World Heritage Connect Newsletter
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... an e-newsletter, sharing knowledge and experiences about Australia’s World Heritage. Fifth edition December 2015 Welcome to another edition of World Heritage Connect Newsletter. The idea THIS ISSUE for this newsletter was conceived a few years ago to help build a stronger network and to share stories across the nation’s World Heritage executive WET TROPICS WORLD officers, rangers, policy makers and everyone in between who are involved HERITAGE FAMILY in managing Australia’s amazing World Heritage places. Five issues later I am delighted to see our distribution list growing, a keenness to submit WILLANDRA WISDOM WALK articles and some really positive feedback. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Hope you all have a fantastic holiday season full of good times and some CONCRETE CONSERVATION relaxation amongst the natural beauty we are so lucky to enjoy in Australia. AUSTRALIAN CONVICT SITE Until next issue MARKS FIVE YEARS Angie Stringer World Heritage Management Unit ENGAGING COMMUNITIES IN THE Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland CONSERVATION OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE KEEPING TASMANIA’S WILDERNESS BEACHES WEED-FREE FOSSIL FOCUS AT THE AUSTRALIAN FOSSIL MAMMAL SITES— NARACOORTE CLIMATE-RELATED DECLINES IN THE EXTENT OF SEAGRASSES IN THE SHARK BAY WORLD HERITAGE AREA CELEBRATING LAMINGTON’S NATIONAL PARK’S CENTENARY A Sooty Tern during xmas on Lady Elliot Island— Part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area Photo: Angie Stringer Great state. Great opportunity. Wet Tropics World Heritage Family Queensland’s World Heritage properties are like a family. Despite their many differences, they share a common heritage and more similarities than we may be aware of. These ancestral connections can be subtle, but Queensland’s World Heritage properties share an ancient geological and evolutionary history that underlies their Outstanding Universal Value. Floral and faunal links Creating new relationships from ancient links Some of the ancient plants and animals The Wet Tropics Management Authority is developing a collection of stories detailing the of Gondwana, and their descendants, common evolutionary lineages across Queensland’s World Heritage properties as well as can still be found today in forests ranging some of Australia’s other World Heritage properties. The stories will highlight the Outstanding from Lorentz World Heritage property in Universal Value of the Wet Tropics World Heritage area and how this relates to a wider World Papua (Indonesia) to the Wet Tropics of Heritage family. Queensland, the Gondwana Rainforests of Working together with the nature-based tourism industry, the Authority hopes to inspire, Australia, the Greater Blue Mountains World motivate and educate tour operators, locals and visitors to gain a deeper understanding and Heritage area and down to the Tasmanian greater appreciation of what it means to be a World Heritage area and how these areas of Wilderness World Heritage area. A large Outstanding Universal Value have family connections. percentage of the fossils at Riversleigh (part of the Australian Fossil Mammal Demonstrating a shared evolutionary heritage between World Heritage properties will also help Sites World Heritage area) have furred and to promote a closer collaboration and relationship with other Australian and international World feathered descendants still scurrying around Heritage properties. This could also provide a strong, scientific rationale and opportunities for the ancient and relict rainforests of the ‘twinning’ arrangements between respective management agencies. For more information on Wet Tropics World Heritage area. Distant this project please contact [email protected] Gondwanan relatives can also be found in World Heritage properties in South America, Terry Carmichael Principal Project Officer, South Africa and India. Learning Landscapes Geological links Wet Tropics Management Authority The Great Escarpment of Eastern Australia was formed in even more ancient times when Gondwana was part of the supercontinent Pangaea. This defining feature can still be seen in the escarpments of the Blue Mountains and the mountain ranges of the Gondwana and Wet Tropics World Heritage areas. The Great Escarpment provided a range of topography, consistent rainfall and evolutionary refugia which enabled many of the relict Gondwanan plants and animals to survive changes in climate through to the present. The erosion of the Great Escarpment and the build-up of natural sediments over millennia have produced large shallow-water plateaus. These plateaus provided an ideal platform for the coral reefs and the marine environments of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area to flourish. Erosion of the Great Escarpment has also provided the sands which helped to form Fraser Island. The sand-capture features of the rocky headlands of Fraser Island World Heritage area trap sand flows from the south which in turn support the establishment of the Great Barrier Reef. Myall Creek, Daintree National Park. Still scurrying, hopping and flying around the Wet Tropics World Heritage area rainforests are relatives of the animals whose fossilised bones are found at the Australian Fossil Mammals Site, Riversleigh. Willandra Wisdom Walk Over four days in April 2015, significant This resulted in the creation of a major group of Australian and international sections of the Willandra Lakes Region World contemporary art exhibition Unmapping artists, as well as the general public, and Heritage area were walked together by; the End of the World as part of Mildura greatly enhanced their understanding of the Traditional Owners, scientists, Australian Palimpsest Biennale No. 10, bringing intercultural significance of Willandra Lakes and international artists, key tourism that conversation to a wider audience. Region World Heritage Area. representatives and the broader public. Participating artists were welcomed There is significant potential in the possible back for the launch of the project on one The journey was the inaugural Willandra expansion of the Willandra Wisdom Walk. of the private landholdings within the Wisdom Walk—an initiative of the Curator This could be both a catalyst for positive Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage of Mildura Palimpsest Biennale No. 10 (one engagement between all the Traditional Area on 2 October 2015, followed later of Australia’s premier contemporary art Owners and also a powerful intercultural that evening by the Opening Event of the events), the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Mutthi mode of engagement. Recognising the Biennale’s Unmapping the End of the World Mutthi and Ngiyampaa Traditional Owners uniquely Australian Indigenous expressions at Mildura Arts Centre. and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife of connection to Country, the Wisdom Walk Service Willandra Lakes Region World The inaugural walk was designed by is capable of bridging knowledge gaps Heritage team. Together they invited leading Aboriginal Elders. The Elders invited World between cultures and of fostering national contemporary artists from many nations Heritage stakeholders to walk with the 14 and international understanding. across Australia and around the world to national and international artists, including Dan Rosendahl engage with stakeholders of the Willandra two local Paakantji and Mutthi Mutthi Executive Officer, Willandra Lakes Lakes Region World Heritage Area. The result emerging artists Ricky Mitchell and Daryl Region World Heritage Area was a meaningful demonstration of the Pappin. The walk commenced at the highly NSW Office of Environment and Heritage power of sharing knowledge on how to care significant ancestral trackway on Mungo for country. National Park, then journeyed to other Jonathan Kimberley significant sites within the World Heritage Curator, Mildura Palimpsest The Willandra Wisdom Walk was the result of Area, on park and private properties. Biennale No. 10 2015 conversations with the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Mutthi Mutthi and Ngiyampaa Traditional The inaugural Willandra Wisdom Walk saw Owners on how to look after Country—and stakeholders and Traditional Owners of what better way to do that than to walk the World Heritage Area sharing their and talk? The outcome was to share the knowledge, ideas and experiences of what experience of walking Country together is significant about the property and what and to listen to an incredible international needs to be managed and protected into diversity of knowledge. the future. The walk inspired a diverse The Getty Foundation supports concrete conservation research at Sydney Opera House Sydney Opera House is famous for its The project commenced in July 2014 and When complete, the BIM will be populated innovative use of structural concrete as an is being completed over two years, in with data related to previous work carried architectural feature. It is one of the world’s partnership with the University of Sydney out at the Sydney Opera House to establish busiest performing arts centres, staging and Arup. As well as considering a concrete a repository of knowledge of the constructed around 1900 performances each year. The conservation strategy, three key areas of the structure and of modifications and repairs Opera House is also among Australia’s most Sydney Opera House concrete structure are taken place overt time. Tools linked to the visited tourist destinations with annual site being considered in detail: sail structure and BIM will enable management to analyse visitation around 8.2 million. tile lid attachments; exposed concrete