24 October
2006 - Australia will mark the 25th anniversary
of its first World Heritage Listing with the unveiling
in Melbourne of a special photographic exhibition
of the nation's 16 listed sites.
Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Greg
Hunt, launched the exhibition at Melbourne's Royal
Exhibition Building - Australia's most recent
addition to the World Heritage List.
Mr Hunt announced the Australian
Government would provide $450,000 to enable the
exhibition to be shown at the World Heritage sites
around the country.
"This exhibition is a celebration
of our world class heritage," Mr Hunt said.
"The images provide a window
into some of the most outstanding places on Earth.
I hope it fuels peoples' drive to explore our
great country.
"Australia has long recognised
the importance of preserving its rich and diverse
natural and cultural heritage.
"We were one of the first
signatories to the Convention Concerning the Protection
of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage.
"Over the last 10 years,
the Australian Government has provided more than
$110 million to the states and territories towards
improving and managing our World Heritage properties.
This is in addition to funds provided directly
to Commonwealth managed sites.
"World Heritage sites are
places of such outstanding significance that their
qualities are universal. "The first Australian
sites - the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National
Park and the Willandra Lakes Region in NSW, were
inscribed at the 5th session of the World Heritage
Committee, held in Australia from 26-30 October
1981.
"Australia now has 16 World
Heritage properties, well above the average of
less than five per member country. These properties
have brought international recognition of Australia's
unique place in world heritage. We have much to
celebrate.
"If all goes to plan, by
the middle of next year our amazing list will
expand with the inclusion of Sydney Harbour's
'jewel in the crown', the Sydney Opera House.
A nomination for the site was submitted to UNESCO
in January of this year, with a decision due in
2007," Mr Hunt said.
John Deller
Australia's World Heritage sites
Queensland
Great Barrier Reef
Wet Tropics of Queensland
Fraser Island
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh) (Qld/
SA)
Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Qld/ NSW)
New South Wales
Willandra Lakes Region
Lord Howe Island Group
Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Qld/ NSW)
Greater Blue Mountains
Northern Territory
Kakadu National Park
Uluru-Kata Tjuta
Victoria
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
Western Australia
Shark Bay
Purnululu National Park
Tasmania
Tasmanian Wilderness
Macquarie Island
South Australia
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Naracoorte) (Qld/
SA)
Offshore (Australian Government)
Heard and McDonald Islands
For more information on Australia's
World Heritage sites, photos of the exhibition
and a 25th anniversary commemorative book, Australia's
World Heritage, visit www.heritage.gov.au.
More community funding to protect
important heritage places
27 October 2006 - Communities
wanting to conserve and protect Australia’s important
historic heritage places can now apply for assistance
through the second round of the $10.5 million
National Heritage Investment Initiative, the Minister
for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian
Campbell, announced today.
“The programme provides $10.5 million over fours
years and is one of the practical ways the Australian
Government is helping to protect our nation’s
important heritage places,” Senator Campbell said.
“Already 18 projects around
the country have shared in $3.6 million through
the first round of the programme.
“This includes more than $450,000
to conserve and restore the main cell bock in
Fremantle Prison. The prison is one of Australia’s
most important convict sites and was included
in the National Heritage List last year,” Senator
Campbell said.
“Projects funded through the
programme show how diverse Australia’s heritage
is, and how places can help us understand more
about the events, people and stories that are
part of our national identity.”
Projects funded in Round One included:
• $500,000 for works to Brush
Farm House, NSW, a 19th century colonial built
for explorer Gregory Blaxland.
• $310,000 to support works to the interior of
Sydney’s Great Synagogue.
• $454,545 for conservation works on the National
Heritage listed Newman College, Vic, designed
by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahoney Griffin.
• $95,909 to conserve the historic fabric of the
National Heritage and World Heritage listed Royal
Exhibition Building, where Australia’s first Federal
Parliament was opened in 1901.
• $72,966 to uncover and restore the rare façade
of St Kilda’s Luna Park Carousel organ.
• $45,000 for works to the former St Matthews
Church, Tasmania, designed by noted convict architect
James Blackburn.
“I am extremely pleased to open
the next round of this important programme and
encourage anyone involved in protecting our nation’s
important historic heritage places to seek further
information”.
Nominations are open until 24 November 2006.
Rob Broadfield
