Previous find of the month - 4/2012

Previous find of the month

April 2012

ACT Heritage Committee Plaques - 1982

 

ACT Heritage Committee Logo

To coincide with the first ACT Heritage Week in April 1982, the ACT Heritage Committee arranged for the installation of plaques on significant heritage sites around the ACT.  Installation of these plaques continued for several years and most can still be found in prominent positions on historic buildings.

The following files document the design and installation of these and other plaques in the ACT from 1973:

  • 80/1734 – Recreation & Tourism Branch – Heritage Committee – Plaques for Historic Sites & Buildings
  • 82/4418 – Community Relations & Facilities Branch – Heritage Committee – Plaques for Historic Sites & Buildings
  • 86/6433 – Arts & Recreation Branch – ACT Heritage Committee - Plaques for Historic Sites & Building
  • 90/18957 – ACT Heritage Unit – Plaques for Historic Sites & Buildings

Memo from Director of Recreation, M.A. Hodgkin to Director of Department of Housing and Construction - 13/01/1979

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Design proposals

The following scans are plaque design proposals 'A' to 'C' drawn up by the NCDC with design ‘C’ being selected.

Memo from Secretary and Manager, NCDC, K.J. Curtis to Secretary, Department of the Capital Territory - 06/12/1979 

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Plan_A2
Above: Design A2

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Plan_B
Above: Design B

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Plan_C
Above: Design C

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Plan_D
Above: Design D

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Final
Above: The Final Design

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Memo from Director Recreation, M.A. Hodgkin to Secretary and Manager, NCDC, K.J. Curtis - 29/02/1980

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First five plaques

The first five ACT Heritage Committee plaques were to be installed on the following sites during Heritage Week 1982:

Memo from Jennifer Cox to Director Recreation - 13/04/1982

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Civic_Centre_-_Melbourne_Building
Above: Melbourne Building  (Civic Centre)

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Albert_Hall
Above: Albert Hall

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Gungahlin
Above: Gungahlin Homestead

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ACT Heritage Committee Plaque - First Europeans
Above: Black Mountain (first explorers) - located at the entrance to Telstra Tower.

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Old Canberra Inn

Due to the sale of the Canberra Inn during that period, installation of the plaque did not take place until 1984.  A recent inspection of the building could not locate the plaque.  The inscription read as follows:

"Built as the family residence Joseph Shumack in c1860, it was licensed as an Inn from 1876 to 1886.  It became the residence of the Read family and was known as "the Pines" until acquired by the Commonwealth in 1974.  The Canberra Inn was restored and reopened on 9 December 1976."

Unveiling the Civic Centre plaque

The following images are the invitation and phographs of the unveiling of the Civic Centre plaque by the Minister for the Capital Territory, Michael Hodgman on the 22nd of April 1982.  This plaque is located on the Melbourne Building on the corner of London Circuit and Northbourne Avenue.

ACT Heritage Committee Invitation to Unveiling of the Civic Centre Plaque on 22/04/1982

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Unveiling of ACT Heritage Committee Civic Centre Plaque by Michael Hodgman
Above: Prior to unveiling the ACT Heritage Committee Civic Centre Plaque on 22nd April 1982.  John Thwaite (left) & Michael Hodgman (right) are in front of the still covered plaque. 

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Civic_Centre_Plaque_Unveiling_2
Above: Unveiling of ACT Heritage Committee Civic Centre Plaque. Left to right: unknown (possibly L.G. Ferguson, Commonwealth Bank Manager), Bruce Moore (ACT Heritage Committee), Michael Hodgman (Minister for the Capital Territory) and Alan Fitzgerald (ACT Heritage Committee).

ArchivesACT has photographs of other ACT Heritage Committee plaques, notably the Lodge, Yarralumla, Scrivener Dam and Lanyon Cemetery.  These can be viewed on our flickr account here: ACT Heritage Committee Plaques

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Links to external sites:

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