Hunter Heritage Network Incorporated

Membership of the Hunter Heritage Network Inc is open to anyone with an interest in heritage conservation, and management of the cultural and natural environment, be it for professional or for personal reasons.

There are three categories of Membership.

1. Council membership – this membership provides local government subscription of the Network and is taken out on a yearly or biannual basis. Councils are entitled to attend all seminars and may take 4 employees or councillors to each seminar. Only one vote per council is counted. Current price is $250/ year.

2. Corporate – this is open to educational institutions, larger consultancies (more than 50 employees), and business groups. This category entitles attendance by two representatives at all seminars and one vote at the AGM. Current price is $125/ year.

3. Individual or smaller consultancy – this entitles the individual to attendance at all seminars and a single vote at the AGM. Current price for this category is $70/ year.

For a membership prospectus or to discuss your particular needs please email Michelle Hoffman rainbow118@hunterlink.net.au or Sarah Cameron at scameron@ncc.nsw.gov.au.

Hastings Heritage

Mitch McKay was Heritage Officer for Hastings Council for 10 years and during that time, established a niche for Port Macquarie as a heritage tourist destination. Mitch has now branched out on his own and has his own research and consultancy. He also runs tours of the cemetery and other historic areas of this beautiful seaside town. His website and details can be found at http://pmheritage.com.au

Introducing “Heritage Hunter”

“Heritage Hunter” is an established group whose purpose in life is not too dissimilar to our own (you know what we mean – sharing similarly admirable and lofty ideals of conserving the important bits of the past through the pursuit of knowledge, empowerment and promotion) and we have to add, this group has such a neat-O name – a hunter of heritage, we can’t help but visualise an intrepid hunter on his quest for interesting historic places. We thought we’d introduce them to you, as we want to join them and them us as we pursue shared goals. You probably know one or two of the peoples in the group already, and are familiar with the organisational members…Hunter Industrial Heritage Association, Richmond Vale Museum,  Newcastle Regional Museum – yep this “Heritage Hunter ” has a pedigree. They are presided over by the illustrious Mr Bob Cook, a Councillor on the Newcastle City Council. Here is their latest newletter which we’re sure you’ll agree is a fantastic inititative. Welcome and hello Heritage Groups of the Hunter! 

HH news Aug 09 (2)

If you want to email them go to heritagehunter@pacific.net.au 

 Stockton Community Based Heritage Study 2009

The Stockton Community Forum heritage sub-committee released its final report on the heritage of Stockton in April 2009. The report was made possible through a grant of the NSW Department of Planning Heritage Branch and the Royal Australian Historical Society, along with a small grant through the Strategic Heritage Committee of Newcastle Council.

We think its a great initiative by the Stockton community and one that we can all look to as a model for other community heritage studies. It also goes to show what you can achieve at the grass roots level. Congratulations to Dianne Pope and the members of the Stockton Community forum for taking this giant leap into heritage assessment and acting on conviction.  Theyv’e even set up their own website for comments and feedback through wordpress – go to stocktonheritage.wordpress.com.

Here is a copy of the report by the consultant heritage expert Co Associates Pty Ltd.

Stockton Heritage Assessment Report 0420

Next seminar hosted by Kempsey Shire Council on 26 and 27 November 2009

Hey members here is the Agenda for the two day event coming up in only three weeks time from now in Kempsey. Yes we are putting our feelers out to the Mid North Coast and hoping we can find new members and kindred spirits in the process. We are aiming to focus on Aboriginal heritage and are taking some much needed side trips to South West Rocks and the Trial Bay Gaol. Please come along and network with the Mid North Coast!

AGENDA 26_27 November 2009

 scameron@ncc.nsw.gov.au.

The first seminar for 2010 will be hosted by Upper Hunter Council and is to be held in Scone – and we have not been to Scone before so the Network is very excited by this prospect.  Lillian Cullen is assisting wtih the organisation and agenda so please email me and I will discuss with Lillian if you have any thoughts or topic proposals. Either email me offline at scameron@ncc.nsw.gov.au or comment on this page.

Although we had previously advised you that Planning Minister Christina Keneally will be at the annual Department of Planning – Heritage Branch - seminar this Friday (21 August at the Riverside Theatres), it appears she’s been a late scratching and won’t be there to justify the government’s recent changes to the Heritage Act and the Envinronmental Planning and Assessment Act, after all. I’ m sure we were all looking forward to that now were’nt we . 

Sarah Cameron will not be a late scratching however and will turn up as promised on time to talk about the Newcastle City Council website. No we are not pushing our own barrow here but it does give us an opportunity to spread the news about our fantastic heritage here in the Hunter region. And Network members – no heckling OK!!

Sarah

Invitation to Sacred Spaces at Singleton Saturday 8 August 2009

On Saturday 8 August the Convent will be celebrating exactly 100 years since the date of its opening – after taking 17 years to be completed!! (Such is the patience of women to get what they want!!)

Gates open at 1pm followed by an official ceremony at 2pm. Afternoon tea and music will be provided in the convent garden.

All are welcome at this golden event so please go to www.sacredspaces.org.au for session times, prices and details of the entertainment.

Sr Monica Sinclair

Adaptive Reuse Seminar

The Australian of Institute of Architects NSW Chapter invites you to attend an adaptive reuse seminar on the morning of Thursday 25 June. The Institute is offering the seminar to Australia ICOMOS members at the special price of $75 (or $100 for members of the NSW heritage advisors’ network who are not members of the Institute or Australia ICOMOS).  This professional development event takes its cue from New Uses for Heritage Places, a guideline published last year by the Institute and the Heritage Council of NSW; it won the EnergyAustralia Conservation Award for Energy Management in this year’s EnergyAustralia National Trust Heritage Awards.

The opening speaker will be the Institute’s 2008 Gold Medal winner Richard Johnson MBE.

 The session examines both the heritage and the sustainability benefits of retaining and adapting buildings and explains the principles of good adaptive reuse. Case studies include two examples from the guideline (Egan Street, Newtown and the Bushells building in the Rocks) as well as more recent examples, such as the Paddington Reservoir and the Flourmill Studios in Newtown. It also explores the heritage and design issues being confronted by architects on current adaptive reuse projects.
PRESENTERS:
Richard Johnson MBE, JPW Architects
Dan Mackenzie, Steensen Varming
Mary Knaggs, Government Architect’s Office
Julie Mackenzie, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (Egan Street, Newtown/Paddington Reservoir)
Megan Jones, Tanner Architects (Bushells building, The Rocks)
Kate Mountstephens, Allen Jack + Cottier (Flourmill Studios, Newtown)
Glenn Harper, Hassell (Waverton coal loader)
Catherine Forbes, Design5/Julia Heazlewood, Spangenberg & Park (Trocadero, Newtown)

CHAIR:
Diane Jones, Chair, NSW Chapter Heritage Committee

Core Competencies: Design
CPD Points: 3 hours formal points upon completion of formal activity

 Time: 9am-12.30pm, Thursday 25 June

Place: Tusculum, 3 Manning Street, Potts Point  (parking in Ward Avenue, Kings Cross)

Price:  $100 ($75 Australian Institute of Architects & Australia ICOMOS members only)

           Registration: the registration form is available on the Institute’s website: http://www.architecture.com.au/i-cms?page=1.19.3588.3186.3539

Australian Heritage Restorations are a NSW company specialising in all types of conservation and restoration services. Services include desalination, repointing and masonry repairs, roofing and slate repairs, timber joinery, lath and plaster treatments and many more. Chris employs a team of skilled tradespeople so he is especially good at staying with a project from documentation to completion and client sign off. Chris will also advise on scoping works and pricing jobs for grant applications, very useful when putting together budgets!

 Heritage Solid Plastering specialise in the repair and reinstatement of lime renders and plasters. Principle of the firm, Michael Power, says their raison d’etre is the maintenance and survival of our built heritage and they firmly beleive in replacing “lime” with “lime”. HSP are members of the Building Limes Forum and are committed to conservation and preservation ideals.

Port Macquarie Hastings Heritage are a mid-north coast NSW heritage and research based consultancy. Principle Mitch McKay is a HHN member and served as heritage officer on Hastings Council for over 10 years. Mitch has over 25 years planning and heritage based experience and can assist with all manner of heritage related research, interpretation and management planning.

Looking back to the modern movement

We here in the Hunter have our fair share of built items from the modern movement. So it was with great eagerness and wonder, like a child looking through a toy shop window, when we recently stumbled upon a terrific new blog about the modernist movement in this country. We are now thoroughly acquainted with our Victorian counterparts and their efforts to make the rest of Australia recognise the value and beauty of modernism – and their blog modernistaustralia.com is a veritable smorgasboard of Bauhausian and Alvar Aalto inspired designs.

We thought we’d share with you some local examples as well. Ross Deamer designed Pallet House at Merewether Heights in 1960 and we have to say it still looks modern and stylish 49 years on.

And the wonderful War Memorial Cultural Centre in downtown Newcastle, where we take part of o ur logo from.  Designed in 1957 by Castelden and Sara in collaboration with Pitt and Pitt, Lees and Valentine and Hoskins and Pilgram, the building is a wonderfully robust celebration of new technologies and materials and the flexibility that was gained in design. The sensuous curve of the front facade wall in architectural terracotta fiaiance contrasts brilliantly with the stoic grandeur of the City Hall, at the opposite side of the park.

Warning about floods and salts

To all those involved in repairing properties after the floods in NSW and QLD.

Xstrata Field Day May 2009

 The Hunter Heritage Network was established in 1999 as a forum for people working in government and the private sector to exchange ideas and information about heritage management and conservation practise in the Hunter region. Our organisation is now incorporated with over 50 members drawn from local councils, state government, the education sector, and private enterprise including architectural, planning, archaeology and engineering consultants. In late 2009 we turn 10 and we are very proud of this achievement…the energy and enthusiasm of our members make it happen and keep us going strong!

Our aim is to improve outcomes for heritage conservation in the Hunter region by empowering our members and building capacity so that contributions and initiatives are based on best practice, are strong, dynamic and effective. We do this by exchanging ideas,  sharing information and expertise, and learning from each other and experts in the field of heritage conservation and the built environment.

Chris Bart, Sarah Cameron and the guys from Xstrata at Ravensworth May 2009

We also link with other organisations such as the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Institute of TAFE to ensure our network benefits from new ideas and ways of thinking.

Members are entitled to attend three training seminars each year and to attend events we organise, such as field excursions around the Hunter and across the state. There are four categories of membership available – Councils; corporate organisations; government agencies; and individual membership.

Councils are entitled to have 4 representatives at each seminar, representing excellent value for money and ensuring on-going skills development within local government to adequately manage heritage in their areas.

We are funded through an annual grant under the NSW Heritage grants program administered by the NSW Department of Planning Heritage Branch and by membership subscriptions. We receive no other government funding and rely on the volunteer efforts of our members to carry out our activities. The seminars are hosted by councils thoughout the region on a rotational basis. 

Field Days are a place for meeting, inspiring & learning

As an incorporated body we hold an AGM and an annual Committee of Management meeting. The Public Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with the NSW Department of Fair Trading requirements. The office bearers are elected by the members at the AGM, and they volunteer their time towards making our network the wonderful resource it is.  If you would like to be involved in the running of our Network – or if you wish to nominate for a Board position, please contact our current President, Sarah Cameron, at scameron@ncc.nsw.gov.au.  For more information on memberships, please contact Michelle Hoffman rainbow118@hunterlink.net.au

Seminars are broad ranging but are targeted towards real training outcomes in heritage conservation. The Planning Institute of Australia (NSW Division) recognises the seminars as training relevant to town planners.  These members earn credit points for accreditation.

The Kitchen wing at the Ravensworth homestead - south east elevation

Our members have expertise in many

areas including :

Architecture

Adaptive reuse of heritage buildings

Engineering and conservation geology

Conservation of timber road bridges

Rural and farming conservation

Economics and heritage

Materials science

Museum management and small keeping places

Urban design

Industrial history and archaeology

Indigenous heritage

Local history

 Our supporters: 

NSW Heritage Branch Department of Planning

Planning Institute of Australia