Castlemaine-Diggings-National-Heritage-Park-Management-Plan

Strategies for cultural values conservation
Cemetery still has a powerful impact on
people. When abandoned in 1857, its crude
gold rush grave ruins and the sense of
desolation were described as possessing ‘an
ancient history as real as any other world has
produced’ (MAM 1862). The perception of
Pennyweight as hallowed heritage has stuck
ever since.
A more recent example of ‘sense of self-inplace’
is the idea that management of the
park’s biodiversity values should not only be
about protection but also about enhancement
with the view to producing more large trees.
The ECC saw this goal as important because of
the ‘strong sense of spirituality and wonder’
generated by large trees, as evoking ‘the vast
pristine Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands
of pre-European Australia’ (ECC 2001;
section 5.3).
The mining related landscapes throughout
most of the park have considerable variation in
the size and form of trees. Some smaller areas
of the park that are largely devoid of
archaeological values predominantly have
trees that are uniform in size with multistemmed
(coppice) form reflecting past
cyclical forest harvesting regimes. These areas
include Shicers Gully and the Special
Management Area – Research (table 1 and
figure 2)
An additional type of cultural landscape in the
park is ‘designed landscapes’. These are areas
where humans have planned out and modified
the natural landscape, including the planting of
exotic and non-local trees. Examples of
designed landscapes in the park include burial
grounds, Chinese market gardens and Vaughan
Mineral Springs.
Other historic human uses of the park have
influenced the landscape character of the park.
Many of the remaining large old trees in the
park are Yellow Box that have been conserved
for apiculture since the 1930s (section 5.4) (R.
McDonald pers. comm. 2005).
The landscape is an intrinsic element of
Country for the Traditional Owners and is
significant for Indigenous communities.
Threats to the landscape values of the park
include pest plant invasion (section 5.6),
increasing visitor pressure on sites, and
inappropriately designed or managed visitor
facilities. Public utilities and authorised uses,
including channels, electrical transmission
lines, a communications tower (section 7.1)
and a slate and stone quarry (section 7.2), have
the potential to visually impact on the park’s
landscape values. In addition, inappropriate
designs, materials and siting of developments
adjacent to the park can also adversely affect
the landscape character of the park.
Historic cultural heritage management
Historic and cultural places are managed in
accordance with the Heritage Act 1995 (Vic.),
the Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of
Cultural Significance (the ‘Burra Charter’)
(Australia ICOMOS 1999), and Parks
Victoria’s Heritage Management Strategy
(Parks Victoria 2003). Heritage Victoria has
primary responsibility for ensuring compliance
with the Heritage Act. Parks Victoria and
Heritage Victoria have signed a formal
memorandum of understanding to achieve
mutual objectives for heritage conservation.
The Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage
Park Heritage Action Plan (Pearson et al.
2002) provides detailed practical guidance for
the conservation and related management of
the major cultural resources contained within
the park. Management of specific sites in the
plan are also informed by the following plans:
Vaughan Mineral Springs Reserves — Master
Plan Review (VMWC 2000), Draft Vaughan
Mineral Springs, Castlemaine Diggings
National Heritage Park, Heritage Action Plan
(Allom Lovell & Associates 2003), Garfield
Water Wheel Heritage Action Plan (Giovanelli
2001), Forest Creek Gold Diggings, Heritage
Action Statement (Parks Victoria 2002b) and
Castlemaine Goldfields Burial Grounds,
Heritage Action Plan (Ballinger & Associates
2003).
Aims
• Conserve and protect places and
landscapes of historic, cultural and natural
significance while allowing natural
processes to continue.
• Encourage learning and understanding
about the historic heritage of the park.
Management strategies
• Manage historic places and cultural
landscapes of cultural or historic
significance in accordance with:
16 Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park