HERITAGE TASMANIAN HERITAGE COUNCIL July 2013

Barn at Shene Exploring Heritage Tourism opportunities Tasmanian Heritage Council Chair Dr Dianne Snowdon the peak industry body for Tasmania’s tourism and Councillor Sarah Lebski were among the guest operators. Sarah spoke of both the various heritage speakers at a recent tourism industry function held at the tourism projects with which she has been involved and historic property, Shene, near Pontville. her experience as a relatively new member of the Heritage Council. She also highlighted some of the Organised by the regional tourism organisation — Heritage Council’s key publications of particular interest Destination Southern Tasmania, the workshop’s theme, to existing or potential owners of heritage properties. ‘Unlock Secrets of the Past and Explore the Opportunities of Heritage Tourism’, provided an Heritage Council representatives were joined by Dr Jane excellent opportunity for Dr Snowden to present several Harrington Director of Conservation and Infrastructure at case studies of prominent heritage tourism businesses the Port Arthur Historic Sites who talked about the whose owners had worked closely with the Heritage nomination process for World Heritage Sites. Council. These included Hartzview Vineyard, Cascades Approximately 30 tourism operators attended the Probation Station and the host venue, Shene. Dr workshop and lunch. They also enjoyed the opportunity Snowdon also addressed the role of the Heritage for a guided tour of Shene by its custodians, Anne and Council. David Kernke. Sarah Lebski represents the Tourism Industry Council Destination South’s CEO Ben Targett said: “The Tasmania (TICT) on the Heritage Council. The TICT is heritage tourism event brought together three very knowledgeable speakers and provided practical, useable insights for operators who want to preserve and showcase our heritage in their tourism businesses. We know from our research that heritage-related experiences are key attractors for visitors to Tasmania”.

New website for Cascades

The World Heritage listed Historic Site has launched a new website with ‘responsive design’ technology so it works well on a wide range of technologies and screen types, from widescreen desktops to tablets and mobile phones. Cascades Female Factory Historic Site Manager Greta L to R Sarah Lebski, Heritage Council member, Dr Dianne Snowden McDonald said the technology offered app-like Heritage Council Chair and Dr Jane Harrington Director of convenience to users of mobile phones. Conservation and Infrastructure at the Port Arthur Historic Sites With tablet computers and mobile phones accounting for

almost a quarter of website visits, the responsive design DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, PARKS, WATER AND ENVIRONMENT GPO BOX 1751, TAS 7001 PHONE: 1300 850 332 (local call cost) | FAX: 6233 3186 EMAIL: [email protected] www.heritage.tas.gov.au

technology removes the need to offer separate websites “That’s why an extra $3 million was committed out of the optimised for mobile devices. 2013-2014 Budget to protect the Port Arthur The new website can be found at penitentiary.” http://www.femalefactory.org.au/ The penitentiary is arguably Australia’s most significant National Trust of Australia (Tasmania) convict ruin. Its image promotes Port Arthur and Board – Expression of Interest Tasmanian tourism across Australia and the world, Mr Wightman said. Expressions of Interest from interested, skilled and suitable individuals are to fill a vacancy as a Ministerial The structural works will help stabilise the Port Arthur appointee to the Board of the National Trust of Australia Historic Site’s largest and most recognisable building. (Tasmania). The National Trust has an important role to play in presenting historic heritage, advocating for good heritage outcomes and delivering the Community Heritage Program across Tasmania, in accordance with the provisions of the National Trust Act (2006). This is a voluntary position but reasonable travel costs are reimbursed by the National Trust. Applicants are requested to complete an application form, address each of the nominated selection criteria and provide a copy of their current Curriculum Vitae. For further information including how to apply, visit www.heritage.tas.gov.au The Penitentiary at Port Arthur. Photo courtesy Port Arthur Historic Site.

“We recorded a 10 per cent increase in visitor-numbers Tassie Trip Advisor winners for 2013 from 845,800 for the year ending March 2012 to 931,100 The Port Arthur Historic Site has been named among [to Tasmania] for the 12 months to March 2013. Australia's top 10 attractions by global travel website Trip Advisor. “This is further proof that despite an increasingly competitive environment, the sheer quality and diversity The Minister for Tourism, Scott Bacon, and the Minister of our tourism experiences continues to shine through.” for the Environment, Parks and Heritage, Brian Celebrating the Rajah 172 years on Wightman congratulated the Port Arthur Historic site for coming sixth in the Attractions section of Trip Advisor’s A remarkable piece of Tasmania’s convict history has Traveller’s Choice 2013 awards. been captured in a new book, Prisoners: The Rajah Quilt and the women who made it, which was Mr Bacon said Tasmania was continuing to develop launched this month by the Premier, Lara Giddings. world-class experiences and generating international recognition in publications such as Lonely Planet and Written by historians Dr Trudy Cowley and Dr Dianne respected websites like Trip Advisor. Snowden, Patchwork Prisoners is a study of the 180 female convicts who were on the convict "We know that an endorsement from a third party is a ship the Rajah from England to Hobart in 1841. very effective way to promote the State," Mr Bacon said. “The Rajah Quilt is the only known surviving quilt made "That's why we continue to invest significantly in the by female convicts on their voyage from the United Visiting Journalist Program, which yields publicity and Kingdom to Australia,” Ms Giddings said. exposure worth tens of millions of dollars for our tourism businesses.” “It was found in a Scottish attic in 1987 and gifted to the National Gallery of Australia in 1989.” Mr Wightman said that it was fantastic to see Port Arthur Historic Site being recognised as a great Australian Ms Giddings said that the date of the launch was attraction. significant. “Port Arthur is part of Tasmania’s precious heritage and “Today marks 172 years since the convict transport the Tasmanian Government is very committed to Rajah arrived in what was then Hobart Town in Van preserving this important site. Diemen’s Land. I understand Dianne and Trudy specifically chose this day for their launch because of its significance for the history of the Rajah Quilt and the convict women who arrived on the Rajah.” Heritage Bulletin: July 2013 2

Descendants of the women who travelled on the Rajah listed Historic Sites and Monuments in the Antarctic, in a were also at the launch. These included two families of similar fashion to the Tasmanian Heritage Register. descendants of convict Sarah Green who came from “Only listed sites are protected under the Treaty but New Zealand. there are provisions for the interim protection of sites “When you think about the conditions under which the through the adoption of guidelines for the handling of quilt was crafted, on an unstable, crowded and probably pre-1958 historic remains,” she said. dirty , you realise what a remarkable “I discussed some of the current issues around the achievement its creation was,” Ms Giddings said. identification, assessment of significance and “The fact that it survived – and is still vibrant and dissemination of information about the location and colourful today (complete with blood stains from pin- nature of potentially significant historic items and places pricked fingers!) – is even more extraordinary. The book in Antarctica. began as an attempt to identify the women who crafted “I also explored the option of a database of past human the quilt, but grew to encompass detailed biographies of activity as a tool for improving environmental impact the Ship’s Matron, Miss Kezia Hayter, and each of the assessment in Antarctica and meeting a number of convict women (and their children) on board.” obligations under the Treaty for information reporting and data sharing.” SCAR is an inter-disciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU), charged with initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in the Antarctic region, and on the role of the Antarctic region in the Earth system. In addition to carrying out its primary scientific role, SCAR also provides objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and L to R Author Dr Trudy Crowley, Premier Lara Giddings and author Dr other organisations on issues of science and Dianne Snowen with the book Patchwork Prisoners conservation affecting the management of Antarctica “In many ways Patchwork Prisoners echoes the creation and the Southern Ocean. of the Rajah Quilt. The management of Antarctic heritage is a key area of “The authors have pieced together fragments of the lives Sherrie’s ongoing academic research and personal of the Rajah women in the same way that the women interest. For further information, please contact Sherrie- crafted the quilt.” lee Evans by email at Sherrie- The book is published by Research Tasmania. [email protected] Patchwork Prisoners is available for sale for $15 for an e-book and $59 for a soft-cover edition from http://www.researchtasmania.com.au/ or from all good bookstores.

Past, present and future of human connections to the Antarctic Heritage Tasmania’s Senior Research Officer, Sherrie- lee Evans, recently attended the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Joint Workshop of the History Expert Group and the Social Sciences Action Group; ‘Past, present and future of human connections View across part of Deception Island Historic Site (2006). Photo: Sherrie-lee Evans to the Antarctic’; at the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, in the United Kingdom.

Sherrie presented a paper on cultural heritage management in the Antarctic, ‘Antarctic heritage: Still at Risk?’ which was well received. Sherrie said the Antarctic Treaty System provides for the conservation of

Heritage Bulletin: July 2013 3

Grants Events

Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund National Family History Month (TIRF) Grants August 2013 Round 2, closes 7 August 2013 Grants of between $50,000 to $250,000 on a matched dollar-for- It’s National Family History month. To find out about the dollar funding basis great range of talks on offer to help you research records as diverse as military pensioners from 1850 to Funding of approximately $9.6 million is available for 1852, lost and rare convict records, eResources to eligible projects through Tourism Tasmania. Funding is assist in family history research, or exploring the offered across three separate streams: quality resources available in the Tasmanian Archive and improvement of existing tourism products or services, Heritage Office (and more!) visit: development of innovative new tourism experiences, or http://www.familyhistoryweek.org.au/eventstas increasing tourism labour supply and quality through Labour & Skills Enhance. Cold and wet: sealing in Antarctica in the For further information visit: 1820s http://www.ret.gov.au/tourism/business/tirf/Pages/index. Port Arthur Historic Sites Port Arthur talks aspx Junior Medical Officer’s Conference Room, Port Arthur Historic Site 5.30pm, Thursday 8 August 2013

ANZAC Centenary Local Grants Program This talk will be presented by Dr Michael Pearson AO Funding available from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014 Grants up to $10,000 and concerns research and archaeological excavations of 1820s sealing sites on the South Shetland Islands, The Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program will assist just off the Antarctic Peninsula. and encourage communities across Australia to undertake their own Anzac Centenary projects that Three oral history talks commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australian Oral History Association of Australia (Tas) Inc servicemen and women in the First World War. Funding Meeting Room, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Inveresk is provided through Federal Members of Parliament (MP) 11am to 3.30pm, Saturday 7 September 2013 to support projects in their electorate commemorating the First World War. Three speakers will provide insights into three very different topics, which include: The input of the local community is a key priority of this Program, and each Member of the House of Damhnat McCann, Memories of nurse training at the Representatives (MP), and representatives of the local Launceston General Hospital community selected by them, will provide key input into Neil Stump, An Oral History of the Tasmanian Seafood the assessment of proposals against this priority. For Industry further information visit Garry Kerr, Oral history on video, one man's http://www.anzaccentenary.gov.au/grants/ experiences Cost (includes lunch): $20 OHAA (Tas) members, Small Project and New Ideas grants program students, pensioners; $30 non-members. Prior registration is essential. Contact Jill Cassidy on Closes 16 September 2013 Small Project grants up to $3,000 [email protected] or ring Lana on 6391 1086. New Ideas grants up to $10,000 These grant programs are administered by Events Tasmania and are designed to support events held by the If you would like to contribute information, advertise an community around Tasmania during 2014.The Small upcoming event, subscribe to receive this bulletin via Projects grants will support small strategic projects which email, or cancel your subscription, please contact Robyn Shaw, Communications Co-ordinator, on 6233 build the development and resilience of an event. The 2067 or [email protected] New Ideas grants are designed to support exceptional event projects which substantially evolve the operations of an exsiting event, or establish a new and innovative event product in Tasmania. The State Government, through Events Tasmania, has committed $350,000 to support these grants. For further information visit www.eventstasmania.com Heritage Bulletin: July 2013 4