HERITAGE IN VICTORIA THE ORIGINS

WHAT IS THIS HERITAGE THING? HISTORY:The stories that tell us about our past. HERITAGE:The places or objects that we inherit from our history and which we desire to keep.

WHAT IS THE HERITAGE OF YOUR COMMUNITY? PLACES LIKE THIS:

OR THIS:

THE PASSAGE OF TIME

50s/60’s  Post WW2 -re-establish the economy and create a new and modern society.  1956-establishment of the National Trust  1960s-growth of NT classifications and beginnings of activism

70s  Baby boomers graduating from universities  Growing interest and concern about the environment and the future of our cities  Early 70sfirst Historic Buildings Act, amendments to T&CP Act, Archaeological and Aboriginal Relics Act, EPA Act and other “environmental” legislation  1975Historic Buildings Register 370 places Planning Schemes protecting a handful of places

80s  Reformist Labor governments in both Victoria and nationally  Surge of interest in heritage protection, particularly in metropolitan and regional urban areas  Passage of Planning and Environment Act (1987)  Introduction of Urban Conservation zones and later Heritage Overlays in planning schemes

90s  New economic rationalism and loss of established public institutions  Growth of interest in identifying heritage places in regional and rural Victoria  Re-organisation of local government  Passage of Heritage Act (1995)  Growth of role of Heritage Victoria

2000s  Communities looking for a new identity  Concern for broad environmental conservation  Growth in heritage planning  Current Heritage Register (approx 2500 places and objects plus approx 800 shipwrecks)  Current heritage overlays (all planning schemes have overlays covering some 160,000 properties)

…and today?

a Source:starship-troopers

QUESTIONS  Was there a particular event that turned your community toward heritage conservation? For example, was there some dramatic loss?  What is unique about your municipality? What would it mean if poorly planned incremental change caused your municipality to become similar to everywhere else?

Ours

QUESTIONS  What are the stories that your community are attached to and what would it take to keep to sustain those stories?  UNESCO state that we must ‘..empower a diverse cross section of stakeholders to identify key values in their.. areas, develop visions, set goals, and agree on actions to safeguard their heritage and promote sustainable development.’ What is your reaction to this?