What's New

Photographic Competition

The National Trust of Australia (NSW) in conjunction with national radio partner ABC Local Radio is inviting the community to enter the “I love this place….” photographic competition, supported by the N.S.W. Architects Registration Board.

More information can be found on the National Trust of Australia (NSW) website

Our Heritage At Risk 2008 Nominations

The Portside building Burnie, former Holyman Airways hangar at Launceston Airport, St James Church, Jericho together with the Deal Island lighthouse and Voss Farm, Collinsvale have all been nominated for inclusion in the Tasmanian heritage places and objects list for the Australian Council of National Trusts Heritage Most at Risk List.

Our Heritage at Risk is an Australia wide initiative organised by the National Trust. It is a two tiered program which calls for each state and territory to develop a list of those places and objects at risk and from which the ten most at risk places or objects in Australia will be selected.

The five places nominated in Tasmania highlight a number of major issues currently threatening Tasmania’s built heritage including:

• The lack of recognition of the value of Tasmania’s twentieth century built heritage
• Redundancy of former institutional buildings including churches
• The importance specific buildings in our nationally recognised rural cultural landscapes

Chris Tassell, Managing Director of the National Trust said that “the proposed demolition of the Portside building at Burnie is a matter of great concern and the National Trust has strongly endorsed the Tasmanian Heritage Council’s provisional listing of this building. The lack of willingness by the Burnie City Council to consider clever and inspired reuse of this building in away that contributes to both the economic vitality of the city and its heritage identity is a matter of regret."

In contrast he noted “the National Trust has welcomed the rapid and constructive response by the Australian Pacific Airports (Launceston) managers of the airport.” Following recognition of the heritage importance of the Holyman Airlines hangar they have commissioned a study to provide the basis for decisions about the future management of the hangar while at the same time ensuring that the future development of the airport.

St James Church Jericho highlights the continuing challenge of maintaining redundant church buildings that have broader high levels of community importance. In the case of St James it has a pivotal place in the distinctive rural cultural landscape about Jericho through which Tasmania’s main highway runs. It is to be hoped that the State Government’s proposed Heritage Fund will provide the resources for such important buildings as St James Church.

All five nominations will move forward for consideration by the Australian Council of National Trusts as part of the process of preparing Australia’s Most at Risk List.

Further information is available on our Heritage Action page here

Runnymede Model Ship Acquisition

The National Trust has recently purchased a model of the Hally Bayley made by B. Dean, Hobart, undated. It is a fine example of a ship model and is now on display in the museum room at Runnymede.

Runnymede’s connection with the maritime history of Tasmania and the adoption of its present name came about in 1864, about 24 years after it had been built, when the property was bought by Captain Charles Bayley. Charles and his brother James, who later lived at Runnymede after Charles had died, were prominent master mariners and ship-owners who spent much of their time deep-sea whaling, with the River Derwent as their home port.

The Bayley brothers owned and captained a number of whaleships and trading ships and the Runnymede maritime collection provides insights into their sea-faring past.

One of the Bayley ships the Hally Bayley, 122 tonnes, was built by John McGregor for the Bayley brothers at the Domain shipyard in Hobart and launched in 1869.  It was described as a ‘perfect topsail schooner’ and its fast passages showed it to be both a ‘clipper’ and a splendid ‘sea boat’.  It ended its days as a hulk at Sydney, New South Wales in 1910.

Disaster Response Bins

Becks Pty. Ltd., Launceston have generously supported the equipping of the National Trust’s new Disaster Response  Bins to be located at our 9 properties regularly open to the public.
The Disaster Response Bins contain small quantities of materials and equipment which will enable Trust volunteers and staff to respond immediately, effectively and safely to an incident. 
The development of these bins greatly improves the National Trust’s capacity to care for the nationally important heritage properties and collections held by it on behalf of the community.
The practical support of Becks has enabled this project to be implemented so soon after the restructuring of the National Trust this year.

Great Colonial Houses Pass

A co-operative initiative has been the development of a new marketing initiative with Woolmers and Entally Estate. This will see Clarendon coupled with these two major rural properties and together they will be marketed as “The Great Colonial Houses of Tasmania”. This new initiative is aimed at capturing a greater share of the short break market in the north of the state and will encourage visitors to go to more than one of these historic sites which at first glance seem similar. The launch of the new initiative with its joint ticket that offers a significant discount will take place during the Heritage Festival. Other potential joint marketing opportunities for a number of Trust properties are also being explored.

Click here for more information.

ROYAL TASMANIAN BOTANIC GARDENS

The National Trust is delighted to be entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens as it builds upon the complimentary strengths of our organizations to the advantage of the Tasmanian community.

The National Trust holds in its portfolio some of Tasmania’s most significant heritage properties with substantial gardens and grounds, which in their own right are of great heritage significance.

The new partnership will see a number of key elements:-

• Working together to promote the roles of our organization and the importance of our gardens including their heritage and scientific values;
• The opportunity for the Trust to benefit from the professional skills and knowledge of the staff of the Botanic Gardens as we care and conserve the gardens, trees and grounds of the Trust’properties throughout the state;
• Access to the archives;
• The ability of the Trust to support the Botanic Gardens in their statewide  outreach programs through the use of the Trust’s properties;

This partnership will help ensure that our gardens remain places of enjoyment and delight, while serving science and conserving our wonderful heritage.