HERITAGE DAY

One of the major strategic activities of the museum in 1999 was to conduct a Heritage Strategy Day in conjunction with a number of regional heritage groups and cultural organisations. Representatives of the City of Maribyrnong, Victoria University, the Inner West National Trust Branch, Footscray Historical Society, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Parks Victoria, the Living Museum and other groups and individuals, spent the best part of the day discussing the issues which effect cultural heritage in the region.

The purpose of the strategy was two-fold, to provide the interplay between the Museum and communities which helps develop ideas and contexts for future heritage and cultural programming, and to develop the networks which allow the influence and implementation of heritage and cultural development in the region. While many of the participants were already known to each other, they had not got together in such a forum before, so the session also benefited the participants in establishing networks and reinforcing existing contacts.

The day began with presentations from the key players in cultural heritage in Maribyrnong, the Council, the Living Museum, Parks Victoria, and others. The issues were flagged in this process, and it was soon clear that Maribyrnong has a vast but un-tapped heritage which calls out for appropriate management that makes it accessible to residents and the wider community.

The Maribyrnong Heritage Strategy was seen as going a long way to identifying the built heritage, but there was a recognition of the sleeping giants. These are the Maribyrnong Valley, which is a unique environment in a metropolitan and state context, Jacks Magazine, which only awaits unlocking from the former munitions factory and proposed ADI development, and the wider munitions industry in the region, and the Living Museum itself. Other key cultural facilities such as the Footscray Arts Centre, Footscray Botanic Gardens, and the diverse multicultural and contemporary arts scene, were also identified as exceptional resources.

The latter part of the day involved small group workshops to address ways of better using the cultural resources of the region and building on the existing development. However, the major benefit of the day was in creating the conditions for on-going cultural development and creating partnerships between organisations for the betterment of the areas culture and heritage.