Held on Saturday 1 May at the GV Hotel in Shepparton, the awards recognised the invaluable work of the owners and guardians of our cultural heritage, while promoting the benefits of cultural heritage conservation by highlighting good practice.
Mayor Cr Kim O’Keeffe presented the awards to this year’s winners, acknowledging the quality and quantity of nominations.
“There is no shortage of outstanding contributions to cultural heritage conservation, interpretation and promotion in our municipality,” she said.
“I congratulate all the winners and nominees on their outstanding commitment to cultural heritage conservation and look forward to the next Cultural Heritage Awards to be held again in 2023.
“The success of this year’s awards demonstrates the increasing community understanding and pride in our history and heritage.”
Cr O’Keeffe highlighted the dedication of the volunteers on the Greater Shepparton HAC who worked extremely hard to develop and coordinate the awards.
“Council looks forward to supporting the HAC in continuing to raise the profile of heritage sites across Greater Shepparton,” she said.
Greater Shepparton HAC Chairperson Marjorie Earl said the awards were just one way the committee was celebrating the history and heritage of Greater Shepparton.
“The committee acts as an advocate for all cultural heritage matters within the municipality and has an extensive program of community events, like the Cultural Heritage Awards, the Bruce Wilson Memorial Heritage Lecture and the Heritage Open Days, aimed at promoting places of significant heritage across Greater Shepparton,” she said.
“Twenty-two nominations were received from across Greater Shepparton, including Tatura, Mooroopna, Shepparton, Dookie, Merrigum and Murchison, and it’s fantastic to see representation from each of these areas. I would also like to thank Geoff Allemand from the Shepparton Heritage Centre for presenting as a guest speaker on street photography in Shepparton from the 1930s – 1950s.
“I congratulate all nominees and award recipients for their efforts in preserving cultural heritage in Greater Shepparton”.
The winners of the 2021 Cultural Heritage Awards are:
| Category | Winner | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reuse of a Heritage Place | Sacred Heart Convent in Tatura | The adaptive reuse of the former Sacred Heart Convent, a historically and architecturally rich religious centre in the heart of Tatura. The sympathetic works to this previously unused and important building has allowed it to be reused as an office space. |
| Restoration of a Heritage Place | Days Flour Mill in Murchison | For restoration works on a number of buildings across this nationally significant site including the pulley house, gatehouse, engineers’ room, various repairs to the homestead and the three-storey mill complex. |
| Maintenance of a Heritage Place | Ravenscraig in Murchison | For the ongoing maintenance of Ravenscraig, Murchison. This important Victorian era house, constructed in 1872, in the centre of Murchison demonstrates exceptional maintenance standards that have preserved the significant fabric of the building for future generations. |
| Best Research Publication or Manuscript | The Nazi Camp by Lurline and Arthur Knee | This wonderful and thoroughly researched publication tells the story of a WWII Internment Camp in Tatura and is an invaluable contribution to an important area of Australian history. |
| Other Publication | Letters to Bruce by Jeanette Thompson | Copies of letters (with some editing) sent to a local soldier by his family showing the lives of those at home in an agricultural community during WWII. |
| Student/Youth | No nominations were received in Student / Youth. | No nominations were received in the Student / Youth category owing to COVID-19. |
| Interpretive Signage | Mooroopna Cenotaph – Interpretive Signage | The interpretive heritage signage at the Mooroopna Cenotaph at McLennan Street, Mooroopna describes, in a way that is universal, what the wars and battles were that are commemorated at this memorial. They have been designed to suit all ages and interest groups. |
| Interpretive Signage | Tatura Museum Murals | The recently installed set of six alcove murals and one major mural are successful and engaging. They are an important adjunct to the museum and provide a strong visual presence at this end of Tatura. |
| Community, Multicultural and Indigenous Events and Tourism | ‘Rock on Murchison’ Festival | The event celebrated the arrival of the Murchison meteorite and the impact it has had on the local community. |
| Community, Multicultural and Indigenous Events and Tourism | Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival | An annual event which showcases the Albanian culture unlike any other event in Australia. |
| Other Contribution | Murchison and District Historical Society Website | A invaluable and comprehensive website containing news of recent local happenings, promotion of coming events, historical items, education about local history and a platform to answer enquiries. |
