Conservation Management Plan
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NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN A management plan complying with s341S(1) of the EPBC Act 1999 Prepared for the National Library of Australia by Duncan Marshall B.Arch(Hons) BA MICOMOS 2018 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This conservation management plan for the National Library of Australia in Canberra provides a sound basis for the good management and conservation of this place and its heritage significance. The plan: • describes the Library building; • provides an overview of the history of the place; • offers evidence related to aesthetic and social values; • analyses all of this evidence and provides a statement of significance for the place; • considers opportunities and constraints affecting the management of the place; • provides a conservation policy and implementation strategies to guide management and conservation; and • provides a schedule of priority conservation works. The Library is entered on the Commonwealth Heritage List maintained under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This listing protects the heritage values of the place, and imposes a number of obligations including the need to prepare and maintain an up to date management plan. The Library is a place of considerable heritage value related to its history and role, for its landmark qualities, for a range of creative qualities related to its contribution to the significant cultural landscape of the Parliamentary Zone, architecture, construction, notable interiors, integrated artworks and original furniture, and its associations with a range of important people. The conservation policy and implementation strategies cover a wide range of matters including: • training and liaison; • conservation of the building and other attributes of significance; • uses; • setting; and • interpretation. Key policies and strategies are provided related to: • the statement of significance set out in Chapter 4 being a principal basis for management, future planning and work affecting the place (Policy 1); • conservation and management of the place being carried out in accordance with the principles of the Burra Charter (Policy 2); • planning documents developed for the place or parts of the place referring to this management plan as a primary guide for the conservation of the heritage values of the place, with the direction given in those documents and in this plan being mutually compatible (Policy 4); • the National Library of Australia seeking to liaise with relevant stakeholders on developments affecting the place (Policy 10); • conserving the building and other attributes of significance (Policy 11); • the uses of the place (Policies 20 and 21); • protecting the setting of the place (Policy 22); and • interpreting the significance of the place to the range of visitors to the Library, and ◆ i ◆ to staff (Policy 23). The National Library of Australia is generally in fair to good condition, and displays medium to high integrity. A range of conservation and maintenance works are recommended (see Appendix E). v ◆ ii ◆ CONTENTS Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... i 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background and Project Objectives 1.2 Conduct of Project 1.3 Purpose of Plan 1.4 Limitations 1.5 Authorship 1.6 Acknowledgements 2. Description, History and Other Evidence ................................................................... 5 2.1 Location and Boundaries 2.2 Brief Description and Condition of the Place 2.3 Associated Places 2.4 History of the Origins and Development of the National Library of Australia 2.5 Design and Aesthetic Qualities 2.6 Evidence of Scientific Value 2.7 Evidence of Social Value 3. Analysis of Evidence ..................................................................................................... 44 4. Statement of Significance ............................................................................................. 51 4.1 Statement of Significance 4.2 Attributes Related to Significance 5. Development of Policy—Opportunities and Constraints ....................................... 55 5.1 Implications Arising from Significance 5.2 Legislative Requirements 5.3 Stakeholders 5.4 Management Context, Requirements and Aspirations 5.5 Condition and Integrity 5.6 Issues relating to the Broader Setting 6. Conservation Policy and Implementation Strategies .............................................. 72 6.1 Objective 6.2 Definitions 6.3 Conservation Management Policy and Implementation Strategies 6.4 Levels of Sensitivity to Change 6.5 Implementation Plan 7. Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 95 Appendix A: Commonwealth Heritage List Place Record ............................................. 99 Appendix B: Historic Plans ............................................................................................... 103 Appendix C: Detailed Description of the Place .............................................................. 108 ◆ iii ◆ Appendix D: Framework for Assessing Significance .................................................... 115 Appendix E: Priority Works ............................................................................................. 117 Appendix F: Burra Charter .............................................................................................. 119 Appendix G: Compliance with Commonwealth Heritage Management principles and requirements for Management Plans under the EPBC Regulations ........................... 131 Appendix H: Current Building Plans – Confidential – Not for Public Release ........ 134 v ◆ iv ◆ 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND AND PROJECT OBJECTIVES The National Library of Australia is a major national institution and building located on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin in the Parliamentary Zone of central Canberra. The building has been entered in the Commonwealth Heritage List. In accordance with section 341S of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, a management plan for the building must be prepared and maintained. The National Library of Australia manages the building, and this conservation management plan updates a plan prepared in 2012, and has been prepared to assist the Library comply with this legislative obligation. The update of the plan is also as a result of a review of the 2012 version, as required by section 341X of the EPBC Act. However, this plan is more than just a legislative obligation. It is intended to help guide the conservation and good management of the place as a living and working document, especially with regard to changes that may arise. A copy of the Commonwealth Heritage List place record for the building is reproduced at Appendix A. This plan deals with the Commonwealth Heritage place and the attributes which embody or convey Commonwealth Heritage values. However, the Library is also the repository for extensive and important collections and items. While the role of the place as the repository of collections is recognised and linked to its heritage values, the scope of the plan does not extend to the range of policies and other guidance regarding the assessment, conservation, management, use and access to the collections. The Library has extensive and separate policies and other guidance regarding such matters. With regard to collections or items significant to Indigenous people (see www.nla.gov.au/what-we-collect/indigenous), whilst access to some of this material is restricted for cultural reasons, and is securely stored, the Library is working on drafting policies around accessibility and sensitivities regarding access. 1.2 CONDUCT OF PROJECT Overview As a project to review and update the 2012 conservation management plan, the earlier plan provides the basis for the current plan. The methodology adopted for this plan is in accordance with the Burra Charter (Australia ICOMOS 2013). This can be summarised as a series of steps as shown in Figure 1 below. In order to follow these steps and prepare this management plan a range of consultations, research, inspections and analyses were undertaken. Importantly, the assessment of significance relied upon: • a range of information gathering tasks related to the common descriptors of significance (for example historic value); and NLA Conservation Management Plan ◆ Page 1 • an analysis of this evidence for heritage values using the Commonwealth Heritage Criteria, including comparisons with other places where relevant, in order to test the understanding of such values. Figure 1. Basic Steps of Conservation • Understand Significance Management Planning Source: Summarised from Australia ICOMOS 2013 • Develop Policy • Manage in Accordance with Policy This work provided a sound understanding of the place, and led to the preparation of a statement of significance. This work also provided an understanding of the constraints and opportunities related to the current and future management of the place. The statement of significance and the information about constraints and opportunities were used as the basis for developing conservation policies and implementation strategies. In some cases, the information in the earlier plan was reviewed and found to be satisfactory for the current plan. In other cases, the text was updated given the passage of time and other changes. Review