Australian Landscape Architects & Heritage
September 9, 2008 – 12:24 pmI was recently talking about landscape architects and Heritage with Philip Palmer, one of our WA members, who has recently taken up a job with the National Trust WA.
Nationally we are wanting to identify those AILA members who are working in areas of heritage or cultural landscapes.
Are you in a practice that occasionally or most of the time specialises in this work, or are you working in these areas from within a government department or agency or a non-government organisation (national trust)? If so please make contact.
The AILA national council is considering what national actions should be initiated to position the profession and the AILA in these areas of work, locally and nationally and ultimately internationally.
Philip would also like to build up links and network with other Australian landscape architects on this topic.
We would very much also like to consider doing some profile work on the types of work being undertaken by Australian landscape architects in heritage and cultural landscapes; the work could be within Australia or international.
Hear from you soon
Paul Costigan
Executive Director
8 Responses to “Australian Landscape Architects & Heritage”
Dear Philip and Paul
I am with the Ku-ring-gai Council and would be very interested in making contact about heritage and cultural landscapes and how LAs look after them or work with them in both the private and public arenas.
The Local Government Sector has had some difficulties creating any additional heritage listings in recent times.
It is very concerning that elements of the Ku-ring-gai landscape are not listed or even recognised anywhere as heritage.
Phillip, I am sure we could share knowledge and experiences and maybe over time develop a co-ordinated approach to landscape Heritage.
So much of this work has been dominated by other professions , usually with a focus on buildings, not the landscape.
The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Trust SHFA (Planning, Heritage and Urban Design Group) has done some great heritage and cultural landscape interpretation and works in the area. So they may may be able to offer some insight into what Phillip is proposing in a more significant way.
Look forward to hearing more
Thanks
Alison Walker
Principal Landscape Architect
Ku-ring-gai Council
By Alison on Sep 10, 2008
With the increasing pressures for redevelopment and subdivision of old estates, especially on the rural fringe of cities and towns,and for providing new uses for old industrial or defence sites, the identification, recording and assessment of the heritage values of their grounds - or cultural landscapes - has become increasingly sought by consent authoritie (usually councils).
My practice (Mayne-Wilson & Associates) has focussed, since my Masters Degree in Heritage Conservation in 1993, very largely on heritage assessment, conservation management plans, heritage impact statements and curtilage studies. I have found that my combination of degrees in Ars (modern history), landscape architecture and heritage has proven to be ideal for undertaking this kind of work. It was unique in NSW, although a small number of landscape architects have recently done a Masters course in heritage conservation (now available at Sydney University)
I would be very happy to liaise with landscape architects anywhere in Australia who would like to discuss any aspects of heritage assesment and conservation, and their dealings with both developers and government.
There is still a lot of work to do in assessing the grounds of places (mostly buildings) which were heritage-listed prior to the late 1990s, as these assessments (usually done by architects) rarely paid much attention to the grounds, and certainly did not know how to research and assess them.
There are also a great many historic parks which have yet to be assessed and listed for their heritage landscape values. On the other hand, absurd situations exist where a park may have been listed for some individual element (such as an old fountain, rotunda, or monument) when its origin, historic association, social value, and aesthetic and horticultural values have been totally overlooked. Macarthur Park at Camden is one such.
So, a great deal of new and corrective work lies ahead!
By Warwick Mayne-Wilson on Sep 10, 2008
I have been working on environmental heritage conservation and particularly involved with cultural landscapes almost continually since 1982 at local, State, National and World Heritage levels and would be most eager to interact with others anywhere.
Phil Palmer I think knows me from WA where, in my position as Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia I am continuously attempting to establish a course in Landscape Conservation, both “natural ” and cultural but as usual continue to strike funding difficulties when aligning with institutions such as universities.
I have previously taught Heritage Conservation at the University of NSW and University of Sydney.
More integration with the Australian Garden History Society is also probably desirable and
may be possible through AILA.
New Zealand has expressed more interest than Australia at the moment.
An understanding of our ecological and cultural layers, particularly the indigenous ones is essential to meaningful future planning and design.
Regards,
Craig Burton
By Administrator on Sep 10, 2008
Although most of my work is in the ecological restoration lines - I have a great love of heritage and a particular interest in old cultural landscapes. These as we all know, have been and are currently undervalued compared with the buildings which may be situated within them. I would be interested in being involved with others who have a similar interest.
regards
Mark
By Mark Drew on Sep 11, 2008
I have just started work for a Serpentine Jarrahdale Shire on the rural fringe of Perth in a new “LA and Restoration” position.
The restoration will mostly deal with environmental issues, conditions on approvals, strategic planning, etc.
The Shire is eager, however, to tackle its heritage landscapes issues. So my line of duties may grow, as I mentioned to my boss, that I have Masters Degree in heritage landscapes (from Europe though, so not recognized here).
I was hoping to refresh my european training here one day and I am glad to stumble across other enthusiasts well equipped in experience. I have left Europe 20 years ago and haven’t done much work related to heritage in Oz.
I will read all comments here and would appreciate possibility of discussing when in need and expanding as a professional.
Regards Anna von Puttkammer
By Anna von Puttkammer on Sep 15, 2008
LA’s & Heritage
Our practice, CDA Design Group, has been involved in a few heritage projects with the City of Melbourne (Carlton Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens, Fawkner Park) and working in conjunction with Lovell Chen Conservation Architects for several other projects. We are occasionally asked by Heritage Victoria to assist on small projects, and had a referral to assist with master planning a reserve in the Walter Burley Griffin 1924 “Ranelagh” subdivision in Mt Eliza. I have personally been involved with preparing heritage landscape conservation and management plans since 1992.
I am currently serving on the National Trust of Australia(Vic)Landscape sub-committee, being the only LA amongst a nest of planners. The Trust is sadly under-funded and the committee’s work is all done by volunteers. This includes classifying heritage landscapes, plus advising heritage issues and lodging appeals against developments that threaten heritage landscapes. Unlike Heritage Victoria, the National Trust is not backed by an Act of Parliament, so our classifications have no standing in law. The only protection we can provide is to convince local governments to include Special Landscape Overlays in their planning schemes.
By Barrie Gallacher on Sep 17, 2008
Over my years in practice I have been involved with restoration of heritage sites. Compliance with Heritage Victoria has been a critical element within the project where the project is heritage listed. I also am a member of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria)’s Garden Committee, and a past committee member of the Australian Garden History Society (Vic Branch). It seems to me that the AILA should link in with these societies re heritage and cultural landscapes - there are lists of registered properties, lists of properties (landscapes, trees etc) to be researched and documented. If there was some sort of central data base, or reference point, to which all interested people and bodies could refer to or receive direction from, then duplication of efforts, and even perhaps prevention of loss of precious heritage could be avoided.
By Elizabeth Peck on Sep 17, 2008
Heritage landscapes:
I have been involved in landscape heritage conservation studies and conservation plans since 1992, initially with John Patrick’s office in Melbourne. Projects included most of Melbourne’s inner ring of parks; the Shrine surrounds; botanic gardens at Ballarat, Colac, St Kilda and Albury; a master plan for the Eureka Stockade Reserve, Ballarat; studies for the public reserves in Maryborough and Castlemaine; and a major Pride of Place project in Beechworth. In the last 4 years at CDA Design Group I have done some small projects for the City of Melbourne (small management plans for Fawkner Park, Carlton Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens).
I have also worked in association with Lovell Chen, Conservation Architects, for some sites threatened by development. We are currently finalizing a landscape master plan for a reserve in the Walter Burley Griffin-designed “Ranelagh Estate” in Mt Eliza, following a recommendation from Heritage Victoria.
It is unfortunate that most CMP’s are developed in response to threats from development proposals or change of ownership and use, for example, 1860s mental institutions at Ararat, Beechworth and Sunbury sold off by the State government.
I am currently serving on the National Trust (Vic) Landscape Committee.
The committee spends much of its time in defending heritage landscapes against development proposals, but occasionally prepares landscape
policies for local councils and classifications for threatened landscapes. As a voluntary organization we struggle, unlike Heritage Victoria that is backed by the Victorian Heritage Act, whereby landscapes placed on the Heritage Register are protected.
Regards,
Barrie Gallacher
By Administrator on Sep 19, 2008