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FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETIES INC

 

E-BULLETIN No. 70 – 30 July 2010

 

Hon Editor, Dr Ruth S. Kerr

 

 

 

1) Review of the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 (PMCH Act) and Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Regulations 1987 (PMCH Regulations)

 

2) National Archives of Australia co-locations

 

3) United Kingdom Film Council and Museums, Libraries & Archives Council to be disbanded

 

4) HMS Sirius shipwreck at Norfolk Island under assessment for National Heritage List

 

5) Colonial Sydney under assessment for National Heritage List

 

6) Engineering Heritage Committee public lecture - Australia's First Railway: an "Agricultural" Venture

 

7) Australian Society of Archivists' meeting re the roles of archives, libraries and museums

 

8) Local history - destruction of Wingham Hotel by fire on 5 July 2010

 

9) Consider joining the online Australian Historical Societies Support Group

 

 

1) Review of the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 (PMCH Act) and Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Regulations 1987 (PMCH Regulations).

 

In 2009 the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts undertook a review of the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 (PMCH Act) and Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Regulations 1987 (PMCH Regulations). The review was conducted in consultation with the National Cultural Heritage Committee and the broader community.


The Federation made a submission to the review.


The review has been completed and the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett has agreed to its recommendations for improvements to the PMCH legislation.

 

The review report is now available from the department’s website at www.arts.gov.au/public_consultation/submissions-closed/pmch-review/pmch_review_report. Copies of the review report in rich text format, or a printed hard copy, are available by email or by calling the review Secretariat on 1800 115 771.


The review Secretariat may assist with answers to questions on the above number or email pmchreview@environment.gov.au.

 

PMCH Review Secretariat, Cultural Property Section, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.


(Source: PMCH Review PMCH.Review@environment.gov.au – 5 July 2010)

 

 

2) National Archives of Australia co-locations

 

Information is being provided by the National Archives of Australia on the co-location policy.

 

For information on the progress of agreements and negotiations regarding the National Archives office co-locations, as well as answers to some frequently asked questions go to http://www.naa.gov.au/about-us/offices/index.aspx


(Source: aus-archivists@archivists.org.au – 16 July 2010)

 

 

3) United Kingdom Film Council and Museums, Libraries & Archives Council to be disbanded

 

In June Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, the Culture Secretary in United Kingdom, informed all cultural bodies directly funded by the government to plan for budget cuts of between 25 and 30 per cent.


On Monday he announced a raft of changes affecting the 55 non-departmental public bodies that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds directly.


The UK Film Council and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council are to be disbanded and several other organisations will be merged.


The department is also scrutinising the tourism bodies Visit England and Visit Britain; the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment; English Heritage; the National Heritage Memorial Fund; and the Heritage Lottery Fund.


(Source: aus-archivists-bounces@archivists.org.au – 28 July 2010; Australian 28 July 2010 p.15)

 

 

4) HMS Sirius shipwreck at Norfolk Island under assessment for National Heritage List

 

The Australian Heritage Council is assessing under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 whether the HMS Sirius shipwreck east of Kingston Pier in Sydney Bay at Norfolk Island should be entered on the National Heritage List. It is located in nine metres of water at centre point 1670 57’ 18” East Longitude 290 3’ 37” GDA94. It is also being assed for listing on the Commonwealth List. Comments are due to the Australian Heritage Council (Email: ahc@environment.gov.au) by COB on 27 August 2010.


(Source: Australian  27 July 2010 p.16)

 

 

5) Colonial Sydney under assessment for National heritage List

 

The Australian Heritage Council is assessing under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 whether Colonial Sydney of about 1,000 hectares, Macquarie Street, Sydney, comprising the Macquarie Street, College Street and Bridge Street precincts from the Macquarie Street terrace and Moore Steps to Sydney Grammar school and Hyde park; Government House, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Domain; Old Government House site and Macquarie Place should be entered on the National Heritage List. Comments are due to the Australian Heritage Council (Email: ahc@environment.gov.au) by COB on 27 August 2010.


(Source: Australian 27 July 2010 p.16)

 

 

6) Engineering Heritage Committee public lecture - Australia's First Railway: an "Agricultural" Venture


Date:              Monday, 9 August 2010 at 6pm
Venue:           Engineers Australia Auditorium, Ground Floor, 8 Thomas Street, Chatswood.
Speaker:        Rod Caldwell, Newcastle Engineering Heritage Committee
 
The Agricultural Company soon had its original 1824 objective of wool production supplemented by a requirement to produce coal. This resulted from the NSW government’s aim to move the latter industry to the private sector.

 

With an opening date of 1831, the railway connecting the mine to the Newcastle loading staiths was a structure well up to the standards of its European contemporaries. Archaeological evidence - to be described in the talk – has shown, for example, that cast iron short rail sections were used in much the same way as overseas.

 

Rod Caldwell, of the Newcastle Engineering Heritage Committee, has long been an active worker in engineering heritage. He undertook postgraduate studies at the Ironbridge Institute, UK, and is well known for his work in connection with Fort Scratchley.

All are welcome.  Admission Free.   Refreshments from 5.30pm

 

(Source: LRRSA@yahoogroups.com.au – 20 July 2010)

 

7) Australian Society of Archivists' meeting re the roles of archives, libraries and museums

 

The AGM for the ASA Tasmanian Branch is to be held on Friday 27th August, at 6.30pm at the Royal Society Rooms, Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery Hobart.

 

RSVP by Monday 23rd August to David John Bloomfield.

 

IN ADDITION, there will be a debate to follow straight after the AGM.

 

The subject is 'That records belong in archives, that books belong in libraries and that objects belong in museums'

 

This is a significant topic in archives, library and museum circles at present, around the world. There are four excellent speakers lined-up to tackle the topic and answer questions.  

 

Contact: David John Bloomfield, Archivist | Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office |Community Knowledge Network , 91 Murray Street │ Hobart Tasmania 7000
Ph: 03) 6233 7488 | Fax: (03) 6233 7471  david.bloomfield@education.tas.gov.au
www.archives.tas.gov.au | www.state.library.tas.gov.au | www.adulteducation.tas.gov.au | www.tco.asn.au

 

(Source: A Mailing List for Australian Archivists – 27 July 2010)

 

 

8) Local history - destruction of Wingham Hotel by fire on 5 July 2010

 

Wingham Hotel on the eastern entrance to the town was destroyed by fire on 5 July. The double storey building had been built in the 1920s following on an earlier hotel opened in 1869. The hotel had a prominent position at one corner of the town square. The town was the highest navigable point on the Manning River for shipping out the cedar. The hotel had been in the Cross family since the 1880s. George Cross advertised in the Wingham Chronicle in 1881 that he offered ‘first class accommodation to travellers’. (Sadly that tradition did not last until 2002 when attendees at the Royal Australian Historical Society Conference had plenty of music but no breakfasts.) A historic shed has survived the fire. It was used for stabling and commercial travellers’ storage area. Restored in 1897 it is thought to be Australia’s largest surviving hotel coach house.


(Source: Sydney Morning Herald  17-18 July 2010 News Review p.5 including photo)

 

9) 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)