Living Heritage - No. 3
Australia's National Heritage magazine
Vol. 1 No. 3 Summer 2009
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2009
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About this publication
Message from the Minister
Australia is a nation shaped by our unique and often harsh landscapes, informed by our rich Indigenous history, and reflecting our triumphs over various hardships and challenges. Our National Heritage List reflects this diversity - from iconic landmarks like the Warrumbungles and the Aboriginal fish traps at Brewarrina, to the picturesque landscape at Port Arthur, where the starkly beautiful convict buildings stand testament to both convict suffering and the transformation of our nation.
In August 2008 I was pleased to join Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in celebrating our remarkable National Heritage at the opening of the restored Separate Prison at the Port Arthur Historic Site.
The impressive restoration work undertaken at the Separate Prison allows greater appreciation and understanding of the experiences of the convicts incarcerated there and of the changes in penal philosophy that occurred during its operation.
The Australian Heritage Council provides me with invaluable, independent advice on the identification and protection of Australia's most outstanding heritage places through inclusion on the National Heritage List. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to personally thank the three retiring members of the Australian Heritage Council, Dr Jane Lennon, Dr Denis Saunders, and Dr Gaye Sculthorpe, and the retiring associate member, the Hon Richard Lewis, for their untiring efforts and for the huge contribution they have made to the protection of Australia's unique heritage.
I would also like to warmly welcome the three new members of the Council, each of whom is an eminent expert in their field of heritage: Adjunct Professor Sharon Sullivan (historic heritage), Associate Professor Peter Valentine (natural heritage) and Dr Jackie Huggins (Indigenous heritage).
The new and continuing members of the Council have a busy and important program of work in front of them. Over the next year, they will be working with my department to undertake detailed assessment of more than 20 unique Australian heritage places including the west Kimberley, the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and the battle site and wrecks of the HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran off the western coast of Australia.
The Australian Government also has an ambitious World Heritage program including working with the Western Australian Government on a nomination for potential World Heritage listing of the Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia and commencing the process of consultation on a possible future nomination of appropriate areas of Cape York in Queensland. The Government has also asked states and territories to submit their suggestions of other possible places that could be considered for future nomination to the World Heritage List.
As a new member of the World Heritage Committee, Australia played a leading role at the July 2008 meeting in Quebec in encouraging the Committee to examine the current and future challenges facing the World Heritage Convention, and in helping Pacific nations such as Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea to have sites successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List. At the meeting, Australia was also elected to the key position of Vice-President for Asia-Pacific, which will see Australia represent the interests of 46 countries in our region including China, Japan, India, Korea and Pacific Island nations.
As part of its assistance to the region, Australia hosted a Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop in Cairns in mid October, which brought together almost 80 representatives from Pacific Island Countries, New Zealand and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. One of the primary purposes of the workshop was to assist Pacific Island Countries by sharing Australia's experience and expertise in assessing and managing its 17 existing World Heritage properties.
I am proud of Australia's leadership in heritage protection and management and it is a good thing that Australia's passionate and professional heritage managers and experts are now also passing on their experience to other countries in our region to assist them in protecting their own precious heritage.
I hope that you enjoy this magazine and continue to join with me in protecting and appreciating our Living Heritage.
Signed
The Hon. Peter Garrett AM MP
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
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