Do we value heritage?

1st article was, what do we class as heritage?

You don't have to meet Jesus or Buddha to worship them. You don't have to go to the Antarctic or the Great Barrier Reef to still want them protected. You may never fully understand love, but you can still be devoted to your family for life. The common element amongst these very developed ideas is respect and it is taken to a whole new level only by human beings. Maybe this is why the passive existence of heritage means a lot to people, and maybe more so in a multi-cultural community like ours? In a study from 2005 the Australian and New Zealand communities strongly agreed, or agreed that, it is important to protect heritage places even though I may never visit them (93%), heritage is part of Australia's identity (92%), it is important to educate children about heritage (96%), and, my life is richer for having the opportunity to visit or see heritage (79%). It is good to know that heritage protection is active in government and is borne out locally in heritage levies (8% of rates in Sunshine Coast), town planning concessions, and studies of heritage places in our region. Beyond these formalities we need to be honest and articulate about our heritage. We often witness very (historically) old communities in places such as Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia which suffer through persecution and misery, but it is their rich heritage that helps them to always hold their heads high with respect. History does help to shape our views and frame our laws and our community pays respect and homage to the good and bad of our past. Whether we agree with the actions of our forbearers or not, our past is definitely a hangover or a morning glory to our future. We should respect this affect within the condition we know as, the present.

Adrian just is director and principal architect of Archicology Architects on the Sunshine Coast. He is also currently Chair of the 2017 Open House committee, a continuing member of the Cultural Heritage Reference Group of the Sunshine Coast Council, and regional Chair of the Australian Institute of Architects.