Goldfields World Heritage bid takes next step

IN a bid to secure UNESCO World Heritage listing, an expert has described the landscape of the Central Victorian as the best-surviving example from the nineteenth century gold rush.

Heritage and regional Victorian specialists partnered with 13 councils across the Goldfields region including Golden Plains Shire and the City of Ballarat in a campaign to inscribe significant gold rush-era sites on the World Heritage list.

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Ben Taylor said it was amazing to have the local governments working together in unity on this bid, as well as the backing of former Premiers John Brumby and Denis Napthine.

“Having the strength of our two patrons with us is also so valuable in the experience they bring and in the connections they have to make this bid a reality,” he said.

Author of the UK’s successful Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage inscription Barry Gamble has developed a statement of outstanding universal value to help progress the Central Goldfields bid.

In the document, he said the area is “the most extensive, coherent and best-surviving landscape anywhere, that illustrates the global gold rush phenomenon.”

“My conclusion from the comparative work … is that you have in Victoria a range of values in your gold mining landscape that nobody else has,” he said.

“This is a huge and pervasive benefit to local communities.”

Recently named co-patrons of the listing bid, Mr Brumby and Dr Napthine, joined Mr Gamble and other stakeholders to discuss strategies to attain a successful bid.

“I’m so excited by this, it’s wonderful to see such unity behind this bid and such commitment” Mr Brumby said.

“We’re proud of all of our towns around central Victoria, proud of the architecture and the history but we can add so much more value to that with World Heritage listing.

“We will see more jobs, more investment, more exposure of our part of regional Victoria to the rest of Australia and the rest of the world, that will mean a better quality of life and prosperity for the people we are representing here today.”

Dr Napthine said his excitement for the Goldfield’s listing is informed by his recent experience with the successful bid to list the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape on the World Heritage List.

“Budj Bim has already received World Heritage cultural listing has made a real difference and changed our understanding of Indigenous culture and history in our region,” he said.

“I am very committed to helping make that a reality for the Goldfield’s region.

“This is a bid that is certainly worthwhile, of a world status and if we do the work properly it will have enormous benefits for decades to come.”

Additionally, the bid also received $50,000 from Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive to develop publicity material to promote the World Heritage value of the area, along with the $50,000 it has already injected into the campaign with another $50,000 from the Victorian Government.

Chair of the Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive Chris Meddows-Taylor said the extra funds was necessary to build upon the success of the bid so far.

“The added $50,000 to promote the region will not only support the bid but create early and tangible benefits for industry in the COVID-19 recovery environment,” he said.

“The benefits will be substantial … we need that second gold rush, we need it to start now.”