of the colony of Nsw.

Planning

The Bridge street Plan Room houses a unique collection of nearly a million original Crown plans that record property information starting with the first Crown land grant to James Ruse in 1792.

stored away in the Bridge street Plan Room, the historic documents showcase the skill of the colonial era draftsmen who managed to produce intricate drawings and surveys despite the dif ficult working conditions.

“Jewels in the Crown” captures the challenges faced by the young colony and provides an insight into the rich history of exploration and land use in Australia. some of the great figures of colonial exploration – Mitchell, Oxley, Evans and Meehan are among the contributors to the Plan Room drawings.

Other significant surveys include the route over the Blue Mountains and the design plans for all towns in new south wales including the city of sydney.

Digitally scanned for online access, the collection has been documented and preserved for future generations. Contact the Department of Lands for more information.

Old Adaminaby was relocated when Lake Eucumbene was flooded in 1957 as part of the snowy Hydro scheme, and the former town has recently resurfaced due to low water levels in the lake.

Heritage listing has been gazetted over the entire lake bed to prevent removal of the town’s remains and to recognise the importance to the history of the district and its former residents.

Low water levels in recent years have revealed dozens of relics including building materials, remains of houses and other buildings, farm implements, road remains, the old six Mile Bridge and household artefacts.

These relics are particularly significant as they reveal the lifestyles and customs of the families who lived in the original town of Adaminaby and the surrounding district reflecting more than a century of the district’s pastoral, industrial, transport and township development.

The listing also recognised Old Adaminaby’s association with the snowy Hydro scheme which is widely acknowledged as the largest and most complex engineering project of its kind in Australia’s history.

The remains of Old Adaminaby win protectionthe remains of the former snowy Mountains town of

old Adaminaby have received permanent protection with

their listing on the state heritage register in mid 2008.

Remains of structures of the old town have emerged from the shrinking waters of Lake Eucumbene.

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the forecourt of hyde Park Barracks Museum provided

the backdrop for a colourful launch of the new thematic

listings Program on friday 27 february 2009.

The fourth theme will acknowledge the important contribution of service men and women during last century’s two world wars. This theme will also draw upon the 70th anniversary this year of the onset of world war Two in Europe.

The Thematic Listings Program arose from the recent review of the nsw Heritage Act which recommended a thematically-based program be established to provide a strategic and systematic framework for managing the listing process.

The result will be a more balanced state Heritage Register that accurately records nsw’s most significant places and objects under these themes and endeavours to represent the breadth of the state’s heritage.

It is envisaged that the initiative will lead to a more representative state Heritage Register while at the same time ensuring that the Heritage Council and the Department of Planning retain a degree of flexibility in determining new listings.

The Heritage Branch of the Department of Planning can still receive nominations for heritage items and places that do not fall within the new themes. However, the Thematic Listings Program and places of state significance under immediate threat will remain a priority.

Thematic Listings Program will reflect a diversity of history and heritage

Flanked by ‘Redcoats’ from the nsw Corps of Marines historic re-enactment troupe, Minister for Planning the Hon. Kristina Keneally MP formally announced the introduction of a new theme-based listings program for items and places nominated for inclusion on the state Heritage Register.

The state Heritage Register Thematic Listings Program for 2009 – 2010 will focus on four key themes: Aboriginal Heritage; Convicts; Governor Macquarie and world wars 1 & 2.

Community nominations of places of state heritage significance will be invited in accordance with these themes.

The aim of the Thematic Listings Program is to reflect the cultural richness and diversity of the history and heritage of new south wales.

The legacy of Aboriginal heritage will continue to be acknowledged through the listing of sites relevant to indigenous history.

work associated with the Australian Convict sites world Heritage nomination will also continue together with an increased focus on the legacy of Governor Lachlan Macquarie to mark the bicentenary of his swearing-in as Governor of nsw in 1810.

Chair of the Heritage Council of nsw, Gabrielle Kibble; Director of the Historic Houses Trust, Kate Clark; nsw Government Architect Peter Mould and

Executive Director of the national Trust of Australia (nsw) John neish joined more than 30 guests at the launch.

Listings

The NSW Corps of Marines provides an Honour Guard for the Minister for Planning Kristina Keneally at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. The Macquarie Clock was installed to maintain discipline and routine for the convict workforce.

A demonstration of live musket firing brought a colourful if noisy conclusion to the launch of the NSW State Heritage Register Thematic Listing program.

Nominating a Place under the thematic listings Programnominations are now invited from the community.

To be eligible for priority listing on the Register an item must be of state heritage significance and comply with one of the themes.

The Heritage website www.heritage.nsw.gov.au explains the four themes and assists people to prepare state Heritage Register nominations.

The process is in three steps:

STep 1 – Check whether the item is already listed on the state Heritage Register by searching the database. To do this, follow the links from the ‘Quick Menu – search for nsw heritage’ on the home page of www.heritage.nsw.gov.au

STep 2 – Consider whether the item is significant to all of new south wales and whether it meets the criteria for listing on the state Heritage Register. Items under the Aboriginal Heritage Theme must be of greatest significance to an Aboriginal community.

Read the levels of significance and how to assess significance documents to ensure the item is likely to be of state significance.

These documents, as well as other historical assessment guidelines, can be found on the Heritage Branch website by using the Google search engine.

STep 3 – Complete the State Heritage Register Nomination form and email it to nominations@planning.nsw.gov.au

welcome to a special edition of the Heritage nsw newsletter and a feature section on the state Heritage Register Thematic Listings Program for 2009 – 2010.

This is an exciting initiative that invites the community to focus on the key aspects of the history and heritage of new south wales.

The four themes that will be covered in this inaugural program are Aboriginal Heritage, Convict Heritage, Macquarie Heritage and the Heritage of world wars 1 & 2.

This feature explains why these themes were selected and draws on examples of some of the state signficant heritage that falls within each category.

If you would like more information on how to prepare a state Heritage Register nomination of an item that meets the criteria of any of the four themes, go to www.heritage.nsw.gov.au and follow the links from the main menu.

SPECIAL FEATURE: nsw state Heritage Register Thematic Listings Program 2009–2010

Introduction

Aboriginal HeritageAboriginal people are the descendents of the oldest continuous living culture in the world, yet the richness and diversity of Aboriginal heritage is still to be fully explored.

Aboriginal heritage provides an insight into how descendents of the ‘first nations’ are working to maintain and enhance their families, traditional culture and their communities within contemporary Australia.

Aboriginal heritage can refer to places with physical evidence of past Aboriginal occupation that predate the first European contact, places associated with the first contact and places of more recent times. In other words, Aboriginal heritage from the past is inextricably linked to Aboriginal communities of today and their living culture.

Fellow Australians sometimes underestimate the breadth and depth of Aboriginal heritage and consider it to be limited to pre-contact ‘traditional’ sites only. while the thousands of years of pre-colonial heritage are important, the heritage places associated with the first contact between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people are also very significant, as are places that are tied to historical events and sites associated with respected Aboriginal historical figures.

some sites develop significance to Aboriginal communities as a connection between past and present communities. For example, a rock shelter site with hand stencils connects people today with those people of perhaps a thousand years before.

But we cannot move forward on listing sites of significance to Aboriginal people without community consultation. Engaging with Aboriginal people at the grass roots will be a priority in developing the Aboriginal Heritage Thematic Listings initiative.

early contact: The Graves of Windradyne and YuranighThe graves of windradyne and Yuranigh in the Central west of nsw were listed on the state Heritage Register in June 2004 as items of significant Aboriginal and cultural heritage.

The stories of these two respected Aboriginal elders provide a glimpse into a dif ficult era in Australian history but also highlight the contributions of individuals who challenged and succeeded in breaching the cultural divide.

windradyne was a warrior and leader of the wiradjuri people during the frontier wars that beset the Bathurst region during the early 19th century.

After his family was massacred, windradyne declared war on the local settlers. However, a local settler named william suttor, who had learnt the local wiradjuri dialect, was able to defuse the situation and a truce followed.

The two men remained friends, and when windradyne died from his wounds in 1835, the warrior was buried on suttor’s property ‘Brucedale’ with full tribal honours.

The grave, marked by Bathurst Historical society in 1955, continues to be revered by the local wiradjuri community who have planted trees around the grave in a traditional diamond pattern.

The national Parks and wildlife service has conducted conservation works at the site which lies in an open paddock and have established protective fencing around the grave.

The Grave of Yuranigh, the respected Aboriginal Guide to the early explorer Major Mitchell on his famous north west exploratory journey, is located about 3.5km south-south-east of Molong, on the Yuranigh Road.

Its heritage significance reflects its value to both Aboriginal and European cultures.

Yuranigh gained wide respect for his knowledge of bush law and his ability to negotiate with other Aboriginal tribal groups through whose land the exploratory party traversed.

At the end of their exploratory journeys together in 1845, Yuranigh returned with Mitchell to the latter’s sydney home. However Yuranigh, who originally came from Boree, disliked the city and returned north where he worked as a cattle stockman. In July 1850 Mitchell learnt of the death of Yuranigh at the old Gamboola station, near Molong.

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Nsw state heritage register thematic listings Program 2009 – 2010

One of the carved trees at Yuranigh’s Grave.

For more information contact Tanya Koenemansenior Aboriginal Heritage Officer

Heritage Branch, nsw Department of PlanningPh: 02 9873 8534 tanya.koeneman@planning.nsw.gov.au

At Mitchell’s request, the nsw Government erected a headstone on Yuranigh’s grave in tribute to the Aboriginal guide’s ‘courage, honesty and fidelity’.

The inscribed marble headstone reveals the extent of the loss felt by Major Mitchell, who mourned the passing of his ‘guide, companion, counsellor and friend’.

Carved trees around the grave, perhaps the most number in existence around the burial place of an honoured elder, mark its commemoration by Aboriginal people.

Yuranigh’s Grave is regarded as the best preserved burial site in the region.

Brewarrina – the centre of ancient and modern Aboriginal cultureTourists interested in Aboriginal culture will be richly rewarded with a visit to the town of Brewarrina in north western nsw.

The outback community is home to two sites of state significant Aboriginal heritage, the Brewarrina Fish Traps and the former Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission.

Built on a rock bar in the Barwon River, the Brewarrina Fish Traps are a complex arrangement of stone fish traps and walls totalling almost half a kilometre in length.

The Traps are estimated at around 40,000 years old making them one of the oldest engineering structures in the world. They are evidence of the highly skilled fishing techniques developed by traditional Aboriginal communities.

The Brewarrina Fish Traps or Ngunnhu are one of only four such sites in nsw and the only ones to survive in good condition. They were listed on the sHR in August 2000.

stories associated with the Fish Traps are found across western nsw and they are depicted in artwork as far afield as Cobar. One traditional Aboriginal account says the Ngunnhu were built by Baiame and his two sons Booma-ooma-nowi and Ghinda-inda-mui during drought times when the Ngemba people faced famine as Gurrungga (the water hole at Brewarrina) dried up.

The Fish Traps are still highly valued by the local Aboriginal community as a visible symbol of traditional life and ownership.

The Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission was listed on the sHR in July 2006.

Established by the Aborigines Protection Board in 1896, Brewarrina Mission was the first institution in nsw to officially segregate Aboriginal people from white settlers and is, therefore, important In the history of the treatment of Aboriginal people by a colonial society.

Over the years the Brewarrina Mission housed Aboriginal families from as far away as Tibooburra, Angledool, Goodooga and Culgoa, as well as the Brewarrina district. Operating until 1966, Brewarrina was the longest-running Mission in nsw .

By the time the Mission closed, few Aboriginal people were still able to live a traditional lifestyle or speak their traditional language. However, in spite of their enforced dislocation, through their memories of growing up there, many Aboriginal Elders still maintain a strong ‘sense of belonging’ to the site itself.

The Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission housed a clinic, a butcher’s shop, a school, a hall, a garage and the manager’s home, although none of these buildings have survived.

Today, only the cemetery remains and the last burial there took place in 1971.

Funding under the former Heritage Incentives Program has enabled the installation of interpretation on the site to help visitors understand its unique history.

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Brewarrina Fish Traps.

Nsw state heritage register thematic listings Program 2009 – 2010

Nsw state heritage register thematic listings Program 2009 – 2010

Convict HeritageAustralia is renowned as a nation whose european origins began with convicted criminals rather than free settlers. for many years this beginning was underplayed in Australia but, in time, its true importance has been recognised and the heritage associated with it celebrated.

Convict Heritage is made up of places, including archaeological sites and buildings that are significant because of their role in telling the story of convicts in Australia.

The focus on Convict Heritage, as one of the four nominated themes under the state Heritage Register Thematic Listings Program, is to build on the current research and work undertaken to support the Australian Government’s 2008 Australian Convict sites world Heritage nomination to UnEsCO.

Four of the 11 sites in this nomination are in nsw: Old Government House and Domain at Parramatta, Hyde Park Barracks and Cockatoo Island Convict site in sydney, and Old Great north Road near wiseman’s Ferry.

Together the 11 sites represent:

•   The global phenomenon of the forced migration of convicts to penal colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries and

•   The global ideas and developments associated with the punishment and reform of criminals in this era.

not only did convicts provide the bulk of the original European population of nsw, but their labour built the essential infrastructure such as roads and ports, workplaces, homes and the services for the early economy of the colony.

Remains of some of these items survive today and many of them are significant to the state and will be included on the state Heritage Register. sites that demonstrate the full range of site types have not all been identified. we need help to locate, identify and record those of state significance.

The Story of the HiveMaritime archaeologists from the Heritage Branch are currently undertaking a survey of the wreck of the convict transport ship Hive in one of the first projects under the Thematic Listings Program.

The wreck of the wooden barquentine, first located in 1994, is buried under sand in the southern waters of the appropriately named wreck Bay.

A piece of glass inspected at the settlement camp of the Hive survivors.

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The Hive was on its second voyage to Australia when it ran aground during a storm on 10 December 1835.

On board were 250 Irish male prisoners, military guards, the ship’s crew, women and children and a cargo of coinage worth £10,000 destined for sydney.

The ship’s boatswain tragically drowned while trying to rescue a boy who got into dif ficulties while trying to swim ashore. However the rest of the ship’s company all survived. A messenger, Ensign Kelly, was dispatched to Port Jackson while the rest of the passengers, with the help of local Aboriginal people, established a bush camp in the adjacent sand hills of Bherwerre Beach to await Kelly’s return.

The archaeological work involves a detailed survey of the land-based survivor’s camp and ongoing investigation of buried hull remains.

The Hive site is unique in nsw as the only convict ship wrecked during transportation. Only two other surviving convict shipwrecks in Australian waters are located off Tasmania. Having unloaded her cargo, another famous convict transport, Three Bees, was lost off Bennelong Point and never found.

The survey work will also support a nomination of the Hive wreck for listing on the state Heritage Register. Archaeological evidence from the shipwreck and survivors’ settlement, together with the oral history, and iconographic evidence (pictures, artwork, drawings etc) from the

wreck Bay Aboriginal community is also helping to increase understanding of the significant role played by coastal indigenous communities in coming to the aid of shipwreck survivors.

For more information on the Hive and other shipwrecks go to the nsw Maritime Heritage Online web site www.maritime.heritage.nsw.gov.au

Dormitory accommodation for convicts at Hyde Park Barracks.

Nsw state heritage register thematic listings Program 2009 – 2010

Macquarie Heritagelachlan Macquarie took up his commission as governor of New south wales on 1 January 1810. the 200th anniversary of this event next New Year’s Day will provide an opportunity to celebrate his legacy.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie is remembered in history as a renowned colonial governor who had a profound impact on the society and culture of new south wales and who left behind a legacy of growth and development.

Macquarie was responsible for laying out several towns along the Hawkesbury River – windsor, Richmond, Castlereagh, Pitt Town and wilberforce as well as establishing the major satellite towns of Liverpool and Campbelltown and the first inland town of Bathurst.

Macquarie served as governor from 1810 to 1821. In 1822 he compiled a list of his building and development achievements. It runs for many pages and includes the most trivial works such as ‘An extensive Kitchen Garden’ at Penrith as well as more prominent works such as dwellings, churches, hospitals, watch houses, barracks, courthouses, storehouses, street works, road construction, windmills, docks and jetties. some of these works survive today, some are known and acknowledged, some are identified archaeological sites while others are still to be found and identified.

It is hoped that in the weeks and months leading up to the bicentenary of Macquarie’s inauguration, some of these lesser known Macquarie items and places of state significance are finally located, identified and recorded.

A fine church for the colony – St Matthew’s Anglican Church, WindsorGovernor Macquarie believed that religion was an important element for all classes of people and for the betterment of the nation. so it was not surprising that he personally selected the site for st Matthew’s Anglican Church at windsor.

Under Governor Macquarie’s administration, windsor acquired more than 14 public buildings of various kinds making it one of the most distinctive of the five ‘Macquarie’ towns in the Hawkesbury region.

The origins of the town can be found in a Government and General Order issued from Government House, sydney, dated 15 December 1810, where Governor Macquarie “marked out the district of Green Hills”, which he “... called windsor” after windsor on the Thames in the United Kingdom.

st Matthew’s Anglican Church is the oldest Anglican Church in Australia and the second oldest of any denomination, after the small Uniting Church nearby at Ebenezer. It is also built entirely by convict labour.

The structure of the Greenway designed Georgian sandstone brick church (with the exception of the south porch, which was on the original plans but not added until 1857) has remained virtually untouched since it was built.

st Matthew’s was actually the fourth building to be used as a church in windsor between 1803 and 1817. Prior to the arrival of Governor Macquarie there was very little government assistance for public buildings and the London Missionary society provided the money for the 1803 Anglican church.

Tenders had been called in August 1816, plans had been drawn up, sandstone bricks had been made and material supplied. Henry Kitchen, builder, was paid a total of 800 pounds in the next two years for his work.

On saturday 11 October 1817 Macquarie deposited the rim of a spanish dollar (worth 6/-) under the sandstone cornerstone of the building declaring “God prosper st Matthew’s Church”. This was stolen later that night so the next evening Governor Macquarie deposited another coin and re-laid the cornerstone. The same thing happened again and it was supposed that the money was stolen by an “indigent convict” employed at the Public works.

But reports on the building’s progress were disturbing, and finally, Macquarie requested his architect, Francis Greenway to investigate the situation. To Greenway’s mind, his plan was being ruined by poor materials and bad workmanship. He condemned the structure and recommended that it should be removed and the building commenced anew.

Governor Macquarie’s prompt action in ordering the church to be pulled down and a fresh start must have spurred Greenway on to produce a new and grander design. He directed the building of the new church himself, overseeing the stonemasons and construction workers.

He was a master craftsman and the building was completed with speed and skill. The building was sufficiently advanced to be available for church services in september 1821 and was consecrated the next year by the Reverend samuel Marsden, the Principal Chaplain of the Colony.

Initially the floor plan had the seats facing the northern wall where there was a three-tiered pulpit (opposite the present porch). In descending order sat the minister, below him his assistant or a church elder who read the scriptures, and on the lowest level, the parish clerk who made the responses on behalf of the largely illiterate congregation.

Governor Macquarie felt parishioners were there to hear the word of the Lord, so the early church services were devoid of singing but later local militia sat in the back three rows of the centre block and provided the music. The pipe organ, the first built in Australia at a cost of £320, was installed in 1840 in a specially erected gallery.

The bell tower is a sister to the one at st. James’ Church, sydney. The belfries were cast in the same foundry in London and came to the colony on the same ship. Both st James sydney and st James windsor are on the nsw state Heritage Register.

The sound-carrying qualities of the ringing bells were an ideal way of summoning the parishioners to church from the village, over a kilometre away.

St Matthew’s Anglican Church at Windsor considered a Francis Greenway architectural masterpiece. It is one of the finest works of early Colonial architecture remaining in Australia. Images and notes courtesy Hawkesbury Historical society.

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Nsw state heritage register thematic listings Program 2009 – 2010

World Wars One and Two Heritageon 11 November 2008 Australians commemorated the 90th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the first world war. on 3 september 2009 the nation will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the second world war in europe. this provides a significant opportunity to remember two very different 20th century conflicts and their impacts on New south wales.

world war I propelled Australia into a full sense of its national identity, one that was finally accepted by the ‘Mother Country’. The war was largely remote from Australia, however, except for local encounters such as the sinking of the German battle cruiser Emden far off the western Australian coastline in 1914.

world war II brought ‘total war’ to Australia with full mobilisation of all available citizenry and industry. Heavy fighting occurred close to Australia’s borders, such as new Guinea and the Coral sea. For the first time mainland Australia was attacked with strikes at sydney, newcastle, Broome and Darwin. The war reached across the nation, into homes, churches, factories and the human heart.

The heritage of the two world wars is comprised of places that provide evidence of those dramatic conflicts. They may include military training grounds, fortifications and munitions factories to internment camps, convalescent hospitals, memorials and shipwrecks.

Evidence of wartime heritage in the nsw landscape is widespread but not always well recognised today. we need help to locate, identify and record those of state significance.

The Flying Boats of RathminesRathmines Park, on the shores of Lake Macquarie, no longer resonates to the drone of aircraft or the bustle of a military base.

However during the second world war Rathmines served as the largest RAAF Flying Boat Base in the southern hemisphere.

Rathmines gained distinction as the birthplace of four front line squadrons, two communications units and three air-sea rescue flights.

Catalinas were used to conduct military operations such as reconnaissance bombing, mine laying, supplying troops, inserting coast watchers and air-sea rescue missions.

Her air crews took part in some of the most significant military campaigns in the defence of Australia including the mining of Manila Harbour and the Battle of the Coral sea.

At its peak around 3,000 men and women served at the base, which comprised around 230 buildings and marine facilities.

Over the time the base was in operation 40 aircraft were in service and over 200 aircrews trained at the base.

Rathmines Flying Boat Base ceased operations in 1952 but its wartime significance remains strong for both the local community and world war Two veterans who use the site for commemorative and recreation activities.

The site is the only known surviving and intact flying boat base in Australia still retaining much of its original fabric. The 61 hectare site

was purchased by Lake Macquarie Council in 1963 and several of its structures were adapted for alternative use by the local community.

On 24 november 2005 hundreds of ex-service men, women and their families joined local children and residents of Lake Macquarie to celebrate the listing of Rathmines Park on the state Heritage Register.

Down by the Wingecarribee Riversome of the most enduring stories from the ‘home front’ during world war One and world war Two arose from the experiences of living with the alien internment and prisoner of war camps established in towns across nsw.

several of these camps are already well known including the former Japanese and Italian prisoner of war camp at Cowra and the world war One German officers’ interment camp at Trial Bay Gaol near Kempsey.

In the southern highlands of nsw, the former Berrima Gaol became home to about 400 German detainees during world war One.

The Berrima inmates were mostly German ship’s officers and sailors who were visiting Australia at the outbreak of war, prisoners of war taken from the sMs Emden after its battle with the HMAs Sydney, other Germans deported from British colonies and German officers captured at Rabaul, in German new Guinea.

Although the internees slept within the gaol confines they were allowed to move freely within a two-mile radius of the gaol during the day. This allowed them access to the nearby wingecarribee River

Rathmines Catalina on the water.

The bicycle boat, Captain Hannig’s oddity, was made from found scrap material. Photograph from the collection of the Berrima District Historical and Family History society Inc. Archives, Mittagong.

Officers’ Mess – Rathmines.

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Nsw state heritage register thematic listings Program 2009 – 2010

where they built small huts and grew flowers and vegetables on its banks.

The river provided a popular recreation area as local residents and the internees came together for regattas and picnics. showing ingenuity and craftsmanship, the German prisoners created dug out canoes from the hardwood eucalypts, sculpturing them into Zeppelins, submarines, Emden and a range of other vessels. The canoes were scuttled in the river at war’s end. However during the 1970s one of the canoes washed up and is now on display at the Berrima Museum along with other detainee artefacts and photos in an award winning exhibition ‘Prisoners in Arcady’.

The less than hostile community reaction to the German prisoners was not surprising since many of the local families were descended from German settlers who had arrived in the area from the 1840s.

The local economy also received a boost with the internees buying their bread and meat from the nearby shops and even renting houses in town for their private use. In turn the internees helped local residents to rescue animals, fight bushfires and deal with unwanted snakes in the house. Community theatre and musical performances also took place, reflecting the cultural and educated background of many of the German detainees.

Later this year a detailed survey is planned of the river section adjacent to the former internment camp. It is hoped this survey will help determine the precise locations of the remaining scuttled vessels.

protecting World War Two shipwrecks – M24The fate of M24, the Japanese Type A midget submarine responsible for the sinking of the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul on the night 31 May 1942 was one of Australia’s most lingering wartime mysteries.

The attack by three Japanese midget submarines was aimed at several allied naval vessels in sydney Harbour at the time, including the heavy cruiser USS Chicago. The tragic loss of 21 Australian and British naval personnel in the attack was a devastating blow to wartime morale and created a sense of panic across the country.

The mystery of M24 was finally solved more than 60 years later when a sydney-based recreational diving group (no Frills Divers) discovered the submarine in waters off Bungan Head, newport on sydney’s northern beaches in november 2006.

The site was declared a Historic shipwreck under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 with a no-entry protected Zone around

Internees pose for the Bowral photographer, David Speer. Some of the boats are identified as Seestern (closest to camera), Blitz, Ajax and Attila. Photograph from the collection of the Berrima District Historical and Family History society Inc. Archives, Mittagong.

More Details on the Thematic Listings Program: www.heritage.nsw.gov.au

Media: Debra.Holland@planning.nsw.gov.au

Tel: 9873 8526 / 9228 6213

State Heritage List Enquiries: FAQ at www.heritage.nsw.gov.au or Cameron white – Manager Listings Team – Tel: 9585 8570

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the site. It was listed on the state Heritage Register in December 2007 following an Interim Heritage Order issued in 2006.

Because of the historic links with Japan, and the potential for retention of Japanese war dead, the M24 wrecksite is of international significance, and as such, has been afforded the best possible physical and legislative protection. A 500 metre radius security zone around the wreck is now monitored 24 hours a day as maritime archaeologists together with nsw and Commonwealth agencies undertake regular surveys to determine its ongoing environmental and heritage management.

The loss of the Iron KnightIt is believed that 19 merchant vessels were sunk by torpedoes, gunfire or mines off the nsw coast during 1941-1944. Another 10 were damaged but managed to limp into port for repairs. Approximately 214 merchant seamen and military personnel were killed in these attacks. However war time secrecy meant that Australians knew little about these tragic losses.

Today these shipwrecks, many resting in very deep waters, serve as memorials to the war dead. They are treated with the utmost respect by divers and maritime archaelogists. As part of the Thematic Listings program any world war Two shipwrecks located within the three nautical mile state water limits of the nsw coast, like the midget sub M24, will be considered for listing under the nsw Heritage Act 1977. The remainder can be protected under the Commonwealth Historic shipwrecks Act 1976.

One wreck, the Us freighter Liberty William Dawes (1942) has been found off Tathra. In mid 2006 members of The sydney Project dive team located the remains of another armed and still largely intact merchant shipwreck about 8km off Bermagui. Initially identified as Iron Knight, the Heritage Branch supported a wreath laying ceremony over the wreck.

The BHP owned steamer had been travelling in a war time convoy from whyalla, south Australia to newcastle nsw in the early hours of 8 February 1943 when she was reputedly torpedoed by Japanese I-class submarine I-21 (one of the five mother submarines involved in the attack on sydney Harbour and newcastle several months earlier). The Iron Knight sank in two minutes taking with her 36 men out of the ship’s company of 50, including her master, Captain D Ross.

subsequent dives by The sydney Project have raised questions regarding the wreck’s true identity and additional research suggests Iron Knight was likely torpedoed further out to sea. It is hoped that future survey work carried out later this year will solve this mystery and provide closure for the families, shipmates and descendants of her brave crew.

Stern gun on the merchant shipwreck initially identified as the Iron Knight, Bermagui, NSW. Image: Samir Alhafith.

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the sound of cricket ball

on wicket; the chorus

of ducks in the morning

and the gentle pounding

of hundreds of pairs of

joggers along the river

banks, the sounds of

Parramatta Park have

echoed for 150 years.

Holding hands to spell out ‘150’, local school children came together at Parramatta Park last August to celebrate the sesquicentenary of the formation of the Parramatta Park Trust.

The symbolic gesture acknowledged the foresight of the original government decision of 18 March 1857 to set aside at least 200 acres from the Government Domain for a ‘public park for the health and well being of the people of Parramatta’.

Over time the original allocation has been reduced by about 13 hectares and the landscape modified for sporting, sectional and private uses, especially throughout the 20th century. Today the Park straddles both Parramatta and Holroyd local government areas, with westmead on its western boundary and Mays Hill on the

Air Pioneer

A memorial in Parramatta Park celebrates Parramatta-born pioneer pilot william Ewart Hart. In 1911 the young dentist flew his Bristol Box Kite aeroplane from Penrith to Parramatta Park on one of the first flights in Australia. A year later Hart took just 23 minutes to win Australia’s first air race from Botany in sydney’s south, to the finish at Parramatta Park.

old Kings oval

The sport of cricket has been played within Parramatta Park as an integral part of its history as a public park and has contributed to its heritage significance. Cricket was formerly played on the nearby Cumberland (Parrramatta) Oval from 1868 to its closure and later at Old Kings Oval from 1883 to the present day.

sporting identities

Parramatta Park has hosted many significant sportspeople over the years. In 1891 well-known English cricketer w. G. Grace was bowled for a duck. sir Jack Brabham raced cars here in the 1940s.

Parramatta Park’s Old Kings Oval remains the home ground for the Parramatta Cricket Club which has produced champion Australian players Doug walters, Ritchie and John Benaud and Greg Matthews.

The Mothers Day Classic is held in Parramatta Park annually attracting more than 3,200 participants to walk and run in aid of breast cancer research.

The Parramatta Runners have held their weekly running program in Parramatta Park for 40 years. Regular users are the Hills Triathlon Club and the park serves as one of the venues for the nsw Corporate Games.

up, up and Away

The hot air balloon launch in Parramatta Park at dawn each Australia Day may have its origins in a spectacular stunt conducted during community celebrations in november 1911 to mark Parramatta’s 50th anniversary as a municipality. Australian daredevil, Captain Taylor Penfold performed a night time balloon ascent sitting on a trapeze rather than the traditional basket. At 1,000 metres he performed acrobatic tricks and set off firecrackers. As a grand finale, he jumped off the trapeze and floated to earth by parachute.

Parramatta Park Trust celebrates 150 years

Heritag

e

Park Pointers

southern. It is located on the Parramatta River itself next to Parramatta City between the Great western Highway to the south, Pitt and O’Connell street to the east, Park Parade to the west and Ross street to the north.

Parramatta Park is unique in its evolution; from Aboriginal land to colonial outpost, to Vice Regal domain and subsequently as a public park. It was the site of the first botanic gardens for horticultural experimentation in the colony and the first seat of government from 1788 to 1855.

A walk around the Park reveals evidence of these changes over time. There are the archaeological sites and scar trees documenting occupation of the Burramatta clan of the Darug people; transit stones from Governor Brisbane’s 1822

observatory; Old Government House and its associated buildings dating to the late 18th century, six 19th and 20th century gatehouses; the Dairy cottage which contains one of the oldest intact buildings in Australia; landscape remains of the first successful farm and the early colony of Rose Hill; the distinctive Boer war Memorial and remnants of Cumberland Plain woodland.

Yet for others, the attractions of Parramatta Park are its sporting venues as it is home to a golf club, swimming pool and several sporting ovals or just a sanctuary in a noisy urban centre for a quiet walk and an undisturbed picnic on the banks of the river.

Apart from Old Government House, Parramatta Park is yet to gain the tourist status of its more famous cousins such as sydney’s Centennial Park, the Royal Botanic Gardens or overseas icons such as new York’s Central Park.

Perhaps its entry on the national Heritage List in 2007 and its future possible elevation to world Heritage status as part of a serial nomination of eleven Australian convict sites will boost its recognition factor.

Parramatta Park is a much loved heritage treasure and recreation jewel for western sydney. And Parramatta Park Trust is working to promote the site as the pre-eminent colonial landscape in Australia but in sympathy to its role as a public park and recreation space. It is a place to gather for a sunday picnic for residents of Parramatta’s highrise apartment blocks; a place for a lunchtime jog for nine to five workers; or the venue for the weekly cricket match – 150 years onwards it continues as a tribute to the foresight of our founding fathers.

the heritage Council of Nsw, one of seven sponsors of the Keep Australia Beautiful

(Nsw) tidy towns sustainable Communities Awards, congratulates tamworth City who

took out the tidy town sustainable Communities overall Award for 2009 and Cultural

heritage Award for Category f (population 25,000+).

The presentation ceremony was held at Dorrigo, overall Tidy Towns winner for 2008, in november 2008.

Representatives of Tidy Town committees came from around the state to attend this prestigious event on the Tidy Town annual calendar.

Tamworth City took home the overall Tidy Town Award for 2009. They also won the Cultural Heritage Award Category F (population of 25,000+) for its Tamworth Powerhouse Museum ‘Powering On’ project.

The Heritage Council of nsw has been a long-term supporter of Keep Australia Beautiful (nsw) as an ongoing sponsor of the Tidy Town Cultural Heritage Awards.

“The Heritage Council continues to be inspired and delighted that so many local communities are undertaking so many great heritage projects, and we congratulate these communities on their awards as recognition for their efforts,” a Council spokesperson said.

Tamworth City cleans up in the Tidy Towns awards 2009

Tid

y Towns A

ward

s

Miriam Stacy, Department of Planning Heritage Branch presents the Cultural Heritage Award to Tamworth Tidy Town Committee members for their Tamworth Powerhouse Museum ‘Powering On’ project. The award citation noted: The Tamworth Powerstation Museum is a fine example of quality restoration. To claim an asset which is considered unique in the world is very special, and when the restoration is totally carried out by volunteers, this further increases its value. The Museum with its display of old appliances and ‘workings of electricity’ exhibits make the whole facility a brilliant one. Photo by Helen Clark Graphic Design, Dorrigo.

Department of Planning Heritage Branch and Heritage Council of nsw Cultural Heritage Award 2009

A winner – tottenham, tottenham Court house “hidden heritage re-opened” Highly Commended – Brungle, Cullen Bullen

B winner – Boggabri, Boggabri & Districts historical Museum Highly Commended – Lockhart

C winner – Coolamon, Coolamon railway station Highly Commended – Gloucester

D winner – toronto, lake Macquarie heritage Afloat festival Highly Commended – Gunnedah

e winner – lithgow, small Arms Museum Highly Commended – Goulburn

f winner – tamworth, Powerhouse Museum “Powering on” Highly Commended – Camden

twentieth century heritage

will be centre stage when

sydney hosts the iCoMos

Australia (Un)Loved Modern

Conference 2009 between

7-10 July 2009.

A celebration of ‘unloved’ modern heritage

This conference will have broad appeal for anyone with an interest in the conservation of 20th century heritage buildings and places, including conservation professionals, government officials and academics. The conference will look at the latest developments and trends in the identification, conservation and management of 20th century heritage places. It promises to be an excellent educational forum for delegates.

Deputy Director of the Heritage Branch, Tim smith is a co-convenor of the “war in the Pacific” stream and will present on the management of war heritage at sea. This session discusses how to preserve the physical relics of war when the very nature of the relics was mostly temporary. Details of the event can be found at: www.icomos.org/australia/.

The conference will consist of six broad themes; re-engaging with the original designer; war in the Pacific; vulnerable periods and styles; managing 20th century obsolescence; re-thinking colonial heritage and the single house under threat.

The organising committee is looking forward to working with industry partners to guarantee the strongest educational and technical program and the best opportunities for sharing information about the conservation of 20th century heritage.

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18

Planning Minister, the

hon. Kristina Keneally

MP, joined Chair of the

heritage Council of Nsw,

gabrielle Kibble, to honour

the outstanding work of

23 recipients at the 2008

Nsw government heritage

Volunteer Awards held at

the Museum of sydney on

20 November.

The 2008 Awardees (and their nominators):

MICHAeL ROLFe (woollahra History and Heritage society) has been an advocate for heritage conservation for more than 25 years. An architect and town planner by profession, Michael brings his expertise in policy, planning and development to his voluntary work.

The MT KeMBLA HeRITAGe CeNTRe and its VOLUNTeeRS (wollongong City Council) has established an impressive exhibition and collection Thunder in a Cloudless Sky commemorating the 1902 explosion at the Mt Kembla Colliery that killed 96 men and boys.

JAMeS GRIFFTH (Historic Houses Trust of nsw) is a volunteer guide at Rouse Hill House and Farm. James also helps out with stock management, horticultural work, assisting the specialist tours and contributing to the property’s program development.

The HAWKeSBURY ReGIONAL MUSeUM VOLUNTeeRS (Hawkesbury City Council) have worked together since 1956 to build a collection covering 200 years of local history which has found a permanent home at the new purpose built regional museum in windsor.

DR SCOTT MACARTHUR (Marrickville Heritage society) was recently re-elected as the society’s President for his third term. He is recognised as the society’s primary heritage spokesperson and is convenor of the society’s Heritage watch committee.

For almost 15 years ANNe pOpe (Port Macquarie-Hastings Council) has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of heritage in Port Macquarie. A member of several local historical groups and museums, she is truly a mentor and inspiration to generations of volunteers.

DR peTeR ReYNOLDS OAM (Royal Australian Historical society) is a leading architectural historian, academic and biographer who has made a significant contribution to promoting the built heritage of inner sydney. He is Founding Editor of the Journal of the Leichhardt Historical society.

For more than 15 years SOUTH WeST ROCKS DUNeCARe volunteers (national Parks & wildlife service, Department of Environment and Climate Change: nPws-DECC) have worked to restore the high conservation areas at Arakoon, Hat Head national Park and south west Rocks.

Community’s ‘Heritage Heroes’ recognised with NSW Government Awards

Vo

lunteers

Minister Keneally joins the ‘unsung heroes’ of heritage conservation – the recipients in the 2008 Heritage Volunteer Awards.

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For the past decade eLIZABeTH LAING (Parramatta & District Historical society) has managed the society’s Hambledon Cottage House Museum at Parramatta. Built in 1824 by John Macarthur for the governess of his children, the cottage is one of Parramatta’s most significant heritage sites.

Established in 1994, FRIeNDS OF KU-RING-GAI eNVIRONMeNT INC (FOKe) is a community action residents’ group dedicated to preserving and promoting the natural, built and cultural heritage of Ku-ring-gai, reflected in a 400 page photographic survey of local streetscapes.

LILLIAN pRICe (sugarloaf & Districts Action Group) has dedicated her life to recording and preserving the history of her local community of Holmesville, located within the historic mining township of west wallsend.

since 2003 the FRIeNDS OF TRIAL BAY GAOL (south west Rocks Arts Council) have provided volunteer maintenance, security, research, promotional, educational and exhibition for this former Public works prison and later ww1 German internment camp.

ANDY MACQUeeN (nPws-DECC) is a passionate advocate for conserving the unique natural heritage and protected areas of the Blue Mountains. A published author, Andy is a founding member and supporter of several local historical, bushwalking and advocacy groups.

THe FRIeNDS OF THe COLO INC. (nPws-DECC) is a volunteer group dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the Colo River, in wollemi national Park. Their aim is to motivate and inspire land users, private land owners and managers on general weed control and other environmental issues.

President of the Berrima Residents’ Association DR eRIC SAVAGe (wingecarribee shire Council) has spearheaded the community campaign to protect Berrima’s built and natural heritage. A volunteer with the local bush care group; Eric also supports the local branch of the national Trust and is a committee member of the Friends of Harper’s Mansion at Berrima.

peTeR KAHN (sydney Tramway Museum) has been the public face of the museum for the last 25 years, working as a tour guide, media spokesperson and also produces brochures and press releases, addresses other community groups and oversees displays at festivals and events.

DR JeANNeTTe HOpe (Royal Australian Historical society) is a distinguished environmental scientist, historian, archaeologist and anthropologist, and internationally recognised for her research into Aboriginal pre-history in western nsw, where she has lived since the early 1990s.

JOHN LeARY OAM (national Trust of Australia, nsw) has been actively involved in cultural heritage since the early 1970s. He is currently president of the Blue Mountains Association of Cultural Heritage Organisations, which includes several Trust properties.

The SHOALHAVeN ABORIGINAL WOMeN eLDeRS GROUp (nPws-DECC) represents the Jerrinja, Arwon and Yuin languages. They work with the shoalhaven Youth Volunteer Initiative to encourage indigenous students to reconnect with their culture and gain employment skills. This Award also honours the memory of Aunty Jean wellington.

The LOCKHART SHIRe COUNCIL HeRITAGe STUDY WORKING GROUp recently completed a 10 month community based heritage study. The results are contained in two volumes of more than a 1000 pages of records and images covering archaeological sites, public edifices, parks, cemeteries, bridges, railway structures, moveable artefacts and cultural landscapes.

SeA ACReS RAINFOReST CeNTRe VOLUNTeeR GUIDeS (nPws-DECC) promote natural heritage and rainforest conservation through their guided tours along a 1.3km elevated boardwalk above the subtropical rainforest of the sea Acres nature Reserve.

MICHAeL GLeeSON-WHITe AO (national Trust of Australia, nsw) is a respected friend, benefactor and supporter of the visual arts community. Chair of the s.H. Ervin Gallery Committee from 2001 to 2007 Michael was instrumental in promoting the reputation of the Gallery through his inspired leadership.

JAN MeeS and the late ANKIe DUpRee (Dutch Australian Cultural Centre, sydney and the Concordia society, newcastle) have both served as dedicated volunteers, leaders and promoters of multicultural heritage serving the Dutch community in both sydney and newcastle for several decades. Ankie’s award was bestowed posthumously.

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Heritage Newsnsw Government wipes loans debt on heritage propertiesMinister for Planning Kristina Keneally has announced that the NSW Government will convert 75 outstanding heritage loans totalling nearly $2.5 million to grants. Some of these outstanding loans date back to 1982.

Speaking at the recent launch of the new Thematic Listings Program, the Minister said that most of the outstanding heritage loans were situated in regional and rural NSW.

Wiping these loans will help ease the financial pressure facing their owners especially during the ongoing drought in many areas coupled with the current economic crisis, she said.

“The decision will assist private owners, local councils, church groups and community-based organisations which have received loans, to manage heritage listed properties in their local area.

“These heritage items range from family homes, country halls, historic homesteads, places of worship, government buildings, main street shops and tourism projects,” the Minister said.

The Minister described the decision to scrap the loans system as a positive outcome for the whole community.

“It was the philosophy of the late 1970s and early 1980s to offer long term loans to owners of heritage properties where they would repay on sale or transfer of their properties. But this has left many people with a financial burden,” the Minister said.

“Wiping these debts will also reduce administration costs and the cutting of government red tape involved in chasing up repayments and overseeing paperwork,” she said.

The Heritage Branch, Department of Planning has sent notification letters with the good news to owners of heritage properties affected by the decision.

Later this year the NSW Government will announce the list

the submarine had been partially rolled at its location after being fouled by a fishing trawler.

The Heritage Branch is working with Headland Studios Pty Ltd who are buidling a 3D interactive model of M24, including a ‘virtual walk through’ of the midget submarine.

More mysteries, more answers to seek. Stay tuned!

of successful applicants receiving funding under the $5.324 NSW Heritage Grants funding program for 2009-2011.

Funding initiatives this year included a new $530,000 program for major cultural and community heritage buildings.

The NSW Heritage Grants program also allocates funding to the Royal Australian Historical Society (RAHS) to run a small grants program supporting historical research and local archive projects up to $4,500 per project. Applications for the RAHS small grants program open in March 2009.

For more information about the range of funding opportunities available through the NSW Heritage Grants program go to www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/funding.

More midget secretsRecent investigations into the M24 Japanese submarine reveal more secrets and create more questions.

In late 2008 the Heritage Branch’s Deputy Director, Tim Smith, led another survey of the Japanese midget submarine M24.

Using a remote operated vehicle (ROV) provided by SeaBotix Inc. and a NSW Water Police 54-foot vessel, the inspection revealed some fascinating new imagery of the World War Two wreck.

Several curved steel plates lie partially exposed beneath the shifting sands near the degraded conning tower. Largely buried, they appear to have come from the outer ‘skin’ of the conning tower. This adds weight to the Heritage Branch’s belief that more of the external structure lies buried in a surrounding debris field than is currently visible.

When discovered in 2006, it was obvious that past hook-ups with fishing trawl nets had removed most external fixtures, including the net cutting gear and propeller cage, together with the conning tower. Some of these features survive against the hull. But the discovery of new plating sections made the team revisit a possible impact scenario where

florence taylor’s hats by Bronwyn Hanna and Robert FreestoneThe extraordinary life of Australia’s first female architect is explored in a new book titled Florence Taylor’s Hats: Designing, building and editing Sydney.

Co-authored by the Heritage Branch’s Dr Bronwyn Hanna, the book reveals the many facets of Florence’s life and career and her role in shaping the built environment in Sydney.

Born in 1879 in England, Florence

Mary Taylor (nee Parsons), enjoyed a long career stretching from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1960s.

Through most of this period, Florence Taylor was a prominent player in Sydney’s professional, publishing and social worlds. She was Australia’s first qualified, practising woman architect, a long time town planning advocate and the first woman in Australia to qualify as an engineer. Florence’s success in business matched her public commitment to the advancement of women. She was the first women to fly in a glider; an influential technical journalist, editor, and successful commercial publisher and was noted as a passionate advocate of free enterprise, supporter of the arts and also a prominent socialite.

Perhaps her most lasting influence came through her prodigious commentary on the design and construction of the built environment as writer, editor and publisher for her Building Publishing Company.

News: Florence Taylor’s Hats received a Commendation in the ‘Planning, Scholarship, Research or Teaching’ category of the Planning Institute of Australia Excellence in Planning Awards Night held last November. Judges described the book as ‘very well written and meticulously researched … (it) brings to life a somewhat neglected, very eccentric figure in Australian history.’

‘It is very readable and relevant as we still are struggling with many of the planning issues Florence grappled with almost a century ago.’

Sydney Based underwater photographer Max Gleeson has completed the first of a series of documentaries on NSW maritime history. ‘The Tragic Trio’ features three coal ships that foundered off the coast of Sydney within a six month period between 1918-1919. The events culminated in a Royal Commission into the operations of the coastal colliers. The DVD features historic accounts of each loss and brilliant underwater footage of the popular wreck sites. Price: $25 inc. GST plus $6 postage. www.maxgleeson.com.

Florence Taylor’s Hats: Designing, Building and Editing Sydney. By Robert Freestone and Bronwyn Hanna. Published by Halstead Press 2008.