Heritage Activities with Australia

 

Australian-Dutch Heritage Cooperation Project. 

Duration: 2011-2012

Status: Complete

Partners: Department for Environment, Water, Heritage and Arts, Western Australian Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Scheepvaart Museum, Geld Museum, Dutch Embassy in Canberra. 

 

This Project had four key phases:

1. Inventory

2. Australian-Dutch Heritage Day, Frementle. 

3. Australian-Dutch Heritage Day, The Hague.

5. Australian-Dutch Heritage Day, Canberra- 'Footprints as Stepping Stones'

 

Part One: Inventory

 

Duration: January 2011-2012

To assist professionals, policy makers and volunteers in increasing the visibility, accessibility and coherence of their activities; it was decided to create an inventory and database. CIE has been working in close collaboration with the Dutch Embassy in Canberra on an inventory of Australian-Dutch cooperation, including the organisation of stakeholder meetings throughout much of Austalia. In 2010 CIE was invited to generate an overview of past, ongoing and planned cultural heritage activities relating to the VOC, ANCODS, post-war Dutch emigration, Dutch in the Pacific War and relations with Aborigine groups. 

 

The database project came into being, following the decision made within the framework of the stakeholder contact group, to create an overview of the heritage projects and involved experts and organisations in the field of Australian-Dutch mutual cultural heritage. In the process of these activities, an inventory of completed, running and future heritage projects in the Netherlands and Australia were created as well as recording all involved organisations, experts and stakeholders in both countries. This was all documented within a Wiki Database. The outcome of this inventory has been inserted in the online platform, 'Cultural Heritage Connections', which was developed by CIE with the financial support of the Dutch government, now managed by Dutch Culture. Australia became the first country outside of the 8 priority countries under the Dutch mutual cultural heritage policy to be included within the online platform. 

 

The objective was to increase the visibility and coherence of these heritage activities and to create a 'roadmap' for future events, to generate and encourage the positive and enthusiastic responses by the stakeholders involved in the contact group. The database was designed with the intention that it will continue and evolve independantly through the active participation and the input of the heritage fields. The execution of this inventory has been successfully reached. The physical result is the online platform, which was launced on the 20th February 2012 in Frementle, Australia. The organised stakeholder meetings boosted the exchange of knowledge and experiences between stakeholders in the field of mutual cultural heritage, encouraging further thought on new and future activities. 

 

Documents:

Final report on the Inventory

Invitation to the information meeting

Powerpoint presentation on the cooperation project 

 

Stakeholder Meetings

 

Due to the size of Australia and the scope of the heritage activities, it was decided to organise multiple stakeholder meetings in all capitals. Unfortunately time and budget meant that meetings in Darwin, the Northern Territory could not take place, but in Hobart, Kingston and Launceston, Tasmania, smaller meetings were able to be organised. The agenda looked like this:

 

2nd February 2011: Western Australian Museum, Perth

24th February 2011: Stakeholder Lunch at Western Australian Museu, Geraldton. 

26th February 2011: Western Australian Museum, Geraldton. (see report)

3rd March 2011: Canberra Museum and Gallery

29th March 2011: National Maritime Museum, Sydney

31st March 2011: History South Australia, Adelaide. (see report)

15th April 2011: Queensland Maritime Museum, Brisbane. (see report)

29th April 2011: Special Broadcasting Service Office, Melbourne (see report)

 

These stakeholder meetings provided interesting platforms for stakeholders to exchange thoughts and experiences in the field of mutual cultural heritage and to learn more about one another's activities. The number of participants varied between 15-20 people per meeting.  These meetings boosted the exchange of knowledge and experiences between stakeholders in the field of mutual cultural heritage connections and encouraged further thought on new and future activities. During these meetings numerous stakeholders expressed interest in contributing to the 2012 Zuytdorp and the 2016 Dirk Hartog events. They acknowledged the mutuality of the Australian-Dutch heritage and it can be seen from the results that proper documentation of the many involved organisations, associations, volunteers, activities and projects were urgently needed. The oral history and heritage resulting from the Dutch emigration flow following World War Two was also under increasing threat due to the ageing of the Dutch communities in Australia. 

 

Cultural heritage includes tangible and intangible elements. These cultural expressions can be regarded as mutual heritage. This mutual cultural heritage does not only concern the Dutch communities, but Australia and the Netherlands as a whole. The joint willingness to protect and preserve this is essential. 

 

Australian-Dutch Heritage Day: 20th and 21st February 2012

 

Duration: 2012

Status: Complete

Partners: Dutch Embassy in Canberra, Western Australian Museum

 

CIE in collaboration with the Dutch Embassy in Canberra and the Western Australian Museum held a Heritage Day in February 2012 at the Western Australian Museum in Frementle. On the 20th February the reception and launch of the online Australian-Dutch mutual heritage platform within the 'Cultural Heritage Connections' database was held. This database was developed and created by CIE and now managed by Dutch Culture. The aim was to provide easily accessible information internationally which will continue to contribute towards heritage activities in the future. 

 

The following day, came the second part this this Heritage Day. The main theme was the strengthening of Australian-Dutch mutual heritage relations, while referencing maritime, mercantile, migration and military heritage relations. Experts in these fields shared their expertise and experiences through presentations and panel discussions. The event was attended by guests from different fields; heritage experts, representatives of cultural organisations, policy makers and business people who gathered to discuss the heritage cooperation between the two countries. These participants were also invited to share their views and knowledge in the discussions and workshops. 

 

Documents: 

Final report

Invitation and programme

Programme booklet