Ten Terminal At Middle Head

Transcription

1 Ten Terminal At Middle Head Concepts for interpre5ve displays at the proposed Heritage Centre at Middle Head celebra5ng the rich Aboriginal and Military History of the area.

2 Rich Aboriginal Heritage at Middle Head Mosman has a rich Aboriginal heritage with over one hundred recorded sites. Evidence of Aboriginal occupa:on can be found in all landforms across the municipality. Opposite is a rock carving of a fish at Middle Head. 79 known sites within the Mosman municipality have been catalogued though more are believed to exist. These are occupa:on sites (shelters, middens), religious or ceremonial sites and rock art sites. Many of course have been destroyed or lie under buildings, but many others are assumed by archaeologists to survive in the foreshore bushland. Ashton Park contains rock carvings of animals which are located near the steps going down to the beach on the eastern side of Bradleys Head. There is such a rich Aboriginal heritage and ar:s:c sites to be experience and explored in Mosman and the TEN TERMINAL Centre would be a wonderful way to introduce people to the richness that exists in the area and it would :e in with the arts precinct that has been created there.

3 Quote from Aboriginal heritage study of the Mosman Local Government Area undertaken by Mosman Council. Promo:ng Reconcilia:on & Respect Many of us are unaware that so many incredible sites s:ll survive so close to our homes. The Aboriginal heritage of Mosman need not remain a mystery and it is up to all of us to work together to learn more about the land that we call home. If we are to survive on this con:nent for even another 1000 years, deeply rooted local knowledge may be the cri:cal factor. The sites of Mosman are not the remains of a long lost culture but the evidence of survival and the signposts showing us how to learn more about our local environment.

4 Bungaree Bungaree was an Aboriginal man who accompanied several explorers on coastal sea voyages as an interpreter, guide and nego:ator e.g. MaRhew Flinders expedi:on in Bungaree spent the larer part of his life ceremonially welcoming visitors to Australia, educa:ng people about Aboriginal culture. He was also part of the ambi:ous project by Governor Macquarie in 1815 where Bungaree s immediate clan was granted farmland on Middle Head in an arempt to create a na:ve farming class. The project was ul:mately unsuccessful because the land was not suitable to farming. Bungaree dressed in a succession of military and naval uniforms that had been given to him and was well known for his humour and mimicry of NSW governors. Many Mosman people are not aware of this interes:ng and par:cular history. The inclusion of this informa:on in the exhibits would enrich any visitor s experience of the area. Bungaree is part of both the Aboriginal and white heritage and as such would be a fascina:ng subject to explore in the Ten Terminal Heritage Centre.

5 Military History There is a rich military history at Middle Head which needs to be remembered and shared. Just a few of the many interes:ng facts are: As early as 1801, during the Napoleonic War, the area was recognised as an important site for the defence of Sydney Harbour. An outer line of defence strategy for Sydney Harbour included a series of bareries at Georges Head and Middle Head. There are the 1801 Forts, built in response to a feared French invasion, the tunnels, sandstone gun pits and infamous Vietnam War- era 'Tiger Cages'. Pre 1970s female soldiers were recruited into a specific unit known as the Women's Royal Australian Army Corp (WRAAC) which was based in Georges Heights from In 1959 a base for the Army Intelligence Centre was established in 10 Terminal. Guided tours of the Fort are available between October and May. It would be wonderful for those groups to include the TEN TERMINAL Centre as part of their tour. It would also be of great interest to locals and tourists who visit Middle Head and see the evidence of the military history and want to know more. It would create a logical focal point for the dawn service commemora:ng ANZAC Day currently conducted by the military at Middle Head annually.

6 Flora & Fauna Middle Head preserves a remnant of the heath vegeta:on which was once common on the exposed sandstone ridges around Sydney. It s important to educate people about na:ve flora and fauna in order for them to value the bushland in the area and see the beauty of the na:ve vegeta:on and recognise the invading species and the damage it does. It would be educa:onal but also interes:ng for tourists to see exhibits dedicated to the unique local flora and fauna. It would also compliment visits to the zoo.

7 Interac5ve Displays Modern technology greatly enhances the interac:ve experience in displays. It transforms the image of stuffy musty museums into lively, child friendly, engaging all the senses in the hands on experience of history and can bring things to life in a way that hasn t been experienced before. The TEN TERMINAL Centre can take advantage of these exci:ng developments and be a real drawcard, leading the way for local municipali:es.

8 Educa5on To have a focal point for school excursions and bus tours for visitors would contribute to the local economy and serve to inform people of the rich history of the area as well as walking tracks and flora and fauna.

9 Building Heritage The collec:on of buildings at 10 Terminal was first established in 1941 as the School of Military Engineering and later to become the 12 th Lines of Communica:ons Head Quarters. When the centre relocated to South Australia a decade later, the site (a combina:on of office brick buildings, workshops and barracks buildings) was taken over by the 10 Terminal regiment as the Squadron Headquarters. There is a rich history in the buildings on the Middle Head telling us the story of the Military Heritage of the area. It would be a pity not to preserve this for future genera:ons. Wonderful examples already exist all over the surrounding area of a huge variety of effec:ve uses of the exis:ng buildings which serves both to enrich and enliven the area and at the same :me preserve the history in the buildings.

10 Sources The source of much of the informa:on contained in this presenta:on is taken from Aboriginal Heritage of Mosman. This document is an Aboriginal heritage study of the Mosman Local Government Area created in It was a coopera:ve project managed by the Na:onal Parks and Wildlife Service and combining the resources of the then Department of Environment and Conserva:on, the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC), the Sydney Harbour Federa:on Trust (SHFT) and Mosman Council. The Australian Museum Business Services (AMBS) and the MLALC carried out the study. Prepared by Claire Jones