Federation of Australian Historical Societies

FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETIES INC

e-BULLETIN No. 98 – 14 April 2012

Hon Editor, Dr Ruth S. Kerr

1) Value of historical society members' volunteer labour

2) Volunteers to assist historical societies in their work

3) South Australian Heritage Conference 2012

4) Melbourne Grammar School Archive

5) Grant opportunity - QR National Limited

6) Protection of modern heritage buildings

7) Workplace health and safety legislation

8) The Australian Historic Shipwreck Protection Project website

9) Cooktown Re-enactment Association

10) Australian Heritage Week events at Rottnest Island, Western Australia

1) Value of historical society members' volunteer labour

The Federation considers that the value of our Historical Society members’ volunteer labour is $45 per hour.

On that basis, our calculation of volunteer labour from the history and heritage movement across Australia is 100,000 members donating an average of one hour each month or twelve per year amounting to $54 million.

Spread the word.

(Source: FAHS Committee – 27 March 2012)

2) Volunteers to assist historical societies in their work

If you or your society is in need of people with particular expertise to help with your work – a Treasurer, a website designer and/or moderator, a craftsperson, etc – have you thought of registering with one of the volunteer assistance groups?

Across Australia there is SEEK Volunteer - bringing volunteers and organisations seeking them together. www.volunteer.com.au/

(Source: FAHS Committee – 2 April 2012)

3) South Australian Heritage Conference 2012

The National Trust of South Australia has been working closely with the owners of Rymill House and the Property Council to develop the Inaugural SA Heritage Conference 2012 as part of Australian Heritage Week.

This foremost national event, to be held at Adelaide's heritage icon Rymill House on the 19th April 2012, brings together national and local experts on heritage, culture, economic development, property development, design and tourism. These experts will debate and discuss the role heritage will play in a growing, changing society. The first in an annual series, this Conference brings the opportunity to help influence the shape of South Australia's heritage policy for years to come.

Throughout the full-day Conference, participants will be treated to presentations from respected guest speakers ranging from local policy makers to authors and cultural curators, planners, architects, designers and legal practitioners. Participants will also have the opportunity to indulge in a fine food experience, shared with delegates from across the spectrum of industries touched by heritage, across the nation.

You are invited to consider taking part in this event and to promote this premier event through your networks and contacts.

Bookings can be made through Kali Hunter on 0409 696 446 or by email at kali@kalihunter.com.au.

A detailed brochure about the conference can be downloaded from

www.australianheritageweek.com.au/Heritage_with_heartbeat_Brochure.pdf

(Source: National Trust of South Australia – 27 March 2012)

4) Melbourne Grammar School Archives

The Melbourne Grammar School Archives database was launched earlier this year. However, the work on this database commenced in October 2010. The database contains the details of more than 4,200 photographs from the school's comprehensive archive. Since the school has produced three Prime Ministers (Deakin, Bruce and Fraser) and has an impressive alumni, this school database holds some significant material. Once the photograph collection has been fully catalogued and digitised, other material from the collection (ephemera, newsletters, pamphlets, diaries etc) will also be added to the database. More importantly, the database gives the researcher the ability to download good resolution images. The database has been prepared by Glen Turnbull, who is an experienced school archivist and has been a councillor of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria Inc. since 2008. The database can be found at:

http://dbtw.mgs.vic.edu.au/dbtw-wpd/textbase/Lodge_Archives.htm

(Source: Melbourne Grammar School – 22 March 2012)

5) Grant opportunity - QR National Limited

QR National Limited is offering grants of up to $20,000 to community groups in its areas of operation throughout Australia from the company’s Community Giving Fund. QR National Limited operates in North Queensland, Central Queensland, South East Queensland, Hunter Region/Newcastle, Perth Region, Western Australia (Mid West, South West and Goldfields/Esperance), and Melbourne.

Details of the grant scheme can be ascertained from community@qrnational.com.au

QR National Limited is working with Charities Aid Foundation to provide two grant rounds per year. Guidelines are available at: www.qrnational.com.au/community/CommunityGiving/Documents/QRNCGF%20Guidelines.pdf

Categories of grants are outlined at: QR National Community Giving Fund

(Source: Balonne Beacon 22 March 2012 p.3; Bundaberg Guardian 28 March 2012 p.3; Toowoomba Chronicle 3 April 2012 p.8; www.qrnational.com.au/community/CommunityGiving)

6) Protection of modern heritage buildings

The Australian Financial Review published a detailed article, ‘Edifice Complex’ by Andrew Mackenzie, on 17-18 December 2011 on the need to protect modern buildings with cultural heritage significance. Mackenzie makes the point that post World War II Australia is almost invisible on the State and Territory and the National Heritage Registers. Only two per cent of places on State Heritage Registers date from after 1945. It appears to Mackenzie that age has assumed too great an importance in decisions for entry of places on heritage registers. Modern residential buildings designed by famous Australian architects (e.g. Robin Boyd and Harry Seidler) are being demolished and significantly altered. Reasons for this include that maintenance costs of innovative buildings are high and small houses with excellent views are considered a financially inefficient use of land. Howard Tanner, architect and member of the Australian Heritage Council is quoted, listing significant central Sydney buildings demolished or under threat – Anzac House by Bunning and Madden (1957); P&O building by Fowell, Mansfield and MacLuran (1963); Kindersley House by McConnel Smith and Johnson (1960); and the State Office Block by Ken Woolley (1964). New South Wales Heritage Council is turning its attention from 2012 to post World War II places.

The proposed closure of Flynn Primary School in Canberra (designed by Enrico Taglietti in 1971 in the open plan style) has been the subject of public consultation for five years. However heritage listing has not occurred. Perth’s Council House constructed in 1963 was saved from demolition following public opposition and lower costs of refurbishment because of lower interest rates at the time of refurbishment in the late 1990s. It was reopened in 1999 and listed on the Western Australian State Heritage Register in 2006.

(Source: Australian Financial Review 17-18 December 2011 pp.58-59 including photographs)

7) Workplace health and safety legislation

The harmonisation of Australian work health and safety legislation means that volunteers and others in every workplace across Australia will be protected in a consistent way. This protection has been called for and welcomed.
There has been some adverse publicity in the print media around these changes and some volunteers have expressed concern.

More information about the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act can be obtained from

Quick guide - volunteers and work health and safety 2012

(Source: www.volunteeringaustralia.org/Skills-and-Training/-Training-skills-resources/Quick-Guide-Volunteers-and-Work-Health-and-Safety-2012.asp)

8) The Australian Historic Shipwreck Protection Project website

The Australian Historic Shipwreck Protection Project (AHSPP) website is now available at the following link:
AHSPP website

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has recently awarded a large Linkage grant to investigate the excavation, reburial and in-situ preservation of shipwrecks and their associated artefacts, which are at risk. The project will focus on the early Australian-built wooden coastal trader Clarence, wrecked near St Leonards in Port Phillip Bay in 1850. The project will run for three years and involve fieldwork with investigators from the University of Western Australia (UWA), the Australian National University (ANU), Monash University and the Western Australian Museum (WAM), and is supported by research associates and practitioners from the ten partner organizations, students and volunteers. Heritage Victoria (Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development) has provided the use of their boat, Trim, during both lead-up work and the fieldwork.

(Source: ICOMOS Australia Email News 528, 30 March 2012)

9) Cooktown Re-enactment Association

Ms Alberta Hornsby, a member of Cooktown Re-enactment Association, has been invited to be a guest speaker at the Cook’s Treasures seminar at National Library of Australia in Canberra. She will speak on various myths associated with the contact of James Cook’s expedition with the local Aborigines in 1770. Re-enactment Association President and Cooktown and District Historical Society member, Loretta Sullivan, will also visit Canberra with Ms Hornsby. They will also meet with representatives of the National Museum of Australia, Captain Cook Society, and the Australian Heritage Council. A key purpose of the trip is to promote the role of Cooktown people, past and present, in Australian history.

(Source: Cooktown Local News 23-29 February 2012 p.7 including photograph)

10) Australian Heritage Week events at Rottnest Island, Western Australia

The Rottnest Island Authority, Western Australia, has compiled a program of events from 14th to 22nd April to recognize and celebrate Rottnest Island’s heritage as part of Australian Heritage Week. Activities include Archaeological Fun Days, Sand Wizard Craft, exhibitions and photographic displays, demonstrations and workshops, and free tours provided by the Rottnest Voluntary Guides Association.

See the website: www.rottnestisland.com/events/heritage

(Source: ICOMOS Australia Email News 528, 30 March 2012)