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Posted 6 February 2012

On 12 April 1924, the former HMAS Australia, the largest warship in the Australian fleet was towed 50km east of Sydney Heads and scuttled with full military honours. Eulogies were read, strong naval men were wet eyed and public outrage flared at the loss of the first flagship of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). This highly significant vessel was Australia's only battlecruiser, was the centrepiece of the Royal Australian Naval Fleet, and prevented German aggression in the South Pacific during World War I. The wreck lay undisturbed for many years until its accidental discovery in 400m of water 1990. Due to its extreme depth, a survey was not undertaken until the RAN (at the request of the Heritage Branch) directed a suitable deep water ROV unit to undertake the first photographic survey of the site in 2007. This report discusses the vessel's significance, teh survey operations and the identification of main elements of the site. HMAS Australia remains Australia's largest intact Historic Shipwreck.

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Posted 19 January 2012

A new short report on the results of a side scan sonar survey of the Murray River between Wentworth and Red Cliffs has been released. The report, compiled by Frits Breuseker of SeaSee Pty Ltd, details the technical elements of survey, and the efforts taken to locate lost paddle steamer wrecks in the Murray. A report on the Archaeological Assessment of the survey data will be prepared by the Heritage Branch, and will be available soon. As several new shipwreck sites were detected during the operations, it is hoped that together these reports will inform a nomination for the NSW State Heritage Register.

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Posted 18 January 2012

In February 2011 the Heritage Council of NSW appointed a subcommittee to review the Roads and Traffic Authority's report Timber Truss Road Bridges: a Strategic Approach to Conservation. The subcommittee completed its review in July 2011.

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Posted 19 September 2011

The waters of New South Wales contain an immense wealth of heritage sites and relics. With an estimated 1800 shipwrecks, along almost 1800 km of coastline, NSW has amongst the largest accumulation of shipwreck sites of any State or Territory in Australia.

This leaflet introduces you to these sites and stories. In order to relate to our maritime cultural heritage and understand how it has shaped our society today, we first need to understand the significance, form and function of the traces of maritime activity left to us in the archaeological record.

The Heritage Branch implements the NSW Maritime Archaeology Program and has a team of professional Maritime Archaeologists who provide advice, promote standards, and physically manage the State’s Historic Shipwreck resource. The Maritime Team aims to, enhance and make more widely available knowledge about our maritime culture.

The leaflet would not have been possible without the support of Damien Siviero and the other divers who generously provided images.

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A copy can be mailed to you from the Department of Planning Information Centre, 22-33 Bridge St, SYDNEY. Phone 02 9228 6333.

Posted 17 February 2011

New Historic Shipwreck Poster!

This poster features SS Tuncurry, a wooden screw steamer built in 1903 at Cape Hawke by John Wright. Tuncurry was enroute from Sydney to Brisbane when it sprang a leak and sank on 22 October 1916. Lost approximately six nautical miles off Whale Beach, the vessel rests on a sand plateau in 60m water.

The wreck site was found by recreational divers in early 2009, and was the subject of a voluntary diver survey later that same year. The Heritage Branch now manages this important historic shipwreck as part of the NSW Maritime Archaeology Program, and has been working with the divers, NSW Water Police and the Australian Centre for Field Robotics at the University of Sydney to Map the wreck. Tuncurry is protected by the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976.

The poster is a wonderful celebration of Historic Shipwreck sites, stories and experiences, and would not have been possible without the support of Neil Vincent and Robbert Westerdyk who generously provided images for the Branch to use.

Please click here to download the poster. If you would like to receive a hard copy, please contact the Department of Planning Information Centre at 22-33 Bridge St, SYDNEY NSW 2000 or via telephone: 02 9228 6333 and we will send one out to you.

Posted 13 January 2011

Macquarie Town Book

Her Excellency Marie Bashir, Governor, with Minister for Planning the Hon Tony Kelly MLC and Gabrielle Kibble, Chair Heritage Council of NSW, at the launch.

The book recognises and celebrates Macquarie’s foresight and capability in the laying out of eight towns in New South Wales: Liverpool, Windsor, Richmond, Wilberforce, Pitt Town, Castlereagh, Campbelltown and Bathurst, as well as the amendments he made to the existing towns of Sydney and Parramatta, and the renaming of the streets of Newcastle.

Macquarie’s Towns is a joint initiative of the Heritage Council of NSW and the Land and Property Management Authority. It has been written by Professor Ian Jack who has revealed yet another facet of the impressive Governor Lachlan Macquarie.

The book evolved from a new approach to the listing of items on the State Heritage Register. Rather than the Heritage Council of NSW considering individual nominations in an ad-hoc manner, it took the decision to consider items in the context of themes. It has provided a more systematic approach and added rigour to the State Heritage Register.

The Heritage Council commissioned historian Professor Ian Jack to examine the rationale for and the laying out of the new towns, and the enhancements to the existing towns. With the aid of historic maps, images and other records, many never or rarely seen before in the public domain, he has compiled a richly detailed account of their origins. Importantly, he has also revealed that the road patterns and streetscapes of many of the towns of Macquarie’s era are still legible today, 200 years later.

The wonderful maps unearthed by Professor Jack are the foundation for this story of the towns and we are fortunate that we still have them as documentary evidence of Macquarie’s purpose. They have been faithfully reproduced in the book, and together with Professor Jack’s engaging text, remedy the shortcoming in historical detail about another of Macquarie’s many capabilities.

Historic plans, maps, images and other records strongly featured througout the book have been retained and conserved by State agencies such as the Land and Property Management Authority, State Records New South Wales, and the State Library of NSW.

To purchase the Macquarie's Towns book click here

Posted 09 December 2010

The latest Heritage Council publication called "Heritage Listing" is now available online. Produced especially for owners of heritage properties, this new publication explains the benefits and effects of listing using plain language and illustrations. It aims to dispel common myths and to update and improve owner perceptions about heritage listing.

The publication briefly explains how Australian heritage and listing matter in the present day, beyond purely significance and links to the past. The most common questions about economic effects and acceptable change are also answered. Helping to demystify listing effects, it also gives owners a practical insight into how to develop sympathetic renovations.

Click here to download this free publication

Posted 29 November 2010

Slab carriage house/stables 1844

Peabody/Wambo Coal Pty Ltd, owners of the Wambo Homestead Complex, made formal application (dated 6 September 2010) to the Heritage Council under section 38 of the Heritage Act 1977 for the removal of the Wambo Homestead Complex from the State Heritage Register.

The Heritage Council considered this application at its 16 September 2010 meeting and resolved to seek public comment on the proposal.

60 submissions were received and were considered in a report to the Heritage Council. Only one submission supported the proposal.

On 26 May 2011 the Heritage Council received formal notification from Peabody/Wambo Coal Pty Ltd of the company’s withdrawal of its application to remove Wambo Homestead Complex from the State Heritage Register.

The Heritage Council resolved at its 1 June 2011 meeting to request Peabody/Wambo Coal Pty Ltd to implement urgent works on the Wambo Homestead Complex under the minimum maintenance requirements of the Heritage Act and to prepare and execute a Conservation Management Plan and Schedule of Works to guide future conservation needs.

Updated 21 June 2011