Botany Bay and Catchment Alliance

You have to question the wisdom that lists Bondi Beach on the National Heritage Register but omits Botany Bay. 

Sure Bondi is a tourist icon but in terms of national identity, culture, historical significance does it rank before Botany Bay.

According to the criteria by which the items on the list are judged “Australia’s national heritage comprises exceptional natural and cultural places which help give Australia its national identity. Such places are a living and accessible record of the nation’s evolving landscapes and experiences.National heritage defines the critical moments in our development as a nation …”     Phillip first stepped ashore on January 18, 1788 at Yarra Bay on the north of Botany Bay just beating the French.  How defining is that.  Almost eighteen years earlier it was Cook who explored, recorded and named Botany Bay.  Thereafter whenever reference was made to the fledging colony it was to Botany Bay.  And now the Minister for Environment, Heritage and The Arts and representative for the waters and bed of Botany Bay is Peter Garrett.  Mr Garrett’s first additions to the National Heritage Register are Bonegilla Migrant Camp Block 19 and Bondi Beach. 

For further details on the Register http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/national/index.html

This entry was posted on Friday, January 25th, 2008 at 1517 and is filed under Botany Bay. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.