FAQs
What is Australian Heritage Week?
Australian Heritage Week (AHW) is a national event celebrating the places and stories that make Australia and Australians special. It includes our amazing natural places, our rich Indigenous heritage and the diverse historic sites that together, reflect our development as a nation.
AHW is about raising public awareness of the importance of conserving and protecting Australia’s most special heritage places.
This week long celebration is also about encouraging communities and organisations to use this time to host a local heritage event or activity.
When will AHW be held?
In 2013, AHW will run from Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 April.
This is a time of the year when many families are on school holidays and are more likely to be travelling and have the opportunity to take part in AHW events.
The week also incorporates the International Council on Monuments and Site’s (ICOMOS) International Day which is held each year on 18 April. For more information about ICOMOS go to http://australia.icomos.org/about-us/international-day-for-monuments-sites/
Doesn’t Australia already have heritage celebrations?
Yes, most states and territories do have their own heritage festivals at different times of the year, and these will still continue. AHW is not about replacing existing events but is designed to create a special time in the year where there is a national focus on learning about and becoming involved with Australia’s unique heritage places and stories.
Is the National Trust of Australia involved?
Yes, state and territory National Trust organisations host activities and events at their properties http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/
Who can get involved and what kind of activities could we host?
AHW is open to any individual, heritage place manager/owner, school or organisation (government or non-government) who appreciates their local heritage place and would like to share and celebrate what makes their place special. There are many ways of celebrating Australia’s impressive range of heritage places and their special stories. Some ideas for activities could include:
- guided/walking tours around your town’s special heritage places
- photographic or essay-writing competitions on your favourite heritage place and what it means to you and your community
- plays or re-enactments, film screenings
- lectures and seminars about the unique qualities of your heritage place
- ‘working bees’ to repair or restore/ clean up a local heritage place
- exhibitions or displays with heritage items in your collections
- ‘open days’, ‘open doors’, ‘open house’ or ‘open garden’ for heritage places that are not usually open to the public, and
- heritage awards for adaptive re-use of a heritage place or awards that recognise the efforts of an individual, school or community to protect and conserve their local heritage.
It would also be great to see your heritage stories told and interpreted in creative ways: through works of art, films, songs, photographs and television productions.
These are just some examples but the possibilities are endless ….. what activity best show-cases your unique local heritage? View events held in Australian Heritage Week 2012 by searching on the What’s On page for the date/s, categories that interest you.
Does the Australian Government provide grants to assist with Australian Heritage Week events?
The Your Community Heritage Grants program released in November 2011 provides funding for the celebration of heritage across Australia including for events held during Australian Heritage Week. Information is available at www.environment.gov.au/heritage/programs/ych/
How can we promote our activities to the public during AHW?
The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities maintains a national calendar of events for AHW at heritage-week.govspace.gov.au
To register your event, complete the registration form on the site. Details of your event will be displayed and visitors to the website can search by type of event / heritage category and other selectors to see what is being held in their region as well as around the nation.
When you register your event you will also be able to download the AHW logo which you may use to promote your event as part of the national celebration.
I have registered my event, why can’t I find it on the site?
All event registrations are moderated by departmental staff before they are released on to the web site.
While moderation is available during normal business hours, Monday to Friday, there is no moderation available after hours or on weekends and public holidays. So for example, if you enter your event after hours on a Friday, it will not be moderated and released until the following Monday.
Make sure you register early!
For more information about moderation, see our Disclaimer. If you have any other questions about registration please contact us at ausheritageweek@environment.gov.au
What if I have trouble registering my event?
If you have any trouble registering your event, please email the department at ausheritageweek@environment.gov.au
What if I wish to cancel an event once I have registered it on the website?
Should you wish to cancel an event once it is registered, you will need to email ausheritageweek@environment.gov.au and request that the event be removed from the website.
How can we provide feedback to the department after this week?
The Department is very interested in receiving your feedback at the conclusion of AHW. If you would like to provide feedback please tick the relevant box when you register your event.