At the beginning of my second year as Chair of the Heritage Council I am pleased that the Heritage Council and the Heritage Office have now re-located to a major heritage building in Parramatta.

This project has been planned virtually since the day the Heritage Office was created in 1996. We have all been uneasy that, since our move to Parramatta in September 1997, we have been just one tenant in an anonymous office building.

Now, thanks to the persistence and vision of Rosalind Strong and Reece McDougall, we have finally made the move to a building that reflects our values as a conservation organization.

And not just any building either! The former Kings School is one of Parramatta's heritage icons. The institution itself has had a presence in the area since 1832. The Georgian building we now occupy was completed in 1836 to a design by the Colonial Architect, Ambrose Hallen.

I am sure all visitors to our new accommodation will be as thrilled as we are with the innovative way in which Howard Tanner and his team have respected the layout and proportions of the old school while adapting it to a new life as a 21st century office building.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your families the very best for 2003. We look forward to welcoming you to our new home in Parramatta.

2002 was another busy year for heritage. I am pleased that we are making considerable progress in identifying and listing on the State Heritage Register places and objects that are important to all the people of New South Wales, from Bega to Bourke.

In the Central West the Heritage Office has now produced a list of nearly 200 potential State items in close consultation with the local community. Some of these proposals have already resulted in new listings on the register, notably the Bathurst house of the former Labor Prime Minister, Ben Chifley. You will find a fascinating article about this modest but highly significant building in this edition of Heritage NSW.

The recognition of important aspects of our heritage owned by the Crown also took a major step forward in the finalization of Sydney Water's heritage and conservation register. Over ten percent of these items, ranging from the Tank Stream to the Hyde Park obelisk, are now listed on the State Heritage Register. Mr Kim Yeadon, Minister for Energy, joined me in announcing the listing of these items last year.

State Rail is the custodian of rolling stock on the State's railway system. Last November Mr Carl Scully and I announced the listing of the Commissioner's carriages, dating from the First World War period. This was the travelling office used by the Commissioner of Railways to inspect the system and visit the far-flung managers of his 'empire.'

It is perhaps ironic that this exclusive 'gentlemen's club' now has such public recognition. But this in itself demonstrates how heritage listings illuminate the hidden corners of our history and make the past accessible to all of us as our common legacy.

My public announcements are the end result of hours of work by organizations and individuals around the State. I take this opportunity of saluting all of you and applauding your efforts in bringing the past to life. It is a truly rewarding activity, and one I recognized in August last year through the presentation of the inaugural Heritage Volunteer Awards.