Ballina Shire conducts heritage study
Ballina Shire Council is undertaking a shire-wide community-based heritage study.
The council says the study, to be held this year and next, aims to identify and document buildings, places and moveable heritage items (relics and objects or records) in the shire considered to be significant to our community.
“A heritage study investigates the historical context of a local government area and identifies, assesses and makes a record of items and places of heritage significance associated with this context. The study also explains why the items and places are significant and recommends ways of managing and conserving that significance,” the council said.
“Items and places of heritage significance are broad-ranging, including components of the living and non–living environment.
“These items and places are further referred to as natural and cultural heritage items. Cultural heritage items and places include items and places of significance to Aboriginal, European and ethnic Australians.
“Natural heritage items include natural ecosystems, geological sites, water systems (eg, rivers), modified landscapes and parks, gardens and significant trees.
“Cultural heritage items and places include buildings, industrial items, monuments landscapes, parks gardens and moveable heritage items (such as machinery, objects and records).
“More specifically, Aboriginal heritage includes places which show evidence of Aboriginal occupation (called Aboriginal sites) as well as places which are of contemporary, spiritual or mythological importance according to Aboriginal culture or custom, but which contain no physical remains (called Aboriginal places).”
Under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act (1974), the Heritage Act (1977) and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (1979), Ballina Shire Council has a legislative responsibility to manage items and places of natural, and cultural, heritage significance important to Aboriginal, European and ethnic Australians.
The heritage study process involves a number of key steps. The first step is the formation of a Heritage Study Committee to assist the heritage study process. The Heritage Study Committee is made up of representatives from history and heritage groups and a number of Aboriginal organisations in the shire.
The second step is the call for nominations of heritage items and places from community members. On June 15, from 6pm until 7.30 pm, at the Country Women’s Association (CWA) hall in River Street, Ballina, a public meeting calling for nominations will be held.
The council says residents can further the SWCBHS process by urging others to participate in the nomination process. “You can also assist by contacting council’s Heritage Officer, Kate Gahan, with the stories and histories you have associated with the shire, on telephone 66861 284. Any historic documentary material you may like to donate to, or share with, council would also be appreciated. Council can arrange to have this material copied or scanned and returned to you,” the council said.
To make nominations of heritage items and places in the shire download a nomination form and post it to The General Manager, Ballina Shire Council, PO Box 450, Ballina, NSW, 2478, or drop it at the council’s administration centre on the Corner of Tamar and Cherry Streets Ballina, Monday to Friday, 8.15am–4.30pm.
Ballina Info comment: This is great news. Here at Ballina Info, we love delving into our local history. We’ve read a couple of good local history books — Glen Hall’s Port of Richmond River and former Northern Star editor Cliff Murray’s Across Three Bridges are two good examples. This move by the council will only add to our local historical records by identifying places and buildings of historical value. This also helps with the preservation of local ‘icons’ such as the Pioneer Cemetery at East Ballina, plus places of natural significance. And the fact that the study is community-based means it could have a real ‘grassroots’ feel to it. This area is also rich in Aboriginal culture, and it’s a proven fact that the majority of international tourists can’t get enough of the world’s oldest living culture. We’ve added a category to our website — Local History — so feel free to contribute. Tell us your memories of Ballina.
