Federation of Australian Historical Societies

FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETIES INC

e-BULLETIN No. 72 – 5 September 2010

Hon Editor, Dr Ruth S. Kerr

1) ICOMOS - TICCH guidelines on preservation of industrial heritage

2) New South Wales Heritage Volunteer Awards

3) History Week New South Wales

4) Illustrated Glossary of Australian Rural Fence Terms

5) Local history - York, Western Australia - Gwambygine Farmhouse

6) Local history - The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales

7) Consider joining the online Australian Historical Societies Support Group

1) ICOMOS - TICCH guidelines on preservation of industrial heritage

There is a joint project underway between – the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and The International Committee for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage (TICCIH) to develop principles for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Sites. One of the purposes is to include more emphasis on the surviving equipment and machinery demonstrating the industrial technology of the time. The two organisations are seeking to include a statement in the It includes a description of industrial heritage along the following lines:

'The Industrial Revolution of the Modern Era constitutes a major stage in the Human Endeavour making its heritage particularly important. Yet, this heritage is highly vulnerable and often at risk, often lost for lack of awareness, recognition, documentation or protection but also because of changing economic trends, negative perceptions, environmental issues or its sheer size and complexity.

By extending the life-cycle of existing structures and their embodied energy, conservation of the built heritage, in particular the industrial built heritage, and its associated machinery, contributes to achieving the goals of sustainable development at the local, national and international levels. It touches the social as well as the physical and environmental aspects of development and should be acknowledged as such.

Over the past decades, international and interdisciplinary cooperation for heritage developed greatly, contributing to a better understanding of the value of our heritage and of collaboration between steward, stakeholders and professionals. ICOMOS – the International Council on Monuments and Sites – drew on the broad, international experience of its global membership of professionals and institutions to build a corpus of international references and guidelines, beginning with the International Charter on the Restoration and Conservation of Monuments and Sites (the "Venice Charter", 1964). In 1972, the World Heritage Convention was adopted by UNESCO, creating a positive context for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage sites, in particular through its Article 5 and the promotion of effective policies, legislative and scientific activities. In 2003, The International Committee for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage (TICCIH) adopted its Nizhny Tagil Charter for the Industrial Heritage, a first international reference text of such recognition to guide protection and conservation in the field .

Acknowledging the nature of the industrial heritage as an expression of the world-wide industrialisation, and the particular issues and threats affecting it as a result of its relation to the contemporary economic, legal, cultural and environmental contexts, ICOMOS and TICCIH wish to expand their cooperation in adopting and promoting … [expanded] Guidelines for the better understanding, protection, and conservation of industrial heritage as part of the heritage of human societies around the World.'

(Source: ticcih-in-oz@googlegroups.com - 12 August 2010)

2) New South Wales Heritage Volunteer Awards

Individuals or organisations who has contributed to the conservation, management or promotion of heritage in the local NSW community may be nominated for awards .

Tributes can be paid to men and women who have volunteered their time and personal commitment to ensuring that New South Wales unique history and heritage is protected for future generations?

The Heritage Council of NSW and the NSW Government invites nominations for a local 'heritage hero' as a recipient of a 2010 NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Award.

Nomination forms may be download form the Heritage Branch website: http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/09_subnav_03.htm#nom, and additional information is contained in the attached Media Release.

Nominations close on Friday 17 September 2010.

Any enquiries re the Awards, or the nomination process itself may be directed to Deputy Director, Tim Smith, in the first instance, on phone 02 9875 8575 or email: tim.smith@planning.nsw.gov.au.

(Source: AIMA Members; asha@flinders.edu.au - 23 August 2010)

3) History Week New South Wales

The latest addition to State Records' presence on YouTube is a video presentation titled Faces from the past: images from Sydney's back lanes and alley ways (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1wFaPkyKxs). The video is part of State Records' contribution to History Week 2010 (4-12 September). It features a selection of photographs from the NSW State archives collection showing city dwellers going about their daily business. It is accompanied by Fabian LoSchiavo's moving narration of the famous Henry Lawson's poem 'Faces in the Street'. For more information on History Week 2010 visit the History Council's website at: http://www.historycouncilnsw.org.au/events/history-week-2010. [Fabian is a very long standing staff member of NSW State Records Office.]

(Source: aus-archivists@archivists.org.au - 1 September 2010)

4) Illustrated Glossary of Australian Rural Fence Terms

In 2009, with generous support of a New South Wales Heritage Grant, John Pickard compiled and published a 169 page "Illustrated glossary of Australian rural fence terms" which is available as a free 7.5 MB download from the Heritage Branch website (URL: http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/03_index.htm#G-I and scroll down to "Illustrated glossary").

He is currently preparing a second edition planned for completion in early 2011. This will be re-designed for easier use, and include additional terms and illustrations. Like the first edition, it will focus on RURAL fences; urban and suburban fences are specifically excluded for a range of reasons.

John Pickard welcomes any suggestions of corrections, additional examples of contemporary or modern illustrations or references, locations of examples etc. at this time. All suggestions will be acknowledged.

He may be contacted at: Dr John Pickard, Department of Environment and Geography Macquarie University NSW 2109.

Email: john.pickard@bigpond.com

(Source: Australian Society of Historical Archaeology List - 1 September 2010)

5) Local history - York, Western Australia - Gwambygine Farmhouse

'Gwambygine Farmhouse' near York Western Australia - Restoration Grant from the Federal Government's Jobs Stimulus Program and The National Trust of Australia (WA) 's Heritage at Risk Program

Twelve kilometres south east of York, is one of the oldest buildings in the state having been constructed in 1836 by John Burdett Wittenoom, Western Australia's first Colonial Chaplain.

Apart from the homestead, the property contains a stone barn, a large shearing shed still fitted out, post and rail stock pens, a wooden sheep dip and remains of garden beds and orchard. The homestead itself is constructed of rammed earth and mud bricks, and has north and south wings attached to a central four roomed building with verandahs along both sides. The corrugated galvanised iron roof is mostly hipped and has a centre gablet at the entry.

In 2006 a Heritage Assessment of the property was made by Heritage Architect Ron Bodycoat and Historian Dr Robyn Taylor. This confirmed the heritage value of the property and noted signs of significant decay. Unfortunately there were no funds to rectify the problem. The house deteriorated further - with the ravages of white ants and shifts in the corrugated iron roof causing water damage to earthen walls. Re-roofing was a must to save the building. The chance of a grant through the Federal Government's Job Stimulus program, through the Federation of Australian Historical Societies, was heaven sent. An application was drawn up through the York based River Conservation Society (led by Cicely Howell and Tony Clack.) and we were successful, being granted $110,000 for the project. A State grant for $30,000 followed, as we had previously put in an application to the National Trust for Heritage at Risk.

Work did not start in earnest until March 2010 as it was simply too hot to work on the roof, but once the timbers to support the roof had been repaired/restored the job began. Within a week the old iron had been removed and the new sheets were in place. It took longer to install all the gutters and down-pipes and a plumber was engaged to put in new drains, including two French drains to rectify the problems of rising damp. The mud walls had serious holes - caused by water and rodents - and it took some time to discover the correct mix of mud and sand to effect repairs. An electrician was also vital to clear loose wires and restore the power board.

Some 18 hours were spent with Council officers, people from government departments etc in trying to engage the unemployed. But it was not until June that we managed to get some help through the Commonwealth Employment Agency MAX. By this time the labour needs were for painting and whitewashing.

The property now looks great. There are still some things to finish off such as landscaping and furnishing – and the barns have not yet been touched! Nevertheless all the preservation work on the house has been completed. We hope that we can open the house once a month on a regular basis and by arrangement for tour groups'.

(Source: Dr Pamela Statham Drew, Member of Council, The Royal Western Australian Historical Society Inc. - 7 August 2010)

6) Local history - The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales

An exhibition, Painting the Rocks: The Loss of Old Sydney, is at the Museum of Sydney until 28 November 2010. It features paintings and photographs depicting the area at the beginning of the twentieth century. Some of the paintings were done for a 1902 exhibition when buildings were being demolished to deal with the bubonic plague. Government photographs taken in 1902 to record the government's response to the disease outbreak. The exhibition was launched by Jack Mundey on 11 August. As Secretary of the New South Wales Builders Labourers Federation Jack Mundey had led green bans in 1971 - 1974 to prevent further demolition of buildings to allow commercial development. The Union had taken up the claims of the Resident Action Group who approached the Union. Heritage issues were not paramount. Mundey said the process of saving The Rocks led to a heightened consciousness about the value of historic buildings.

(Source: Australian 13 August 2010 p.14 including three photographs)

7) Consider joining the online Australian Historical Societies Support Group

The online Australian Historical Societies Support Group, through an arrangement between the Federation of Australian Historical Societies (FAHS) and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, is one of the My Connected Community (mc2) groups initiated and funded by the Victorian Government’s Connecting Communities policy.

The Australian Historical Societies Support Group offers participating historical societies, like-minded bodies and their members a variety of free, easy to use Web-based services which they can use to communicate with each other across the nation and the world on any topic that is of interest or concern to their organisations.

The mc2 website provides easy access to online technologies now available for communicating between group members. Features of mc2 include a forum, an events list, space for sharing files, space for sharing photos, a links page and a chat room.

Details on how to join the Group are available at the FAHS website at: http://www.history.org.au. Follow the "Support" and "Support Group" links from the home page.

(Source: FAHS Council)