Australia Icomos

The 4th annual Asia-Pacific Regional meeting of ICOMOS was held in Seoul from 29 May to the 1st June 2007. A report on the meeting from Kristal Buckley, ICOMOS Vice-President, can be viewed here. Participants adopted a declaration incorporating recommendations and principles relative to the conservation of cultural heritage as a key component of the sustainable development of metropolitan areas in Asia and the Pacific, and requested that ICOMOS disseminate them. The full text of the declaration is available here.

(posted 2 July 2007)

Call for Papers

The ‘call for papers’ has gone out for this year's Australia ICOMOS Conference: eXtreme heritage: managing heritage in the face of climatic extremes, natural disasters and military conflicts in tropical, desert, polar and off-world landscapes. The conference will be held at James Cook University Cairns from 19-21 July 2007. Check out the website for the latest information. www.aicomos.com

Joint Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting and Workshop of the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee, Seoul and Andong, Republic of Korea, 10-13 June 2006

(posted 15 August 2006)

This is a brief report to Australia ICOMOS members about this recent event, very successfully hosted by our ICOMOS Korea colleagues.

The joint meeting had as its theme The Impact of Mass Tourism on Historic Villages: Identifying Key Indicators of Tourism Impact, and follows on from previous workshops of the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee.

It also built on the ICOMOS Regional Meeting held in Seoul in 2005. The 2005 Seoul Declaration on Tourism in Asia's Historic Towns and Villages was adopted by the 15th General Assembly in Xi'an last year.

At the invitation of ICOMOS Korea, these related strands of the work of ICOMOS were brought together in a shared program a new format for the work of ICOMOS in our region, and one which was particularly successful in this instance. There were over 50 participants, from 24 countries.

The meeting involved:

A keynote paper about indicators of sustainable tourism, presented by Eugenio Yunis, Director of Sustainable Tourism, United Nations World Tourism Organisation;
a series of papers presented on the theme, highlighting case studies from countries within the region Republic of Korea, Japan, China, Indonesia, The Philippines, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka, together with a review of the issues facing historic villages in the face of increasing tourism;
visits to two historic villages Yangdong and Hahoe - to specifically examine and discuss the impacts of mass tourism and how these might be managed, as a basis for wider consideration of this issue by ICOMOS;
a workshop to develop tourism management approaches for historic villages that are in the process of World Heritage nomination;
development and adoption of the ‘Andong Recommendations’, including suggestions to local and national authorities in Korea, and also to international organisations (including ICOMOS); and, many fabulous receptions, meetings, dinners and site visits!

The workshop focused its attention on the issues of tourism pressure for these two historic villages as a basis for managing similar issues that arise in other contexts both within the region and worldwide. The ICOMOS ICTC will continue to work on these issues, and to develop methods to assist the work of ICOMOS in its world heritage responsibilities.

Our warmest thanks and congratulations go to our ICOMOS Korea colleagues particularly President Lena Kim, and Professor Hae Un Rii, whose personal energy and leadership for this event was truly inspiring. Thanks also to Jong Dal Park who is currently based in the ICOMOS Secretariat in Paris, and the team of conference organisers. Of course, many institutional partners make such an event possible these include the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Cultural Heritage Administration, Andong City and the City of Gyeongju.

Australian members attending these events were: Graham Brooks (President of the ICTC), Murray Brown, Paul Dignam, Hilary duCros and Kristal Buckley (ICOMOS Vice-President). Please contact any of us directly or via the Australia ICOMOS Secretariat (austicomos@deakin.edu.au) if you would like more information.

Copies of the Andong Recommendations and the 2005 Seoul Declaration can be accessed by clicking here.

Kristal Buckley Graham Brooks
ICOMOS Vice-President President, ICOMOS ICTC

Australia ICOMOS national conference:

challenge and change: in ports, their towns and cities

The 2006 Australia ICOMOS national conference will be held in Fremantle, Western Australia, November 9-11 2006.

Historians, archaeologists, architects, geographers, engineers, economists, sociologists, individuals and groups working and associated with Australia's cultural heritage: in the built environment; arts; community; indigenous and natural heritage fields are all welcome to submit an abstract that addresses the conference themes. Students are encouraged to participate.

The conference also now has its own website. For information about the conference themes or abstract specifications, or to register your interest, go to: http://www.promaco.com.au/2006/icomos

“Spanish Lessons for Australian Gardens?”

Stuart Read - Canberra

Talk in Canberra: Spanish Lessons for Australian Gardens?
Where? National Museum of Australia, Acton, Canberra
When? Sunday February 19th, 4pm
Costs/More info, contact: Tom Layton, Friends of NMA: e: t.layton@nma.gov.au or Madeleine Maple, ACT, Monaro & Riverina Branch, Australian Garden History Society, e: mmaple@grapevine.com.au

Apart from the Alhambra, what are Spain's historic gardens, and parks, and what new ones are they making? What role do these play in a massive tourism market, and daily life? Are there lessons we can learn from Spain, with long traditions of gardening and cultivation in arid, variable environments? How might these help our historic parks and gardens survive prolonged drought, increasing visitor numbers, and dwindling budgets?

Granada: the Generaliffe's magical water staircase, some 200 years before the Italians. (Click to enlarge)

Landscape historian Stuart Read, from the Australian Garden History Society and the NSW Heritage Office, won a Pratt Foundation / International Specialised Skills Overseas Fellowship to travel to southern and eastern Spain studying how historic parks and gardens are managed, who makes decisions, how they are changing. Stuart also visited a number of new parks and botanic gardens, interviewing designers, managers, experts, seeking advice on new trends, particularly about water conservation and Mediterranean plant use.

Seville: Casa de Pilatos patio: Renaissance palace overlaying a Muslim orchard (huerta) garden. (Click to enlarge)

Why Spain? It may well have Western Europe's oldest continuously gardened space. It also could claim the west's oldest private, ornamental garden. Plus legacies of Roman, Islamic, Christian and the modern eras.

Cordoba: one of 13 patios at Palacio de Viana, serving both inside & outside. (Click to enlarge)

Urbanisation since the 1980s has meant a need for more open spaces, increased pressure on parks and a growing middle class, making gardens. Many parks are a legacy of former aristocratic estates. Private properties converting to public bring challenges such as increased use. Spain has 90 million visitors per year, and the Alhambra and Barcelona's Parc Guell, get 6 8 million each. Tools to manage these visitors are vital.

Australia ICOMOS releases bushfire guidelines

Australia ICOMOS has released Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Places Damaged by Bushfire.

Click here to download the Guidelines.

ICOMOS International Scientific Committee Australian member vacancies

16 Januray 2006
ICOMOS has established scientific international committees on various cultural heritage themes and issues. Members consist of international renowned expert specialists in each subject and designated by their own national committee. The international scientific committees are ICOMOS technical bodies. As such, they undertake research, develop conservation theory, guidelines, and charters, and foster training for better heritage conservation, promote international exchange of scientific information and carry out common projects. They are governed by the Eger principles (see www.international.icomos.org/eger_eng.htm).

The Australia ICOMOS Executive Committee has been invited to seek nominations for voting members on six ICOMOS International Scientific Committees. They are:

· ICARSAH - International Committee on Analysis and Restoration of Structures of Architectural Heritage
· International Committee for Interpretation and Presentation
· International Committee on Wall Paintings
· International Scientific Committee for Stained Glass
· International Committee on Earthen Architecture
· International Committee on Fortifications and Military Heritage

To be nominated by Australia ICOMOS for either full or associate membership of any International Scientific Committee you are required to be a full member of Australia ICOMOS which also has International membership.

Nominees must meet the criteria laid down in the Australia ICOMOS Procedures Manual. In summary, those seeking Full membership must have a strong record of involvement in relevant professional activities at least at a national level of importance. Nominees for Full membership must also be able to fund their own overseas travel to attend ISC meetings. Regretfully neither Australia ICOMOS nor International ICOMOS are able to offer any financial assistance to attend any of the International Scientific Committee meetings.

The criteria for Corresponding or Associate members of International Scientific Committees are less demanding and there is no expectation of personal attendance at meetings.

Members of International Scientific Committees's are expected to report regularly to the general Australia ICOMOS membership on their ISC activities. This enables other Australian members know about international activities and advancement of knowledge Such reporting is particularly important for the Annual Report presented to the Australia ICOMOS Annual General Meeting each November, but other reports will be distributed through E-News.

It is anticipated that the Australia ICOMOS nominee(s) would develop a national working group of interested members. This will assist the ISC member and the Australia ICOMOS Executive Committee to respond to issues raised by the ISC as well as to bring issues raised within Australia to the ISC's attention.

Australia ICOMOS Members interested in being nominated for either Full or Associate membership of any of these ISC should contact Leah McKenzie, ISC Coordinator on the Australia ICOMOS Executive Committee for further information (leah.mckenzie@bigpond.com).

An application letter indicated your expertise in this area and a CV is required to be submitted to the secretariat by 10 February 2006. This will enable the nominations to be considered by the Australia ICOMOS executive at their February meeting.

2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation

6 January 2006
Entries are now being accepted for the 2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The awards programme, in its seventh year, recognizes the achievement of individuals and organizations within the private sector, and public-private initiatives, in successfully restoring structures of heritage value in the Asia-Pacific region. The deadline for receipt of materials is 31 March 2006.

Complete programme information, including an entry form, is available on the web at
http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/heritageawards

Projects involving buildings more than fifty years old and which were completed within the last ten years are eligible for consideration. Houses, commercial, cultural, religious, industrial or institutional buildings, gardens and bridges, for example, are all eligible for consideration. Public-private partnership projects such as historic towns, urban quarters and rural settlements where the essential elements are more than 50 years old are all eligible.

In addition to the established awards, a new awards categorywaslaunched in 2005. The Jury Prize for Innovation will recognize newly-built structures which demonstrate outstanding standards for contemporary architectural design which are well integrated into historic contexts. Projects should have been undertaken within the framework of a larger conservation project or within a conservation zone whose essential elements are more than 50 years old. Building annexes, new buildings, new public spaces, and new structures such as bridges, for example, are all eligible for consideration.

In 2005 two Awards of Excellence were awarded as follows: Houkeng Timber-Arched Corridor Bridge (Qingyuan County, Zhejiang Province, China) and Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum (Mumbai, India) have been honoured with the Award of Excellence. The two Awards of Distinction went to Sideng Market Square and Theatre (Shaxi Rehabilitation Project, Yunnan Province, China) and Mehrangar Fort (Rajasthan, India).

Five Awards of Merit were awarded in 2005 as follows:St. Joseph's Chapel (Hong Kong SAR, China); Tung Wah Coffin House (Hong Kong SAR, China); Amburiq Mosque (Skardu, Baltistan, Pakistan); Dutch Reformed Church (Galle, Sri Lanka) and Ayuguthi Sattal (Kathmandu, Nepal).

Five Honourable Mention prizes were also awarded in 2005 as follows: Pingjiang Historic Block (Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China); Zhaoxiang Huang Ancestral Hall (Foshan, Guangdong Province, China); Zain-ad-din Karavansara (Yazd, Iran); Far Eastern University (Manila, Philippines) and Devavesm Palace (Bangkhumprom, Bangkok, Thailand).

Two Jury Commendations were also awarded in 2005 as follows: Meridian Gate Exhibition Hall of Palace Museum (Beijing, China) and Yuhu Primary School and Community Center (Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China).

Entries for the 2006 awards programme must be submitted with an official entry form, drawings, photographs and project description to the UNESCO Office of the Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok.

Winners will be announced on 1 September 2006. A number of entries receive the "Award of Excellence", a number of entries will receive an "Award of Distinction", a number of entries will receive an "Award of Merit" and a number of entries will receive an "Honourable Mention". A number of special Jury Prizes for Innovation will also be awarded at the jury's discretion.

For more information, contact:
Montira H. Unakul
Office of the UNESCO Regional Advisor
for Culture in Asia and the Pacific
UNESCO Bangkok Office
Tel: (66 2) 391-0577 ext. 509
Fax: (66 2) 391-0866
Email: h.montira@unescobkk.org
culture@unescobkk.org

Australia ICOMOS/US ICOMOS Summer Intern Program

16 January 2006
US ICOMOS is seeking non-US citizen graduate students and young professionals specialising in historic preservation and heritage conservation to participate in an international exchange program in the United States during the summer of 2006. Participants will be assigned to three-month, practical working internships, under professional supervision, with a public or private non-profit preservation organisation.

As before, Australia ICOMOS has arranged with US ICOMOS to receive and assess applications from Australia ICOMOS members, and to recommend one candidate for an internship. This does not however guarantee the recommended candidate an intern position, as the selection of interns is done by US ICOMOS.

To be eligible for recommendation, candidates must:
· be members of Australia ICOMOS
· be between 22 and 35 years old
· have a first degree in a conservation-related discipline
· undertake to provide a report to Australia ICOMOS on completion of the internship, discussing how the internship contributed to their professional development, and how they consider the experience will assist them in contributing to the conservation of Australia's cultural heritage.

Further information and application forms are available from the US ICOMOS web site, at www.icomos.org/usicomos/Intern_Program. If you wish to apply, send your application to the Australia ICOMOS Secretariat, using the application form on the US ICOMOS web site, and accompanied by the other items listed on the web site. Please note that application material cannot be returned. Applications will be assessed by a selection committee of the Executive Committee, using the criteria set by US ICOMOS:
· Demonstrated skill in the field of heritage conservation
· Demonstrated interest in heritage conservation
· Previous experience in heritage conservation
· Academic concentration in the field and the ability to represent Australia ICOMOS in an exchange programme

All applicants will be notified by the Australia ICOMOS Secretariat on the outcome of their application by the end of February.

Applications must reach the Australia ICOMOS Secretariat no later than 30 January 2006. Applications may be submitted electronically.

Australia ICOMOS 2006 National Conference to consider Managing Change in Port Cities.

Australia ICOMOS has announced details of its 2006 National Conference to be held in Fremantle, Western Australia between 9 and 11 November 2006. The theme of the conference is 'Port Cities: Managing Change'. The call for papers closes on 28 April 2006.

Conference website: http://www.promaco.com.au/2006/icomos

Click here to download further information.

Graduate Certificate in Art Authentication

Offered by the University of Melbourne's School of Enterprise, in partnership with the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, the Graduate Certificate in Art Authentication provides participants with an understanding of the rigorous analytical interdisciplinary approach and the broad skill base that are needed to deal with issues of authentication and art fraud.
The course is offered on a part time basis and will be delivered face-to-face in five day blocks for the first three subjects. The fourth subject will be an investigative project undertaken in consultation with lecturers. On the fifth day of the face-to-face delivery, lecturers will be available for consultation.
Dates
Applications close: 3 April 2006
Issues in Art Fraud: 8-12 May 2006
History and Theory of Art Authentication: 17 - 21 July 2006
Introduction to Art Authentication Techniques: 25 - 29 September 2006
Investigative Project commences in September 2006 and is to be completed by November 2006.

Cost $7,500 (GST exempt). Fee-Help will be available in 2006.

For further information please contact Sally Williams, Project Manager, School of Enterprise
Ph: (03) 9810 3146 Email: s.williams@soe.unimelb.edu.au

Or visit www.soe.unimelb.edu.au/artauth to download a pdf of the brochure and application form.

Xi’an Declaration on the Conservation of the Setting of Heritage Structures, Sites and Areas

A major outcome of the 15th ICOMOS General Assembly held in Xi'an, China in October 2005 was the development and adoption of a Declaration on the conservation of the setting of heritage structures, sites and areas. The drafting process was lead by Yukio Nishimura, Sheridan Burke, Guo Zhan and Dinu Bumbaru, assisted by the very valuable and generous contributions of many colleagues including Susan Denyer, Jukka Jokilehto, Meredith Walker and Herb Stovel. Many conference papers and participants also contributed and the text evolved and expanded through the Assembly period. This text was adopted during the final working session of the General Assembly of ICOMOS on 21st October (minor adjustments on 22nd). It is hoped that the Declaration will be widely disseminated and used in conservation practice.

Click here to download the Declaration.

News from the ICOMOS Documentation Centre

- HURRICANE KATRINA: Statement by the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the cultural heritage of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama (http://www.international.icomos.org/icbs-hurricanekatrina.pdf )

- HURRICANE KATRINA: Heritage recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: US/ICOMOS website: (http://www.icomos.org/usicomos/ Special_Initiatives/Tsunami%20Fund/Hurricane_Katrina_Assistance.htm )

- EUROPA NOSTRA INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO SAVE ALLIANOI, AN IMPORTANT ROMAN SITE IN TURKEY: If no urgent action is undertaken, the Roman Baths at Allianoio will disappear under the rising waters of an irrigation dam in November 2005.
More information at http://www.europanostra.org/save_allianoi.html

- THE SEOUL DECLARATION ON TOURISM IN ASIA?S HISTORIC TOWNS AND AREAS: The result of 2005 ICOMOS Regional Conference in Seoul, May 2005
(http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/tourism-seoul2005.pdf )

- NEW SITES INSCRIBED ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST: All the nomination files of the cultural and mixed sites are already available at the ICOMOS Documentation Centre. See the new sites inscribed at http://whc.unesco.org/en/newproperties/

- ICOMOS 15th GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM: "MONUMENTS AND SITES IN THEIR SETTINGS: CONSERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE IN A CHANGING TOWNSCAPES AND LANDSCAPES", Xi?an, China, 17-21 October 2005)
More information at: http://www.international.icomos.org/xian2005/

- 9th ANNUAL US/ICOMOS INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM: From World Heritage to Your Heritage, April 19-23, 2006, in Newport, Rhode Island
More information at: http://www.icomos.org/usicomos/Symposium/SYMP06/2006_Symposium.htm
- ICOMOS Calendar: More ICOMOS events at http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/icomos_activities.htm

- Heritage at Risk 2004/2005: Available online at:
http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2004/

- Available at the ICOMOS Documentation Centre:

a) Proceedings of the ICOMOS Scientific Symposium ?Place, memory, meaning: preserving intangible values in monuments and sites?, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 27-31 Octobre 2003 (CD-ROM) (20 Euros 10 Euros for ICOMOS members)

b) World Heritage Bibliographies:

* World heritage in Asia and Pacific ( http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/worldheritage-asiapacific.pdf )
* World heritage in Arab States (http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/worldheritage-arabstates.pdf )
* World heritage in Africa (http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/world-heritage-in-africa.pdf )
- ICOMOS publications for sale: http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/vente.htm

- Documentation Centre website: http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/

- ICOMOS Bibliographic Database: http://databases.unesco.org/icomos

http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation
To subscribe to ICOMOS Documentation Centre e-News please, send a message to majordomo@icomos.org with "subscribe doc-centre" as the only line in the message body.

New book release:OBJECT LESSONS
Archaeology and Heritage in Australia
Edited by Jane Lydon and Tracy Ireland

Click here for more information.

Book Launch: Streetwise Asia - A Practical Guide

A new book by prominent Australian conservation architect and heritage adviser, Elizabeth Vines, Streetwise Asia - A Practical Guide, was launched in Melbourne on 24 August. Richard Engelhardt, UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific at UNESCO Bangkok spoke at the launch saying that he was confident that, "through the judicious adaptation of the principles laid out in Streetwise Asia by conservation practitioners, urban designers, and residents, the historic communities throughout the region will benefit greatly". Download Richard Engelhardt's complete statement here.

People in Sydney and Brisbane still have time to attend launches of the book in their cities. The book wil be launched in Sydney on 1 September 2005 at 6:00pm at the National Trust, Observatory Hill, The Rocks, Sydney - to be launched by Philip Cox AM, and in Brisbane on 27 August at 6pm - venue and details still to be finalised.

Streetwise Asia - A Practical Guide is a publication by prominent Australian conservation architect and heritage adviser, Elizabeth Vines. It provides practical guidelines and advice for local communities in Asian countries - communities which are challenged by the need to balance the retention of heritage with the need for development of local precincts, towns and cities. The Streetwise Asia Fund for Urban Heritage Conservation will be used to support the practical application of the principles described in the book. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Streetwise Asia Fund.

Elizabeth, together with the National Trust of Australia, has a vision to raise $100,000 in the first year, through the proceeds of the sale of the book and through corporate donations. This will facilitate small scale conservation projects in Asia, which currently have no sources of funding to assist with their implementation. This fund will be managed through the UNESCO Bangkok office and is made possible by the support of the National Trust in Australia.

The launches are open to all - however for numbers, please indicate whether you are able to attend:
In Sydney - to the National Trust on 02 9258 0123 or email Julie York at jyork@nsw.nationaltrust.org.au
In Brisbane - on 07 32291788 or email at info@nationaltrustqld.org

Click here to download an order form for the book.

Click here for more information on the book and the foundation.

Managing Spain's historic gardens

Australia ICOMOS member Stuart Read was honoured to receive an overseas fellowship this year from the Pratt Foundation/ International Specialised Skills Institute (ISSI) to visit South & Eastern Spain to study management of historic parks and gardens, focussing on how change is managed. Stuart is giving a talk on this trip in Sydney on Tuesday 2 August. Interested ICOMOS members or friends are most welcome. (Please RSVP to the email address/number below.)

Seville's Reales Alcazares (Royal Palace) Baroque pleasure gardens, adapted from older Islamic orchard gardens. Photo by Stuart Read (Click to enlarge.)

Managing Spain's historic gardens... Stuart Read introduces his upcoming talk Why a study tour of Spain?

It may well have Western Europe's oldest continuously gardened space. It could also claim to be the "West's" oldest private, ornamental garden. Not to mention other legacies of Roman, Islamic, Christian and the modern eras. "I hoped its long history and similar climates to southern Australia's might have lessons for us", says Read. "I also wanted to see new trends, particularly about water conservation and 'Mediterranean' plant use". Another question was how change is managed. Who makes decisions, and how? Read arranged to interview managers & designers to find out.

Urbanisation since the 1980s has meant a need for more open spaces, increased pressure on parks and a growing middle class, making gardens. Many parks are a legacy of former royal estates. Private properties converting to public bring challenges like increased use. Spain has 90 million visitors per year, and the Alhambra and Barcelona's Parc Guell, get 6-8 million. Tools to manage visitors are vital.

6pm (drinks) for 6.30pm, Tuesday 2 August 2005
National Trust Centre, Observatory Hill, Sydney
Sydney & Northern New South Wales Branch of the Australian Garden History Society (AGHS) Annual General Meeting (it will be short).
Cost: free to AGHS members: $5 for others
Following the A.G.M. the guest speaker will be Stuart Read who will give an illustrated talk.
RSVP to Silas Clifford-Smith on e: scliff@bigpond.net.au, 0402 384 199 or
9569 3417h

Exploring Dynamics: Cities, Cultural Spaces, Communities.
2006 Museums Australia National Conference announced

The 2006 Museums Australia National Conference will take place 14-17 May in Brisbane.

Entitled 'Exploring Dynamics: Cities, Cultural Spaces, Communities', the 2006 Museums Australia National Conference will examine the dynamics and priorities that exist both within and outside museum and gallery walls. The conference aims to foster a dialogue on the relevance of museums and galleries in, and their engagement with, the contemporary world. Both practical and conceptual concerns will be addressed.

Click here to download the 'call for papers' flyer.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday 16 September 2005. For more information, please visit www.museumsaustralia.org.au.

Report on Public Seminar:
The Burra charter and Queensland Heritage.
Often invoked, seldom understood

Seminar held on Tuesday 5 April 2005, at the Customs House Brisbane.

This seminar, jointly hosted by Australia ICOMOS, The Brisbane Institute and the Queensland Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, proved very popular.Unfortunately many interested participants were turned away when the seminar sold out, which demonstrates there is a particular demand for training in this area.

The seminar was presented by Meredith Walker and Peter Marquis-Kyle, co-authors of the The Illustrated Burra Charter: Good Practice for Heritage Places, which was launched nationally in November 2004 at Port Arthur. As many of you may already know, Meredith is a leading heritage planning consultant and is known for her innovation in conservation practice. Peter is a leading Brisbane-based conservation architect and former member of the Queensland Heritage Council.

Response to the seminar was very positive, and Meredith and Peter are to be congratulated. Australia ICOMOS is also very pleased to have partnered with the Brisbane Institute in this event, and is particularly thankful of the assistance provided by Professor Peter Spearritt, Executive Director, The Brisbane Institute, who chaired the seminar.

L to R: Meredith Walker, Hon Desley Boyle MP and Peter Marquis-Kyle

The seminar was followed by the Queensland launch of the Illustrated Burra Charter by the Hon Desley Boyle MP, Minister for Environment, Local Government and Planning, and Women. Australia ICOMOS is very pleased that the Minister demonstrated her support for best practice in heritage conservation in Queensland by agreeing to launch the Illustrated Burra Charter in Queensland, and for her complimentary remarks about the value of the Burra Charter.

Ken Horrigan
Secretary and Queensland Representative
Australia ICOMOS

Seoul Declaration on Tourism in Asia's Historic Towns and Areas

The 2005 Regional ICOMOS conference met in Seoul 30 May-1 June 2005 to discuss the management of tourism in Asia's historic towns and areas. The meeting was organised by the Korean National Tourism Organisation, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Cultural Heritage Administration and ICOMOS Korea. President of Korea ICOMOS Lena KIm, and Hae Un Rii, Korea ICOMOS Vice President organised an excellent cross section of topics and delegates. Two days of papers were presented by regional ICOMOS members, academics, government administrators and practitioners, followed by a technical visit to Gyeongju.

Delegates came from China, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, the Philippines, Sri Lankan, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Australia and Canada to share experience and benchmark practices.

At the close of the meeting a declaration was passed, identifying some of the issues associated with truism management in historic areas in Asia, followed by a series of strategies and approaches for dealing with them.

The meeting concluded that there was great value in such regional meetings, and called for the wide dissemination of the Seoul declaration so that it can contribute to the improvement of management of tourism in historic towns and areas in Asia. It was recommended that national and International committees of ICOMOS follow up on the declarations dissemination and impact.

The meeting called for the declaration to be presented to the ICOMOS GA in Xi'an, so that it can be more widely shared.

It is proposed that the next regional meeting will be held in association with the GA in Xi'an in October.

Please circulate the Seoul declaration to ICOMOS members and colleagues, and we look forward to further discussion in October,

Sheridan Burke
Vice President
ICOMOS

Click here to download the Seoul declaration