Heritage Council of NSW

A message from Hazel Hawke
Chair of the Heritage Council
Whether you regard this year as the beginning of the new millennium or not, I am sure you were as excited as me to witness the beginning of 2000.

When the 20th century began the business of government was one of the biggest enterprises in the country. We can see the legacy of that activity all around us - in, for instance, the post offices, police stations and court houses in all our main settlements. Or in the railway lines, roads and bridges which spread throughout this State to transport wool, wheat, timber and other primary products to the cities and ports.

Not surprisingly therefore, much of the significant heritage in NSW is owned or managed by State government agencies. The Heritage Act requires all government agencies to compile registers of their heritage assets and to look after them on behalf of the community. We have begun the process of listing some of these important items on the State Heritage Register which, since the Heritage Act amendments of April 1999, is now roughly divided into equal numbers of publicly and privately owned places.

There are many good stories to tell of the efforts being made by government agencies to conserve and present their rich heritage resource. In this issue we look at the fascinating story of the Orange court house, which I was privileged to visit last year. Now its important archaeology will be conserved and presented in a modern court facility - another good result for both heritage and new building development.

Last December my first term as Chair of the Heritage Council came to an end. I have been delighted that the Minister has kindly asked me to continue in this rewarding position, and that most of my colleagues will be joining me on the new council. But the end of each year brings with it the end of my Heritage Council association with some members whose terms have expired. This year it was the turn of Louise Cox, Doug Forrester and Carol Liston to move on. I would like to record my appreciation for the skills and wisdom they have contributed to the work of the Heritage Council during their membership.

 
..............................................................................................................................

Mrs Hawke visits Cowra


Mr Sebastiano Galazzo and Mrs Hazel Hawke at the Italo-Australian
Friendship memorial at Cowra. Photograph by Murray Brown.

Mrs Hazel Hawke, Chair of the Heritage Council of NSW, visited the Cowra Prisoner of War Camp site late last year during a tour of heritage sites in the area. She was accompanied by members of the Italian community, for whom the campsite has special significance.

The Cowra Prisoner of War Camp was constructed in 1941-2 to house POWs captured by Allied Forces during WWII. It was one of 28 camps established across Australia by the British Military Board. After the war some of the internees migrated to Australia with their families.

A memorial to Italian POWs was erected by the Associazione Nazionale Combattenti della Guerra di Liberazione NSW in 1997. Mrs Hawke inspected the memorial, with Sebastiano Galazzo, the Association's President for NSW and the ACT, and laid a wreath to the fallen of all wars.

"This place and the events which occurred here are significant for all of us" said Mrs Hawke. "It is important to respect and value sites such as this as a tangible reminder of the POW experience of WWII in Australia".

The Cowra Prisoner of War Camp site is listed on the State Heritage Register. Although few of the former facilities survive, the surrounding landscape remains essentially the same, providing an evocative reminder of the impact of WWII on Australian soil. It has particular significance for those ethnic groups which populated the camp during its operation.

The camp was also the site of the only land engagement on the Australian mainland during WWII. On the 5th August 1944 Japanese prisoners held at the camp staged a breakout, during which over 300 escaped and over 250 died. Large areas of the camp were burnt to the ground and a number of Italian and German prisoners were also killed or injured.

During her weekend tour Mrs Hawke also visited the Cowra War Cemetery and Japanese Garden. She inspected conservation work on St Raphael's Brigidine Convent, visited heritage properties in Gooloogong and Cowra and the Age of Fishes Museum in Canowindra.


Memorial to Italian POWs by the Associazione Nazionale Combattenti della Guerra di Liberazione, NSW at the POW camp site, Cowra. Photograph by Murray Brown.