18 February 2013

Nominations for Greater Shepparton City Council’s inaugural Cultural Heritage awards close at 5pm next Wednesday 20 February.

The new awards were launched in December to provide the region with an opportunity to learn more about its Cultural Heritage and to recognise and honour outstanding contributions to cultural heritage conservation, research, interpretation and education.

“We’ve had a great response so far from the community,” said Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Jenny Houlihan. “They’ve ranged from best maintained place to publications to volunteer groups illustrating the great range of cultural heritage sites and activities around Greater Shepparton.”

Cr Houlihan encouraged anyone who was considering whether their project or site was suitable for a nomination to take action before the deadline, and not limit themselves to thinking only of the architecture of buildings.

“Cultural heritage significance refers to architectural, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present or future generations,” she said. “It includes things like buildings and monuments but it also includes important elements of our region’s diverse cultural heritage such as books, works of art, and even folklore, local knowledge and traditions, and language.”

Places of cultural heritage significance can include a site, area, land, landscape, building or other work, group of buildings or other works, and could also include components, contents, spaces and views.

Award categories include creative reuse of a place, development within a Heritage Overlay Precinct, restoration of a place, best maintained place, specialist heritage trade skill, sustainability and/or greening of a place, recognition of outstanding community contribution to a place, best archive or publication, a junior category, and interpretive signage.

A maximum of six of the best nominations received will then be honoured at a Cultural Heritage Awards ceremony to be held in April 2013 during Australian Heritage Week.

Further information about the awards as well as nomination forms can be downloaded from the link below.