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Media Release - Minister's Office Sydney: 16 November, 2009 HERITAGE HEROES RECOGNISED Twenty two people have been recognised as heritage heroes, and five items added to the State Heritage register, at the eighth annual NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Awards. The awards, presented today at Sydney’s Justice and Police Museum, recognised the outstanding contribution of volunteers in conserving the State’s heritage. “The wealth of heritage we can see around us can be attributed, in large part, to the efforts of committed organisations and individuals, such as those receiving awards today,” Ms Keneally said. “Some are inspiring leaders at their local heritage organisation, others are quiet ‘heritage heroes’ who have given freely of their time, passion and skills without expecting reward. “The NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Awards program has seen more than 160 groups and individuals formally acknowledged for their work over the years. “I thank and congratulate all our heritage volunteers for their contribution towards our State’s ‘living’ heritage.” Ms Keneally said the Heritage Volunteer Awards were first introduced in 2002 to recognise local community-based volunteers and heritage organisations in conserving NSW heritage. At the awards ceremony, Ms Keneally also announced five new items to be placed on the State Heritage register. “More than 1500 places and items are listed on the State Heritage Register while 25,000 items are included on local environmental plans and other registers,” Ms Keneally said. “Today I am announcing that we are adding another five, so that they can be permanently protected for future generations.” Ms Keneally said the new items are: The Yooroonah Tank Barrier: One of the few surviving inland anti-tank defence systems in New South Wales from World War II. Built in 1942, the construction of this inland defence complex was a direct response to the perceived threat of Australia’s invasion by Japanese enemy forces. It was a joint effort between the federal, state and local governments who, by working with the community, built this barrier to protect inland NSW against the common enemy. Earlwood Rock Art: Rare Aboriginal rock art believed to be several thousand years old and hidden beneath undergrowth in a Sydney backyard. The site is one of few known locations in the Sydney basin where this combination of stencil art, midden and a shelter has been found together and it is one of very few sites in Australia to include foot stencils. This site is a rare surviving example of Aboriginal culture from before European contact in the Canterbury Bankstown district. Ferguson’s Cottage in Coffs Harbour: A modest weatherboard cottage in Coffs Harbour that served as a refuge for local Aboriginal people during the 1950s and 1960s. As the home of Nanny Ferguson and the heart of her community work Ferguson's Cottage symbolises the birth of reconciliation and the deepening of Aboriginal-European relations in northern NSW. Today Ferguson's Cottage represents the 'place' where reconciliation began for Coffs Harbour Aboriginal community. Simpson-Lee House in Wahroonga: An excellent and intact example of the work of the leading Australian modernist architect Arthur Baldwinson (1908 – 1969). The Simpson-Lee House represents an excellent example of Baldwinson's architectural design. It is believed to be the most intact of all his designs containing original fabric, fittings and colour schemes. Former Liverpool Hospital: As one of the finest colonial buildings remaining in Australia. The former Liverpool Hospital site is one of the oldest, substantially intact colonial hospital complexes in Australia and one that is highly regarded by both heritage professionals and the community for its architectural and historical significance. With the rarity of pre-1850s archaeology in NSW, the site also has important archaeological and research significance as it contains the remains of the first 1810 convict-built Macquarie hospital building. A full list of Heritage Volunteer Award recipients is below. Awardee Heritage Category Type of Work Local Government Area Susan Duyker ICOMOS Australia Built Surveys and Studies Sutherland Michael Mannington “Friends of Currawong” Natural Community Campaign Pittwater Beth Matthews Parramatta Heritage Centre Cultural Historical Research Parramatta Anne Mathews Parramatta Heritage Centre Cultural Historical Research Parramatta Beryl Winter National Trust of Australia (NSW) Cultural Historical Research Lane Cove Fran McKinnon National Trust of Australia (NSW) Natural Community Campaign Broken Hill Margaret Whyte National Trust of Australia (NSW) Cultural Community Campaign Wentworth Kent Mayo, McCrossings Mill Museum Uralla Historical Society Built Physical conservation Uralla Noeline Briggs-Smith Aboriginal Historical Research Moree Plains Les Bursill Aboriginal Education and Promotion Sutherland Colleen Morris Australian Garden History Society Landscape And Garden Education and Promotion Leichhardt Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins Committee Engineering Management Tumut James Cutbush Sutherland Shire Historical Society Inc. Cultural Management Sutherland Keith Parsons Hunter Regional Committee National Trust of Australia (NSW) Built Promotion Newcastle City Professor Richard Clough Australian Garden History Society Landscape And Garden Historical Research Woollahra Rouse Hill House and Farm Volunteers Historic Houses Trust Cultural Interpretation Blacktown Warren Bowden Castle Hill Historic Site Community Cultural Community Campaign The Hills National Transport Museum Inc. Volunteers Moveable Promotion Inverell David Richards Greater Taree Strategic Heritage Advisory Committee Agricultural Historical Research City of Greater Taree Penny Teerman Greater Taree Strategic Heritage Advisory Committee Built Surveys and Studies City of Greater Taree Archives Room Volunteers, Yass & District Historical Society Cultural Historical research Yass Valley Goulburn Heritage Group Cultural Community Campaign Goulburn –Mulwaree MEDIA CONTACTS: Department of Planning Media Unit Phone (02) 9228 6295 Facsimile (02) 9228 6564 23-33 Bridge Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 © NSW Department of Planning