Packed house for annual Heritage Symposium

More than 100 history enthusiasts received a VIP all-access pass into South East Queensland’s distinguished heritage homes and museums at the fully booked Sunshine Coast Heritage Symposium.

Renowned heritage professionals shared insights into some of the area’s best kept secrets at the free annual event, held today (April 29, 2022) at the Landsborough School of Arts Hall.

Sunshine Coast Council Community Portfolio and Divisional 1 Councillor Rick Baberowski said guests heard from curators, historians and heritage specialists at the unique event.

“The symposium celebrated The Australian National Trust Heritage Festival — the nation’s largest annual community-driven heritage festival,” Cr Baberowski said.

“Council shares a common aim with the National Trust to ‘promote and advance the conservation, protection and understanding of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage, including the heritage of Australia’s first peoples’, so the alignment made perfect sense.

Landsborough was also the perfect spot to host the event. The town’s heritage precinct and credentials are a point of pride for the community and well identified in the Landsborough Placemaking Master Plan.

“And we are actively working with the Landsborough and District Historical Society, who recently entered into a new era of operations with council, in addition to handing asset control of the entire Landsborough Museum collection to Council.”

Council Cultural Heritage Services Coordinator Peter Connell said the Heritage Symposium was an intriguing and entertaining event on council’s heritage calendar.

“Highlights included USC historian Dr Amy Clarke, who shared stories she’d discovered through her research,” Mr Connell said.

“Guests heard tales of state heritage-listed Newstead House, Brisbane’s oldest surviving residence, as well as hidden curiosities at Queensland Museum, behind-the-door vision of future museums, and insights into our historians in residence program.”

The symposium is funded by the Heritage Levy. The Heritage Levy is charged to every rateable property, and used to document, research, conserve, protect, promote and provide access to those tangible and intangible items, places, facilities and events that define the stories, history and values of the people, communities and culture of the Sunshine Coast.

For more heritage events, stories and information, visit heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au