HERITAGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
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J U N E 2 0 0 3 This strategy has been approved by the Parks Victoria Board for implementation. Its purpose is to set directions for Parks Victoria for the management of the heritage places for which it is responsible. The strategy is based on a consultant’s report, which reviewed Parks Victoria’s Heritage Estate and the relationship between the organisation and other heritage managers. The strategy has been developed with input from Parks Victoria staff and the following stakeholders: Heritage Victoria, Department of Sustainability & Environment, National Trust of Australia (Victoria), Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Australia ICOMOS, Shire of Mt Alexander and Victorian National Parks Association.
Further information For information on heritage places managed by Parks Victoria please refer to the Park Victoria website at www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
Disclaimer Parks Victoria does not guarantee that this strategy is without flaw of any kind and therefore it disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequences, which may arise from relying on any information in this document. HERITAGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
JUNE 2003 Published in June 2003 by Parks Victoria Level 10, 535 Bourke Street Melbourne, Victoria 3000
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy
Bibliography. ISBN 07311 8333 9
Cover photographs (back left to front right): State Battery Maldon HR, Memorial Port Campbell NP, Werribee Park Mansion, Timber patterns for casting water wheel hub Andersons Mill HR, Wallace’s Hut Alpine NP, Padlock on Court House Steiglitz HP, Lighthouse Wilsons Promontory NP, Quartz roasting kilns North British Mine Maldon HR
ii Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy FOREWORD
Parks and reserves managed by Parks The Parks Victoria Heritage Victoria cover 16% of the State, and Management Strategy has been contain perhaps the largest and most developed within a framework provided diverse collection of heritage places and by the Victorian Heritage Strategy, objects in the State. This largely park- prepared by Heritage Victoria, and the based collection includes well known Department of Sustainability and places such as Werribee Park and the Environment’s Cultural Sites Network. Dandenong Ranges Gardens as well as significant groups of places representing Preparation of this strategy has included key aspects of Victoria’s history. These consultation with Parks Victoria staff groups of places reflect the key historic and external stakeholders. The themes of mining, coastal shipping, strategy, which sets priorities and early European settlement of the Port standards for heritage management, will Phillip area, accessing the State’s be implemented within available natural treasures for scientific, budgets and funding arrangements. recreation or tourism pursuits, defending As well as defining Parks Victoria’s role Colonial Victoria and living in remote in heritage management, the strategy areas such as the Australian alps. provides direction for better integrating In fulfilling its stewardship role of the management of heritage places sustainably managing these historic within Parks Victoria’s management places on behalf of the community, systems. It also confirms the Parks Victoria has developed this importance that the organisation places strategy to spell out its heritage on working cooperatively with the management direction as much for community to protect, present and internal use as to inform other agencies, promote heritage places. organisations and the wider community. The strategy set directions for the next ten years and will be reviewed after five years. Parks Victoria looks forward to working with the community and other heritage managers to implement the Strategy.
Mark Stone Chief Executive Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy iii SUMMARY
Most people are aware of Parks This strategy document covers only our Victoria’s role in looking after the State’s non-indigenous cultural heritage. Parks natural areas and open space. Probably Victoria is also partly or wholly not so many know that it is also one of responsible for managing thousands of the main managers of Victoria’s historical indigenous cultural sites, which are the heritage. Think of Werribee Park, subject of a separate strategy. Coolart, Mount Buffalo Chalet and the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse, to name As well as coming up with a list of just a few, and you’re thinking of Parks actions that Parks Victoria will undertake, Victoria managed places. the Heritage Management Strategy looks at the legal and policy framework that Cultural heritage protection has been a requires Parks Victoria to manage role of Victoria’s park agency at least historic places, and describes other since the National Parks Act of 1975. In agencies and groups involved in heritage fact Parks Victoria manages some 40 management. It also classifies our major historic buildings and complexes, historic places into a number of and an amazing 2500 recorded historic categories – interestingly, mining sites places and collections around the State, make up just over half of all the recorded including huts, mining sites, gardens, places. lighthouses, cemeteries, court houses, monuments, industrial sites, landscapes and shipwrecks. And there are many Parks Victoria has drawn on the more unrecorded places, mostly Australian Heritage Commission’s archaeological, in parks and reserves. Historic Themes Framework to classify These places and objects, our cultural historic sites further. Broad themes, heritage, help people to understand the such as “Resource Utilisation”, beliefs, hopes and aspirations of our “Transport”, “Settlement”, have been forebears. refined into a set of key historical themes relevant to Parks Victoria. These are: Making sense of this diverse cultural heritage, and helping Parks Victoria to • Accessing Natural Treasures make decisions about its conservation • Settling the Port Phillip District and presentation, is the reason for developing this Parks Victoria Heritage • Mining Management Strategy, which • Shipping along the Coast establishes actions, priorities and standards for the organisation in heritage • Living in Remote Areas management for the next five to ten • Defending Colonial Victoria years. Parks Victoria is committed to managing historic places and objects sustainably for the long-term benefit of Victorians, and for visitors from interstate and overseas. Heritage is an important component of contemporary lifestyles and leisure activities, and contributes significantly to the economy through tourism and education.
iv Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy While Parks Victoria is committed to The Strategy explains the important caring for all the significant places it concept of compatible use for historic manages, these themes will help in places, and touches on our policy in deciding on strategic research projects, relation to historic objects (“Moveable when conservation works will occur, and Cultural Heritage”). The Burra Charter presentation of sites to visitors. The process guides the management of our themes can also help visitors to put historic places and objects; our heritage individual sites in context – for instance management practices have been to realise that although each Victorian reviewed against the recommendations goldfield was unique, they had many of the ANZECC Best Practice in Cultural similarities in their mining methods, Heritage Management Report. Staff administration and development. support and training, and the importance of records management, are also The Strategy lists a number of goals and stressed. their related actions and targets. It notes that not all historic sites and places Strategic Directions will be implemented currently managed by Parks Victoria over a ten-year period, though many should necessarily continue under our procedural actions can be carried out in organisation, and establishes criteria for the first few years. The Heritage assessing their most appropriate Management Strategy will be reviewed management and for deciding on any after five years, in 2008. Section 12 of additional sites that might come under the Strategy sets out the program for Parks Victoria’s care. The importance implementing the actions listed of community involvement and throughout the Strategy. partnerships is emphasised, as is sustainable management for historic places, whether managed directly by Parks Victoria or leased to third parties.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy v CONTENTS
Foreword ...... iii
Summary...... iv
1 Introduction...... 1
2 Background...... 2
3 Purpose of the Heritage Management Strategy ...... 3
4 Statutory, Policy & Administrative Framework...... 4
4.1 Legislation...... 4
4.2 Policy framework……………………………………………………………………………..4
4.3 Heritage managers…………………………………………………………………………...4
5 Parks Victoria’s role as a Heritage Manager ...... 6
5.1 The Historic Places managed by Parks Victoria...... 6
5.2 Thematic framework...... 7
5.3 Collections of moveable objects…………………………………………………………....9
6 Parks Victoria’s stewardship role...... 10
7 Consolidating Parks Victoria's Heritage Estate ...... 12
8 Community Involvement and Partnerships...... 14
9 Information, Interpretation and Education...... 15
10 Sustainable Management of Historic Places and Objects ...... 17
11 Heritage Management Tools and Systems ...... 21
12 Implementation ...... 23
12.1 Cultural Values Management Program ...... 23
12.2 Implementing the Strategic Actions ...... 23
vi Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Bibliography...... 29
Glossary ...... 30
Appendices...... 33
1. List of organisations consulted during development of this strategy...... 33
2. Legislation, Policy and Heritage Management Best Practice guidelines ...... 34
3. Major heritage buildings and complexes managed by Parks Victoria ...... 35
4. Historic Places by Parks Victoria district ...... 37
5. Historic Themes Framework...... 39
6. List of available Heritage Action Statements, Plans and Maintenance Plans...... 40
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy vii 1 INTRODUCTION
Parks Victoria has an important heritage The Strategy is a key document for the conservation role as the manager of the organisation prepared at a time when largest and most diverse collection of staff and financial resources available for historic places in the State. The park- heritage management are limited and based nature of this heritage estate more effective and efficient management gives a special dimension to the is essential. organisation’s heritage management role as compared with, for instance, the role Heritage management refers to the of the National Trust. planning, maintenance, protection and interpretation of historic places and The Heritage Management Strategy will objects. The term ‘place’ means a site, establish priorities and actions for Parks area, parcel of land, landscape, building Victoria in relation to heritage or other work, or a group of buildings or management over the next ten years. It other works, and may include will also inform the community how components, contents of a building, Parks Victoria will fulfil the statutory, moveable objects, spaces and views. policy and community imperatives which direct the management of this important Note: The Parks Victoria Heritage collection of historic places and objects. Management Strategy is concerned only It is proposed to review the Strategy at with the management of non- the end of five years. indigenous historic places and objects.
The CRB Hut at Dinner Plain in the Alpine National Park typifies the park based setting of the majority of Parks Victoria’s heritage estate.
1 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 2 BACKGROUND
Parks Victoria manages 16% of the land Heritage is a significant component of area of the State, in parcels ranging from contemporary lifestyles and leisure large national parks to individual blocks activities. Through tourism it contributes of reserved land. The non-indigenous significantly to the Victorian economy. cultural heritage associated with this land The primary objective of heritage is widely distributed around the State. It management at Parks Victoria is the forms a rich tapestry of buildings, protection of these historic places and structures, gardens and landscapes, objects. However, the use of historic industrial sites, shipwrecks and places and objects for leisure, tourism moveable objects which are increasingly and education activities helps fulfil valued by the community as tangible another major objective of heritage links to the past. These places and management: to communicate the objects assist people in defining and importance of these places and objects, understanding the beliefs, hopes and and the stories which give meaning to aspirations of our forebears, as them, as well as explaining the need for expressed in this cultural heritage. their protection. Consequently we must understand visitor needs and establish The historic places and objects in Parks strategic linkages with other attractions, Victoria’s care have been acquired, tourism organisations and heritage identified and assessed over a period of managers so that visitor experiences are 25 years and their general nature and worthwhile, satisfying and enjoyable. extent are reasonably well known. These Sensitive adaptation of historic places for places have been transferred to Parks compatible activities is a legitimate Victoria to manage either as discrete conservation approach. Adaptive reuse historic reserves, as part of larger parks of historic places is no longer limited to and reserves or because Parks Victoria the traditional ‘house museum’ such as (or its predecessors) were the most Rippon Lea or Lake View at Chiltern. appropriate protected area management agencies available at the time. Parks Victoria is committed to However, past decisions to transfer sustainably managing historic places and places to Parks Victoria do not require objects for the long-term benefit of all that the organisation will always be the Victorians. This role complements our most appropriate manager of publicly more recognised role as a manager of owned historic places. Parks Victoria will natural values and open space. clarify where it will direct its priorities, Integrating heritage management with and in doing so will identify places which these other management roles is an may be more appropriately managed by important objective for the organisation. other organisations.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 2 3 PURPOSE OF THE HERITAGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
The objectives of the strategy are to: • provide direction on communicating heritage significance, themes and • define Parks Victoria’s role in stories to the broader public. heritage conservation and management This strategy document has been developed largely from a consultant • facilitate more effective on-ground report titled Directions in Historic Places management of and reporting about Management: Recommendations for historic places and objects Parks Victoria’s Historic Places Strategy • provide direction for allocating (2000). The consultants’ report was resources for managing historic developed through a consultative places and objects based on process involving Parks Victoria staff significance and historic themes and key external organisations (see Appendix 1).
The Lal Lal Blast Furnace is a rare historic mining feature which has been stabilised and gaps at the top of the masonry sealed to prevent damage from water seeping down through the structure. After this type of once off restoration work is complete very little work is required to maintain structures such as the blast furnace.
3 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 4 STATUTORY, POLICY & ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK
4.1 Legislation
Parks Victoria’s management of historic 4.3 Heritage managers places is directed by legislation, Heritage Victoria administers the Government policy and accepted Victorian Heritage Register and Inventory heritage management best practice (See (lists of historic places), establishes appendix 2). This includes the enabling planning controls for the use of heritage land management legislation such as the places by others, and has some Crown Land Reserves Act 1978 and the responsibility for statewide co-ordination National Parks Act 1975 and the of heritage management. identification and protection legislation, particularly the Heritage Act 1995 The Department of Sustainability and administered by Heritage Victoria. Environment (DSE) is the government agency with overall responsibility for 4.2 Policy framework public land in the State. Among its broad range of responsibilities, the Department • The Victorian Heritage Strategy has a very significant role in the (VHS), released by the Government management of historic places. It retains in April 2000, gives overarching direct responsibility for a large number of strategic direction for heritage historic places, but delegates management in Victoria. Parks responsibility for managing most of the Victoria has linked its strategy to the historic places on public land. Parks actions and strategies set out in the Victoria manages the largest proportion VHS. of these places; others are delegated to committees of management, including • The Burra Charter of Australia local municipalities, the National Trust ICOMOS (International Council on and community groups. Monuments and Sites) is an acknowledged best practice In the non-government field, the National guideline for managing historic Trust of Australia (Victoria) manages 24 places in Australia. properties, which operate as museums • ICOMOS’s International Cultural open to the public, plus a further 34 Tourism Charter; Managing Tourism properties not open to the public. It also at Places of Heritage Significance has an important role in identifying sets out principles for interpretation historic places, raising community and visitor use at historic places. awareness and lobbying. • The Department of Sustainability & The following chart explains the relations Environment’s Cultural Sites Network between the various agencies/groups advocates a thematic approach to involved in heritage management in the prioritisation of historic place Victoria. management.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 4 AGENCIES & GROUPS INVOLVED IN HERITAGE MANAGEMENT
ADMINISTRATORS OF • Heritage Victoria (State) HERITAGE • Parks Victoria (State) LEGISLATION • Environment Australia (Commonwealth) • Municipalities (State)
HERITAGE PROPERTY • Private (including National Trust) MANAGERS / OWNERS. • Public properties for business
° Government Depts. e.g. HlhEducation, NRE, Justice, VicRail, etc. ° Municipal Councils • Public properties for Conservation P ° DSE Parks Victoria Forest Service Land Victoria Committees of Management ° Municipal Councils ° Managers of miscellaneous. property: Heritage Council Vic Property Group (part of Treasury & Finance)
• Responsibly meet the needs of its 4.1.3 Parks Victoria Corporate Plan visitors for quality information, services and experiences The Parks Victoria Corporate Plan 2002- 2005 is a key document for the • Provide excellence and innovation in management of Parks Victoria’s heritage park management estate. It states that the purposes of the • Contribute to the social and organisation are to: economic well being of Victorians. • Conserve, protect and enhance The Heritage Management Strategy environmental and cultural assets contains many of the detailed actions and directions in the Corporate Plan and will in turn influence future actions which go into the corporate plan.
5 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 5 PARKS VICTORIA’S ROLE AS A HERITAGE MANAGER
Parks Victoria’s distinct role in the ‘Victoria’s diverse cultural heritage will be management of historic places within recognised as a key resource of the Victoria is as the agency that manages State, and will be managed in a the largest and most diverse collection of sustainable way to maximise benefits for historic places, predominantly park- the whole community’. based, with conservation as a primary objective. Parks Victoria recognises that community participation, the provision of Parks Victoria’s role in heritage education and interpretation, and where management needs to be guided by the possible maintaining public access, are vision statement from the Victorian all vital aspects of heritage management. Heritage Strategy, prepared by Heritage Victoria and released by the Government in April 2000:
Figure 1 Types of historic places managed by Parks Victoria
Sawmills, logging sites 5% Major buildings 1% Habitable buildings 3%
Track, tunnels, cuttings, fences Huts 6% 9% Graves/Monuments 6%
Shipwrecks 6%
Sites only 12%
Mining sites 52%
to be more intensively managed than 5.1 The Historic Places some other sites. managed by Parks Victoria Other places of less prominence, but of Parks Victoria has a large portfolio of importance within the portfolio are back- important historic places; some 2500 are country huts (particularly in the alpine listed in our historic places inventory. region), mining sites, settlement sites Almost all these places are on public now largely archaeological in nature, land. The exception is Glenample transport routes, landscapes, gardens, Homestead, which is leased by the historic reserves, fences, natural features government for 99 years. Places with a strong community attachment, include 40 major historic buildings and graves, cemeteries and monuments. complexes, such as Werribee Park, Figures 1 and 2, and appendices 3 and Coolart, the Mt Buffalo Chalet, 4, give details and examples. Wonthaggi State Coal Mine and Andersons Mill at Smeaton, which need This range of places managed by Parks Victoria is generally not well represented
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 6 in private ownership. In addition the 2500 themes are Mining, Shipping along the places in our historic places inventory coast, Settling the Port Phillip District, are only a proportion of the actual Accessing natural treasures, Living in number (as yet unknown) in the Parks remote areas, and Defending Colonial Victoria estate. Large numbers of Victoria. Essentially Parks Victoria unrecorded places, mostly manages a critical mass of significant archaeological in nature are known to places representing the key themes exist within parks and reserves. either across the state or in a particular region. Parks Victoria is also currently responsible for the properties managed The key themes and examples of places by the former Historic Buildings representing them are listed in table 1. Management Committee, refer to Appendix 5 provides further explanation Appendix 3. about the use of historic themes
5.2 Thematic framework Parks Victoria will continue to protect all important historic places and objects in Parks Victoria has chosen to use the its care, but will use the key themes to Historic Themes Framework of the help prioritise strategic projects. Australian Heritage Commission (AHC) to classify the historic places under our 5.3 Collections of moveable care (figure 2). All places within Parks objects Victoria’s heritage estate were assigned a particular AHC theme. Places falling Collections or moveable objects range under more than one theme were from artefacts, archives, and material assigned to the theme with the greater belonging to an individual place to the critical mass of places. Then using a collection that relates to park number of factors, including the relative management history. A policy has been number of places representing a theme, developed to guide the protection and either across the state or within a management of such objects. The particular region, the relative importance guiding principle for the management of of the themes’ historical, technological, moveable objects is that they should aesthetic and social value, six key remain at the place with which they are themes were identified. The six key associated.
7 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Commemorating events 2%
Defense Developing cultural institutions 1% 1% Appreciating nature Primary production 3% 4% Governing Dying 1% 2% Eating & drinking 1%
Educating 1% Settlement 5%
Transport Resource utilisation 10% 54% Creating fine gardens 0%
Organised recreation 3% Struggling with remoteness & hardship 8%
Surveying Victoria Supplying services 2% 2%
Figure 2 Parks Victoria's Historic Places classified by AHC historical theme
The main historic features at the Collins Settlement site, Sorrento are these graves. The area also contains shell middens left by Aboriginal people. 2003 marks the bicentenary of Collins Settlement, one of the places representing Parks Victoria’s key historic theme, ‘Settling the Port Phillip District’.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 8 Table 1 Preliminary list of Key Historic Themes
AHC Thematic Parks Victoria Key AHC Theme Places managed by Parks Victoria Group Historic Themes
1. Tracing the 1.4 Appreciating Accessing natural Relates to the history of past appreciation, evolution of the the natural treasures. enjoyment and management of natural Australian wonders of wonders. Places include Mt. Buffalo, environment Australia Buchan Caves, Twelve Apostles, Tower Hill, and Cumberland Scenic Reserve in the Yarra Ranges.
2. Peopling 2.5 Promoting Settling the Port Theme related to the settlement of Australia settlement Phillip District Melbourne before the Gold Rushes. Places include Collins Settlement Site, Woodlands Homestead, Point Cook Homestead, Pontville, Viewbank Homestead site, ruins of settlement sites along drainage lines and within metropolitan parks.
3. Developing 3.4 Utilising Mining 50% of recorded historic mining sites in the local, regional natural State (predominantly gold mining) and 85% and national resources of LCC-recommended Historic Mining economies. Reserves are managed by Parks Victoria.
Parks Victoria has developed the Golden Gateways Strategy for revealing Victoria’s gold mining heritage.
Other significant mining sites are Wonthaggi State Coal Mine. Lal Lal Blast Furnace, Lime kilns at Walkerville.
3.8 Moving goods Shipping along the 50% of light stations, shipwrecks in Port and people coast. Phillip Bay, marine parks and adjacent to coastal parks. 50% of 19th century piers and jetties, Queenscliff Lifeboat Shed, Glenample Homestead
3.16 Struggling Living in remote Historic farming and grazing huts, with areas homestead sites and related cultural remoteness landscapes in Alpine, Mallee and Central and hardship. Highlands districts of Victoria.
7. Governing 7.7 Defending Defending Colonial Defence and coastal fortification sites in and Australia Victoria around Melbourne dating from the Colonial period. Places include Point Nepean, South Channel Fort and the Point Gellibrand Battery site (Williamstown).
9 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 6 PARKS VICTORIA’S STEWARDSHIP ROLE.
Striving to achieve best practice in • appreciate when it is appropriate to heritage management, and undertake heritage conservation communicating required standards of activity and use qualified staff or management throughout the contractors for conserving historic organisation, are important aspects of places fulfilling our stewardship role. • supervise consultants and contractors engaged to perform Parks Victoria must adhere to the Burra specialist tasks associated with the Charter Guidelines of Australia ICOMOS conservation and management of and protect historic places under historic places and objects. appropriate legislation, as well as ensuring that policy direction and legal mechanisms are available Goal Parks Victoria staff, volunteers and • Achieve excellence and innovation in lessees are our heritage stewards. They managing historic places and objects need to: responsibly for present and future • understand the relevance and generations. implications of cultural significance and heritage conservation practices to the ongoing protection and management of historic places and objects
The former lighthouse keepers quarters at Wilsons Promontory have been restored and converted for use as tourist accommodation.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 10 Action Targets
6.1 Review and implement essential heritage management Complete by June 2003 operational policy and procedures.
6.2 With other Australian park management agencies, investigate Feasibility by 2003, workshop by feasibility of holding regular Best Practice Heritage 2004 and then ongoing Management Workshops.
6.3 Review capability of staff, volunteers and lessees involved in y Skill audit of staff completed by heritage management and ensure that they are appropriately June 2003. skilled. y Program for upgrading capacity of staff, volunteers and lessees in heritage management 2003 - 2010.
6.4 Investigate the use of provisions of the Heritage Act to allow Feasibility analysis completed by Parks Victoria staff to enforce regulations to protect historic June 2005 . places and objects.
6.5 In conjunction with DSE, develop a program for the reservation Program developed by December of historic places. 2003.
6.6 Prepare and implement plan for communicating Parks Communication plan by Victoria’s role in heritage management. December 2003; Implementation 2004 - 2007
6.7 Review heritage management strategy within three years and Review by 2006 and then 2011 then every five years;.
6.8 Work with Heritage Victoria and Tourism Victoria in Regular meetings with Heritage implementing a strategic and coordinated approach to heritage Victoria and Tourism Victoria and management between government agencies. recognition of Parks Victoria’s Heritage Management Strategy in tourism and heritage programs and strategies.
6.8 Continue to support Parks Victoria Heritage Management Regular meetings of the Heritage Team to ensure a co-ordinated and state-wide approach to Management Team heritage management.
Located near Mt. Hotham, the Monarch Battery is part of an important collection of historic mining plant and equipment found in the more remote mountainous regions of the State. The 2003 bushfires have provided an opportunity to improve our understanding of these sites and determine the feasibility of improving public access.
11 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 7 CONSOLIDATING PARKS VICTORIA’S HERITAGE ESTATE
One of the main tasks of this strategy is Additions to the estate, arranged through to clarify for Parks Victoria and the wider DSE, would also be dependent on the community the types of historic place for availability of sufficient resources and which the organisation is the most the relationship of additional places to appropriate manager. Clarification of the current Parks Victoria estate. this will allow us to identify the places that we will continue to manage, the The following criteria will be used for places which we will seek to have determining the places which should transferred to more appropriate make up Parks Victoria’s heritage estate managers, and the types of places for • The focus for Parks Victoria’s which we may accept responsibility in the existing heritage estate will be on future. places:
Historic places such as those within in established urban or non parks or reserves recommended by the urban parks and reserves or LCC Land Conservation Council (LCC) or / ECC recommended parks and Environment Conservation Council reserves, or (ECC) are clearly the types of places for located in an area where Parks which Parks Victoria is the most Victoria has a management appropriate manager. Such places, presence and are required or particularly those with heritage values intended to be accessible to the that should be displayed or interpreted, public. set within a landscape, add a special dimension to Parks Victoria’s heritage • Seek, in consultation with DSE, to estate. transfer the management of historic places to other managers where Historic places such as individual historic those places are: buildings in built-up urban areas, or places isolated from other parks, Small town allotments isolated reserves or public open space, which are from a park and located in an not retained in public ownership for area where Parks Victoria does display or interpretation of their heritage not have a management values, may be more appropriately presence, managed by other agencies. Criteria Not required/intended to be have been developed to clarify the accessible to the public, and places for which we will assume long- more appropriate for a term management responsibility. community or commercial use,
Over time there will be changes to Parks Do not represent one of the key Victoria’s heritage estate and to the themes of the Parks Victoria relative importance of the parts of that heritage estate, estate. We need to periodically review the places that we manage and work with Could be more appropriately other managers to ensure that a range of managed by a historic property places are adequately protected. lease manager. • In addition to places acquired More appropriate managers may be through LCC / ECC identified for certain places, and Parks recommendations or the Victoria may be given additional places development of metropolitan open to manage, for example the additional space, consider accepting parks and historic reserves responsibility for additional historic recommended in the recently-approved places which: ECC Box Ironbark report.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 12 are located in an area where state-wide system of Parks Victoria has a representative historic places, management presence, are not small township are recommended or intended to allotments. be accessible to the public,
represent one of the key historic Goal themes of the Parks Victoria heritage estate, • To clarify the type of historic places to be managed by Parks Victoria. are determined to be important in completing a comprehensive
Action Target
7.1 Using agreed criteria, identify places, including HBMC Places suitable for management properties, that could more appropriately be managed by by others identified by Dec 2003 others. and alternative managers sought 2004 - 2010.
7.2 Review the nature of the heritage estate every five years Complete review of Parks Victoria’s heritage estate by 2008.
The Courthouse at Steiglitz is used to interpret the history of the township and surrounding goldfield. Parks Victoria will generally restrict its management of historic buildings to those within parks and reserves, which can be used for management purposes or are intended to be accessible and interpreted to the public
13 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 8 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS
management has to be co-ordinated with Parks Victoria is keen to raise awareness the management of the other values about its heritage estate and to involve making up our overall environment. the community in managing historic places and objects. We can involve the Parks Victoria recognises that the private community in all aspects of heritage sector, particularly at the local level, has management including planning, expertise which can play an important conservation works and presentation. part in assisting with the management of Community ownership and historic places. understanding will contribute significantly Goal to conserving historic places and objects. • To involve the community, private We will pursue partnerships with other sector tourism businesses, other management and heritage agencies, government agencies and local Tourism Victoria, local government, the government in fostering protection, private sector and the community over community ownership and the longer term to maximise the sustainable management of historic effectiveness of the management of places and objects. historic places. Historic places are only one aspect of our environment, and their
Action Target
8.1 Explore how to support existing volunteer groups and create new Plan to better support volunteer groups to assist with the management of historic places and groups developed by June 2004. objects (including grants, newsletters etc) Feasibility studies on creating new groups completed by June 2005 and new groups formed 2005. Implemented 2005 - 2010
8.2 Enable the community where appropriate to have input into heritage Requirements for public planning documents. submissions incorporated into appropriate heritage planning documents
8.3 Inform private sector tourism businesses about the value and Regular updating of heritage importance of historic places and objects information on the Internet and at historic places consistent with Parks Victoria’s Levels of Service beginning 2003/04.
8.4 Foster tourism activities that will protect historic places and objects. Provision for protection of heritage incorporated into tourism guidelines.
8.5 Explore options for developing partnerships with other government Relevant state agencies and local agencies and local government. government participating in developing initiative projects for key historic themes as defined in table 1.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 14 9 INFORMATION, INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION
Interpretation plays an important role in specific places, though individual places developing people’s understanding of can provide a convenient focus for the Australia’s past history, and past and interpretation of a broader landscape. contemporary expressions of beliefs, Landscapes enable a higher and more hopes and aspirations. appropriate level of management for historic places which, while appearing Interpretation, where possible involving individually less significant, are local communities, will be used to components of a distinctive landscape of facilitate and encourage public greater importance, for example the awareness and support for the long-term mining landscapes of Central Victoria. protection of historic places and objects, Goals particularly those representing key historic themes. • To assist the community and visitors to understand and appreciate the Parks Victoria is one of the few dynamic relationship between organisations that can tell a wider Victoria’s history and the ways in historical story by interpreting landscapes which the current landscape and it manages as a whole. This can be environment have developed. achieved by the presentation of thematically linked places as part of the • To use the key themes, where broader cultural landscape. In particular, appropriate, to determine strategic themes can help explain the relationship projects in managing and presenting between Victoria’s history, the current historic places and objects. landscape and environmental change. • To become a leading presenter of Some of the key themes are best the historic places and objects within reflected in landscapes rather than at its heritage estate which represent the key historic themes outlined in table 1.
The Mt Alexander Diggings Project has improved access to and interpretation of the historic mining remains such as the Garfield Waterwheel foundations, located within the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. The diggings project has been developed in partnership with the Mt Alexander Shire and the local community.
15 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Action Target
9.1 Develop and implement initiatives projects for the key y Initiatives for mining themes of mining, shipping along the coast, settling the Port implemented by 2003. Phillip District, living in remote areas, accessing natural y Complete coastal shipping treasures, and defending Colonial Victoria. strategy by 2003 and initiative implemented by June 2005. y Complete settling strategy by 2005 and initiative implemented by June 2007. y Complete remote Living strategy by 2007 and initiatives implemented by June 2009. y Complete natural treasures strategy by 2009 and initiative implemented by June 2011
9.2 Develop and implement the heritage II&E component of the Complete by Dec 2003 and Parks Victoria’s overall II&E strategy. implement 2004 – 2010 as part of Parks Victoria’s II&E strategy
9.3 Develop a program of events and activities for promoting Develop a program of launches, understanding and support for Parks Victoria’s heritage openings and interpretation management. activities by June 2004 and implemented 2004-2010
9.4 Review the key themes in the first three years and then every Complete review by 2006 and five years. then 2011
The Nowingi Tank, located within the Murray Sunset National Park, was used to load gypsum into trucks. Features such as this help us understand the story of past land use within the surrounding area
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 16 10 SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF HISTORIC PLACES AND OBJECTS
Ongoing heritage conservation works dominated by requirements for major and expensive restoration work at a few Parks Victoria must provide for ongoing key sites. Places managed by Parks conservation work on its heritage estate. Victoria requiring this type of major The amount and nature of ongoing maintenance include the Gabo Island conservation works required can be Lightstation, Andersons Mill, Days Mill described as routine (regular, ongoing, and Woodlands Homestead. day to day), periodic (annual and once off), minimal (irregular and once off) and As well as using its own resources Parks none. Figure 3 explains the categories Victoria will seek government initiative and shows an estimate of the percentage resources for major conservation and of the estate requiring each category of management work. Application for work. initiative funding will be determined using the key historical themes. The allocation of scarce resources for heritage management can often be
Figure 3 Heritage Conservation Activity Types
None Routine 18% 5% Periodic 14%
Routine, (regular day to day maintenance)
Periodic, (regular or once off maintenance /repair)
Minimal, (occasional maintenance/repair to some places)
Minimal None 63%
sector. There is an accepted process for The following criteria will be used for assessing and ranking historic places of allocating resources for ongoing national, state, regional or local conservation activity. significance. Relative significance Risk to heritage value Relative cultural significance, as defined Assessment of the level of risk to in the Burra Charter of Australia heritage values will help determine the ICOMOS, is the most important criterion need for conservation action. Level of for prioritising ongoing conservation risk is determined by physical condition, work. It is widely used in Australia and environmental threats, visitor pressures overseas by managers of historic places or potential opportunities lost if no action in both government and the private is taken.
17 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Levels of visitor service and public use demand Compatible management of Indigenous, natural and heritage Parks Victoria’s Levels of Service values Framework sets standards for the provision of visitor facilities based Parks Victoria will continue to develop predominantly on visitor numbers. complementary management processes (such as the development risk Financial management benefit assessment process) that integrate the Another factor to be considered is how management of natural, Indigenous and likely the proposed conservation works historic values. It is important to ensure are to reduce future that there is no potential for conservation management/maintenance costs to and presentation of one set of values at Parks Victoria without compromising the expense of another. However it will heritage values. In Burra Charter terms, sometimes be necessary to make the conservation action reduces the informed management decisions frequency of future conservation works, involving some level of compromise or leads to a compatible use; for based on an understanding of all the example by facilitating leasing to an values of a place. appropriate external user, by reducing Contribution to the social and recurrent maintenance requirements or economic well being of all Victorians by facilitating compatible re-use of the place. The potential for a place to contribute to the well being of the community, for example through encouraging tourist activity, will be considered.
Goal • To provide for ongoing heritage conservation activity according to best practice heritage management principles.
Parks Victoria’s management of Woodlands Homestead is supported by the Friends Group, who run guided tours and hold monthly theatrical portrayals of the role of the Chaffey’s in the history of the property
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 18 Action Target
10.1 Continue to develop a 3 year rolling Cultural Values 3 year CVM program developed Management (CVM) program of management activities using by December 2003 and program agreed criteria to prioritise the allocation of resources reviewed annually
10.2 Ensure that historic places and objects are adequately provided Heritage management provisions for in future park management plans by contributing to a review incorporated into the updated park of, and update, the Park Management Plan Kit. planning kit.
10.3 Review, and if necessary update, provisions in the Levels of Develop procedures for using the Service Framework for the management of historic places and Levels of Service provisions for objects. historic places by Dec 2003 and communicate them to staff by June 2004 .
10.4 Target external grants programs for major works projects. y Places identified requiring major works by Dec 2003. y Sources of grant money identified by Dec 2003 and reviewed annually. 10.5 Provide for recording and managing historic objects in the CVM 3 year program developed by program October 2003 and reviewed annually as part of the CVM program. 10.6 Seek to reduce reliance on external grants for major works Review mechanism for provision funding. of major works funding and develop options for obtaining regular funding by Dec 2004.
Parks Victoria has embarked upon a project to catalogue and properly store moveable historic objects such as this clay mould, which is part of the important collection of moveable objects at William Ricketts Sanctuary.
19 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Compatible Uses for Historic Places compatible with, and contribute to the protection of, significant historic values, Compatible uses can improve other environmental and cultural values, sustainability and allow public access and community requirements. and/or interpretation of historic places and objects. Such uses can be allowed The use of historic places in parks and only on a scale and frequency reserves for education and tourism can appropriate to protecting the significance protect heritage values by improving the of the place and its interpretive potential. recognition and understanding of their importance. The Mt. Alexander Diggings Potential uses range from continued project is protecting important historic traditional use (unlikely in most Parks places and generating resources to Victoria managed historic places) to maintain them through tourism, and the compatible commercial, community and historic Kiosk at Ferntree Gully management uses, and interpretation, (Dandenong Ranges National Park) is in which may include interpretation for use as an Educational Centre. tourism of vacant buildings or ruins. Goal Leasing of major buildings to allow public access and use is an established process • To conserve historic places and for Parks Victoria. Lessees of significant promote community participation and historic places need to be carefully understanding of heritage values chosen to ensure that uses are through use of historic places.
Action Target
10.7 Develop mechanisms for establishing additional or expanded Establish a new or expanded use compatible uses for appropriate under-utilised historic places. for one significant historic place each year
10.8 Develop operational policy and procedures to assist Parks Procedures developed for staff to Victoria staff to manage lease agreements and to monitor the monitor use of historic places by use of historic places. Dec 2004.
Parks Victoria will seek to attract compatible commercial activities to compliment its role of providing access to and interpretation of places such as Andersons Mill at Smeaton
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 20 11 HERITAGE MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND SYSTEMS
park or reserve. These plans explain The organisation’s current heritage how environmental, cultural and management practices have been visitor values and activities will be reviewed against the recommendations integrated. in the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council • Heritage Action Statements are brief (ANZECC) Best Practice in Cultural strategic documents which specify a Heritage Management (Historic Heritage desired management outcome for a in Parks and Protected Areas) Report. place and a list of major tasks that The following heritage management tools will be initiated to achieve that and systems are being put into place to outcome (See appendix 6 for a list of ensure that Parks Victoria is at the available heritage action statements, forefront of heritage management best plans and maintenance plans.) practice: • Heritage Action Plans (conservation management plans) provide full Parks Victoria’s Historic Places documentation of heritage values, Inventory risks, opportunities, constraints, objectives, conservation policy and The historic places inventory is still at a actions. developmental stage. The inventory of some 2500 historic places which includes • Heritage Maintenance Plans description, history and cultural prescribe the ongoing annual significance, has been integrated into the maintenance activities for individual Parks Victoria Asset Management historic places or discrete groups of System. As the Asset Management places. System is further developed, the inventory will be used to monitor Research condition and risk to heritage values as Research is necessary to assist in well as to record and program understanding the history of land use, conservation works. establish the cultural significance of Moveable objects at historic places are some of the historic places managed by an integral part of a place, and their Parks Victoria, determining the most presence at a site should either be noted appropriate type of conservation activity in the heritage inventory or catalogued or providing information for interpretation using the Parks Victoria moveable education and publication. objects cataloguing database. Any new land area added to Parks Victoria’s estate may require research. Heritage Planning Documentation Such areas will be assessed, and if necessary surveyed, for historic places Parks Victoria has developed a range of as a matter of priority, and no ‘clearing heritage planning documents which are up’ of structures or man-made features compatible with both the organisation’s (buildings, fences, ‘rubbish’) will occur planning framework and the Asset until an assessment is complete. Management System. The following heritage planning documents will be used to guide Parks Victoria’s cultural values Performance Measurement management program: Measuring performance is an integral • National Parks Act Management part of effective management, and is Plans are required by the National required for evaluating performance. Parks Act 1975. They explain the Parks Victoria is engaged in a whole-of- context, values, risks and broad government process to develop strategies that apply to a particular appropriate performance measures.
21 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy A key measure of heritage management be reviewed to ensure that it is performance is the condition of places in appropriate for the heritage estate. the Parks Victoria’s heritage estate. Eventually the assessment of Goal management performance might involve periodically measuring change in • To develop and maintain tools, condition and integrity of fabric, and systems, policies and guidelines to appropriateness of use. To achieve this, facilitate effective and efficient however, measurable benchmarks must conservation and management of be established. the historic places and objects managed by Parks Victoria. Parks Victoria’s visitor satisfaction and community perception monitoring should
Action Target
11.1 Progressively upgrade Parks Victoria’s heritage inventory Program developed by December including cataloguing moveable cultural heritage 2003 and implemented 2004 - 2006.
11.2 Use Asset Management System to program works Program works using the AMS by July 2006
11.3 Review and progressively upgrade existing operational policies Review and program for and procedures for the management of historic places and upgrading complete by December objects. 2003
11.4 Develop and implement a communication strategy for policies, Communication plan completed plans and strategies to ensure that they are easily accessible by March 2004. Existing plans and widely available. and strategies placed on the web by December 2004.
11.5 Record the condition of a representative group of historic Condition of an agreed number of places as a benchmark for developing performance measures places documented by December for heritage management. 2003.
11.6 Develop performance measurement criteria including condition Performance measures for heritage management within accepted government and developed by June 2004 and Parks Victoria framework. rolling program of measurement conducted 2004 - 2010.
11.7 Review and update procedures for the preparation of Heritage Procedures updated by Action Plans and Statements and Heritage Maintenance Plans. December 2003
11.8 Review current program and develop and commence a 3-year Review completed and program program for Heritage Action Plans and Statements and developed by December 2003 and Heritage Maintenance Plans. implemented 2003 – 2010
11.9 Establish feasibility of developing a Parks Victoria Heritage Feasibility completed June 2004 Research Partners Program and if appropriate implemented
11.10 Identify research priorities, available funding and implement a Research priorities identified by research program. December 2004, funding sources sought 2004 – 2010, partners conduction research 2004 – 2010
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 22 12 IMPLEMENTATION
25% of this allocation is used for The strategy will be implemented over a planning and information projects and ten-year period with a major review of 75% is used for on-ground conservation strategic directions after five years. activity. Over the next five years the 12.1 Cultural Values proportion of the annual program used Management Program for planning and information projects will reduce to 20% with a corresponding Projects within the annual heritage increase in on-ground heritage management program can be split into conservation activity. two areas: planning & information projects and on-ground heritage 12.2 Implementing the Strategic conservation activities. The annual Actions budget for the heritage component of The actions detailed earlier in this Parks Victoria’s Cultural Values document will be implemented in the Management Program varies between sequence detailed in the following table. $1.0 and $1.25 million. Currently around
Parks Victoria will care for all the significant historic places that it manages and progressively give priority to the interpretation and promotion of places representing Key Historic Themes. From 2003 to 2005 priority may be given to places such as the Queenscliff Lifeboat Shed which is one of the places managed by Parks Victoria representing the key historic theme Shipping along the Coast
23 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy STRATEGIC DIRECTION STRATEGIC ACTIONS FROM 2003 TO 2011
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
• Implement Heritage essential Stewardship. operational policies and procedures.
Plan and facilitate an Australasian heritage management best practice workshop.
• Develop and implement a skill enhancement program for Parks Victoria staff, volunteers and lessees.
• Arrange for use of Heritage Act provisions by Parks Victoria staff for protection of historic places and objects.
• Develop and implement, through the Department of Sustainability and Environment, a program for the reservation of historic and cultural features reserves
Review • Review Parks Parks Victoria’s Victoria’s Heritage Heritage Managemen Manageme t Strategy nt Strategy
• Work cooperatively with Heritage Victoria and Tourism Victoria in implementing a strategic approach to heritage management.
• Support the operation of Parks Victoria’s Heritage Management Team to ensure a coordinated approach to heritage management within Parks Victoria.
. • Develop and implement a communication plan that makes Parks Victoria staff and the wider community aware of the organisations role in heritage management
24 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS STRATEGIC ACTIONS FROM 2003 TO 2011
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
Identify places more • Seek alternative managers for places that do not Consolidating appropriately managed by other need to be managed by Parks Victoria. Parks agencies / groups Victoria’s • Review the heritage make up of estate. the Parks Victoria Heritage Estate.
• Develop a • Investigate • Implement proposals for improving the involvement and support for volunteers. Community plan for feasibility of involvement improving establishing and support for new friends partnerships volunteers. groups. • Develop criteria for public input • Implement new requirements for public involvement heritage planning processes. into heritage planning processes.
• Provide access, interpretation and educational information to assist tourism activities based on the strategic directions provided by Parks Victoria’s Levels of Service Framework
• Foster tourism activities that are compatible with the protection of historic values.
• Investigate and where appropriate develop partnerships with other agencies for heritage initiatives projects.
25 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS STRATEGIC ACTIONS FROM 2003 TO 2011
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 • Implement initiative projects for places Information, reflecting a Interpretation Mining and historical Education. theme. • Develop a strategic approach and implement initiative projects for a Shipping along the Coast historical theme. • Develop a strategic approach and implement initiative projects for a Settling the Port Phillip historical theme. • Develop a strategic approach and implement initiative projects for a Living in Remote Area’s historical theme. • Develop a strategic approach and implement initiative projects for the Accessing Natural Treasures historical theme. • Develop • Implement heritage component heritage of Parks Victoria’s II&E Strategy. component for II&E strategy. • Review PV’s • Review key historic PV’s key themes historic themes • Develop a program of • Implement a program of public events. public events to educate people about Victoria’s heritage.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 26 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS STRATEGIC ACTIONS FROM 2003 TO 2011
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
• Implement a three-year rolling Cultural Values Management Program.
• Ensure that there is adequate provision for the management of historic places within park management, setting, open space and master plans. Sustainable management • Ensure that of historic the Levels of Service places and Framework objects. makes adequate provision for historic values.
• Identify and target external grants for major works.
• Provide for the cataloguing and recording of moveable historic objects in the Cultural Values Management Program.
• Seek to reduce reliance on external grant funding.
• Develop process for establishing new or expand compatible uses for historic places.
• Develop policy and procedures to assist staff in managing and monitoring leased property.
27 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS STRATEGIC ACTIONS FROM 2002 TO 2011
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
• Progressively upgrade Parks Victoria’s heritage inventory.
• Use Asset Heritage Management management System to program tools and regular systems maintenance and repair work for historic places. • Review and progressively upgrade operational policies and procedures. • Develop and implement a process to make heritage policies, plans and strategies easily accessible and widely available. • Record condition of a • Develop criteria run a rolling program for measuring heritage management performance. group of places as a bench mark for measuring performance. • Review and update • Implement a three-year program for preparing heritage action plans, statements and heritage maintenance plans. procedures for preparation of heritage actions plans and statements. • Establish feasibility of developing a heritage research partners program.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 28 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Heritage Council, March 2000, Victorian Heritage Strategy; knowing, communicating, protecting and managing Victoria’s diverse cultural heritage, Department of Infrastructure, Melbourne.
Australian Heritage Commission, 2001, Australian Historic Themes; a framework for use in heritage assessment and management, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
Australia ICOMOS, 1999, The Burra Charter; The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance with associated guidelines and code on the Ethics of Co- existence, Australia ICOMOS Inc., Burwood Victoria.
Hague Consulting Ltd. & Kelly, M., February 2001, ANZECC Best Practice in Cultural Heritage Management (Historic Heritage on Parks & Protected Areas), unpublished ANZECC Working Group report for National Parks and Protected Area Management Benchmarking and Best Practice Program, National Parks & Wildlife Service, New South Wales and Department of Natural Resources & Environment, Victoria
Pearson, M., Marshall, D. & Wight, I., August 2000, Directions in Historic Places Management; recommendations for Parks Victoria’s historic places strategy 2000 – 2003, unpublished report for Parks Victoria.
29 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy GLOSSARY
Action Task(s) that will be undertaken to implement the strategy. Actions have been developed for each of the strategic directions of stewardship, consolidating Parks Victoria’ s heritage estate, community involvement & partnerships, information, interpretation and education, sustainable management and heritage management systems.
ANZECC Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council
Asset Management System A computer based information system used for keeping records and reporting on the use, current condition, status maintenance requirements and cultural values for both contemporary built assets, such as visitor facilities, and historic places.
Australia ICOMOS Australian arm of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, a non-government professional organisation concerned with the development and promotion of the philosophy, terminology, methodology and techniques of cultural heritage conservation.
Australian Heritage Commission The Australian Heritage Commission (AHC) is a statutory body of the Commonwealth Government administered within the Australian and World Heritage Group of Environment Australia. The commission administers the Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975; which establishes the Register of the National Estate. The commission develops policy, direction and priorities for and promotes heritage conservation throughout Australia.
Australian Historic Themes Framework The AHC Historic Themes Framework is a tool to assist in the identification, assessment, interpretation and management of heritage values. The framework comprises nine theme groups, each of which encompasses a network of more specific themes. The themes can help stimulate a broader understanding of places, their historical context and their relationship to other places.
Burra Charter The Burra Charter is set of definitions and guidelines which establishes a standard of practice for people who provide advice, make decisions about, or undertake works to places of cultural significance
Committees of Management Committees of management are appointed under the Crown Land Reserves Act 1978 to take responsibility for the management of the parcels of public land.
Community perception monitor A statistical measure of the community’s satisfaction with the way Parks Victoria is managing the parks, open space and reserves for which it is responsible. Surveys, conducted by market research companies, are used to measure community satisfaction
Compatible use Means a use which respects the cultural significance of a place and involves no, or minimal, impact on cultural significance.
Condition of places Condition of historic places is assessed against the expected function of the place, which can range from a fully functioning building or structure to a ruin where the expected function is to achieve stability.
Crown Land Reserves Act 1975 Provides for the reservation and establishing regulations for crown land required for public purposes such as for conservation of areas of natural, historic or archaeological interest.
Cultural significance Cultural significance means aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value of a place for past, present or future generations.
Cultural Heritage Non indigenous cultural heritage refers to built structures and their surrounds; gardens; trees; cultural landscapes; shipwrecks; sites of important events; commemoration sites; contents of buildings; significant relics; objects; artefacts; records; knowledge; stories and traditions associated with human activity in the parks and reserves managed by Parks Victoria.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 30 Cultural sites network A framework developed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment, which sets out the priority historic themes relating to the administration and management of public land.
Cultural Values Management Program The program is the sum of all planning, research and on ground works undertaken by Parks Victoria to identify protect and manage both the Indigenous and historic places managed by Parks Victoria.
Development Risk Assessment Process A Parks Victoria guideline, which is used to assess the impact of any development or management activity on the natural, historic or indigenous values on land managed by Parks Victoria.
Environment Conservation Council The Environment Conservation Council replaced the Land Conservation Council. Its role like its predecessor was to provide advice to the Victorian Government on the use of public land. The Victorian Environment Assessment Council has now replaced it.
Goal Goals have been developed to guide what has to be achieved for each of the strategic directions of stewardship, consolidating Parks Victoria’ s heritage estate, community involvement & partnerships, information, interpretation and education, sustainable management and heritage management systems.
Heritage Act 1995 The Heritage Act provides for the protection and conservation of places and objects of cultural heritage significance. It provides for the establishment of the Heritage Council, Victorian Heritage Register and Inventory as well as for obtaining permits for works affecting historic places, shipwrecks and objects
Heritage Management Team The heritage management team is made up of representatives from the Parks Victoria regions and corporate divisions. The team is responsible for providing inspiration and leadership for heritage management within the organisation, advising on the management of historic places and objects, ensuring a coordinated statewide approach to heritage management within Parks Victoria, and monitoring the Cultural Values Management Program.
Heritage Victoria Is the division within the Department of Infrastructure that administers the Heritage Act 1995 and supports the activities of the Victorian Heritage Council.
Historic Buildings Management Is a committee of management appointed under the Crown Land Committee Reserves Act with responsibility for the management of 20 heritage properties. The committee was set up to manage these properties in order to protect their heritage values.
House museum A house museum refers to a building and its contents that has been kept or restored/reinstated to an historic period in order to present the place to the community as it was during that period.
Indigenous heritage Indigenous heritage refers to Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Information, Interpretation & Education Within Parks Victoria Information, Interpretation and Education (II&E) are core methods for communicating with people about the values, features and issues of Victoria’s parks, bays, waterways, reserves, historic places and other protected areas.
Information is factual material that conveys or imparts knowledge and is generally designed to reach a broad audience who may or may not visit parks.
Interpretation is a means of communicating ideas, feelings and values that helps people enrich their understanding of Victoria’s natural and cultural values. It is generally orientated around people thinking of, or actually visiting parks.
Education is largely a formal process of teaching skills, knowledge and concepts that lead to greater understanding of Victoria’s natural and cultural values. It generally targets students, teachers and others with a commitment to learn.
31 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Levels of Service Framework The levels of service framework is a tool for systematically managing visitor facilities and services in a sustainable fashion. It aims to define standards, provide for a range of recreational activities, better manage visitor expectations, provide the right service in the right place and provide facilities and services that are sustainable. Moveable cultural heritage Movable or portable cultural heritage is an important part of the cultural value of many of the historic places that Parks Victoria manages. Movable items may furnish a place, help us to interpret the history of its use and tell us something about the people who were associated with its past.
Park Management Plan Kit Guidelines for the preparation of management plans for parks included in the schedules to the National Parks Act 1975.
Park-based Refers to historic places set within larger areas or landscapes which are managed by Parks Victoria for recreation or conservation of natural values as well as for their cultural heritage values
Place, historic place Place means site, area, landscape, building or other work, group of buildings or works, and may include components, contents, spaces and views.
Target Measure by which Parks Victoria will demonstrate that it has achieved the actions listed in the heritage management strategy.
Victorian Heritage Register Is a register of places, objects, archaeological places and relics, historic shipwrecks, which have been assessed as being of State significance and are protected by the statutory provisions of the Heritage Act 1995.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 32 APPENDICES
Appendix 1 List of organisations consulted during the development of the strategy
Flora & Fauna Division, Department of Natural Resources & Environment.
Heritage Victoria, Department of Infrastructure.
Tourism Victoria.
National Trust of Australia (Victoria)
Australia ICOMOS
Royal Historical Society
Victorian National Parks Association
Dandenong Gardens Trust
Aboriginal Affairs Victoria
Museum of Victoria
Mount Alexander Shire
Indigo Shire
33 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Appendix 2 Legislation, Policy and Heritage Management Best Practice
Legislation • National Parks Act 1975 • Parks Victoria Act 1998 • Crown Lands (Reserve) Act 1978 • Heritage Act 1995 • Planning and Environment Act 1991
Government Policy & Directions • Victorian Heritage Strategy, 2000 • Victorian Regional Tourism Development Plan, 1997 • Parks Victoria Proposed Corporate Plan 2002/03 to 2004/05 • Management Agreement 2001-2006 (Parks Victoria and DSE) • DSE Cultural Sites Network. • Victoria’s Arts, Theatre & Cultural Heritage Tourism Plan 2002 – 2006.
Heritage Management Best Practice • Burra Charter of Australia ICOMOS, 1999. • ANZECC Cultural Heritage Management: Historic Heritage on Parks & Protected Areas Best Practice Report, April 2000
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 34 Appendix 3 Major Heritage buildings and complexes managed by Parks Victoria
This schedule comprises the most prominent or substantial heritage properties currently managed by Parks Victoria, and is derived from an analysis of the Parks Victoria Database of Historic Places, verified against knowledge of the National Parks Policy and Strategy Division heritage management staff. It includes all places where considerable ongoing management resources are required (whether the place is directly managed or lessee occupied). Properties may consist of one or a number of buildings. The list includes: • habitable or potentially habitable buildings • functioning or potentially functioning buildings (leased or directly managed) • large or extensive and fundamentally intact historic building complexes • places with ongoing staff presence, and visitor access and interpretation
It does not include static single structures such as towers or bridges, nor small randomly visited or seldom used huts, for which periodic management attention is typically required. Also, it does not imply that all places of high heritage value managed by Parks Victoria are necessarily included in this list.
1. WERRIBEE PARK 14. POINT COOK HOMESTEAD (Leased)
2. COOLART 15. MOUNT BUFFALO CHALET (Leased)
3. WOODLANDS HOMESTEAD (HAP 16. GLENAMPLE HOMESTEAD (Leased) prepared and EOI sought)
4. DAYS MILL (HAP and Business Options 17. YARRA BEND GOLF CLUBHOUSE paper being prepared) (Leased)
5. ANDERSONS MILL (HAP and Business 18. STUDLEY PARK BOATHOUSE Options paper being prepared) (Leased)
6. NYERIMILANG HOMESTEAD 19. WONTHAGGI STATE COAL MINE (management plan being prepared)
7. GABO ISLAND LIGHT STATION 20. ELDORADO DREDGE (management plan being prepared)
8. WILSONS PROMONTORY LIGHT 21. MALDON STATE BATTERY STATION
9. STEIGLITZ (CATHOLIC CHURCH, 22. PIPEMAKERS PARK (Buildings leased) ANGLICAN CHURCH)
10. STEIGLITZ COURTHOUSE 23. CAPE NELSON LIGHT STATION (Leased)
11. FORT NEPEAN / FORT PEARCE 24. CAPE SCHANCK LIGHT STATION (Leased)
12. SOUTH CHANNEL FORT 25. CAPE OTWAY LIGHT STATION (Leased)
13. WATTLE PARK (Chalet leased) 26. POINT HICKS LIGHT STATION (Leased)
(Note: Properties shown in italics are leased.)
35 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Historic Buildings Management Committee Properties
In 1999, the properties listed below, previously managed by the Historic Buildings Management Committee, were transferred to Parks Victoria. Although the organisation is committed to caring for these places, Parks Victoria is not the most appropriate manager for all these buildings, some of which are in urban settings in major centres isolated from other land managed by Parks Victoria. A review determined that they would be more appropriately managed by other community groups or local government.
1. FORMER CARLTON COURTHOUSE (Leased) 2. FORMER LANCEFIELD COURTHOUSE (Leased)
3. FORMER CASTERTON COURTHOUSE 4. FORMER GISBORNE COURTHOUSE, (Leased) LOCKUP AND STABLES (Leased)
5. FORMER MACARTHUR COURTHOUSE 6. FORMER JAMIESON COURTHOUSE (Leased) (Leased)
7. FORMER SKIPTON COURTHOUSE, (Leased) 8. FORMER AVOCA POLICE RESIDENCE, POLICE RESIDENCE & STABLES LOCKUP AND POWDER MAGAZINE (not leased)
9. FORMER SMYTHESDALE COURTHOUSE 10. FORMER ELTHAM COURTHOUSE (Leased) (Leased) & STABLES
11. FORMER DAYLESFORD COURTHOUSE, 12. FORMER TOONGABBIE MECHANICS RESIDENCE & LOCKUP (Leased) INSTITUTE (Leased)
13. FORMER MALDON COURTHOUSE (lease to be 14. FORMER DRYSDALE FREE LIBRARY arranged once current works are complete) (Leased)
15. FORMER BEAUFORT COURTHOUSE (Leased) 16. FORMER HEXHAM SCHOOL (Leased)
17. FORMER YAKANDANDAH COURTHOUSE 18. FORMER LOWER HOMEBUSH SCHOOL (Leased) (Leased)
19. FORMER WOODEND COURTHOUSE (Leased) 20. FORMER GEELONG TELEGRAPH STATION (Leased)
Other habitable or usable Historic Buildings
1. HAWKESTOWE 2. WM RICKETTS SANCTUARY RESIDENCE & GALLERY
3. YAN YEAN CARETAKERS COTTAGE 4. PONTVILLE
5. DODDS HOMESTEAD 6. ST. KILDA PIER KIOSK (leased)
7. SOUTH CHANNEL PILE LIGHT 8. HEATHCOTE POWDER MAGAZINE
9. ST KILDA BOWLING CLUB HOUSE (leased?) 10. TOWER HILL VISITORS CENTRE
11. POWER HOUSE CLUB ROOMS, Albert Park 12. WESTERFOLDS MANOR (leased)
13. CHESTERFIELD FARM (leased) 14. QUEENSCLIFF LIFEBOAT SHED
15. FERNTREE GULLY KIOSK
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 36
Appendix 4 Historic Places by District
Region District Major Places Places Types Key Themes
WEST Mallee Graves; fences/stock Living in Remote yards/sheep dips; huts/house Areas sites/camp sites; water supply/bores/wells/tanks; mining/salt works; recreation sites; natural sites.
West Coast Nelson & Cape Shipwrecks and jetties; light Accessing Natural Otway Light stations; natural sites; Treasures; stations, PMR sawmills/tramways/winches; Shipping Along the Caves, Tower Hill, house and settlement sites; Coast; Living in Glenample pastoral (fences, yards); Remote Areas recreation sites; graves/cemetery; court houses.
Grampians Lal Lal; Jubilee; Court houses; Accessing Natural Zumsteins; bridges/tracks/roads; Treasures; Mining. Andersons Mill; cemeteries/graves; charcoal Avoca police production; sawmills & residence; eucalyptus distilleries; Lock Heatherlie Quarry ups; mines/ quarries; memorials/cairns; hut/house/settlement sites; natural features; water supply; nursery sites (saw pit gully)
EAST Alpine Grant, Oriental Bridges; chalets; gardens; gold Mining; Accessing Claims; Mt Murphy; mining; huts; markers/cairns; Natural Treasures; Mt Wills; Cassilis, natural sites; house/settlement Living in Remote Mt Buffalo Chalet. sites; saw mills; tracks; water Areas supply; fire tower; recreation.
East Gabo and Point Graves/cemetery; mining; Accessing Natural Gippsland Hick Lightstations, marker/cairn; military; natural Treasures; Buchan Caves. features; saw mills; fire towers; Shipping Along the maritime industry; shipwrecks; Coast; Living in light stations. Remote Areas.
West Walhalla, Bridges; cemetery/graves; gold Mining; Shipping Gippsland Wonthaggi, mining/coal/limestone; Along the Coast; Walkerville, farm/fences; huts; lightstations; Accessing Natural Toongabbie, saw mills/tramways; ship Treasures. Wilsons Prom wrecks; lightstations; camp Lightstation, sites; military; maritime industry Noojee Trestle (whaling); settlement sites; Bridge. tracks; natural sites.
37 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Appendix 4 Cont
Region District Major Places Places Key Themes
CENTRAL Basalt Plains Steiglitz, Churches; courthouse; gold Mining, Settling the Woodlands. mining; settlement related sites; Port Phillip District. natural sites.
Central Cumberland scenic Bridges; cemetery; court house; Mining, Accessing Highlands reserve, Jamieson gold mining/quarries; huts; Natural Treasures, Court House natural wonders; marker/cairn; Living in Remote water supply; sawmills; Areas. hut/camp/settlement/hotel sites; tracks.
Murray Maldon, Charcoal; eucy distilleries; court Mining Central Beechworth; houses; gold mining; Castlemaine, hut/house/settlement sites; fire Eldorado; Days towers; state battery. Mill; Maldon battery.
CITY & BAYS City & Bays Werribee; Coolart; Courthouses; light stations; Settling the Port Point Cook, jetties; military; Phillip District; Geelong Telegraph homestead/house/settlement Shipping Along the Station, Fort sites. Coast; Defending Nepean; Cape Colonial Victoria. Schanck & McCrae Lightstations.
MELBOURNE Melbourne Warrandyte, Gold; court houses; gardens; Settling the Port METRO Metro Dandenong natural sites; saw Phillip District; gardens; Kurth mills/charcoal; recreation Mining. Kiln. facilities; settlement sites; water supply.
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 38 Appendix 5 Historic Themes Framework
The AHC Historic Themes Framework has nine interlinking theme groups (see figure 3).
The Framework emphasises the human activities that produced the places people value, and the human responses to Australia’s natural environment. This helps to relate places to the historical processes and stories associated with them.
The themes are generic and designed to be applied and interlinked regardless of the time period of the place. They are worded to be gender- and age- inclusive.
As well as being used to assess importance and help determine management priorities, themes will be used to: • stimulate a broader understanding of places, their historical context and their relationship to other places • focus on the range of historical values of a place and how these values are represented physically • identify historical associations not physically apparent or previously identified • allow plotting and analysis of the distribution of places associated with similar themes and time periods • reveal through interpretation the layers of history over different periods in one place, and the multiple stories associated with the place • help market places in different regions with common themes.
The themes are non-hierarchical and one place may reflect several themes. The themes and this non-hierarchical relationship depict the integrated, diverse and complex human experience.
Figure 3 Theme Groups in the AHC Historic Themes Framework
Developing local, Peopling regional and Australia national economies
Building Marking the settlements, phases of towns and life cities
PLACE Tracing Developing evolution of Australia’s Australian cultural life environment
Working Governing Educating
39 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Appendix 6 List of available Heritage Action Statement, Plans and Maintenance Plans
Actions from Heritage Action Statements and Plans are implemented over time through the Cultural Values Management Program. However the inclusion of an action in an Action Statement or an Action Plan does not automatically imply that the action will be funded. The completion of an action depends upon the availability of resources and organisational properties.
Heritage Action Statements
Place Region Year prepared
Walkerville Lime Kilns. East 1998/9
Andersons Mill West 1998/9
Steiglitz Historic Park, Central 1998/9
Woodland Homestead, Central 1998/9
Eldorado Dredge. Central 1998/9
South Channel Fort. City & Bays 1998/9.
SCM Wonthaggi, East 1999/2000
Red Robin Mine. East 1999/2000
Days Mill & Farm. Central 1999/2000
Point Nepean, City & Bays 1999/2000
Werribee Park City & Bays 1999/2000
Wilsons Prom Lightstation East 2000/01
Point Hicks Lightstation East 2000/01
Poverty Point Bridge East 2000/01
Viewbank Melbourne Metro. 2000/01
Pontville Melbourne Metro 2000/01
Point Cooke Homestead City & Bays 2000/01
Buchan Caves East 2001/02
Grant Historic Area East 2001/02
Zumsteins Pise Cottages West 2001/02
Queenscliff Boat Shed City & Bays 2001/02
McCrae Lightstation City & Bays 2001/02
Farm Vigano Melbourne Metro. 2001/02
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 40 Heritage Action Plans
Place Region Year prepared
St. Kilda Bowling Club. City & Bays 1998/9
Gabo Island addendum. East 1999/2000
Wilsons Prom addendum East 1999/2000
Andersons Mill. West 1999/2000
Woodlands Homestead. Central 1999/2000
Days Mill & Farm Central 2000/01
Howqua Hills Area East 2000/01
Glenample Homestead West 2000/01
Grand Duke Mine, Timor West 2000/01
Mt Buffalo Chalet East 2000/01
Reservoir Hut, Mt Buffalo East 2000/01
Gowar School site, Maldon Central 2000/01
Garfield Waterwheel site, Chewton Central 2000/01
Sericulture site, Castlemaine Central 2000/01
Pioneer Cemetery, Chiltern Central 2000/01
Warby Falls, Weir & Race Central 2000/01
Point Nepean Forts addendum City & Bays 2000/01
South Channel Fort addendum City & Bays 2000/01
Kurth Kiln Melbourne Metro 2001/02
Point Cook Homestead City & Bays 2001/02
Collins Settlement Site City & Bays 2001/02
Heatherlie Quarry West 2001/02
Wilsons Creek, Eildon Central 2001/02
Mt Alexander Diggings National Heritage Park Central 2001/02
Beechworth Area mining sites Central 2001/02
Castlemaine Burial Sites Central 2001/02
Butts Reserve, Maldon Central 2001/02
Oriental Claims, Omeo East 2002/03
41 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy Conservation Plans
The following conservation plans were prepared prior to 1998. Since 1998 Conservation Plans have been called Heritage Action Plans. A number of these Conservation Plans are due for review, and the status of policy recommendations may need to be verified.
Place Region
South Channel Pile Light (1998) City & Bays
Coolart (1997) - conservation analysis and policy City & Bays
Cape Schanck Lightstation City & Bays
Pipemakers Park (1996) City & Bays
Chesterfield Farm (1997) Melb Metro
Pontville – significance and policy Melb Metro
William Ricketts Sanctuary Melb Metro
Yarra Bend Park Melb Metro
Wattle Park Melb Metro
Alfred Nicholas Gardens Melb Metro
George Tindale Gardens – conservation analysis Melb Metro
Stuchbury Farm Melb Metro
Happy Hollow Farm Melb Metro
Kurth Kiln (1996) Melb Metro
Nowingi Mine Tank (1998) West
Mopoke Hut (1998) West
Cape Otway Lightstation West
Cape Nelson Lightstation West
Lal Lal Blast Furnace (c. 1978) West
Jubilee Mine, West
State Coal Mine, Wonthaggi East
Gabo Island Lightstation East
Wilsons Promontory Lightstation East
New Works Area, Lakes Entrance East
Historic sites in the Walhalla Historic Area East
Eldorado Dredge Central
Wallaby Mine, Beechworth Central
Maldon State Battery Central
Heathcote Powder Magazine (c. 1980) Central
Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy 42 Heritage Maintenance Plans
Place Region
Red Robin Mine East
Gabo Island Lightstation East
Point Hicks Lightstation East
Wilsons Promontory Lightstation East
Historic buildings at Steiglitz Central
Woodlands Homestead Central
Point Cook Homestead City & Bays
Cape Otway Lightstation West
43 Parks Victoria Heritage Management Strategy