6.1 What is cultural heritage?Cultural heritage is the value people have given to items andplaces through their association with those items and places.These values include those of significance to Aboriginal people,places of social value to the NSW community, and places ofhistoric, architectural or scientific significance, and thereforeencompass both Aboriginal and historic heritage. While culturalheritage is often spoken about as either Aboriginal or historic(non-Aboriginal), this distinction is misleading because allmembers of the NSW community have had a shared historywithin the NSW landscape since European settlement. Forexample, Aboriginal cultural heritage has associations inpastoral landscapes as well as associations linked with themission period. This notion represents a shift in conventionalcultural heritage management, and acknowledges that culturebelongs as much in the present as it does in the past and that itevolves and changes along with society.

All landscapes contain cultural heritage and hence it is anaspect of all landscapes managed by the NPWS. People assignvalues to those landscapes including those associated withknowledge, songs, stories, art, objects, places, events, buildings,dreaming paths and/or human remains. In addition, naturalelements of the landscape that acquire meaning for a particular

Aboriginal group are considered to have cultural heritage value,and may include landforms, minerals and biodiversity. Culturalheritage also represents the continuity from one generation toanother of a group’s culture, values and attitudes.

The NSW park system conserves a diverse and significantcollection of cultural heritage landscapes. Across New SouthWales these places are part of a continually evolving archivedocumenting our relationship with land. They reflect ourcultural values, our aspirations and our responses to landthrough time. This rich heritage is a vital and essential record ofour history, for it is a tangible reminder of our past and alegitimate part of our future.

There has been a shift in the approach of park managementorganisations, including the NPWS, to move from a focus oncultural heritage management of objects and sites to the moreinclusive definition of cultural heritage described above. It is amove from limiting the assessment of the significance ofcultural heritage to scientific methods such as archaeology, toincluding the assessment of social significance. This approachinvolves communities in providing their explanation of whysomething is of cultural and social importance to them.

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Chapter 6. Cultural Heritage Management

Aboriginal artwork at Mount Grenfell Historic Site.DEC

Chapter 6. Cultural Heritage Management

6.2 Management of cultural heritagethrough timeAs our understanding of cultural values has changed over timeso has the way in which we manage these values. The time-linepresented in Figure 19 outlines some of the significantmilestones in cultural heritage management.

6.3 Objectives for cultural heritagemanagement in the NSW park systemThe primary objectives for cultural heritage management inNew South Wales are to:

acknowledge the intrinsic link between Aboriginal culturalheritage and the natural environmentmanage Aboriginal and historic heritage places, landscapes,cultural practices and stories on parkmanage evidence of past land uses such as agriculture ormining in addition to specific significant historic places andlandscapes, and reflect shared histories between theAboriginal and non-Aboriginal people that worked togetherin these industriespresent and interpret significant cultural heritage places topark users and visitorswork actively with community groups to facilitate theconservation of and access to their heritage, including theprovision of access to parks to continue cultural practices

facilitate conservation outcomes through the sustainable useof buildings, landscapes and places, thus enabling a vibrantand living approach to heritage conservation andmanagement.

6.4 Cultural heritage managementprocessesWithin the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC),the NPWS has the responsibility for managing cultural heritagewithin the park system, while other parts of DEC have animportant strategic and policy setting role. DEC is alsoresponsible for managing Aboriginal cultural heritage outside ofthe park system. Within this section of the report the roles andactivities of the NPWS will be discussed under the banner of thewider DEC. For a description of the legislation that governscultural heritage management in NSW see Appendix A.

A critical part of DEC’s role is assessing and managing thecultural values of the heritage places it manages. In New SouthWales, the protection and management of cultural heritage isdriven by the International Council on Monuments and Sites(ICOMOS) Burra Charter (1999), a set of guidelines for theconservation of places of cultural significance in Australia.The Burra Charter acknowledges that to understand our past,and to contribute to our future generations, it is important toprotect places of cultural significance (Marquis-Kyle and Walker1992). It provides a consistent and internationally comparableapproach to assessing the significance of cultural heritage.

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1700sPre 1700s 1800s 1900s

Figure 19

A time-line of the history of cultural heritage within the NSW park system and how values and management have changed over time

Aboriginal peoplearrived in AustraliaEstimates suggestthat Aboriginalpeople were the firstto colonise theAustralian continentbetween 40,000 and60,000 years ago.

1901:Australian HistoricalSociety was foundedMembership waspredominantlyanglo-celtic, middleclass and male.It represented earlymiddle class interestin ‘heritage sites’.

1970:Aboriginal Sites Unitestablished in theNPWSThis unit undertook aten-year survey ofsites of significanceand built anAboriginal SitesRegister. The NPWSalso established anAboriginal RelicsAdvisory Committeecomposed ofrepresentatives fromthe AustralianMuseum, the MinesDepartment and theAnthropologicalSociety of NSW. Therewere no Aboriginalrepresentatives onthis committee.

1960s:A rise of the NewArchaeologyThis involved a so-called empiricalapproach thatdiscouraged anymethods notamenable to‘scientific proof’.This approach wassceptical of socialsignificance becauseit was notscientificallymeasurable or opento easy methods ofvalidation.

1788:Port Jackson penalcolony establishedThe arrival of the firstEuropean settlersmarks the beginningof Aboriginal andnon-indigenousAustralians’ sharedhistory and anexploratory phase inthe history of NSW.Explorers, surveyorsand scientistsfrequently describedAboriginal culture.Thus began therecording andclassifying ofAboriginal culturalheritage. During thistime Europeansattempted tounderstandAboriginal heritagewithout input fromthe people to whomit was significant.

1947:The NSW NationalTrust was foundedIt focused on thepreservation andrestoration of statelyhomes. A register ofbuildings wasestablished andbuildings wereclassified onaesthetic style ratherthan technological orhistorical criteria.

1967:Establishment of theNPWS through theNational Parks andWildlife ActThrough this Act thehistoric site becamea park categoryspecifically devotedto the managementof cultural values.Five of the sixhistoric sitesgazetted in this yearwere to preservehistoric heritage andone to conserveAboriginal heritage.The Act also providedfor the protection ofAboriginal ‘relics’.

The Burra Charter encourages cultural heritage managers tocollect and analyse information about heritage before makingdecisions about its management.

Within parks, the management of cultural heritage by DECreflect the Burra Charter, whereby the significance of values isassessed and understood, and planning tools such asconservation management plans (CMPs) are utilised to preparefor the appropriate management and conservation of importantvalues. While this is the same management method applied tonatural values within parks, the evolving understanding of whatconstitutes cultural values provides DEC with a challenge ineffectively and consistently implementing this approach. DEC isworking towards measuring its performance in cultural heritagemanagement and this chapter presents the over-archingprocesses that are being developed within the NSW parksystem. This is an ongoing process within DEC and future Stateof the Parks reports will outline progress made.

Due to the extent of cultural heritage within the park system,there is a need to direct management to the highest priorities.To assist the allocation of funding to high-priority culturalheritage values, DEC has developed cultural heritagemanagement strategies for each region of New South Wales.These identify key sites, assign them management priorities andoutline the key considerations that should be made inmanaging high-priority sites. Sections 6.4.1 to 6.4.3 outlinesome of the tools that DEC uses in assessing significance,planning and managing these high priority sites.

6.4.1 Assessing significanceInterpreting the cultural significance of places and landscapes isbased on an analysis of oral, documentary and physicalevidence, and their social, aesthetic, historic and scientific values.Working closely with the relevant communities is essential tofully understand cultural heritage and so develop more effectiveconservation outcomes. Where appropriate, DEC also utilisescultural heritage specialists to provide advice to park managersabout the cultural values of a park and the best way todetermine their significance. These specialists includearchaeologists, historians and members of local Aboriginalcommunities. Often producing a plan of management is thefirst stage in assessing the significance of the cultural heritagewithin a park. This enables park managers to consider whetherkey values require more detailed assessments.

Statements of significance (SoS) are prepared for high priorityhistoric cultural heritage within parks and are prepared inaccordance with the criteria outlined in the Heritage Manual(NSW Heritage Office 1996). A SoS also makes generalrecommendations about the most appropriate method ofmanagement such as protection from pests and weeds orvandalism, or may involve more active management. If the siteis highly significant or the management of the site is likely to becomplex, a CMP may be prepared (see Section 6.4.2).

It is appropriate for Aboriginal people to assess the significanceof their own heritage and so DEC employs Aboriginal HeritageOfficers (AHO) in each region. By facilitating open

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State of the Parks 2004

2000s

1979:The Burra Charteradopted by AustraliaThis charter was amajor force inestablishing the four-part framework ofsignificancecategories: aesthetic,historical, scientificand social.

1996:NPW Actamendment(AboriginalOwnership)This Act specifiedparks of specialcultural significancethat can be returnedto a local AboriginalLand Council to holdon behalf of theAboriginal owners.The park can then beleased back to theNSW governmentunder mutuallyagreed conditions,with payments to bespent on themanagement of thepark. Under a lease-back agreement aboard ofmanagement, withmajority Aboriginalrepresentation, caresfor the park.

2001:Cultural HeritageAssessmentThe NPWS movesfrom viewing culturalheritage as objectsand using scientificassessmentmethods, to abroaderunderstanding ofculture, and startsworking withcommunities tounderstand theextent of culturalheritage valueswithin the landscapeand the bestmethods to assesstheir significance.The new approach ischaracterised by anexpansion of thesocial, historical andlandscapedimensions ofcultural heritage.

1994:Native Title ActThis Commonwealthlegislation providesfor a process ofrecognising priorownership andallows for negotiatedoutcomes betweennative title holdersand landholders.

1998:Heritage Act 1977amendedThis amendmentestablished the StateHeritage Register tolist historic heritageof state significanceand established aregulatoryframework tomanage it.

2004:NSW park systemAlmost 6 millionhectares of landmanaged by theNPWS as part of theDepartment ofEnvironment andConservation. Eightparks have co-managementarrangements withlocal Aboriginalcommunities and afurther fouragreements arebeing negotiated.The NSW parksystem currentlycontains 15 historicsites and 11Aboriginal areasmanaged primarilyfor cultural values, inaddition to culturalheritage across thepark system.

1974:National Parks andWildlife ActamendedThis amendmentcreated the Act thatcurrently governs theNSW park systemand provided for theprotection ofAboriginal places asplaces of specialsignificance withrespect to Aboriginalculture.

Chapter 6. Cultural Heritage Management

communication with local Aboriginal communities DEC canhave the significance of sites, objects or places explained to it.Where routine works or intended developments are planned inthe vicinity of known Aboriginal sites, these AHO consult withthe community about the significance of a site and oftenprepare a significance assessment for the area. Theseconsultations can result in either the alteration of plannedworks to avoid significant sites or the community givingpermission to interfere with or destroy the site. A similar processis also followed when works are likely to impact on historicheritage.

Underpinning the assessment of the significance of culturalheritage within the NSW park system is a program of strategicresearch. The key themes presently being investigated include

cultural landscapes, the integration of natural and culturalheritage conservation (see Case study 10), social significance,cross cultural studies, women’s heritage, and neighbours andcommunities.

6.4.2 Planning for managementWhere the significance of historic heritage has been assessedand further planning is required, a CMP is produced. A CMPoutlines the values of a place in detail, describes theirsignificance and associated history, then sets out the actionsrequired for proper management of the place, for both restoringit to an acceptable standard and for cyclical maintenance.DEC prepares CMPs for all cultural heritage places within parksthat are listed on the State Heritage Register.

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C A S E S T U D Y 1 0

Place of plenty – the Arakwalethnobotanical studyThe Byron Bay Arakwal people have a deep and intimateattachment to the land – their country – and they acknowledgethe diversity of the habitats in the region, and the importantwild resources these yield.

Although it remains a rich resource for bush food and medicine,the area around Byron Bay has been considerably altered byhuman impacts since the early 1870s. This trend has escalated inrecent decades with the increasing resident population andtourist influx. Within their lifetimes the Arakwal Elders haveseen the destruction of rainforests, draining of swamps,degradation of streams and introduction of pest plants andanimals. These changes have resulted from the pressures ofurbanisation and local sandmining. Intensive sandmining in the1960s has led to the modification of sand dunes and othercoastal landforms, and the widespread planting of exotic plantssuch as bitou bush has contributed to the spread of weeds thatthreaten the native species so valued by the community.

Through the joint management arrangement for the ArakwalNational Park that exists between the Arakwal people and theNPWS (an Indigenous Land Use Agreement or ILUA – see Section2.5) the community have continued to harvest wild resources inthe park. A project arose from collaborative work between theNPWS and the Arakwal Aboriginal Corporation to identify anddocument the social and cultural values associated with thereserves in Byron Bay Arakwal Country. The project aimed tobenefit park management, cultural renewal and culturaltourism programs, and to promote awareness of the importanceof bush foods and medicines in the lives of Aboriginal people.

Initially the project assessed community attachments to thepark landscape through the collection of oral histories from theArakwal Elders, field inspections and community meetings, todetermine the ways in which they valued the local biodiversity.The values identified were wild resources (which relate to thevalue of cultural knowledge), totems (which relate to the valuesof stories and songs), and the continuing relationship with theircountry. A key component of the project involved the ArakwalElders and other community members working closely with anecologist to map and describe the biodiversity they value.

The resultant book, Place of plenty: Culturally useful plantsaround Byron Bay (NSW NPWS 2004c) will be used by the ByronBay Arakwal people in their cultural renewal and culturaltourism programs, to educate their children and grandchildren,along with visitors to the park, about their culture and the landsaround Byron Bay. In addition, the project has stimulateddiscussions between community members and NPWS staffabout how park management activities, such as fire and pestspecies control, might be carried out in recognition of Aboriginalvalues. Revegetation and coastal restoration programs on landaffected by sandmining involve the Aboriginal community toensure that the appropriate species are replanted to restore thelandscape.

The project is a reflection of the ongoing role of the Byron BayArakwal people in decision-making about the park, itsbiodiversity and cultural landscape. It has helped to facilitateimproved communication between Aboriginal people and landmanagers, and has shown how they can work togethersuccessfully to explore the cultural use of a park landscape forteaching and gathering. Importantly, it illustrates that these andother activities can be established and managed to achieve dualnatural and cultural conservation outcomes, while providing forother park uses such as tourism.

Arakwal Elders and an ecologist documenting the culturally important plants inArakwal National Park.N. Graham / DEC

The development of CMPs is supported by a range of guidelinesand standards that have been produced by DEC to assist parkmanagers in planning for the appropriate management andprotection of cultural heritage. DEC cultural heritagemanagement strategies also help determine the long-termconservation and management outcomes that CMPs shouldaim to achieve. Included in a CMP, where appropriate, areoptions for education and interpretation of a site for parkvisitors.

Planning for the management of Aboriginal cultural heritageinvolves AHO engaging with communities to determine themost appropriate management of Aboriginal places. While thisprocess is generally limited to known or gazetted Aboriginalplaces, landscapes likely to be rich in Aboriginal cultural valuescan also be considered, for example, the travelling routes usedhistorically by Aboriginal communities. This enablesdevelopment within a park to be placed away from culturallysensitive landscapes.

6.4.3 Management programsThere are a range of ways in which cultural heritage is managedwithin parks. Recommendations for management are madethrough a statement of significance or a CMP for high priority orhighly significant cultural heritage. The type of managementthat may be required ranges from stabilisation works, protectivefencing, emergency or conservation works, installing interpretivesignage or threat mitigation works. When active works arerequired for a site, park managers may first be required toundertake a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) or anEnvironmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the impact ofthe works on both natural and cultural values.

The NSW government provides DEC with a grant of $2 millionannually, in addition to its recurrent funding, for maintenanceand planning for high-priority built historic heritage withinparks. The cost of restoration and maintenance of all the builtheritage on parks exceeds the funding available, so carefultargeting is necessary. DEC has developed the Historic HeritageAsset Maintenance Program (HAMP) to allocate the availablefunding to the highest priority planning and on-ground worksacross the NSW park system. This process considers a range offactors including the significance of the cultural heritage valuesof a site, the risk involved in not undertaking the works,community interaction with the site, and the site’s financialsustainability.

As described above, DEC engages with local Aboriginalcommunities to ensure significant Aboriginal places receiveappropriate management. This management may includeenabling communities to access significant sites, or limitingaccess to culturally sensitive sites by park visitors. Alternativelymanagement may involve providing appropriate interpretationand education – for the benefit of the wider community – aboutthe significance of the place to Aboriginal communities.Discovery programs (see Section 7.3.1), publications andinterpretive material all communicate the importance ofcultural heritage to the community. Aboriginal communities

determine the material that is appropriate and its interpretationfor Aboriginal Discovery programs.

Managing cultural heritage requires specialist skills andknowledge such as those necessary to protect and conserveAboriginal rock art sites. To assist in training new park staff andland managers from other organisations such as localAboriginal land councils, DEC has developed a field-basedtraining program and accompanying guidelines that aim toreduce a range of pressures on the integrity of rock art sites.These include natural pressures such as water damage(mitigated through the use of silicon) or accumulation of lichenor mud from nest-building insects (carefully removed usingspecial techniques), and unnatural pressures such as damagecaused by livestock (managed through pest control, fencing orthe use of cattle grids). Additional subjects currently beingprepared include site monitoring techniques and ways ofmanaging sites for visitation, including dealing with vandalismand graffiti.

Archaeology is also a specialist skill and can contributeappreciably to our understanding of how people lived in thepast, an essential part of cultural heritage. Archaeology hasprovided important information about the lives of Aboriginaland non-Aboriginal people through the discovery of artefacts,structural remains and other items, revealing how previousgenerations lived and the complex exchanges andinterconnections between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginalpeople. This provides us with a unique insight into the dynamicsof exchange between cultures during periods where historicalrecords alone do not provide a complete picture.

Other important tools for preserving cultural heritage arehistorical research and oral history projects. By documenting thehistorical context and people’s attachments to places, DEC canbetter guide park planning, conservation and the interpretationof historic heritage.

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State of the Parks 2004

An archaeological dig, Morton National Park.S. Cohen / DEC

Chapter 6. Cultural Heritage Management

6.5 Knowledge of cultural heritage Through management processes carried out by DEC,information is collected on the cultural values throughout theNSW park system. This information is necessary for theappropriate management of cultural heritage across the parksystem and so DEC has systems in place to capture it.

6.5.1 Knowledge of Aboriginal heritageCurrently DEC records all relevant information about Aboriginalsites, places and landscapes in a database called the AboriginalHeritage Information Management System (AHIMS). In June2004 this database held 33,501 records of Aboriginal sites, placesand landscapes within New South Wales, 8,971 of which occurwithin the NSW park system (Map 11). This is an invaluableresource for DEC but is also utilised widely by different sectorsof the community and other government agencies.

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C A S E S T U D Y 1 1

The values of Mungo National ParkMungo National Park was added to the NSW park system in1979 when the NPWS acquired the 1922 ‘soldier settlement’block known as Mungo. Three years later most of MungoNational Park, as part of the Willandra Lakes Region, was placedon the World Heritage List (see Section 3.5.4). The WillandraLakes Region achieved this listing because it containsoutstanding cultural and natural heritage of universal value, andmany of these values are contained within Mungo NationalPark, including globally significant archaeological,geomorphological and palaentological values.

The area is a culturally significant place for three Aboriginaltribes: Ngyiampaa, Mutthi Mutthi and the southern Paakantyi.These tribes used the area that is now Mungo National Park as ameeting place, for ceremonies and to trade items. MungoNational Park is under a co-management agreement with thethree Traditional Tribal Groups (3TTG) Elders Council to representall three tribes (see Case study 1 on page 19). The late Alice Kelly,a Mutthi Mutthi Tribal Elder described Mungo as ‘the placewhere people and the land become one, where our people walkwith the spirits of our ancestors’.

Mungo National Park and the surrounding area is alsosignificant for its shared history. European settlement in theregion dates back to the 1850s when huge pastoral holdingswere taken up in south-west New South Wales. Several keyfeatures of this early pastoral era remain within MungoNational Park including the Mungo woolshed dating from 1878,the Mungo homestead and shearers’ quarters and the stables,dugout, shearing shed and yards from the old Zanci station. Thishistorical association with the pastoral era is a sharedassociation between both the non-indigenous community andthe local Aboriginal communities. Aboriginal stockmen andshearers were among the staff of many pastoral properties inthe west of the state, including Mungo Station.

Scientists also value Mungo National Park because it providesa unique insight into the changing climate during thePleistocene period and human society’s response to thatchange. The sediments in the lunettes (crescent shaped dunesrising up to 40 metres) provide a 50,000 year record of changesin the earth’s environment and magnetic field and also contain

the remains of some of Australia’s megafauna. These sedimentsalso provide evidence of Aboriginal occupation dating back atleast 40,000 years and some of the oldest burials andcremations in the world.

Mungo National Park has significant natural values includinglandscape formations, vegetation communities and a range ofimportant fauna, which are inseparable from the cultural valuesof the landscape. The Aboriginal community has a specialassociation with these natural values because of theirconnection with the landscape and their history of utilising thenatural values of the region. The non-indigenous communityalso has a special association with the landscape for recreationand the satisfaction of being close to nature.

The cultural associations with Mungo of the Aboriginal, non-indigenous and the scientific communities, including theancient history of the land, contemporary attachments and itsoutstanding natural values, make Mungo National Park an idealplace for the NSW community to learn about both cultural andnatural heritage and how they are connected. The recent DraftPlan of Management for Mungo National Park outlines anumber of initiatives to ensure that the outstanding culturaland natural values of the park are interpreted and promoted in asustainable manner (NSW NPWS 2004b).

Key findingsPark managers consider that they have sufficientinformation about Aboriginal heritage to guide planningand decision-making in parks constituting 45 per cent ofthe area of the NSW park systemInformation on historic heritage is considered to besufficient to guide planning and decision-making in parksconstituting 74 per cent of the area of the park system

A historic woolshed in Mungo National Park.DEC

No. of AHIMS sites01 - 56 - 1011 - 2021 - 5051 - 100101 +

0 50 100

kilometres

200

Broken Hill

Cobar

Dubbo

Sydney

Byron Bay

Coffs Harbour

Newcastle

Batemans Bay

Griffith

Wagga Wagga

ACT

Wollongong

While the AHIMS compiles the available knowledge onAboriginal heritage in New South Wales it is clear that effort stillneeds to be directed to ensuring that staff have enoughinformation about these values to support planning andmanagement decisions. Where parks have known Aboriginalplaces and sites, staff in parks constituting over 45 per cent ofthe area of the NSW park system indicated that there issufficient information to support planning and decision-making, at least in key areas (Figure 20).

This trend varies considerably according to the park type, sizeand age. The strongest relationship is with park type, whichreflects the purpose for which a park was created. Aboriginalareas and historic sites are reported to have the bestinformation available about their Aboriginal values and havebeen primarily conserved to protect cultural values. Nationalparks are reported as having reasonably good informationavailable about their Aboriginal values. Generally park managersconsidered that they had far less knowledge of Aboriginal sitesand places available for use in park planning and decision-making within nature reserves and state conservation areas,where the primary purpose for the area is the conservation ofnatural values.

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State of the Parks 2004

Figure 20

Level of information about Aboriginal heritage places andsites available to guide planning and decision-makingwithin parks(Data source (ii); n=469)

13% 766,016 ha 50 parksInformation on Aboriginal places and sites issufficient to support planning and decision-making

32% 1,843,124 ha 211 parksInformation on Aboriginal places and sites issufficient for key areas of planning and decision-making but there are some gaps

50% 2,875,557 ha 117 parksInformation on Aboriginal places and sites isinsufficient in most cases to support planningand decision-making

5% 275,604 ha 91 parksThere is insufficient information available onAboriginal places and sites to use in planningand decision-making

Percentage ofNSW park systemby area Area and number of parks

Map 11

The number of Aboriginal sites, places and landscapes per parkrecorded through the AHIMS (Data source (iii))

No. of HHIMS sites01 - 56 - 1011 - 2021 - 5051 - 100101 +

0 50 100

kilometres

200

Broken Hill

Cobar

Dubbo

Sydney

Byron Bay

Coffs Harbour

Newcastle

Batemans Bay

Griffith

Wagga Wagga

ACT

Wollongong

Chapter 6. Cultural Heritage Management

6.5.2 Knowledge of historic heritageTo complement the AHIMS, in 2002 the NPWS produced theHistoric Heritage Information Management System (HHIMS). InJune 2004 there were 7,649 records in the HHIMS database forhistoric heritage occurring within parks (Map 12). There are alsoa small number of records within HHIMS that refer to historicheritage on land adjacent to a park. The records within theHHIMS database can provide DEC staff with the relevantinformation about the historic heritage found within theirparks. This information can be used to guide the managementof the item if management is required, or to locate knownheritage within the park to ensure that it is not damagedduring any capital works such as track construction.

The available knowledge for planning and decision-making forhistoric heritage is reported to be more complete than that forAboriginal cultural heritage, with 74 per cent of the area of theNSW park system being considered to have sufficientknowledge (Figure 21).

There is a positive relationship between knowledge of historicheritage and the type of park, the size of the park and whetherthe park has a plan of management. Historic sites are reportedas having excellent information available about their historicvalues, while the information available for national parks, naturereserves and state conservation areas is generally not consideredas good. While managers of historic sites reported having goodinformation about Aboriginal heritage, generally staff inAboriginal areas reported having less information availableabout their historic heritage.

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Map 12

The number of historic sites per park recordedthrough the HHIMS (Data source (iii))

6.6 Condition of cultural heritage

Within the NSW park system the condition of cultural heritagevalues is generally reported favourably. Figure 22 shows that thecondition of Aboriginal heritage is reported to be better onaverage across a greater area of the NSW park system than isthe condition of historic heritage. Contributing to this differencein condition may be the built structures generally associatedwith historic heritage, which are complex and costly tomaintain, particularly as they get older.

When these data are further examined we find that thecondition of Aboriginal heritage is considered to be poorerwhere parks have a large number of neighbours. This maysimply indicate that it is more difficult to maintain the conditionof cultural values when parks are used by many people and in alandscape with many different uses. Similarly, the condition ofhistoric heritage values is more likely to be reported as good insmall parks. This may be because large parks, particularly thosein the Sydney region, tend to have more historic heritage and itis a greater challenge to keep it all in good condition.

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State of the Parks 2004

Figure 21

Level of information about historic heritage available toguide planning and decision-making within parks(Data source (ii); n = 424)

9% 524,109 ha 78 parksInformation on historic heritage is sufficient tosupport planning and decision-making

65% 3,696,593 ha 197 parksInformation on historic heritage is sufficient forkey areas of planning and decision-making butthere are some gaps

22% 1,267,766 ha 86 parksInformation on historic heritage is insufficient inmost cases to support park planning anddecision-making

4% 192,572 ha 63 parksThere is insufficient information available onhistoric heritage to use in planning and decision-making

Percentage ofNSW park systemby area Area and number of parks

Key findingsPark managers consider the condition of Aboriginalheritage to be generally good in parks constituting 78 percent of the area of the NSW park systemThe condition of historic heritage is generally consideredto be good in parks constituting 52 per cent of the parksystem

Figure 22

The condition of cultural heritage within the NSW park system(Data source (ii); n=238 – Aboriginal heritage; n=205 – historic heritage)

483,221 ha 41 parks 11%Most important cultural values are in excellent

condition

2,950,275 ha 152 parks 67%Some important cultural values are being

degraded but the continued integrity of most ofthese is not currently at risk

860,440 ha 35 parks 19%Some important cultural values are being

degraded and the integrity of these values is atrisk without corrective action

131,405 ha 10 parks 3%Important cultural values are being degraded

Percentage of NSW park system

Area and number of parks by areaABORIGINAL HERITAGE

3% 126,936 ha 18 parksMost important cultural values are in excellentcondition

49% 2,189,272 ha 117 parksSome important cultural values are beingdegraded but the continued integrity of most ofthese is not currently at risk

47% 2,123,832 ha 58 parksSome important cultural values are beingdegraded and the integrity of these values is atrisk without corrective action

1% 43,490 ha 12 parksImportant cultural values are being degraded

Percentage ofNSW park systemby area Area and number of parksHISTORIC HERITAGE

Chapter 6. Cultural Heritage Management

6.7 Pressures on culturalheritage values

A lack of knowledge about cultural heritage values is one of themost significant threats to the conservation of these values.Without a sound knowledge of where cultural heritage valuesare within parks – and their level of significance and currentcondition – it is very difficult to effectively manage these values.While DEC may attempt to engage with communities to ensureall cultural values are identified, sometimes communities areunwilling to provide this information for fear that revealing thelocation of a site could lead to it being threatened or destroyed.There may also be a loss of community knowledge aboutcultural values in parks as people move away or significantcommunity members die. Cultural values can also be threatenedby a lack of understanding within the wider community of theimportance of cultural heritage. It is therefore an important roleof DEC to ensure that the significance of important culturalvalues is interpreted for park visitors, to increase theirappreciation and understanding of important sites or places.

A lack of resources is also a threat to the appropriatemanagement of cultural heritage within parks. Meeting the costof restoring and managing many cultural heritage values withinthe NSW park system, particularly historic values in and aroundSydney, requires significant resources. Restoring and managingall cultural heritage places within the park system is not feasibleand DEC must allocate the available resources to the mostsignificant and highest-priority places. It is inevitable that someheritage values will in time be lost. Alternatively, adaptive re-useoptions may be considered where this is consistent with theconservation management plan for the heritage item or plan ofmanagement for the park (see Case study 12). The concept ofadaptive re-use combines public use, education, appreciationand enjoyment within a business context, to raise funds for theconservation and maintenance of the site. It involves the use ofplaces with heritage values, while retaining the culturalsignificance of the building or structure.

Natural processes also pose a major threat to cultural heritage.Inclement weather can result in water damage or soil erosionthat can damage historic buildings and Aboriginal sites or rockart. Fire is also a major threat to built heritage, along with pestanimals such as termites and destructive weeds such as ivy. Pestanimals and weeds can also damage Aboriginal heritage suchas rock art (see Section 5.2.3).

Vandalism and non-sustainable visitor levels pose anotherthreat to cultural heritage. DEC must ensure that thesepressures are taken into account when planning and managingcultural heritage in parks.

64

Key findingsPark managers consider that cultural heritagemanagement is reducing the negative impacts onAboriginal heritage in parks constituting 41 per cent of thearea of the NSW park system.The planned management programs for historic heritageare considered to reducing negative impacts on thesevalues in parks constituting 56 per cent of the parksystem.

C A S E S T U D Y 1 2

Historic lighthouses and adaptive re-useBetween 1853 and 1903, 13 lighthouses were constructed onisolated and rugged headlands and islands along the NSW coastto aid the development of Australia’s north-south shippingroute. Designed to act like ‘a street with lamps’, the lighthousesassisted trade and other shipping vessels to negotiate thedangerous shoals, headlands, bars and reefs along the NSWcoast.

Before modern technology negated the need for lighthousekeepers, lighthouses were typically operated by a headlighthouse keeper and 1-2 assistant lighthouse keepers. Theseindividuals and their families formed lighthouse communities.Operators staffed the lighthouse through the night in four-hourshifts and during the day would undertake the maintenancenecessary to protect the lighthouse and associated buildingsfrom damage by wind, rain and salt spray. The isolated andrugged nature of lighthouse settings meant that typically thesecommunities had poor access to schools and emergencymedical facilities and in bad weather could be cut off fromsupplies.

This remoteness and isolation had benefits for the conservationof the natural environments surrounding lighthouses and manyof these areas have now become part of the park system. While

the lighthouses still in operation in NSW are maintained by theAustralian Maritime Safety Authority, ten of the original 13lighthouse precincts are now protected and maintained by theNPWS. The lighthouse keepers’ cottages and other associatedbuildings have also been preserved in many cases, along withgardens and historic heritage associated with the operation oflighthouses in NSW.

The ten lighthouses managed by the NPWS are:Cape Byron (Cape Byron State Conservation Area)South Solitary Island (Solitary Islands Marine Park)Smoky Cape (Hat Head National Park)Sugarloaf Point (Myall Lakes National Park)Point Stephens (Tomaree National Park)Barrenjoey Head (Ku-ring-gai National Park)Hornby – Inner South Head (Sydney Harbour National Park)Cape Baily (Botany Bay National Park)Montague Island (Montague Island Nature Reserve) andGreen Cape (Ben Boyd National Park).

Whilst today the maritime role of these lighthouses issomewhat diminished, each of these lighthouse precincts hasunique cultural heritage that the NPWS works to protect. Thesehistoric lighthouses must be protected whilst ensuring that thepublic is able to access and appreciate the sites whereappropriate. One way that the NPWS can achieve both of theseaims is through increasing the tourism opportunities available

Managing threats to cultural heritage is a challenge for DEC. ForAboriginal cultural heritage, staff in parks constituting 41 percent of the area of the NSW park system reported thatmanagement is leading to a reduction in the negative impactson important Aboriginal heritage values. Negative impacts onimportant historic heritage values are reported as being reducedthrough management in parks constituting 56 per cent of thearea of the NSW park system (Figure 23).

While DEC’s performance in state conservation areas and naturereserves requires improvement, it is encouraging that Aboriginalareas, historic sites and national parks are reported to bemanaging the threats to cultural heritage most successfully.

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State of the Parks 2004

at the lighthouse sites, with the proceeds being used to supporttheir conservation management. This practice is termedadaptive re-use and is an increasingly common means ofconserving historic heritage. The NPWS utilises adaptive re-useacross a range of historic heritage values from lighthouses andother maritime history such as Fort Denison, to homesteads andother historic buildings. Adaptive re-use of historic buildings,landscapes and places involves the use of places with heritagevalues, while retaining the cultural significance of the buildingor structure. It acknowledges that heritage is not static and thatthese places should continue to live and develop over time.

Before adaptive re-use can occur at a historic site, a conservationmanagement plan (CMP) and a business plan must beproduced. The CMP investigates the cultural significance of theentire site, the necessary maintenance and works required toconserve the site, and the interpretation and public accessappropriate for the cultural significance of the site. The businessplan describes the cost/benefit analysis of the proposed re-use.

Lighthouses are popular tourist attractions and provideopportunities for the public to learn about Australia’s maritimehistory and life in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and to enjoythe beauty of some of the most rugged sections of the NSWcoastline. Access to the public at each of the NPWS lighthousesranges from a boat tour around the Solitary Islands to guidedhistorical tours, with accommodation available in some of the

restored lighthouse keepers’ cottages. On Montague Island, thelighthouse keepers’ cottages have been renovated to provideovernight accommodation for tourists and those assisting withexisting research programs (see Case study 3 on page 39). Theserenovations were done with the assistance of a grant fromAusIndustry to help promote tourism in the region. Researchtours are being developed in partnership with ConservationVolunteers Australia and Charles Sturt University.

In keeping with the principles of adaptive re-use, the proceedsfrom the tourism opportunities provided by these lighthousescontribute to maintaining these historic buildings.

Figure 23

Performance in the management of threats to cultural values(Data source (ii); n = 430 – Aboriginal heritage; n=329 – historic heritage)

423,326 ha 29 parks 8%A planned approach to managing this issue is

being implemented that is resulting in asignificant reduction in negative impacts on

important cultural heritage values1,840,196 ha 172 parks 33%

A planned approach to managing this issue isbeing implemented and negative impacts onimportant cultural heritage values are slowly

diminishing

2,912,421 ha 121 parks 52%Management activities are being implemented

to address this issue but negative impacts onimportant cultural heritage values remain

unchanged400,459 ha 108 parks 7%

Despite management efforts negative impactson important cultural heritage values are

increasing or are unknown or there is little or nomanagement undertaken to address this issue

Percentage of NSW park system

Area and number of parks by areaABORIGINAL HERITAGE

Percentage ofNSW park systemby area Area and number of parksHISTORIC HERITAGE

6% 338,158 ha 21 parksA planned approach to managing this issue isbeing implemented that is resulting in asignificant reduction in negative impacts onimportant cultural heritage values

50% 2,713,443 ha 124 parksA planned approach to managing this issue isbeing implemented and negative impacts onimportant cultural heritage values are slowlydiminishing

35% 1,915,822 ha 102 parksManagement activities are being implementedto address this issue but negative impacts onimportant cultural heritage values remainunchanged

9% 482,747 ha 82 parksDespite management efforts negative impactson important cultural heritage values areincreasing or are unknown or there is little or nomanagement undertaken to address this issue

The historic South Solitary Island lighthouse on South Solitary Island Nature Reserve.J. Winter / DEC