By identifying, recording, and protecting our heritage, we ensure that future generations can enjoy and learn from it for years to come.

Welcome – Wominjeka

Thanks for coming back for the 8th Edition of the Heritage Council's newsletter. If you're a new subscriber, thanks for signing up!

Before you read on, if you would like more information about the Heritage Council of Victoria and what we do, check out our website.

1. Recent inclusions in the Victorian Heritage Register

The Victorian Heritage Register, established under the Heritage Act 2017, includes the state’s most significant heritage places, objects and historic shipwrecks. The role of the Heritage Council of Victoria is to ensure that our diverse cultural heritage is enjoyed, managed and protected for current and future generations; so the Heritage Council decides which places and objects are included in or removed from the Victorian Heritage Register.

John Curtin Hotel (H2426)

On 31 March 2023, it was determined that the John Curtin Hotel, Carlton, is of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria and should be included in the Register. Built in 1915, it has been closely associated with Victoria’s trade unions due in large part to its proximity to the Victorian Trades Hall. Unionists, left-wing activists and members of the Labor Party have used the current establishment for over 100 years to conduct informal gatherings, meetings, hold celebrations and presentations, and accommodate interstate officials on visits to Victoria.

Trade unions have played a fundamental role in shaping the working lives of Victorian (and Australian) society and the John Curtin Hotel has provided one of the principal venues for unionists to gather and disseminate ideas. It provided an obligatory dropping in spot for Labor Party politicians on the rise, including Gough Whitlam, Bill Landeryou, and Bill Hayden and it has a close association with Bob Hawke, a key figure in the Victorian and Australian labour movement in the twentieth century (and later Australia’s 23rd Prime Minister), who used the John Curtin Hotel as his ‘home away from home’ during his time as President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

The John Curtin Hotel remains as a ‘centre of left politics’, a place where people from progressive politics gather. It is seen as an integral part of a labour “precinct” in the heart of Melbourne, which encapsulates Trades Hall and the Eight Hour Monument.

The Hotel has acted as an informal meeting place for those involved in working-class politics and activism in Victoria since its establishment and it continues in this capacity to the present day. The outcomes of political activities taking place at the Hotel have brought about legislative changes through political actions.

The ongoing use of the John Curtin Hotel by the trade union and labour community for meetings, networking, celebrations and commemorations resonates into the broader Victorian community.

📷: John Curtin Hotel (H2426), Carlton, Heritage Victoria 2022

Harry Johns Collection (H2435)

On 8 March 2023 the Heritage Council determined to include the Harry Johns Collection in the Victorian Heritage Register, in the category of registered object. It is included for its importance to the course, or pattern of Victoria’s cultural history and for its rarity.

The Collection includes 85 items currently housed at Museums Victoria and the Australian Sport Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Collection represents the history of a major tent boxing troupe on the domestic show circuit from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Tent boxing has a long history in British culture and was evident in the Victorian colony from at least the 1860s. Tent boxing was a theatrical event in an era before television and the broadcasting of sporting events, where colourful tents, the boom of the drum, and the brilliance of the banners promised excitement and drew in the crowds.
Harry Johns was born c.1880, and was a well-known boxer, trainer and manager. In 1928 he launched the famous ‘Harry Johns Boxing Troupe’ which toured the show circuit in the eastern states of Australia until the 1960s.

Like other boxing promoters, Harry Johns recruited Aboriginal men, and boxing was an important aspect of Aboriginal culture in the twentieth century, supporting Aboriginal fighters to achieve employment, success and acclaim at a time of profound discrimination. In 2019 Archie Roach released a song about tent boxing titled ‘Rally ‘round the drum’, signifying the importance of the tradition of text boxing in Aboriginal families and communities.

Parts of the Collection are currently on display in the ‘Black and Proud’ exhibit at the Australian Sports Museum.

📷: Harry Johns Collection (H2435), Museums Victoria

Caulfield Racecourse (H2415)

On 20 February 2023, it was determined that Caufield Racecourse is of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria and should be included in the Register. Located on the traditional land of the Bunurong people in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Caulfield Racecourse is historically significant as one of Victoria’s and Australia’s premier racecourses, and as one of only three major metropolitan racecourses in Victoria in operation since the nineteenth century.

The place was permanently established as a racecourse reserve in 1876, although races have been run in this location since the late 1850s. Since 1879 it has been home to the Caulfield Cup, an internationally renowned handicap race, and a key lead up and qualifying event to the Melbourne Cup.

The Caulfield Racecourse is significant as a notable example of a racecourse within Victoria; an evolved complex comprising a range of buildings and site features associated with racing operations (including the preparation of horses, betting, officiating of races and the provision of hospitality).

Caulfield is distinguished by its cohesive collection of racecourse-related buildings and elements dating from the interwar period, including the 1919 Boomerang Buffet building and the 1928 Gatehouse at the main entrance. The 1950s Betting Indicator (‘tote’) Board is an early and rare surviving example. More generally, the buildings and structures, in their planning and arrangement, demonstrate aspects of the historic layout and function of the racecourse.

The built elements of the place are complemented by a landscape that is characterised by the expanse of the track, central flat and mature trees. The setting, including the Central Flat, and mature landscape character, as well as the collection of brick buildings from the first half of the twentieth century, conveys a strong sense of an historic racecourse.

The Caulfield Racecourse is socially significant for its associations with the horse racing community since the mid-nineteenth century. There is a high degree of public recognition for Caulfield Racecourse and it is home to the most Group 1 races in Victoria apart from Flemington. For much of its history, it has been visited in person by sizeable crowds who have gathered to participate in, officiate, work at, watch or bet on horse races. Caulfield is popular and valued by punters, members of the Victorian racing community and people associated with the industry, and members of the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC).

Since the 1870s Caulfield Racecourse has been associated with the VATC, one of three major metropolitan racing clubs, now known as the MRC. The MRC has continually developed, expanded, and improved the racecourse since selecting Caulfield as its home venue in 1876. Collectively, the association with the MRC and the features of the site itself reflect on Caulfield’s long history and status as a major and prestigious metropolitan racecourse in Victoria and on the different phases in that history.

📷: Caulfield Racecourse (H2415), Heritage Victoria 2022

See all recent registration decisions

2. ‘Heritage 101’ Information for Councillors

The Heritage Council of Victoria has just released two new documents to inform local government councillors and executive staff about local heritage protection.

Local government’s role in heritage protection – an introduction for councillors

This guide was produced in partnership with the Municipal Association of Victoria. It describes the importance of local heritage protection and council obligations under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

Heritage in your municipality

This PowerPoint template is for local government planners and heritage officers. It will assist the briefing of new councillors and executive staff on heritage protection in their municipality.

These documents deliver the ‘Practical Improvement 3’ recommendation from the Heritage Council of Victoria’s State of Heritage Review: Local Heritage 2020.

The Review examined local heritage protection and management across the state. It recommended ‘strategic improvements’ to be delivered by the state government and ‘practical improvements’ to be delivered by the Heritage Council. ‘Practical Improvement 3’ recommended the development of information to improve the knowledge of councillors and council executive staff on the importance of local heritage protection.

Both documents were developed in consultation with the Heritage Council’s Local Government Specialist Committee.

Find out more

Did you know gold mining sites are included in the VHR?

The Victorian gold rush began in 1851, expanding the population and boosting the economy. The Australian gold rushes led to the emergence of a new national identity.

3. If this object could talk... Portland Lifeboat (H2430)

A rare object, the Portland Lifeboat is the second oldest lifeboat vessel in Victoria. It demonstrates the first design and construction of lifeboats in Victoria and was key in shipwreck rescue missions during its lifetime. If it could talk, what stories would it tell?

📷: State Library of Victoria, Portland Lifeboat, MAGNUS, picture, ca. 1914-ca. 1941, Acc#H22792

THE HISTORY OF VICTORIAN LIFEBOATS

The Chief Harbour Master of Victoria, Captain Charles Ferguson (ca.1813-1868), was appointed in 1852 and began to develop a lifeboat service because shipping numbers and shipwrecks were increasing rapidly at the time.

Ferguson could have ordered lifeboats constructed in the United Kingdom, but these would have taken some time to arrive. Instead, he commissioned them locally with materials supplied by the government. Unlike traditional English lifeboats, Victorian lifeboats were usually launched directly into the water from lifeboat sheds.

The Portland Lifeboat was the second lifeboat modified from English designs, sent to Portland for service under the Portland Harbour Master, Captain James Fawthrop (1804-1878).

Fawthrop had been a captain on several ships and was appointed Harbour Master in 1853. He began to assemble a volunteer crew who were paid for quarterly practice sessions. These lifeboat drills were an important source of income for fishermen in the winter months and being members of the lifeboat crew gave them prestige in the community.

Between 1859 and 1872 the Portland Lifeboat was called to six wrecks, including two hoaxes. It was not called out after this time, however the crew continued to practice.

📷: State Library of Victoria, S.S. "Admella", iron barque, art original, David Michael Little, between 1900 and 1960, Acc#H26896

"There has to be a balance between weight and buoyancy. The balance is different for every lifeboat, and it needs to be correct so crews can continue with a rescue, no matter how bad sea conditions are."

– Ian Wallbrigde, RNLI Senior Engineer (How do lifeboats self-right?)

SS ADMELLA SHIPWRECK RESCUE

The SS Admella was a popular passenger and cargo steamship (see image above). While travelling between Adelaide and Melbourne, on 6 August 1859 the Admella struck a submerged reef off the coast of South Australia and quickly broke up leaving survivors clinging to the wreck.

Two of the seamen eventually reached the shore and walked to the nearest lighthouse at Cape Northumberland over 30km away. There was no telegraph at the lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper had to walk to a nearby farm to borrow a horse to ride to Mount Gambier and raise the alarm. The shipwreck and survivors could be seen from the shore, but the surf was too rough to reach them from land.

South Australia did not have any lifeboats but sent the Corio from Adelaide. The Victorian Premier, John O'Shanassy, initially refused assistance due to the shipwreck occurring in interstate waters, so the Portland Lifeboat together with a Henty whale boat arrived at the site more than a week after the wreck. The Corio’s lifeboat and the Admella’s lifeboat were also used in the rescue.

Survivors were in a desperate state, exposed to the waves with no food or water. However, the seas were too rough and almost swamped the rescue boats. People on shore could see survivors dying while rescue attempts continued to fail.

After several failed attempts, on 14 August 1859 the whaleboat rescued 3 survivors and the Portland Lifeboat lead by Captain Fawthrop rescued the remaining 19. Another survivor on Corio’s lifeboat died when it capsized near the shore. Of the 113 people on board, 89 died.

The self-righting abilities and large passenger capacity of the Portland lifeboat were clearly essential in the rescue of the largest number survivors from this tragic event.

📷: State Library of Victoria, HISTORICAL LIFEBOAT, Portland Botanical Gardens, picture, ca. 1914-ca. 1941, Acc#H22795

COMMEMORATING AND MEMORIALISING

The wreck of the Admella, the tragic loss of life and the valiant rescue attempts, were a major event for Victoria with newspapers reports of every detail generating intense public interest.

The “Admella Relief and Reward Fund” was formed, and the public contributed in Portland, Melbourne and other towns in Victoria. Ca.£8.000 was raised in Victoria for medals awarded to the rescuers, financial compensation and rewards for the survivors and rescuers, and a large marble plaque known as the "Admella Tablet" which was initially installed at the Custom’s House in Melbourne.

In addition, the United Kingdom Board of Trade, awarded its own medals to the rescuers and survivors. A number of artists produced paintings, prints and poems of the event.

While all the other lifeboats from the same era were scrapped or re-purposed, when the Portland Lifeboat was retired from service, it was placed in the Portland Botanic Gardens with a commemorative bronze plaque. The gardens were also known as the “Lifeboat Gardens” and the lifeboat was known as the “Admella Lifeboat”. In 1929 a protective shelter was placed over the lifeboat (see image above).

The Portland Lifeboat is now housed in the Portland Maritime Discovery Centre, in Glenelg Shire.

INCLUSION IN THE VHR

The Portland Lifeboat was included in the Victorian Heritage Register in February 2023. It is historically significant for its association with the establishment of the Victorian Lifeboat Service and with the movement to commemorate tragic shipwrecks and celebrate successful rescues.

📷: State Library Victoria, Plaque in memory of Captain James Fawthrop and crew who rescued survivors or the ill fated S.S. Admella, picture, ca. 1914-ca. 1941, Acc #H22797

4. Custodian Interview – Portland Lifeboat (H2430)

We interviewed Gordon Stokes, Volunteer community advisor in the area of arts, heritage and cultural collection, to the City of Portland and Glenelg Shire Council for the past 35 years.

📷: Portland Lifeboat (H2430) Heritage Victoria, Geoff Austin 2023

a) What is your connection and involvement with the Portland Lifeboat and its protection?

"I was a member of the inaugural Maritime History Advisory committee set up in 1990 to advise the Council on matters relating to Portland’s rich maritime heritage. The first task was the preservation of lifeboat Portland, it’s conservation and housing.

At this stage the lifeboat was on public display under an open sided pavilion in the Portland Botanical Gardens where it had been since 1915, interpreted as a memorial to lives lost in the Admella wreck in 1859, and the lifeboat, Portland and crew involvement in saving 19 of the survivors.

I recall there was much discussion on whether the boat should be preserved and appropriately displayed or repaired and placed in the water and used. I was in the preservation camp and having the support of experts in the museum sector, the others were convinced that, it would be our recommendation to the Council."

"I was hooked...I developed a good understanding of the values of cultural heritage and the need to save and protect those values."

– Gordon Stokes, 2023

📷: Australian National Maritime Museum, The crew of the Portland Lifeboat, date unknown.

a) continued...

"A Lifeboat Conservation Subcommittee was formed in 1992 and it was tasked with the responsibility for the conservation work on the lifeboat and guiding and supervising the work by carpenter James Quinlivan. I was a member of that committee along with the late Brendan Jarrett, John Francis, John Edgar, Terry Arnott (honorary curator). We sought expert advice, regarding methods and practice of preserving a maritime artefact, from Dr Ian MacLeod from WA Maritime Museum and Michael Stapples from the National Maritime Museum. Others consulted included Sharron Towns from Heritage Victoria.

I was also involved with raising the public profile of the Portland Lifeboat...a member of the organizing committees for the Admella Festival 1991 & 1992 and the Admella 150 Festival (a commemoration held on both sides of the border in 2007), and Chair of the Maritime Discovery Centre (MDC) Opening Celebrations 1998.

I remained on the MHAC until the opening of the Maritime Discovery Centre in 1998.
I remain a member of the councils Cultural Collection Management Committee and later known as the Cultural Collections Reference Group. The lifeboat Portland is a very significant artefact in this collection."

📷: Australian National Maritime Museum, The lifeboat on display in the 1900s out in the open at Portland Botanical Gardens.

"I coordinated Museums Australia community workshops on collection care...I joined a community group called the Historic Buildings Restoration Committee in the middle of the 1980s and the National Trust. I became an advocate for the protection of cultural heritage, both settler and First Peoples, in the Glenelg Shire."

– Gordon Stokes, 2023

b) What do you think is most significant about the Portland Lifeboat’s history.

"[It is] a unique surviving lifeboat, built in 1857 using advanced features, such as self-righting capability...if it is turned over.

The successful rescue missions, particularly the Julia and Admella, led by Captain James Fawthrop are exceptional when compared to today’s standards of high technology equipment and the much lower risk to the rescue crew and the survivors."

c) Is there something surprising you have found out through research or your work?

"...it seems as though Fawthrop or a later Harbour Master at Portland wasn’t entirely satisfied that the vessel ability to self-right was adequate, thus the Portland has extra cork packed under canvas on the bow and stern air-case.

The control of the lifeboat is via a pair of sweep oars or a rudder.... A rudder is used and only effective when the boat is moving generally in a forward direction. It is ineffective when the boat is stopped. A sweep is very useful when the boat is stopped. A sweep can be used to turn the boat in a complete circle or indeed in any direction...In heavy seas it may be necessary to use a pair of sweep oars."

📷: Captain James Fawthrop, The Age, The Coast Diaries: An old lifeboat, a shipwreck, and great heroism

d) During the rescue mission of the SS Admella, how did 12 crew and 19 survivors all fit?

"10 rowers would be sitting in their positions on the thwarts; ideally free in their ability to row. 19 survivors were no doubt carefully placed on the side seats, perhaps 8 on each side and 3 on the fore and aft decks.

However, we do know that the lifeboat Portland was connected by a warp to a waiting whaleboat. Fawthrop no doubt considered that the lifeboat would be overloaded if the rescue was a success and perhaps not all oarsmen were free to put in.

The whaleboat in the first attempt towed the stricken lifeboat out of danger when swamped, smashed oars, and rolled by heavy waves. The whaleboat on standby beyond the breakers was essential to the successful rescue of all 19 survivors the following day."

📷: James Shaw, Australia, 1815 - 1881, The Admella, 1858, Adelaide, oil on canvas, 65.5 x 95.0cm, South Australian Government Grant 1977, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.

e) Why do you think the Portland Lifeboat’s inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register is a positive thing to happen?

"The request of the former Portland Borough Council to keep the replaced Portland in Portland as a memorial, in 1915, was the first step in the conservation of this lifeboat. Although it was not kept in ideal conditions, it did survive largely intact. 108 years later the care of the lifeboat has improved greatly, although considered adequate, it is still not considered high grade museum standard. This is something that must be addressed in the future. Registration will support this upgrade.

The registration confirms the uniqueness and significance of the lifeboat. Confirming its location and care for now and the future."

f) If you could personify the Portland Lifeboat, what words would you use?

"Wow. Food for thought. I think I would call her a “Survivor”.

📷: Portland Lifeboat (H2430) Heritage Victoria, Geoff Austin 2023

g) What has your work with the Portland Lifeboat taught you?

"Proceed slowly, seed your ideas and aims in others and be patient, support from others will develop."

h) How has being a custodian of cultural heritage influenced your life and your outlook?

"The role of custodian of cultural heritage has become part of my life particularly in the last 35 years. I haven’t thought of myself as a custodian but with a bit of thought I can accept that as a description of the role I have taken on. A role not only in the maritime area but also as an advocate for the conservation of the natural and cultural values of our community. As an older man I realise that I have accumulated a store of historical and cultural knowledge which is beneficial to both the indigenous and general community."

i) What words of wisdom would you give to others who are passionate about protecting heritage and are looking to get involved?

"Do not be in a hurry, time is on your side.
Find out as much as you can about your object. Consult, Inspect, investigate.
Conservation practice; do as much as necessary and as little as possible.
Leave detailed records of all activities."

"I think the association with the maritime history of Portland and particularly the lifeboat and the future museum we planned was a catalyst to complete a post graduate certificate in Museum Studies."

– Gordon Stokes, 2023

We would like to thank Gordon Stokes for his time and work on the Portland Lifeboat.

If you would like to find out more, you can read about this place in the Victorian Heritage Database or visit the Portland Maritime Discovery Centre.

Lee Breakwater Road, Portland, VIC, 3305
portlandvic@glenelg.vic.gov.au
1800035567

Did you know ICI House (H0786) was once the tallest building in Australia?

At 84m it broke the 40.2m Victorian height restriction by 43.6m and set a new precedent in height controls in the city of Melbourne.

5. If you missed it...

Mortars: materials, mixes and methods, a guide to repointing mortar joints in older buildings

A new technical guide Mortars: materials, mixes and methods, a guide to repointing mortar joints in older buildings has just been released by the Heritage Council of Victoria.

Written by David Young OAM, an acknowledged expert in the use and application of traditional mortars, and supported by the heritage councils of each state, the new technical guide is an essential resource for anyone wishing to repair older stone or brick buildings in Australia.

Lime was the principal binder in mortars and plasters of Australia’s early colonial buildings, and it continued to be used in domestic construction until the mid-twentieth century. However, major changes in building practices after World War II led to the predominant use of cement in mortars. This change led to a decline in understanding of the properties of lime mortars, their important role in porous masonry, as well as the practical aspects of working with lime. This technical guide helps fill this gap.

Find out more

Download

📷: Labassa, The National Trust Victoria 2023

The 2023 Heritage Festival and inaugural Heritage Trades Show

The Heritage Council of Victoria are proud sponsors of the 2023 Australian Heritage Festival in Victoria, promoting greater awareness, knowledge and understanding of heritage.

Australia’s biggest annual community-driven heritage festival brings together half a million people through over a thousand events and programs during the festival period.

This year, the theme is Shared Stories and there are over 170 events organised by over 100 different organisations across Victoria from 18 April to 18 May 2023 to encourage the sharing of passion and fascination through tales of heritage.

"Cultural heritage is all about sharing our stories. Traditions, languages, places, objects, and buildings, what makes them so important to us without the stories of who passed them on, how they have touched our lives? The festival is an opportunity to foster understanding of our shared histories and invite learning and participation."

– National Trust of Australia (Victoria)

Find events near you!

The Heritage Council also sponsored the inaugural National Trust Heritage Trades Show, a knowledge sharing forum bringing practitioners together to share experiences, successes and failures, and stimulate discussion around conservation philosophy and processes.

The event had a great turn out. A wide variety of visitors including trade specialists, property owners, students and the general public, were all keen to learn about traditional trades and materials.

Council Member, Jeff Robinson, moderated a panel event on the topic of Heritage and Climate Change, discussing management of the impacts of climate change on heritage places, the future of heritage protection, and how the industry can ensure that conservation skills are valued and sustained into the future.

The panel guests included Sam Westbrooke, National Trust Conservation Architect, David Young, Heritage Consultant, and Jo Lyngcoln, Manager of the Emergency and Bushfire Recovery Program at Heritage Victoria.

A recording of this panel event, and others moderated by Jeff, will be available online as part of the National Trust Heritage and Sustainability Webinar Series.

"As the owner of a heritage home, I was thrilled to meet tradespeople who really understood heritage and who used appropriate practices. I will definitely be utilising both the knowledge gained; and be requesting quotes from some of the tradespeople to undertake heritage work. Thank you for organising the show, it was very informative and helpful."

– Attendee

Victorian Heritage Services Directory

📷: Labassa, The 2023 Heritage Trades Show, The National Trust Victoria

6. Can you guess what this is?

Can you guess which Victorian Heritage Register place this close-up is of?

📷: HIN LIM AIPP 2018 | Hin Lim Photography

Here are some clues:

The design of this building was the winner of one of three international competitions held in 1952.
An early example of pre-tensioned steel frame construction.
An early and influential landmark in the development of Structuralist architecture in Australia in the post-war period.

The answer will be in the next edition of the newsletter.

Previous edition answer: Discovery of Gold Monument (H1337)

📷: HIN LIM AIPP 2022 | Hin Lim Photography

7. Updates from Heritage Victoria

Heritage Victoria, in the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, administers the Heritage Act 2017. Heritage Victoria makes recommendations to the Heritage Council in relation to places and objects nominated to the Victorian Heritage Register, assesses permit applications to make changes to heritage places and objects, and manages the enforcement and compliance provisions of the Heritage Act 2017. It is also responsible for the operation of the Living Heritage Program, and managing historical archaeological sites across Victoria and maritime heritage in State and Commonwealth waters.

📷: Parliament House in Melbourne, Victoria (goodfreephotos.com)

Heritage Amendment Bill 2023 passed

Heritage Victoria is very pleased to share that the Heritage Amendment Bill 2023 has passed the Victorian Parliament unopposed. The Bill is the first to amend the Heritage Act 2017. The changes will come into effect on 1 February 2024 or earlier by proclamation.

The Bill increases public visibility of Heritage Act processes by allowing online access to key documents and notices, as well as searchable versions of the Victorian Heritage Register and Heritage Inventory. Public access to Heritage Council hearings will also be enhanced by the new provisions outlining the process for hearings to be held using audio or visual links. The Bill also removes the requirement to make physical documents available on request in Department offices during an emergency or where there is serious risk to public health.

In addition, the Bill will allow applications to exclude places and objects from the Heritage Register. An exclusion may be granted if the Executive Director is satisfied that the place or object does not and will not meet the threshold for inclusion. If an exclusion is granted, new nominations for that place or object will not be considered for five years unless significant new information is provided. This new process will give agencies the certainty required to plan projects and to provide appropriately for any heritage that is identified before works on a major project begin. The robustness of the decision-making process is supported by allowing the Heritage Council to receive requests to review any decision within the first 28 days.

The Bill will also make general changes to improve Heritage Act processes. Key changes relate to the processes for issuing and amending heritage permit applications and permits, consents for archaeological sites, and entering places and objects into the Victorian Register.

During the debate members reflected on the importance of heritage in Victoria. Minister Kilkenny stated that the Government is committed to ‘delivering an efficient, practical, and effective heritage system for Victoria’. Minister Shing observed that ‘heritage here in Victoria occupies a really important space in our understanding of history and the recognition that we have and ought to always have for history in the context of where we are heading’.

Further information

📷: Photos from Heritage Victoria’s visit to Harcourt. Photos supplied by Katerina Karanikas.

Archaeological site discovered by high school student

Members of Heritage Victoria’s Archaeology team visited the town of Harcourt on Wednesday 12 April, after a local high school student reported a possible archaeological site.

Year 7 student Tobias found fragments of metal, glass and ceramic objects at his family property. The site is close to the Leslie & Ross Railway Camp, where rail line construction activities were focussed between 1858 and 1863. Two previous excavations had uncovered remains associated with the industrial operations of the camp but no evidence of the camp’s residential area (where the camp workers were living) had been found. It is likely that Tobias has discovered the location of at least part of this residential camp.

Heritage Victoria staff Katerina Karanikas, Bronwyn Woff and Jeremy Smith met Tobias, and George Milford from the Harcourt Historical Society to assess the site and the finds. Tobias shared the results of the research that he had conducted into the place history, and the team were given a highly informative and comprehensive tour of the lightly forested local area. Open, terraced areas containing scatters of hand-made brick and other artefacts were surveyed and recorded.

As a result of the Harcourt community's interest and passion for their local history and following the assessment by Heritage Victoria's team, it is likely that the site's Heritage Inventory listing will be amended to include the new discovery. Hopefully if the site is excavated in the future, Tobias will be working with us as a fully fledged archaeologist!

📷: Empress of the Sea site plan recorded by Victorian Archaeological Survey in 1984.

Diving the Empress of the Sea shipwreck

On 20 February the Heritage Victoria Maritime Archaeology Team dived the Empress of the Sea shipwreck site. The site still shows evidence of the daring crime which caused the ship to wreck in 1861.

Empress of the Sea was an American three masted wooden clipper ship. On 18 December 1861, the ship left Hobsons Bay carrying £80,000 of gold. Late that evening, a fire broke out in the forward hold and quickly spread through the ship. The ship was sailed from anchorage and ran aground off Point Nepean where lifeboats were lowered. While the passengers and most of the crew rowed towards Queenscliff, another boat with five crew and the gold could be seen heading towards the Port Phillip Heads. A pilot boat managed to apprehend the thieves before they could escape with the gold. A court of Inquiry, held shortly after the wrecking, found that the fire was a deliberate act of arson.

The wreck site had not been investigated by Heritage Victoria since 1994 and could not be found in 2007 or 2016. The team expected to take months to find it (since the conditions must be perfect to dive and we had 11 possible coordinates) but it was found on the first try. The site is in Nepean Bay at a depth of 8m. This area is very susceptible to strong tidal currents as it is right next to the Port Phillip Heads. In order to dive the site, the team had planned for 'slack' tide (period with no current). The site is also subject to sand movement and some of the features were buried under the seabed. The most prominent features on the site were the ballast mound (rocks used as a counterweight at the bottom of the ship) and the large iron water tanks. The ship’s structural timbers were visible around the site and the keel timber was evidently burnt.

The maritime archaeology team are currently investigating all 70 historic wreck sites (including submerged aircraft wrecks) located in Port Phillip Bay. Since December 2022 the team has visited SS City of Launceston, Monarch, Mountain Maid, Empress of the Sea, Hurricane and Isis.

📷: Liam Phillips next to one of the iron water tanks of Empress of the Sea.

📷: Danielle Wilkinson investigates the keel of Empress of the Sea.

8. Upcoming

MAY

Heritage Festival in Victoria: until 18 May
Tour of Trades Hall: 11 May
An evening in Melbourne’s Lanes: 11 May
Finding Places, Heritage and local history resources in the National Archives: 15 May
Lessons from history: colonial foundations of criminal justice in Victoria: 16 May
Ned Kelly, A New Lense: 18 May
Isobel Morphy-Walsh, Gunga-na Dhum-nganjinu: until 27 May
Melbourne Design Week: 18 - 28 May
Open Nature, Open House:
Birchip Regional Seminar Weekend: Strengthen your societies and communities through History: 20 May
Design Matters, The Great Great Australian Dream: 28 May
Zelda D'Aprano Statue Unveiling: 30 May
Melbourne Recital Centre Guided Tours: until 5 June
Distant Things Appear Suddenly Near: until 30 June 23
Victoria’s Government House tours: until 3 Jul 23
RISING Festival: until 18 June
Landscape Architects as Change Makers: throughout May

JUNE

JULY

Houses Awards Night: 28 July
Open House Melbourne, July Program: TBC
Rare books from the RHSV collection: 24 July

AUGUST

Women's Agency and Embroidery with Anne Dunlop: 2 Aug

ONGOING

NGV Architecture Commission – Temple of Boom: until Oct
Takahiro Iwasaki, Reflection Model (Itsukushima): until 31 Oct
Royal Exhibition Building Dome Promenade: ongoing
Cataloguing Clinics: ongoing
Melbourne Town Hall Tours: ongoing
Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre: ongoing (open mid-week)
Aboriginal Melbourne walk: self-guided
Polly Woodside Open Day: every first Sunday of the month
Flash Forward: ongoing
Yarra, Stories of Melbourne's River: until 31 Dec
Protest Melbourne: until 31 Dec
A Nation Divided, The Great War and Conscription: until 31 Dec
Women Work for Victory in WWII: until 31 Dec

📷: HIN LIM AIPP 2018 | Hin Lim Photography | Bendigo Masonic Hall (H2379)

As a peak heritage body, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Country that we call Victoria, as the original custodians of Victoria’s land and waters, and acknowledge the importance and significance of Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria. We honour Elders past and present whose knowledge and wisdom has ensured the continuation of Aboriginal culture and traditional practices.

Note: The statutory scope of the Heritage Act 2017 covers places and objects of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, but does not apply to a place or object that is of cultural heritage significance solely on the ground of its association with Aboriginal tradition. In this newsletter, the terms ‘cultural heritage’ and ‘heritage’ are used generically and interchangeably to refer to the ‘heritage’ to which the Heritage Act 2017 applies, recognising that heritage places and objects may have multiple attributes and values.

To find out more information about Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and Traditional Owner responsibilities, see the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council.

📷: HIN LIM AIPP 2018 | Hin Lim Photography | Elsternwick Fire Station (H2376)

By identifying, recording, and protecting our heritage, we ensure that future generations can enjoy and learn from it for years to come.

Welcome – Wominjeka

Contents:

1. Recent inclusions in the Victorian Heritage Register

John Curtin Hotel (H2426)

Harry Johns Collection (H2435)

Caulfield Racecourse (H2415)

2. ‘Heritage 101’ Information for Councillors

Did you know gold mining sites are included in the VHR?

3. If this object could talk... Portland Lifeboat (H2430)

A rare object, the Portland Lifeboat is the second oldest lifeboat vessel in Victoria. It demonstrates the first design and construction of lifeboats in Victoria and was key in shipwreck rescue missions during its lifetime. If it could talk, what stories would it tell?

4. Custodian Interview – Portland Lifeboat (H2430)

We interviewed Gordon Stokes, Volunteer community advisor in the area of arts, heritage and cultural collection, to the City of Portland and Glenelg Shire Council for the past 35 years.

Did you know ICI House (H0786) was once the tallest building in Australia?

5. If you missed it...

6. Can you guess what this is?

7. Updates from Heritage Victoria

Diving the Empress of the Sea shipwreck

8. Upcoming