Conference Paper

Author

Cottee, Don

Title

Municipality of Hunter's Hill 19th Century Maritime Heritage Problems in Managing and Accounting for Heritage Listed Items

In

Eleventh National Conference on Engineering Heritage: Federation Engineering a Nation; Proceedings

Imprint

Institution of Engineers, Australia, Barton, Australian Capital Territory, 2001, pp. 71-77

ISBN/ISSN

1740922155

Url

https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.520492826339724

Abstract

Extensive use of the local sandstone was made by the early developers and industrialists for construction purposes in the 19th century. Industrial development took off in the last two decades of the 19th century in the Woolwich area. Many industrial sites were established along the Parramatta River at Woolwich with the largest dry dock in Australia being opened in 1901. The industries included shipbuilding, oil distribution, marine engine manufacturing, manufacture of chemicals, tin smelting and Australia's first producer of carnotite (an ore of uranium). The introduction of the new Local Government Act in N.S.W. in 1993 prescribed the introduction of Australian Accounting Standard 27 for the accounting of assets owned by local authorities. The paper details some of the problems encountered by a small community in accepting the management of and accounting for listed sites. The accounting of assets provided a new focus for local authorities on aging infrastructure and the challenge of providing adequate funding for maintenance and conservation work. The Municipality of Hunter's Hill has a considerable inventory of sites listed in its Local Environment Plan 2 and most of the area is declared a historic place by The National Heritage Commission. The redevelopment of old institutional, industrial and military sites will see the transfer of additional listed sites to council for their future care control and management. The acceptance of these sites with their heritage listed items by council has challenges for the local community.

Related Published resources

isPartOf

• Eleventh National Conference on Engineering Heritage: Federation Engineering a Nation; Proceedings edited by Baker, Keith (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2001), 262 pp, https://search.informit.org/doi/book/10.3316/informit.1740922155. Details