26 Jun Heritage Values Review _ Site Visit
Wedge and Grey Shack Settlements
In August 2011, I visited your shack communities while preparing the Wedge and Grey Shack Settlements Cultural Heritage Assessment report for the National Trust of Australia (WA) and the shack communities (2012, GML Heritage, Sydney, with Context, Melbourne). This report became the basis of a WA State Heritage Register nomination by the National Trust (WA). (See your community websites for a copy of my report.)
While the WA State Heritage Office responded positively at the time saying that ‘the place is likely to have value at a State level’, it has not progressed a formal assessment and has indicated that it is waiting for DPaW to complete its management planning for these areas.
The National Trust (WA) is now very concerned about how this drawn out situation is impacting the heritage values identified in 2011/12, as well being concerned that usual heritage practice has not been followed to first identify and agree on the heritage values as the basis for developing future management proposals, not afterwards, as is the case here.
The National Trust (WA), with the support of WIPA and GCCA, has therefore now engaged me to revisit the shack settlement to ascertain changes in values, threats to values and requirements for their ongoing conservation.
I am visiting the shacks settlements between Saturday 1 July and Wednesday 5 July, at the start of the upcoming school holidays, and am interested in meeting shack owners to discuss these matters, as well as to look at the broad settlements and shacks I visited in 2011.
I am very interested in your views on:
• current heritage values;
• recent changes and current threats that may impact on shack heritage values; and
• your suggestions about how to address any concerns or threats to heritage values.
You are invited to a meeting at the Gun Club at Wedge, 10am Monday 3 July, or at Grey (G21/G22 – AGM location) 2pm Tuesday 4 July 2017.
I look forward to meeting you then, or if not, hear from you via my email below.
Yours sincerely,
Geoff Ashley 26 June 2017
geoff@ashleybuilthertitage.com.au