Heritage landscapes Selected forum papers 2004–08 Editors Dr John Dwyer QC Dr Janet Schapper Heritage landscapes Selected forum papers 2004–08 Editors Dr John Dwyer QC Dr Janet Schapper Production Editor Pauline Hitchins, Heritage Victoria Published by the Heritage Council of Victoria 2009, Melbourne References throughout to the heritage website or Heritage Victoria website refer to: www.heritage.vic.gov.au which includes the searchable Victorian Heritage Database. Published by the Heritage Council of Victoria, Melbourne, October 2009. Also published at www.heritage.vic.gov.au © State of Victoria, Heritage Council of Victoria 2009. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. ISBN 978 0 9806217 2 3 (print), 978 0 9806217 4 7 (CD Rom), 978 0 9806217 3 0 (online) Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without fl aw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Heritage Victoria / Heritage Council of Victoria, Level 4, 55 Collins St, Melbourne 3000 GPO Box 2392, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 Phone: (03) 8644 8800 Fax: (03) 8644 8811 Email: [email protected] Web: www.heritage.vic.gov.au Cover images: From left ( back cover) to right Spray Farm estate on the Bellarine Peninsula. Image Mark Chen, Tourism Victoria The former Carlo Gervasoni homestead at Yandoit Hills is a reminder of early Italian settlement in the area. Image Heritage Victoria Macalister River bridge into Licola, the southern gateway to the Alpine National Park. Image Pauline Hitchins, Heritage Victoria Moscow Villa Hut, Bentley Plain on the Nunniong Forest Drive. Image Pauline Hitchins, Heritage Victoria Background Image: Looking down on the ferns in the Myrtle Beech forest from the treetop walk in the Otway National Park. Image Pauline Hitchins, Heritage Victoria ii Heritage Landscapes: Selected forum papers 2004–08 Contents Acknowledgements v Notes on Contributors vii Professor George Seddon ix Section 1: General introduction 1 Section 2: Concepts relating to landscape 7 John Dwyer and Janet Schapper 7 Section 3: Coastal landscapes 21 3.1 Introduction 21 3.2 Background planning policies relating to coastal landscapes 23 3.3 Local applications 27 Mornington Peninsula landscapes – Juliet Bird 27 The Cultural landscapes of the Mornington Peninsula – Steve Yorke 29 3.4 Planning to protect coastal landscapes 32 Planning for landscape protection in Victoria – Mike Scott 32 Visual assessment: mapping the aesthetics of landscape – Ian Bishop 35 Assessing the coastline – Richard Offen 39 So what? What are the opportunities for action – George Seddon (1927–2007) 44 3.5 Communities and valued coastal landscapes 47 Dianne Weidner OAM and Jim Gard’ner 47 Section 4: Historic towns in the landscape 51 4.1 Introduction 51 4.2 Background theory and policy 52 Study of small towns in Victoria revisited, and its application to heritage – Jerry Courvisanos 52 An overview of small towns in Victoria – Jeremy Reynolds 56 Towns and the tourist onslaught – survival or capitulation? – Peter Spearritt 60 4.3 Local applications 64 Growth and non-grown towns – case studies – Wendy Jacobs 64 4.4 Planning to protect historic towns in the landscape 67 Our towns as cultural landscapes – Ray Tonkin 67 What are the current planning tools for managing the landscape setting of small towns? – Trevor Budge 71 Characterisation: New ways of valuing the historic environment – Jim Gard’ner 76 4.5 Communities and historic towns 83 Walking tour around Buninyong – Anne Beggs-Sunter 83 ‘Seafarers, settlers and soldiers’ a tale of three heritage towns in search of a future – Gordon Forth 84 Heritage Landscapes: Selected forum papers 2004–08 iii Section 5: Broader landscapes – cultural landscapes of the volcanic plains and the Wimmera/Mallee 91 5.1 Introduction 91 5.2 Background theory and policy 93 DSE and heritage – Andrew Maclean 93 Murtoa: A government perspective – Peter Forbes 94 Climate change: Observations, projections and responses – Simon Torok 97 5.3 Local Applications 101 The Western Victorian volcanic province – a geological overview – Bill Birch 101 The volcanic geology of the western plains – Bernie Joyce 104 Healthy catchments – good landscapes – Peter Greig 105 The water supply heritage of north-west Victoria – Helen Doyle 110 Farming’s impact on the land – Ron Dodds 114 The landscapes of the volcanic plains: British vision and environmental transformation – Don Garden 117 Whither Australia Felix Now? – Timothy Hubbard 120 5.4 Planning to protect the broader landscape 123 Planning tools and solutions for cultural landscapes of the volcanic plains – Lucinda Peterson 123 An outline of the Heritage Council’s landscape assessment guidelines 129 5.5 Communities and broader heritage landscapes 130 Dry stone walls: Building a profi le – Jim Holdsworth 130 ‘A Stone Upon A Stone’ touring exhibition – Raelene Marshal 130 Volcanoes Discovery Trail Committee – Joane McKnight 132 Corangamite Arts – Josie Black OAM 133 How to create a historical village without really trying – Heather Yates 134 Section 6: Conclusions 137 John Dwyer and Janet Schapper 137 iv Heritage Landscapes: Selected forum papers 2004–08 Acknowledgements The Landscape Forums from which papers have been selected in this publication began in response to community concerns about threats to the conservation of signifi cant cultural landscapes in Victoria. With a focus on the particular landscapes of different regions, the papers and discussions at each forum sought to increase understanding of the competing interests which gave rise to the threats, and appropriate strategies and policies by which stakeholders in the landscapes might respond. Each of the Landscape Forums was organised by a steering committee set up by the Landscape Advisory Committee of the Heritage Council. Forums were supported by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), Victorian Landscape Guardians Inc, local community organizations and local government. Details appear in the Forum Reports published by the Heritage Council (see http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/ Heritage-places-objects/Landscapes-and-gardens/ Landscape-forums.aspx) Coastal Landscape Forum (2004), Peninsula Coast and Country Forum (2005), Historic Towns in the Landscape Forum (2006), Cultural Landscapes of the Volcanic Plains Forum (2007) and Heritage and the Land Forum (2008). Eloise Hinkley and Jane Andrews provided administrative support and edited Forum Reports. Forum Reports were also edited by Cathy Schapper and Dr Janet Schapper. The support of all is gratefully acknowledged. The Landscape Forums and this publication have had the strong support of Chris Gallagher during her term as Chair of the Heritage Council (2002–2008), and Ray Tonkin, the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria. Offi cers of Heritage Victoria who have made special contributions have been John Hawker, Anne Sedgley and Jim Gard’ner. Neville Wale, the Chair of the Landscape Advisory Committee, took a leading role in the Forums, and has assisted this project in many ways. Jane Andrews has provided invaluable assistance in assembling this compilation. JLD, JAS December 2008 Heritage Landscapes: Selected forum papers 2004–08 v vi Heritage Landscapes: Selected forum papers 2004–08 Notes on Contributors DR ANN BEGGS-SUNTER lectures in Australian History DR GORDON FORTH is an historian located at and Heritage at the University of Ballarat, and is Secretary Warrnambool. of the Buninyong and District Historical Society. PROFESSOR DON GARDEN is an environmental historian DR BILL BIRCH is Senior Curator (Geosciences- and Senior Fellow in the Australian Centre for Science, Mineralogy and Petrology) at Museum Victoria. Innovation and Society in The University of Melbourne. DR JULIET BIRD is Honorary Fellow, School of Social and JIM GARD’NER was Conservation Manager, National Environmental Enquiry, The University of Melbourne, and Trust of Australia (Victoria), and is now Director, Strategy is engaged with Geostudies, the National Trust Landscape and Policy, Heritage Victoria. Committee, the Landscape Advisory Committee, and DR PETER GREIG is Chairman, Corangamite Catchment Landscape Guardians Inc. Management Authority, and a full-time beef and wine PROFESSOR IAN BISHOP is Director, Centre for producer in Murroon. Geographic Information Systems and Modelling, JIM HOLDSWORTH is a planner with Planning Department of Geomatics, The University of Melbourne. Collaborative (Vic) Pty Ltd, and President, The Dry Stone JOSIE BLACK OAM is an educator and community Walls Association of Australia. activist, who has worked as a volunteer with community DR TIMOTHY HUBBARD is a heritage architect and based landscape and heritage projects including the planner based in Port Fairy. His fi rm Heritage Matters Pty Corangamite Dry Stone Walls Conservation Project, Ltd acts as heritage adviser to many Western District and the Kanawinka Global Geopark. She is Honorary municipalities. Secretary of Corangamite Arts. WENDY JACOBS is an Architect and Heritage Consultant TREVOR BUDGE is a Life Fellow, Planning Institute of practising in Ballarat. She is heritage advisor to the Shire Australia and Senior Lecturer in Planning at La Trobe of Northern Grampians. University. His research is focused on