Media Releases
MEDIA RELEASE - Wednesday, 12 November 2003
Community group preserves local heritage - Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club
Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club received $1600 to preserve heritage items with the assistance of the 2003 Community Heritage Grants, an Australia wide program to preserve documentary heritage items.
The grants were announced by Federal Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp at a ceremony held at the National Library of Australia.
Grants of up to $8 000 are awarded annually to community organisations such as museums, libraries, archives and historical and genealogical societies to preserve locally owned, but nationally significant, documentary heritage materials including letters, diaries, maps, photographs, film/video and oral history recordings.
The grant will fund workshops for club volunteers on the making of
storage boxes and the care of trophies in preparation for centenary
celebrations in 2007.
Senator Kemp said, "The Community Heritage
Grants program is a major national initiative because it represents a
commitment by Australians to recording and conserving their local heritage.
2003 marks the 10th anniversary of the program. In that time 295 projects have
received more than $1 million in funding."
This year fifty community organisations were awarded a total of $219 000 to preserve diverse collections that make up Australia's wealth of documentary heritage.
The program is jointly funded and supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the Australian Film Commission and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.
Jan Fullerton, Director-General National Library of Australia said," The Community Heritage Grant program is one of the most comprehensive annual initiatives that the Library is involved in.
"Together with our partners we are able to work at the community level
where some of the most vitally interesting material is located and where the
most active work occurs, which is often undertaken by volunteers."
Media enquiries:
Yvonne Kennedy
Director Communications and Marketing
Telephone: 02 6262 1353; 0411 753 891;
Email:
ykennedy@nla.gov.au
