The Awards recognise contributions to cultural heritage conservation, research, education, promotion, interpretation, training and awareness-raising within the municipality.
The Awards aim to promote the benefits of cultural heritage conservation by highlighting good practice conservation examples and guidance, as well as offering the owners or guardians of our cultural heritage recognition of their invaluable work.
Cultural heritage includes both tangible cultural heritage, such as buildings and landscapes, books, artefacts and artwork, and intangible cultural heritage, such as folklore, traditions, language and knowledge.
Nominations had to be submitted by 9 December 2016 and site inspections by a judging panel, including Council’s Heritage Adviser, were arranged for buildings, collections and other places in January and February 2017.
The number of entries exceeded that received in the last Awards in 2015, and the Judging Panel was extremely pleased at the range and standard of the nominations.
Locals awarded for outstanding volunteer work on Tatura Irrigation and Wartime Camps Museum
An unexpected addition to the Awards ceremony was the visit by representatives of the Heritage Council of Victoria, the state's peak heritage body, with a huge accolade for two veteran history and heritage workers from this municipality.
The Heritage Council this year decided to award its prestigious statewide Heritage Volunteer award, given in recognition of the significant role volunteers play in the maintenance and preservation of Victoria’s heritage, to not one volunteer but a couple, well-known and prolific local historians and researchers, Arthur and Lurline Knee of the Tatura Irrigation and Wartime Camps Museum.
The Heritage Council normally presents these Volunteer Awards at its Annual General Meeting in Melbourne but decided as Council already had a planned Cultural Heritage Awards ceremony that it would present them in front of many local people who know the recipients.
Garrie Hutchinson, historian and member of the Heritage Council, made the presentation.
The winners of the 2017 Cultural Heritage Awards are:
- Creative Reuse of a Heritage Place - Les and Irene Young & Glenn and Connie Young for the adaptive reuse of the former Commercial Hotel, Mooroopna
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Conservation of a Heritage Place - Goulburn Valley Water for works to the Water Tower, Ross Street, Tatura
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Best Research Publication or Manuscript - Ian Pleydell for his publication “Reserved for the People (Mooroopna)”
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Other Publication - Katandra & District History Group Inc. for their publication ‘"Marionvale memories" - a historic account of life in the Marionvale district’
- Interpretive Signage - GOTAFE for the GOTAFE Historical Wall, GOTAFE Campus, Shepparton
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Community, Multicultural and Indigenous Events and Tourism - Merrigum & District Historical Society Inc. for Heritage Day 2015 and Heritage Day 2016
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Other Contribution - Murchison & District Historical Society Inc. for the research, promotion and dissemination of cultural heritage through the Murchison Heritage Centre
For more information on the winners visit http://greatershepparton.com.au/community/neighbourhoods/awards/cultural-heritage-awards
For more information on the work of Arthur and Lurline Knee visit http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/among-the-paddocks-and-grazing-cattle-the-pows-called-this-place-home-20150917-gjom8j.html
