AGHS Sydney - Managing Historic Gardens

Stuart Read describes the ‘what’, the ‘how’ and sources of help, to manage and conserve historic gardens. Giving an overview of heritage ‘listings’, pieces of law and differences between ‘statutory’ and other listings: what needs approval and who from… Teases out what is ‘significance’ and how does it drive management? Where to go for more information, relevant history or ‘time period’ hints: online and physical resources open to garden owners, heritage consultants, designers, gardeners. Gives lots of examples from gardens, illustrating his points.

What is heritage as applied to gardens in New South Wales? What does ‘heritage listed’ mean? Who decides and how? What can change – layout, design, character, structures, plantings? What about subdivision, infill? What’s a ‘curtilage’? What about conservation areas – local character – garden suburbs? Significant views and vistas?

Where can I go, and how do I research my or a garden’s history? What’s ‘conservation’, the Burra Charter? A conservation management plan? Who should I talk to in my local Council? How do I do a heritage development application? What’s integrated mean?

Stuart Read works for Heritage NSW, advising the Heritage Council on state heritage listings. He specialises in landscape heritage, plant diversity and movement. He has worked for the federal government’s Biodiversity and Heritage units on World and National Heritage listings and management. His publications include a chapter in Gardens of History & Imagination: Growing NSW (2016), articles in Australian Garden History, AGHS’s online lists of Avenues of Honour and lone pines; Remarkable Gardens; and of New Zealand plants in Australian Gardens.