From the Minister

Deputy Premier
Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning
Minister for Aborignal Affairs
Minister for Housing

At the launch of the Teaching Heritage Website were: Mary Parry, Heritage
Office; John Aquilina, Minister for Education And Training; John Ward,
Board of Studies, Rosalind Strong, Director, Heritage Office, Dr Andrew
Refshauge, Deputy Premier; Lyndon Sharp, Board of Studies.
Photograph by Paramount Studios

In late July, my colleague John Aquilina and I joined forces to launch the TeachingHeritage professional development website for secondary geography and history teachers.

This website contains a wealth of information, and is a must to visit for all those with an interest in heritage. There are maps, photographs, extensive heritage documentation, journal articles and book extracts, as well as audio materials.

I enjoyed hearing the speeches of our wartime Prime Minister John Curtin, one of the great political figures in our history. After visiting the website several times, I am in no doubt that secondary school students will become increasingly aware of and interested in their heritage.

As Minister for Aboriginal Affairs as well as Heritage, I was especially pleased to add the Brewarrina Fish Traps to the State Heritage Register. Just after this listing was finalised, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs provided a grant of $15,000 to preserve and promote the Aboriginal history and culture of Brewarrina. This project will be managed by the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum, with the fish traps as a major focus. There was strong community support for this listing, a tribute to the active participation of the traditional owners and the negotiations undertaken by the Heritage Office.

On a visit to Orange in July, I was able to present a cheque for $2000 to the Orange Aboriginal Land Council for the Orange Aboriginal Heritage Project. This is the first instalment in a $15,800 grant. A key part of the project is an Aboriginal oral history study. This project has generated a strong sense of community partnership and the Orange Council is also very supportive.

Recently a further seventeen National Trust properties were added to the State Heritage Register. The properties listed included Cooma Cottage at Yass, Dundullimal at Dubbo, Harpers Mansion at Berrima, Sir Henry Parkes Memorial School at Tenterfield, Saumarez at Armidale, the Norman Lindsay Gallery at Faulconbridge and the Trust's Sydney headquarters, the SH Ervin Gallery.

As the leading community heritage organisation in the State, it is important that the Trust's properties are listed on the Register to underline their significance to the people of NSW. It also acknowledges the vital contribution of the community, through the Trust and its members, to the conservation of these special places.