2021 Western Australian Heritage Award winners

Read about the 19 outstanding individuals and projects recognised at the awards ceremony on the 19 November.
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Voluntary individual contribution

An individual who has made a significant voluntary contribution to the conservation, promotion and/or understanding of cultural heritage in the community.

Owen Briffa, Volunteer Curator, Lost Mundaring & Surroundings Local History Museum

Category Winner

Through the Facebook page Lost Mundaring and Surroundings, Owen inspires the community to take an interest in local history. At just 15-years of age, Owen has produced two photographic history books. Owen brings history to the people with his purpose built trailer acting as the Mundaring Travelling Museum, allowing him to take local history and artefacts to events. He has played an integral part in developing interpretive panels for several exhibitions and is currently researching and writing the first history book on Eastern Hills Senior High and Mt Helena Primary Schools. He is dedicated to sharing local heritage with a wider audience every fortnight through the Fortnightly History video and has appeared in the Echo Newspapers and on Channel 7’s Today Tonight speaking about his passion for local history.

Marion Gathercole, Volunteer, See Subi and City of Subiaco

Joint Commendation

For 21 years, Marion Gathercole has volunteered her time conducting over 120 free guided walking tours promoting the unique history, heritage and streetscapes of the City of Subiaco through her ‘See Subi on Sunday’ initiative. The popularity of the walks is due to Marion’s creativity and inspiration, exploring new areas, stories and ideas so that no two walks are ever the same.

As Marion says “Participating as a volunteer is both a pleasure and a privilege. It is a pleasure to meet so many lovely people, to have learned so much about the history and heritage of Subiaco, and a privilege to have an opportunity to share this knowledge."

Maureen Lissiman, Volunteer, Holy Trinity Church, Roebourne

Joint Commendation

The reopening of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church of Roebourne in 2021, in time to celebrate the 125th anniversary, was a major celebration. As one of the key drivers behind the challenging restoration, Maureen has been a tireless advocate, establishing the Friends of the Holy Trinity supporters’ network, a generous financial donor and committed researcher during the renovation. Her contribution has ensured that the Holy Trinity Church in Roebourne Western Australia has regained its place as the beacon on the hill.

Professional contribution

An individual who has made a significant contribution to heritage and has demonstrated best practice standards through their employment in the heritage industry.

Ian Maitland OAM, Retired Civil, Structural and Heritage Engineer

Category Winner

Ian Maitland OAM retired in 2017, after a 54-year career as a Civil, Structural and Heritage Engineer. During his career and in retirement he has worked tirelessly to promote and advocate for heritage and in particular engineering heritage. Ian’s career stands out due to the vast number and range of commissions he has undertaken, including over 200 heritage projects across WA. Places he has worked on include St George’s Cathedral, Trinity Church Perth, the heritage balconies of the State Buildings and Raine Square redevelopment. Ian is passionate about passing his knowledge on through mentoring emerging engineers, architects and builders.

Ian Maitland was also awarded the Judges’ Award – the Professor David Dolan Award for his outstanding contribution to heritage.

Contribution by a community-based organisation

A community-based or non-profit organisation whose contribution demonstrates a commitment to cultural heritage and/or heritage-related work, services or programs in Western Australia.

Heritage Skills Association WA Inc.

Category Winner

Heritage Skills Association WA was officially formed in August 2020 with a vison to share the important skills needed to repair and care for heritage places. The association aims to address an identified lack of accredited heritage skills training within the sector via an intergenerational project based model.

Through the Heritage Skills Project, members are connected and have support from others in the heritage community across the State, Australia and internationally. The group is dedicated to connecting and working together with those that have the heritage skills before they are lost for good.

Friends of Anzac Cottage Inc.

Joint Commendation

The Friends of Anzac Cottage is a dynamic and energetic organisation dedicated to sharing and preserving the unique and fascinating story of Anzac Cottage, the first war memorial built to honour those who fought in the Gallipoli Landing.

The group conducts monthly Anzac Afternoons, guided tours by appointment and commemorative ceremonies, allowing the community to visit this historic icon to learn more about the cottage and to pay their respects to the veterans who have served Australia in many conflicts.

Littlewell Working Group

Joint Commendation

Located on the outskirts of Mingenew, a town nearly 400 kilometres north of Perth, the Littlewell Reserve closed in 1972 and was handed over to the Mingenew Shire. In 2010, a group of 30 elders and former residents of the Littlewell Reserve came together to form the Littlewell Working Group. The members of the Littlewell Working Group worked tirelessly, using their own resources, time and money to restore and maintain the reserve, while working with community stakeholders to commemorate the lives and stories of the Littlewell mob. 

The Littlewell Reserve is now a protected place of healing, language, belonging, history, heritage and culture. The Working Group has given back the stories of the past to future generations.

Contribution by a public or private organisation

A public or private organisation whose contribution demonstrates a commitment to cultural heritage and/or heritage-related work, services or programs in Western Australia.

City of Rockingham

The City of Rockingham is home to a welcoming and inclusive community that understands, protects, sustains and celebrates its unique heritage and stunning environment. The city is renowned for its natural beauty and world-class coastal and marine environment. The city's Heritage Strategy 2020-2025 guides how it approaches heritage and prioritises heritage projects. The city allocates funds for an external City Heritage Advisor each year to provide specialist heritage advice on Conservation Management Plans, Heritage Impact Statements, and Policy and Heritage Reference Group attendance. City Community Grant funding is also allocated towards heritage projects and not-for-profit groups involved in heritage.

Interpretation project

A project that improves and enriches a heritage experience by helping visitors to develop a strong sense of understanding and appreciation of a place. The project must relate to, or include, a State Registered place or precinct.

MissionsConnect

Category Winner

MissionsConnect is the first immersive technological tool of its kind in Australia that is effective as a heritage repository. It documents the State heritage-listed site of Mogumber mission. It further captures the intangible heritage, the memories and lived experiences of the Stolen Generations Survivors of Mogumber. It narrates their stories within a Virtual Reality reconstruction of these places, providing a decolonised narrative of a significant period and place.

Esperance Tanker Jetty replacement and interpretation

Joint Commendation

The Replacement Jetty in Esperance showcases how innovative interpretation strategies can capture the important meanings and cultural values of a heritage place, through all phases of design and construction, even when the fabric of the place itself will be dramatically changed through de-construction. The design team, led by H+H Architects, assisted the Shire of Esperance in realising the continuation of cultural heritage values of this iconic landmark so that it can continue to be enjoyed by current and future generations.

Wadjemup Museum

Joint Commendation

The Wadjemup Museum is housed in the beautiful Old Mill & Hay Store on Rottnest Island. The Rottnest Island Authority engaged Creative Spaces to update the existing displays in order to attract a younger audience, and keep up-to-date with modern museum methods of storytelling. The vision was to reinvigorate the museum with new exhibits that include both contemporary and historic stories of the island's history whilst being sensitive to the Aboriginal heritage of the island.

Heritage tourism product

A business or product that provides a heritage tourism experience and provides visitors with access to and/or interpretation of a heritage place.

Ngarjarli Art Viewing Trail, Murujuga National Park

Category Winner

Completed in August 2020, the Ngajarli Art Viewing Trail was a collaboration between the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, as joint managers of the Murujuga National Park.

Farmers Home Hotel, Northam

Commendation

For over 150-years, the Farmers Home Hotel has been at the heart of the Northam community and a place of welcome and comfort for everyone from pioneers to premiers.  This rich heritage served as inspiration throughout the hotel’s multi-million dollar restoration and conservation, which resurrected the Northam landmark on the same principles as which it was founded, to reopen as a modern boutique hotel, wine bar and Dome Café. 

The Ngajarli Art Viewing Trail has been carefully designed to achieve cultural safety and caring for Country in a very sacred place. With minimal infrastructure and intervention, a series of walkways, interpretive signage and gathering spaces have been created to better manage visitation, provide cultural education and culturally safe viewing of the petroglyphs.

Conservation or adaptive reuse of a State Registered Place

This category recognises conservation or adaptation of a place entered in the State Register of Heritage Places.

Farmers Home Hotel, Northam

Joint Category Winner

For over 150-years, the Farmers Home Hotel has been at the heart of the Northam community and a place of welcome and comfort for everyone from pioneers to premiers. This rich heritage served as inspiration throughout the hotel’s multi-million dollar restoration and conservation, which resurrected the Northam landmark on the same principles as which it was founded, to reopen as a modern boutique hotel, wine bar and Dome Café.

This layering of old and new is celebrated in the hotel’s design and interpretation. Contemporary design, both cutting-edge and understated, provides a new level of amenity and sophistication while ensuring the building’s federation grandeur and heritage features take centre stage to reveal the hotel’s remarkable story.

The Farmers Home Hotel was awarded the prestigious Gerry Gauntlett Award which recognises excellence in the area of conservation or adaptation of a place.

Owner and Director: Dôme Café Group
Architecture: spaceagency
Builder: Masterbuilt Constructions

York Residency Museum

Joint Category Winner

York is WA's oldest inland town and a seismic hotspot. Economic and intangible benefits to the community, the State and the nation relate to the preservation of York's exceptional built heritage. 

The vision was to future-proof the museum by applying wider, holistic thinking rather than simply addressing the retrofit works. The goals were to make the building more resilient against multi natural hazards and tackle outstanding legacy conservation issues such as damp, decay and degradation. It is a model of best practice in its approach, the thoroughness of planning, preparation and implementation future-proofing the last extant Convict Depot Superintendent’s Quarters in Western Australia.

Project Owner: Shire of York
Specialist Earthquake Mitigation Advice: Geoscience Australia and University of Adelaide
Heritage Engineer: Peter Baxendale
Archaeology: Snappygum Heritage Services
Heritage Builder: Colgan Industries

Old Onslow Townsite

Joint Commendation

The conservation of the Old Onslow Cemetery is an exemplar of cemetery conservation, undertaken with great respect and best conservation practice in line with the Burra Charter. A remarkable achievement given the remote and harsh environment.

The project has made a significant contribution to tourism opportunities in Onslow. The revelation and acknowledgement of Aboriginal gravesites provides an insight into a significant stage of the settlement history and associations with existing Aboriginal community in Onslow and the Ashburton region. All of which enrich the history and heritage of the region and its value to community pride and visitor enhancement.

Project Owner: Shire of Ashburton
Conservations Works: HI Constructions
Conservation Consultant: Laura Gray, Heritage Intelligence (WA)

Warders Hotel and Emily Taylor, Fremantle

Joint Commendation

Warders Hotel and Emily Taylor have been adapted from a Victorian Georgian style row of six terrace houses built in 1851 to house warders working at the prison and their families. The hotel rooms retain both the fabric and essence of the original building, providing an immersive heritage experience with modern amenities facilitating a luxurious stay. The hotel provides 11 suites and a hole-in-the-wall bar called the Gimlet.

Project Owner: Prendiville Group
Architect: Matthew Crawford Architects
Heritage Architect: Griffiths Architects
Archaeology: Gavin Jackson Cultural
Builder: McCorkell Construction

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