By KATRINA BRANDON
A GOLDEN destiny is set for Victoria’s World Heritage Bid nomination, with Walhalla Goldfields one of many locations included in the Tentative Listing.
Last month, the Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Bid Team (VGWHBT) shared their passion for the Walhalla area in an information session for residents to understand what it means for Walhalla to enter the World Heritage Bid.
About 40 people attended the session, asking three VGWHBT members (Trevor Budge, the World Heritage at the City of Greater Bendigo Strategic Projects Officer; Lana Epshteyn, the World Heritage Engagement Officer for the City of Ballarat; and Susan Fayad, the World Heritage and Regional Development Lead at the City of Ballarat) and Joanne Porter, Federation University’s Director of Collaborative Evaluation Unit (CEU), questions about their concerns.
The World Heritage Bid aims to highlight the best places worldwide that share a unique, memorable, and educational value. Mr Budge explained that nominations don’t have to be old, just significant, and that there are currently 1223 places on the World Heritage List, as well as 168 state parties and countries sharing in cultural and social values.
The team’s presentation shared that the Victorian Goldfields (Walhalla in particular) share significant value and are even backed by World Heritage International specialist Barry Gamble, stating that Walhalla is a “sure thing”. Mr Gamble has been involved in 21 successful nominations.
“The World Heritage Bid is all about what UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, a specialised agency of the United Nations) calls outstanding universal value – above national value; it transcends value to all humanity,” he said.
“There is no doubt that what you have in Victoria here is so special and unparalleled. It’s more than just about gold mining; we have the gold rush and wider effects, such as what we see living here in central Victorian goldfields.
“The earliest opportunity we would have if the government agreed to it would be 2026 for a nomination to go in, and then it takes 18 months thereafter for the examination by UNESCO, including a visit by an expert to the site.”
Since 2023, the VGWHBT has collaborated with the state government, Heritage Victoria and other organisations projects.
“We bring away quite a few years working on this project with government support. We are working towards the Tentative List, and on January 28, the Victorian Goldfields formally was on Australia’s Tentative List,” Mr Budge said.
“The thing about tentative listing is that you can not put a nomination in unless it has been on the tentative list for at least one year.
“We think if we get more tourists into these areas, we will get more government focus in these places, trying to promote these places and build up the community infrastructure.”
Alongside more tourists, the nomination delivers opportunities for nearby communities.
“It is really high profile, and lots of people are involved. It is a fantastic opportunity to get priorities across regional Victoria front and centre,” Ms Fayad said.
“One of the things is coming up with ways that we can use World Heritage as a catalyst to getting benefits within communities.”
Ms Eoshtenyn added that much work has been done to quantify the economic benefits of World Heritage, and they say that within 10 years, it could potentially increase economic growth by $1 million.
Already looking into further growth within the Walhalla area, Ms Porter has partnered with the Walhalla Goldfield Railway committee to look for a way to make a case for extending the railway and its role in the town. Funding for the project has come from the Department of Jobs, Skill, Industry and Regions, with all partners investing their own as well.
During the Gold Rush in the 1850s, the team said that Victoria’s population increased from 77,000 people to more than 600,000. During this time, 30 per cent of people were women and children, which helped build the need for creating a proper society.
Mr Budge highlighted that more gold had been mined between California (a well-known goldfield) and Victoria than in the last 300 years, with Walhalla using the most productive method: the Long Tunnel Extended.
“In Barry’s assessment of Walhalla, only three places in the world have this type of environment, this type of typography in gold mining: Walhalla, a couple of valleys in Brazil and a couple of valleys in California, and that’s it. Nowhere else has this type of gold mining,” he explained.
In the presentation, Mr Budge set aside some concerns that he had previously had to answer at another session.
Some people were worried that listing places on the World Heritage List would change land ownership. It was explained that land ownership would remain the same, but the area would be highlighted as essential. Later, it was clarified that landowners would have to manage the project or site; otherwise, it could be taken off the list. Three places in the world have been taken off the list: Liverpool in England, Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany and Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman.
The Express asked Mr Budge about recent issues such as Coopers Creek vandalism and managing tourists in local areas.
He told the Express, “In the short term, we can’t do anything (about the Coopers Creek issue) because World Heritage nominations take ages.”
“In terms of Walhalla, if we can get the World Heritage Bid nomination up, it becomes an issue about managing the integrity of the area and managing the tourists. It would fall back upon the shire, any public authorities, and fall back on the state government who have got to manage those tourists.”
For more information, visit: goldfieldsworldheritage.com.au/
