Migration Heritage Centre: Rich Rewards: Cultural Diversity and Heritage Practice: 1. Publication

The goal of these recommendations is to ensure that cultural diversity becomes an inherent part of any heritage program across the cultural network. A targeted focus on cultural diversity now will lead to well integrated and sustained culturally diverse heritage practices in the future.

	Subject	Lead Agency	Reasons
5.1	Initiative Stage Two of the Ethnic Communities Consultation in Rural and Regional Centres Pilot Program	Migration Heritage Centre	So that it is able to build on the partnerships and initiatives developed in Stage One, Stage Two of the pilot program should be undertaken early in the New Year. The program would have three outcomes; further community support for Albury, Orange and Broken Hill, a publication and Network development to promote culturally diverse heritage practices. The aims of stage two have been shaped by the experiences of stage one. A detailed proposal follows over the page.
5.2	Survey Cross-Cultural Attitudes to Heritage	Migration Heritage Centre	A study needs to be undertaken to explore the differences across and within ethnic communities in the understanding and use of heritage.
5.3	Guidelines	Migration Heritage Centre Heritage Office, Ethnic Affairs Commission Migration Heritage Centre	To promote culturally diverse heritage practice across the cultural network, the guidelines in this report, should be broadly distributed by the MHC. They should target local government, heritage advisors, social planners, the NSW Heritage Office, National Trust, Royal Australian Historical Society and its affiliated societies, Museums and Galleries Foundation of NSW, local studies libraries through the Association of Library Institutes of Australian and through relevant government departments and agencies. To promote the establishment of community driven heritage projects adopted by ethnic communities these guidelines should be distributed to ethnic communities, possibly with the assistance of the Ethnic Comminutes Council, and the Ethnic Affairs Commission. The guidelines should be provided as an attachment to the updated Heritage Study Guidelines for the NSW Heritage Manual. They should also be made available through the Heritage Office, Ethnic Affairs Commission and Migrant Heritage Centre websites.
5.4	Creation of position	Migration Heritage Centre	That funding be obtained to create a temporary Heritage Officer position. This role would coordinate a targeted focus on cultural diversity to develop a well-integrated, sustained culturally diverse heritage practices in the future. The position would work to develop strong partnerships throughout the community and across the cultural network. The NSW Heritage Office is the ideal location for this position.

^[2] Ethnic Affairs Commission, The People of New South Wales: Statistics from the 1996 Census, Sydney 1998, p.260.

^[3] I am greatful to Dr Shirley Fitzgerald for generiously allowing me use this term.

Stage two will continue to build on the profile of migration heritage and the Migration Heritage Centre, developed during stage one. In keeping with the awareness raising aims of the program, stage two will include the production a four-page, full colour A4 publication for distribution across the cultural network. The brochure will include personal stories and photographs from the original workshops. This will raise interest in culturally diverse heritage practice, promote benefits and outcomes, and the availability of the project guidelines. The brochure should also be distributed to ethnic communities to encourage heritage initiatives as community development projects.

The three workshops have generated a new awareness for migration heritage and a range of culturally diverse heritage initiatives in Albury, Broken Hill and Orange.

Stage two will support and further develop these initiatives to ensure that they are able to produce real and tangible outcomes. This support would include continued skill and partnership development and assistance to formulate heritage strategies that best suit the circumstances and character of each community.

This process will continue to inform the development of the guidelines, providing more comprehensive information for managing working parties, partnership development and heritage initiatives. It will also provide an opportunity to evaluate the mid-term success of cross-cultural, community driven heritage projects.

This aspect of stage two will explore new initiatives for culturally diverse community driven heritage projects. The interest generated by stage one has uncovered a range of possible opportunities for projects adopting community consultation. These initiatives have potential to unfold in a range of arenas, including community development, virtual heritage projects, public and school education programs, community festivals, tourism, museum collections and public programs.

The range of items and sites encompassed in the term 'heritage' leads to a range of environments in which culturally diverse initiatives based on community consultation could unfold: Museums and Galleries, Local Government, Community organisations, History and Heritage Groups, Archives, Libraries, chambers of commerce and the corporate sector.

Time will be allocated in stage 2 to contact key organisations to promote awareness of the guidelines for community consultation and encourage the development of new projects and initiatives for regional and rural NSW. The project would target peak cultural organisations to link into regional and rural networks across the state. Some of the organisations that would be targeted include

Housing Stock Broken Hill

Houses with column styles particlar to Broken Hill were identified as significant because they represented some of the building skills that migrants had brought with them. Decorative columns have had a strong influence on the aesthetics of domestic architecture of the area.

Greek Club and Napredak Club, Broken Hill

Communities that attended the workshops in the pilot program selected community clubs as sites that were historically, socially and culturally significant. The clubs represented spaces where imported traditions and customs could carry on. Cards, dances, bocce, sports, festivals and celebrations were some of the activities that clubs hosted. They also were an identifiable link to the community for newly arrived migrants.

Some of the clubs, such as the Napredak Club, (pictured right), in Broken Hill, were specifically built by the community. Others, such as the Greek Club, below, have been adapted for use.

5. Recommendations