Deputy Premier Susan Close joins ACMS bid team on site to celebrate Tentative Listing

The team behind Australian Cornish Mining Sites World Heritage Bid, VIP’s, and the wider community today celebrated its ascension to Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List with Deputy Premier Susan Close visiting the sites in Burra and Moonta. Roslyn Talbot, Mayor of Copper Coast Council shared her reflections on the bids progress; “Today is another steeping stone. Speaking on behalf of the bid team we are delighted to have the Deputy Premier joining us in celebration. Although there is still much to be done it is important to take a moment to recognise how far we have come on this journey.”

Bill Gebhardt, Regional Council of Goyder, Mayor commented, “It is fantastic to see everybody here on site, together, unified in our goal of achieving a UNESCO World Heritage listing. We thank the Deputy Premier for her visit and support in the process to this point. This is not just a big day for Moonta and Burra, but the whole of South Australia.”

The convoy started the day in Burra, at the Paxton Square Cottages Function Centre where morning tea lead to some important discussion about the next steps in the World Heritage process. From there the group made its way to the Burra site where Barry Gamble and locals informed the Deputy Premier on the history of the site. The group then made its way to Moonta where traditional Cornish pasties were served, before tourist trams took guests to Hughes Engine House for formalities and photos. Here the Deputy Premier spoke of how the sites capture a collective history. “This bid not only acknowledges the importance of transferred Cornish mining technologies in Australia, and how they shaped the culture and the economy of the region. But also tells the story of how mining in the region impacted the Ngadjuri people around Burra and the Narungga people on the Yorke Peninsula.” said the Deputy Premier.

The tentative listing is the result of years of work by the Regional Council of Goyder, National Trust SA and Copper Coast Council, which together partnered to establish the Australian Cornish Mining Sites World Heritage Consortium in May 2023. The bid must remain for at least 12 months before the government can nominate them for a world heritage listing. In order to attain a UNESCO World Heritage Listing, sites must show they are of “outstanding universal value”, according to a variety of selection criteria.

Enquiries:

Holly Cowan
Economic Development and Community Engagement Coordinator
Copper Coast Council
Ph: 8828 1200

Barb Button
Community Development Manager
Regional Council of Goyder
Ph: 8892 0100