Annual Report 2014–15 1 Front Cover: US Navy Catalina Flying Boat, Duncan Jenkins Collection, Northern Territory Library (PH0106-009) Heritage Council GPO Box 4198 Darwin NT 0801 Tel: 08 8999 5039 Email: [email protected] ISSN: 2202–8226 2 Table of Contents ........................................................................ Message from the Chairperson 1 Highlights 2 The Heritage Act and the role of Council 4 Council Members 5 Meetings 7 Assessment and Declaration 7 Work Approvals 11 Conservation and Management 13 Policy and Strategy 14 Appendix 15 HERITAGE COUNCIL NORTHERN TERRITORY - Annual Report 2014–15 Message from the Chairperson ............................................................................................ I have great pleasure in presenting the third Annual Report of the Heritage Council. 2014-15 was a year in which the Heritage Council achieved a great deal. Sixteen assessment reports were completed, and six places and two objects were added to the NT Heritage Register. It was particularly satisfying to see permanent protection given to the three United States Navy Catalina flying boat wrecks in East Arm, Darwin Harbour. These planes were sunk at their moorings in the first Japanese attack on Darwin on 19 February 1942.The Darwin Port Corporation, INPEX, the United States Navy, and members of the local community all supported the permanent protection of the wrecks. A highlight of the year was a ‘road trip’ the Heritage Council took in September 2014. The Council normally meets in Alice Springs each September, with members based in the Top End flying down and back. This time members based in Alice Springs flew to Darwin, and the whole Heritage Council travelled by road from Darwin to Alice Springs over several days. The Council visited Pine Creek, Katherine, Newcastle Waters, Elliott, and Tennant Creek, and places in between. There was considerable interest in the Council’s trip, particularly in Tennant Creek, where the Heritage Council met with local community leaders. The low point of the year was undoubtedly the failure to permanently protect two important World War II sites located at East Arm, Darwin – the remains of the Flying Boat Base, and the Lugger Maintenance Section (also known as the ‘Z Special Unit Base’). The Council felt that in the case of the Lugger Maintenance Section at least, it would have been possible to protect the historical values of the site and allow development to proceed around it. On a personal note, this is my final year of a three year appointment as Chair of the Heritage Council, which followed three years as Chair of the preceding Heritage Advisory Council. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the staff of the Heritage Branch for their personal and professional support throughout this period. They have the, at times thankless, task of servicing the Council as well as maintaining a watching brief over heritage places and objects throughout the Territory. DR BRIAN REID HERITAGE COUNCIL NORTHERN TERRITORY - Annual Report 2014–15 1 Highlights ........................................................................ • Council considered sixteen assessment reports for places and objects nominated to the NT Heritage Register. • Six places were gazetted as heritage places and two objects as heritage objects. • A total of 22 projects were funded to a value of $248 565 under the NT Heritage Grants Program. • Council took a ‘road trip’ from Darwin to Alice Springs in September 2014. Goolam Rasool Nazar’s grave, Alice Springs 2 HERITAGE COUNCIL NORTHERN TERRITORY - Annual Report 2014–15 Road Trip – September 2014 ....................................................................................... Pine Creek Railway Museum Mt Riddock at Gemtree Bonney Well Allied Works Building Elliott Larrimah Museum HERITAGE COUNCIL NORTHERN TERRITORY - Annual Report 2014–15 HERITAGE COUNCIL NORTHERN TERRITORY - Annual Report 2014–15 3 The Heritage Act and the role of Council ........................................................................ The object of the Heritage Act is to provide for the conservation of the Northern Territory’s cultural and natural heritage. The Act is broad in its scope. It automatically protects all Aboriginal and Macassan archaeological places and objects, and has the capacity to automatically protect other classes of places. The Heritage Act commenced on 1 October 2012. The functions of the Heritage Council are set out in Section 125 of the Act, and are: (a) to assess the heritage significance of places and objects; (b) to recommend to the Minister the declaration of places and objects to be heritage places and objects; (c) to recommend to the Minister the revocation of the declaration for heritage places and objects; (d) to advise the Minister on the conservation, use and management of heritage places and objects; (e) to advise the Minister about the carrying out of work on a heritage place or object and to decide applications for work approvals other than applications for major work; (f) to promote, as it considers appropriate, the public use and enjoyment of heritage places and objects in a way that is consistent with the conservation of the heritage significance of the places and objects; (g) to facilitate public education and programs about the Territory’s cultural and natural heritage; (h) to advise the Minister on financial incentives or concessions for heritage agreements (either in general or on particular agreements); (i) to advise the Minister on matters affecting the Territory’s cultural and natural heritage; (j) to perform other functions conferred under this or another Act or as directed by the Minister. 4 HERITAGE COUNCIL NORTHERN TERRITORY - Annual Report 2014–15 Council Members ........................................................................ The Heritage Act provides for a Council of eleven members. One is the nominee of the Chief Executive of the Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment; the others are appointed by the Minister. There are nominees from four organisations. Dr Brian Reid - Chairperson Dr Reid has qualifications in both medicine and history. He is a member of the Professional Historians’ Association, and former President of the Historical Society of the Northern Territory. He has been Chairperson of the Council since the commencement of the Heritage Act in October 2012. Dr Graeme Suckling Dr Suckling is the CEO of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (NT). He has over 30 years’ experience in the public service, and in the NT his past roles have included CEO of Greening Australia and Executive Director of the Council on the Ageing NT. He has an extensive background in ecological research and natural resource management. He commenced with the Heritage Council in October 2014. Ms Elizabeth Close Elizabeth is the Director of the National Trust of Australia (Northern Territory), and is the National Trust’s nominee on the Heritage Council. With a background in history, education and museums, she holds a Masters degree in Cultural Heritage, and is a professional member of ICOMOS. She was elected Deputy Chairperson of the Council in June 2014. Mr Peter Madden Peter is a Researcher/Anthropologist at the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority in Alice Springs, and was AAPA’s nominee on the Heritage Council before retiring from the Council in March 2015. Before joining AAPA, Peter worked for some years in the fields of Native Title and archaeological cultural heritage management. Mr Allan Garraway Allan has a background in accounting and commerce, and is the nominee of the Property Council of Australia (Northern Territory). He has a particular interest in appropriate development in the Darwin CBD. Mr Steven Hennessy Steven is the nominee of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory. Steven has been in Timber Creek since 2005, and is currently Mayor of the Victoria Daly Shire. He has taken a keen interest in the conservation of the Timber Creek Police Museum. HERITAGE COUNCIL NORTHERN TERRITORY - Annual Report 2014–15 HERITAGE COUNCIL NORTHERN TERRITORY - Annual Report 2014–15 5 Mr David Curtis David is from Tennant Creek. He has held many posts in the community and local government and was an ATSIC Regional Councillor for 13 years. He has an interest in early European settlement in Central Australia. Dr Samantha Wells Dr Wells is a historian who works for the Northern Territory Library. She has over 20 years’ experience researching various aspects of Northern Territory history including colonial race relations, Aboriginal land rights and native title, and is keenly interested in preserving the heritage of the Northern Territory. Mr Michael Owen Michael has worked throughout the Territory and Northern Australia in Health, Aboriginal Affairs & Local Government. Today, he is a Darwin- based heritage consultant, specialising in community engagement and heritage economics. Mr Richard Luxton Richard Luxton is a retired builder and farmer. He is a member and past president of the Aviation Historical Society, and a member of the Development Consent Authority. He owns the World War II Coomalie Creek Airstrip, and has a keen interest in preserving the Top End’s World War II heritage. Mr Wayne Kraft Wayne is the nominee of the Chief Executive. He lives in Alice Springs and is the owner of the Overlanders Steakhouse. A resident of the NT for over 40 years, he has also lived and worked in Tennant Creek, Darwin and Barrow Creek. He is a past Board Member (and Chairman) of the Board of the