Conference Paper

From the earliest days of settlement, construction has been regarded as of great importance for the well-being and expansion of the colony. Primitive attempts in road and bridge building (the first bridge might have been built across the Tank Stream in infant Sydney) were followed by the construction of wharves and dams, by the opening up of quarries and by gradual development of advanced construction methods and equipment. Relics of engineering construction are disappearing fast and we may now have the last opportunity to record the national achievement in this field which has strong claims to be included in the National Estate. The paper describes various aspects of the work of recording as planned by the Engineering Heritage Committee of Sydney Division: identification, assessment and, if justifiable, conservation. Just now, relics of singular interest are being identified; in the long run these items may line up to form a chain of development of engineering construction in this country. The writers suggest the establishment of a multi-disciplinary Centre for Engineering Relics which would be available for research, identification testing and advice to practitioners.