2018 Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal

MEDIA RELEASE 7 May 2018

Gianfranco Cresciani has won the prestigious 2018 Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal.

Dr Cresciani was one of four finalists in contention for the medal, and he has been honoured for his work in the protection, understanding and promotion of Australia’s Italo-Australian heritage.

Mayor of Bathurst Cr Graeme Hanger OAM said the Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal is awarded annually to acknowledge the significant contribution of an individual to the protection, promotion and enhancement of Australia’s heritage; where heritage refers to natural, built, social or cultural heritage.

“The Medal was introduced in 2015 as part of the city’s bicentenary celebrations and it provides Bathurst, Australia’s oldest inland European settlement, with an opportunity to celebrate the history and heritage in all its forms. The Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal looks at the achievements made by those working at a national level, and we also use the night to honour the efforts being made locally to preserve and interpret our history,” Cr Hanger said.

In accepting the award Dr Cresciani said he was deeply humbled to be chosen as the 2018 Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal for his involvement in documenting the lives of Italian migrants to Australia.

“This award is not just for me, but for the hundreds of thousands of Italian migrants who came to this country in difficult conditions after World War II and who helped build the Australia we know. Their contribution has been seminal in helping make Australia the multicultural nation it is today. The award will help me to continue to document their role in the making of Australia,” Dr Cresciani said.

“In winning this award, I hope my research will continue to raise the profile of Australia’s heritage at a national and international level.”

The award has been presented each year since 2015 honouring champions of heritage from a variety of fields.

The 2015 winner was Duncan Marshall a heritage conservation consultant; in 2016 the honour was bestowed on Prof. Robyn Sloggett AM from Melbourne University’s Grimwade Centre for her work in heritage conservation while 2017 winner Dr Scott Robertson received the award for his commitment to the promotion and enhancement of Australia’s twentieth century modern heritage.

Two local projects were honoured as joint winners of The Chifley Award, the restoration of the Clifton Convict Quarters and the restoration of 13 Morrisset Street.

The Chifley Award is presented as part of the Bathurst Region Heritage Awards, to a

a project that demonstrates the most outstanding contribution to the built, natural or cultural heritage of the Bathurst region.

As part of the local awards:

Certificates of recognition were presented to:

Bathurst Surveyors’ Walk William I Webb Collection The Rockley Game Stained Glass Windows – All Saints Cathedral Arndilly House at 344 Howick Street Brookland Park garden

Certificate – Highly Commended

Kings Parade Railway Car Park and Railway Goods Office building 311 Howick Street Buddens 1858 Well Alan Harvey – specialist bricklayer Tom Miller – specialist blacksmith

Outstanding

Yesterday Today Clifton Convict Quarters 13 Morrisset St

Chifley Award

The 2018 Chifley Award was won by joint winners Clifton Convict Quarters and 13 Morrisset Street.

The inaugural Chifley Award was presented in 2017 and was won by Dr David Goldney

BACKGROUND TO THE BATHURST MACQUARIE HERITAGE MEDAL:

The 2018 Winner:

Dr Gianfranco Cresciani

Gianfranco Cresciani has, through his research, collecting, writing, publication

and broadcasting, made a significant contribution to the protection, enhancement, understanding and promotion of Australia’s Italo-Australian heritage. He has researched, collected, archived, written, published and broadcast the history of Italian migration to Australia since 1970 to the present. During this period he has published and edited some ten books, over thirty scholarly papers and spoken at dozens of international conferences. The Italians, published in 1985 to coincide with his ABC television series, charts the Italian-Australian migration story, from Italian convicts in the 18th century, to the mass-migration of the 20th century. His other books have explored regional migration, Italian organisations and companies, biographies and migrant political activities.

He received a Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa from the University of New South Wales, 2005 in recognition of “his long and distinguished contribution to the field of history”.

Finalists:

Dr Vicki Couzens

Dr. Vicki Couzens recently appointed as a Vice Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellow (2018-2021) in the School of Media and Communication, RMIT University Mebourne. Vicki Couzens is a Keerray Wurrong woman of the Gunditjmara nation from the Western Districts of Victoria. Vicki is a Senior cultural knowledge holder, arts practitioner, educator and cultural conservator. Vicki has led programs for cultural rejuvenation, education and community well-being for over thirty years. Her work on possum skin cloak creation and use, and on language reconstruction, are built through the incorporation of knowledge that has been shared with her by community Elders as well as from extensive research she has undertaken.

Vicki completed her PhD titled ‘Koorramookyan Yakeeneeytan Kooweekooweeyan - Reconnecting Communities and Culture: Telling The Story of Possum Skin Cloaks’ in 2017 under a Lowitja Institute scholarship.

As a Research Fellow in the School of Media and Communication Vicki will be continuing her work in the revitalisation of cultural knowledges and practices. In her first year she is focusing on the rebuilding of Gunditjmara grammar towards immersive language revitalisation.

Graham Lupp

Graham Lupp is an accomplished artist and photographer whose practice is informed and inspired by his training in architecture, by his formal study of the history of architecture and art. In addition, a consistent theme in his landscape painting is the documentation of natural heritage, such as a series of aerial works of the 1980s which captured the changing character of the Macquarie, Turon and Abercrombie Rivers.

His distinguished and productive career includes the publication in 2018 of his major book titled “Building Bathurst – the story of those who built Bathurst and Central New South Wales, 1815 – 1915”. The 840 page, 460,000 word architectural history art book is in two volumes. It includes the catalogues of the buildings in Bathurst designed by seven different Colonial Architects; biographies of 70 architects and builders, and catalogues of the buildings for which they were responsible.

Peter Freeman

Peter Freeman has demonstrated his commitment to conservation and heritage within a long period of professional practice. His work has involved the conservation of historically significant buildings and he authored The Woolshed and The Homestead, publications which are acknowledged as seminal works building an understanding of Australian vernacular buildings. Subsequent publications have been related to the history and development of specific historic sites or buildings, and have adopted an holistic approach to the understand of the social origins, development and the architectural significance of these places. Australia’s rural and vernacular heritage has been a particular focus throughout his work.

BACKGROUND

Bathurst Regional Heritage Award nominations:

The Rockley Game

The re-enactment of The Rockley Game of women’s cricket engaged community members in preserving and celebrating a cultural heritage event on the 125th anniversary of the inaugural cricket match for school girls between Rockley and Triangle Flat. Wide media coverage created an awareness of the event and its significance in the heritage of women’s cricket in the region and beyond.

311 Howick Street

The infill development at 311 Howick Street is marked by the significant effort to construct a single-storey, narrow fronted building which in scale and form is sensitive to the streetscape in which it is situated. Of particular note is the brickwork which has not only re-used original bricks but has included hounds tooth brick corbelling at cornice level under a hipped roof at the front, brick verandah returns and a decorative brick chimney.

Alan Harvey – specialist bricklayer

Protection and preservation of our built heritage is dependent on committed tradesmen with high order skills in their field, working closely with the builders and owners. Alan Harvey has been involved in innumerable heritage restoration projects over decades. He has built up a highly respected career dedicated to restoring, conserving, adapting and adding to heritage buildings with skilful bricklaying. His knowledge covers all brick construction methods and styles from the colonial era through to Art Deco. As a TAFE teacher, Alan has encouraged new tradesmen and women.

Arndilly House at 344 Howick Street

The effort by the developer and designer to incorporate architectural elements of the bungalow style into a modern design to contribute to the streetscape character of the Bathurst Heritage Conservation Area is recognised.

Railway Car park and Railway Goods Office building

Transport NSW and John Holland have transformed the run-down area in the significant railway heritage precinct through the construction of a well-designed carpark integrating high quality landscaping, historic style fencing, and other decorative elements and informative interpretation panels, together with maintenance of the Railway Goods Office building. The plan for the area responds to future development and will complement the imminent Railway Institute museum.

Bathurst Surveyors’ Walk

The Bathurst Surveyors Walk project is a new heritage trail, developed by Bathurst Regional Council in conjunction with local historian Dr Robin McLachlan. It brings together new and existing sites and tells the story of the early pioneering surveyors and the Wiradjuri people. The Surveyors Walk is supported by an informative and colourful guidebook covering eight stops along the trail from the Wambool/Macquarie River to historic William Street and on to King's Parade.

Brookland Park garden

Brookland Park was once an inn on the Cobb & Co route and later a guest house.This re-discovered garden has elements of a traditional European style heritage garden which complements the fully restored house. The heritage setting of the house and garden is enhanced by the parterre garden, a brick garden wall and original gate, post and rail fence and the retention of significant mature trees.

Kings Parade

The Kings Parade project was undertaken by Bathurst Regional Council with assistance and research by members of the community. Through the stories described in four well-designed and researched interpretive panels, and historical images on the bus shelter, the Kings Parade project has very effectively provided a highly accessible way for the community of Bathurst and visitors to better understand the history of the park and its memorials and their place in the heritage of Bathurst.

Stained Glass Windows – All Saints Cathedral

The restoration of the stained-glass windows in All Saints Anglican Cathedral reflects an ongoing commitment to the maintenance of the stained glass of the 1848 Blackett designed church. The work has been carried out to best practice quality standards by noted international stained-glass artist Paddy Robinson.

13 Morrisset Street

13 Morrisset Street is an outstanding example of the restoration of a small early colonial cottage and the design and construction of a sympathetic addition. The owners have taken a modest historic workers cottage on the point of demolition and brought it back to life thereby preserving it for decades to come. Of particular note is the scale and design of the rear addition with its rooflines that replicate the existing roof form of the front of the house. The project has involved the protection of a heritage building, the enhancement of the heritage streetscape of Morrisset Street and provides an exemplar of what can be done to preserve a building that is at risk.

Clifton Convict Quarters

The outstanding restoration of Clifton Convict Quarters at Locksley has seen the very historic 1826 two-storey brick convict quarters saved from collapse in the future and restored to its original purpose as accommodation. The work has retained and restored as many of the heritage elements of the building as possible within the current Building Code of Australia, thereby retaining its heritage origins and authenticity. A modest rear addition for a kitchen and bathroom is clad in recycled corrugated iron from the original roof, thereby distinguishing it from the original building. The high quality of the workmanship by staff of Tablelands Builders and the specialist tradesmen, working together with the committed owners, have been essential to the realisation of this restoration project.

Buddens 1858 Well

The restoration of the 1858 rubble well at Buddens, Rockley, is the next step in a continuing program of heritage restoration projects. The work, which required considerable problem solving, was carried out by Woodwright Restoration Builders who specialise in restoration of heritage buildings and places. The excellent brickwork and overall attention to detail has meant that the restored well is true to heritage values. Not only is it preserved for future generations, but it is also now visible and accessible from the exterior of the premises.

Tom Miller – blacksmith

The work of specialist blacksmith, Tom Miller, is highly commended for the high quality of his work, most recently in the restoration of the Clifton Convict Quarters at Locksley. Tom’s work has been used as an exemplar to architects and builders and has created awareness of the possibilities on other heritage projects. He is also recognised for the work he and his team did in restoring the original 100-year-old blacksmith shop at Bathurst Agricultural Research Station and the blacksmithing demonstrations for the Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail.

William I Webb Collection

The William I Webb Collection consists of 22 panels containing more than 220 items of memorabilia of a World War 1 serviceman from the Bathurst region. The collection, curated by his son, Kevin Webb, is an ongoing project to record and interpret the cultural heritage of an individual, his family and the community. Most recently it formed a key element of the Bathurst 2018 Memories of our Carillon Exhibition.

Yesterday Today

Yesterday Today is a very valuable social history column written by Alan McRae and published in the Western Advocate since 1985 and printed weekly since 2009. The column makes an outstanding contribution to the cultural heritage of the Bathurst region. Alan makes a significant and dedicated contribution to researching, interpreting, recording and publishing unique and often not previously recorded aspects of social and object history. Available in both print and on-line formats, it is widely available and searchable.