HERITAGE NEWSLETTER OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ASSOCIATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE ORGANISATIONS INC. MAY - JUNE 2011 ISSUE No. 15 Governor visits heritage grave A service to celebrate the She said that as completed restoration and State the 47th Heritage Listing of the 1831 grave of Governor of this Eliza Rodd on the Glenroy property State she was of Mr and Mrs Barber near Hartley proud to walk in saw Her Excellency, Professor Marie the footsteps of Bashir, AC,CVO accompanied by Sir Governor Nicholas Shehadie once again visit Macquarie who the region. had brought enlightened and The following is an extract from an compassionate article in the Lithgow Mercury written leadership to the by its editor Len Ainsworth, OAM. colony. BACK on April 30, 1815 when He arrived to find Governor Lachlan Macquarie a ‘wretched and traversed Cox’s Road and visited demoralised Hartley for the first time he wrote in people’ but was his diary that the vista before him able to transform was ‘one of the finest landscapes of the young colony any country I have yet visited’. into what was described as ‘the One hundred and ninety six years greatest later the 47th Governor of NSW Dr appendage of the Marie Bashir, was back at the same British Empire’. site, repeating his words of praise. Dr Bashir The ceremony marked the listing on described how the State Heritage Register of the Governor relics of the military barracks that Macquarie’s existed on the site and the recently humane restored grave of a child who died treatment of the there while her father was in charge convicts and his of the 39th Regiment of Foot emancipation [detachment]. and welfare The Governor Prof Marie Bashir , accompanied by programs raised the Chair of Lithgow Reginal Branch of the National The regiment was stationed at the ire of the Trust of Australia (NSW), Mrs Marcia Osterberg- Hartley and charged with protecting British Olsen, Mr and Mrs Bradley inspect the grave site of pioneers as they made their way to establishment Eliza Rodd. Photograph courtesy Lithgow Mercury the newly opened land beyond the had paved the way for the growth of Blue Mountains. back home who were concerned that the colony was becoming ‘too NSW. Dr Bashir addressed an invitation- attractive’ to the former soldiers and Earlier Dr Bashir was welcomed by only crowd at a monument at the sailors out of work after the end of the National Trust local branch Glenroy camping reserve that the Napoleonic Wars. chairperson Marcia Osterberg- marks the site where Governor Olsen and by Mr Brad and Mrs Macquarie attended the first She said that upon his visit to Rosemary Barber, and took part in a Christian church service west of the Hartley he described ‘the finest ceremony marking the restoration of Blue Mountains in 1815. landscape of any country I have yet visited’. the grave of eight month old Eliza The Governor referred to the Rodd. Descendants of the Rodd importance of the Glenroy relics, Dr Bashir said Governor family came from Perth for the now on the property of Bradley and Macquarie’s vision was an occasion and read a poignant letter Rosemary Barber and family, to the encouragement to free settlers and from descendants in France. colonial history of NSW. Continued page 5 HERITAGE 1 May - June 2011 Contents......... From the editor’s pen...... HERITAGE May - June 2011 Premier keeps * P1 Governor visits promise to create heritage grave * P2 Premier keeps promise to create heritage ministry Heritage Ministry All associated with the heritage sector developers through a system which was * P3 BMACHO has a and those who have an interest in already open to corruption more rife than new president conserving and maintaining our it already was. * P3 President’s profile heritage will welcome the early * P4 Thank you for Ian appointment of a minister for heritage The extraordinary change to the Jack by the new Premier of NSW, Barry delisting process placed in the then * P4 Council agrees to O’Farrell. minister and any future minister’s sole establish heritage discretion the ability to delist State advisory committee The new government has given Heritage Register listed places. * P5 A lone grave on the heritage a voice in cabinet. hillside Australia has a wide variety of heritage * P5 RAHS has new The new Minister for Heritage, Robyn assets and it is vital that our natural, built president Parker who also has responsibility for and cultural heritage is conserved for * P6 At 86 Norman the environment ministry has many future generations. Lindsay designed challenges ahead of her - not the least Springwood crest of which is getting up to speed on the Some might wonder why the Premier * P8 NSW Corps of scope and range of heritage and decided to conjointly appoint Robyn Marines environmental issues in NSW. Parker as the Minister for Heritage and * P9 Convict women the Minister for the Environment then and the female By her own admission the learning taking on some of the responsibilities factories curve is steep, and we should wish her himself. * P11 Educating Hartley well, because, frankly, the state of our ... and not the heritage needs Robyn Parker to Although responsibility for the common moral succeed. environment is an all embracing portfolio, decency of a privy one does not have to go very far to see Prior to the March state election, the the connection between the environment Coalition promised that heritage would and our heritage receive special attention. Much of this was spelt out by the then shadow It is important to recognise we are minister Catherine Cusack when she custodians of the priceless asset of our was guest speaker at a BMACHO World Heritage listed Blue Mountains initiated public meeting. National Park. An asset which is vulnerable not only because of the The pledge to appoint a heritage probability of a catastrophic fire which * P14 25th year for minister to protect historical and would completely destroy its biodiversity; Lithgow Family culturally significant items was only but also by the over incursion of mankind History one of the promises made. with such ventures as hunting, shooting * P15 Dynamic duo to and other activities which will inevitably if ‘call it a day’ Among the other promises was an permitted to occur, damage the very * P15 Turf racing overhaul of the operations of the ecology which makes National Parks connections Heritage Council and to provide such valuable heritage assets. * P15 Patchwork to greater certainty and transparency in The appointment by the NSW Coalition honour ancestors decision making. of a minister for heritage within 10 days * P15 An artist in the The Coalition undertook to reverse the is commendable, but there is still a long gardens previous government’s decision to way to go to redress the long history of * P16 Succesful seminar move the Heritage Office into the deficiencies which has been the lot of * P16 New museums Department of Planning. heritage. The heritage sector will do well advisor to monitor the promises made while the * P17 Sheep and The Heritage Amendment Bill 2009 Coalition was in Opposition to ensure shearing significantly modified the make-up of that heritage gets a better deal.Given * P17 Kurrajong the Heritage Council, removing that there is a voice at the cabinet table, Collections representation from groups such as the heritage sector now needs to speak * P17 Eat history the History Council of NSW. with a loud and clear voice. * P18 Nth Springwood’s earliest orchards The Heritage Bill sent a chill up the John Leary, OAM Past President, * P20 Spire restoration spine of most in the heritage sector Blue Mountains Association of wins National Trust and gave great joy to property Cultural Heritage Organisations Inc. award HERITAGE 2 May - June 2011 BMACHO HAS A NEW PRESIDENT Despite torrential rain a well attended annual general meeting in March at Everglades saw the retirement after 5 years in office of the BMACHO’s inaugural president John Leary, OAM and the election of the new president, Pamela Smith of the Springwood Historians. In his annual report the retiring president paid tribute to what he described as ‘a quite unique body of people who have led and directed the association over its first five years.’ He paid particular tribute to Ian Jack, Barrie Reynolds and Peter Stanbury, OAM who had been on the committee since it was first formed. Others who had provided real assistance to the committee Past president, John Leary, OAM welcomes BMACHO’s new president, included Dick Morony, Florence Pamela Smith (left) with secretary Jan Koperberg (centre) at the annual Smart, Joan Kent, Doug Knowles, general meeting held at Everglades, Leura. Photgraph courtesy Dr Peter Jean Arthur, and Kathie McMahon- Stanbury, OAM. Nolf. Jan Koperberg was singled out for special praise for her dedication and effectiveness as secretary President’s profile during the past year. The incoming president of Pamela has a BA (Hons) degree in BMACHO has been a resident of History as well as an Advanced Mr Leary said, “he was grateful he the Blue Mountains for the best part Diploma in Local Family and had had an opportunity to witness of 40 years. Applied History. first hand the incredible energy and dedication of hundreds, nay She enjoyed a long association with Her honours thesis focused on thousands of individuals working Braemar Gallery, Springwood as private education in the Blue voluntarily in so many different ways both co-director and chair of the Mountains, while an earlier thesis and on so many different projects to management committee. dealt with the presence of the protect, conserve and promote the fascist Old Guard Movement in the The first ever Blue Mountains heritage of this country’s wide and Blue Mountains in the 1930s.