What is heritage significance?

Presented by Ian BoersmaWorks Manager, Heritage Tasmania;

at Heritage: Everything for Local Planning (HELP) annual forum; Campbell Town, on 19 September 2013.

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What is heritage significance?

A quality, commonly ascribed to old buildings.

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What is heritage significance?

A quality, commonly ascribed to old buildings.

What about the Sydney opera house,

Aboriginal art in the Burrup Peninsula,

the Great Barrier Reef, or

the Thylacine skin rug recently acquired by TMAG?

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What is heritage significance?

The special level of meaning that elevates, above the ordinary, a thing that we want to keep and pass on to future generations.

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What is heritage significance?

The special level of meaning that elevates, above the ordinary, a thing that we want to keep and pass on to future generations.

… and how is it relevant to planners?

Places of special meaning enrich our lives, and should therefore be managed so that they remain meaningful.

The retention, alteration or loss of such places have a social effects, which means that planners need to have regard for them in carrying out their responsibilities under the RMPS.

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What is heritage significance?

The special level of meaning that elevates, above the ordinary, a thing that we want to keep and pass on to future generations.

… and how is it relevant to planners?

Places of special meaning enrich our lives, and should therefore be managed so that they remain meaningful.

The retention, alteration or loss of such places have a social effects, which means that planners need to have regard for them in carrying out their responsibilities under the RMPS.

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Enrich (general term)

Meaning or Interest (general terms)

Value “heritage values”

Significant “heritage significance”

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Enrich (general term)

Meaning or Interest (general terms)

Value “heritage values”

Significant “heritage significance”

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Enrich (general term)

Meaning or Interest (general terms)

Value “heritage values”

Significant “heritage significance”

Cultural heritage as distinct from to natural heritage

Historic heritage as distinct from Aboriginal heritage

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… and (again) how is it relevant to planners?

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… and (again) how is it relevant to planners?

Schedule 1 to the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 clearly spells this out in objective (g):

(g) to conserve those buildings, areas or other places which are of scientific, aesthetic, architectural or historical interest, or otherwise of special cultural value;

It is also implicit in objectives (c) and (f):

(c) to ensure that the effects on the environment are considered and provide for explicit consideration of social and economic effects when decisions are made about the use and development of land;

(f) to secure a pleasant, efficient and safe working, living and recreational environment for all Tasmanians and visitors to Tasmania;

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ance Schedule 1 to the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993

clearly spells this out in objective (g):

(g) to conserve those buildings, areas or other places which are of scientific, aesthetic, architectural or historical interest, or otherwise of special cultural value;

It is also implicit in objectives (c) and (f):

(c) to ensure that the effects on the environment are considered and provide for explicit consideration of social and economic effects when decisions are made about the use and development of land;

(f) to secure a pleasant, efficient and safe working, living and recreational environment for all Tasmanians and visitors to Tasmania;

Why these particular points of “interest”?

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Definition provided by the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter, Article 1.2

Cultural significance means aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present or future generations.

Cultural significance is embodied in the place itself, its fabric, setting, use, association, meanings, records, related places and related objects.

Places may have a range of values for different individuals or groups.

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Definition provided by the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter, Article 1.2

Cultural significance means aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present or future generations.

Cultural significance is embodied in the place itself, its fabric, setting, use, association, meanings, records, related places and related objects.

Places may have a range of values for different individuals or groups.

Definition in the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995:

Historic cultural heritage significance, in relation to a place, means significance to any group or community in relation to the archaeological, architectural, cultural, historical, scientific, social or technical value of the place.

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The points of “interest” found in the objectives and again in these two definitions of cultural significance are more widely known as heritage “values”.

The values listed in these two definitions are:

Burra Charter Heritage Act

aesthetic architectural

historic cultural

scientific historical

social archaeological

spiritual scientific

technical

social

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These “values” can be expanded into statements of meaning that a thing (ie: place) might possess.

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These “values” can be expanded into statements of meaning that a thing (ie: place) might possess.

They are the basis for any assessment of significance.

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These “values” can be expanded into statements of meaning that a thing (ie: place) might possess.

They are the basis for any assessment of significance.

We speak of them as “criteria” for the assessment of significance.

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These “values” can be expanded into statements of meaning that a thing (ie: place) might possess.

They are the basis for any assessment of significance.

We speak of them as “criteria” for the assessment of significance.

These criteria are found in section 16 of the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995.

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Criterion (a): It is important in demonstrating theevolution or pattern of Tasmania’s history

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Criterion (b): It demonstrates rare, uncommon orendangered aspects of Tasmania’s heritage

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Criterion (c): It has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Tasmania’s history

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Criterion (d): It is important as a representative in demonstrating the characteristics of a broader class of cultural places

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Criterion (e): It is important in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement

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Criterion (f): It has strong or special meaning for any group or community because of social, cultural or spiritual associations

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Criterion (g): It has a special association with the life or work of a person, a group or organisation that was important in Tasmania’s history

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It is recognized that heritage places have different level of significance, and are managed accordingly:

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Further reading: