NSW Minister for the Environment, the Hon Mark Speakman, recently launched a new publication about the amazing natural and cultural values of the Greater Blue Mountains.

The Greater Blue Mountains was originally nominated to the World Heritage List for both natural and cultural values, but was only inscribed for natural values related to Eucalyptus plant communities and rare species. The area is included on Australia’s National Heritage List for the same reasons.

Over the last 15 years understanding of the many values of the Greater Blue Mountains has grown, ranging between extraordinary geology to amazing galleries of rock art and contemporary Indigenous culture. It is fitting that these and other values are now formally recognised, both nationally and internationally.

The Australian Heritage Council is re-assessing the Greater Blue Mountains for these additional values. The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area Advisory Committee has shared the expertise and experience of its members across a range of disciplines to assist with this re-assessment. More than a year ago, current and former members of the Advisory Committee prepared a series of expert papers about this extraordinary place.

The Advisory Committee has now published this information so that it can be readily accessible to students, managers, researchers, and anyone else who is interested in the Greater Blue Mountains.

Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area: Values for a New Generation is available in both printed form and online here.

The book presents engaging and informative papers on geodiversity, contemporary Aboriginal culture, epic history, the interaction between nature and culture and, of course sublime panoramas and  scenic grandeur.

Richard Mackay introduced the Minister at the launch at Govetts Leap on 28 November.  As well as launching the book, the Minister also paid tribute to Richard’s achievements as Chair of the Advisory Committee:

I wish to acknowledge the contribution of Prof Richard Mackay, who having served since the original appointment of the Committee; the last 5 years as its Chair, will step down at the end of this year. Richard enjoys an international reputation in heritage management, and is currently a cultural heritage adviser to the World Heritage Committee. The World Heritage Area is fortunate to have reaped the benefits of his energy, clear thinking and persuasive, values-based approach.

The Blue Mountains Gazette published two stories about the celebration and the Values book.

The Greater Blue Mountains extends across the traditional lands of the Darug, Darkinjung, Gundungurra, Tharawal, Wonarua and Waradjeri peoples.

Richard Mackay was the Australian delegate at a recent cultural tourism workshop hosted in Pedang, Sumatra, by the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is an international organisation comprising 20 coastal states bordering the Indian Ocean, which seeks to promote regional co-operation in government, business and academia. IORA focuses particularly on trade facilitation, investment, promotion and social development.

The Chair of IORA recently passed from Australia to Indonesia and the cultural tourism workshop was convened by Indonesia to consider how member nations may share information and otherwise foster this fast-growing area of tourist activity in the region.

Participants in the workshop included delegates from Bangladesh, India, Iran, Indonesia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Thailand. One highlight of the event was a visit to Sinjunjung; a Sumatran village with distinctive timber architecture and continuing traditional culture, which has been nominated to the World Heritage List. Workshop delegates were treated to a civic reception, village tour, cultural performances and splendid local cuisine.

As the Australian delegate, Richard presented the ‘Angkor Tourism Management Plan’, focusing particularly on how cultural tourism can provide benefits to local communities, by creating sustainable livelihoods and connecting local people directly with the economic benefits that flow from tourism. The Angkor work was undertaken by GML Heritage for UNESCO and the Royal Government of Cambodia with support from the Australian Government.

The IORA cultural tourism workshop recognised that in some countries like Australia and Thailand, there is already a vibrant cultural tourism industry, while other nations like Seychelles and Mauritius have wonderful and unique experiences to offer. The workshop identified opportunities for facilitating cultural tourism in the region through shared experience and both research and ‘hands-on’ programs.

 

In mid August, Richard Mackay delivered the keynote address to the 2015 annual workshop of the NSW Heritage Advisors’ Network at the Heritage Division of the Office of Environment and Heritage.

Richard’s talk, entitled: Perspectives on Indigenous Heritage Management in Australia was presented at short notice, when the scheduled speaker, The Hon Mark Speakman, Minister for Environment and Heritage, was not available.

Richard noted that the 2011 State of the Environment Report had concludes that Australia is: a complex, layered natural and cultural landscape in which unique geodiversity and biodiversity provide the backdrop to an ancient, but continuing Indigenous culture . . .

In his presentation, Richard drew attention to the lack of common standards for data collection and regulation of Indigenous heritage around Australia and the need for better co-ordination by both government and non-government agencies.

Particular concern was expressed about continuing incremental destruction of Indigenous places, despite the views expressed by Australian Senate Committee hearing as long ago as 2007:

… heritage, once destroyed or sullied, can rarely be recovered. As well, it is important for avoiding the tyranny of little decisions, whereby incremental developments—perhaps done under the aegis of improving access—end up destroying the attractions for which the place was set up in the first place.

The presentation also highlighted recent additions to the National Heritage List, noting increasing awareness of contemporary Indigenous values, as reflected in the listing of the Moree Baths – a site of protest during the 1965 Freedom Ride. However, there are still major gaps – such as the outstanding importance of Indigenous heritage across the Greater Blue Mountains, which include the traditions, memories and meanings of six Indigenous groups, as well as the better-known amazing galleries of carved and painted rock art.

Richard celebrated an emerging trend which has seen greater consultation with Indigenous stakeholders about their attachment to ‘place’, rather than focusing entirely on the archaeological record and stone tool scatters, in western Sydney. In some cases such consultative processes have resulted in the reservation of lands within new suburban developments for cultural reasons.

The workshop and Richard’s address provided a valuable opportunity for Heritage Division staff and professionals who advise local government and the community to learn about emerging trends and issues in Indigenous heritage management in Australia.

A copy of the presentation slides may be found here: MACKAY – SHARED HERITAGE AUG 21 2015