Presenting World Heritage

Springbrook Rescue is founded on recovering World Heritage values and integrity in the wet core of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World heritage site. Presentation of the natural and cultural heritage is one of the essential obligations under the World Heritage Convention that were outlined in detail under “Presentation” on the World Heritage page of this web site.

In that context, presentation involves creating awareness and understanding of and respect for the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage area. It also includes drawing attention to management plans in place for the protection of those World Heritage values and to the aims and obligations of the Convention itself. It is vital that presentation activities do not undermine its protection.

This website itself, with its photographs and detailed information on values, integrity requirements and restoration plans is one of the Springbrook Rescue project’s main presentation activities. The state government’s National Park Management Plan for Springbrook is still being finalized before being published for public consultation. Our other avenues for presenting World Heritage are through open days, publications, brochures, a photographic competition and inspiring artistic creativity.

A brochure explaining some aspects of the Springbrook Rescue Project and World Heritage can be downloaded here.

Photographic competition
To showcase and inspire passion for the natural beauty and intrinsic value of these areas at Springbrook we will be running a photographic competition with the winner receiving a free weekend for two at Springbrook Lyrebird Retreat, one of the accommodation centres ARCS operates to fund Springbrook Rescue (www.lyrebirdspringbrook.com.au/index.html). Our blog site and Facebook page will also provide details on the competition. These will continually be updated with entries, which must be taken at Springbrook, and showcase its wildlife and scenery (including cloudscapes). A single image we currently have by Mark Ash encapsulates the beauty of this rare landscape on an otherwise ancient, fascinating, yet flat, dry continent of Australia.

Inspiring artistic creativity
Many great Australian painters have lived and painted nature at Sprinbgrook, none more so than multi-Archibald-winning artist, William Robinson. A visit to one of his exhibitions or a gallery hanging his paintings, provides inspiration and insight into a remarkable heritage that enriches our lives. We hope many more follow in his footsteps.

The image shown above is of “The cliffs from Goomoolahra” at Springbrook, hung in the Phillip Bacon Gallery, by Archibald prize-winning  artist William Robinson. Limited edition, gallery-quality, signed and numbered fine-art prints are produced by Fine Art Heritage Australia, a unique art organization reproducing world art for charity (http://fineart-heritage.com). If you purchase this print, at least 40% of the purchase price will go to the charity of your choice — which we hope would be ARCS to support Springbook Rescue. This would be especially apt as, for a number of years,

William Robinson lived and created some of his most exquisitely beautiful paintings at Springbrook.

Signage
However, Springbrook also needs explicit official World Heritage signage and ideally a dedicated interpretive centre that truly delivers on the above expectations. The Dorrigo interpretive centre in northern New South Wales is an excellent example of one that fulfills those expectations. One day we hope sufficient funds become available for such a centre at Springbrook, particularly as it is on the immediate doorstep of one of the largest, growing cities in Australia.

This signage has been installed by the Queensland Government at all restoration sites involving ARCS. National Park (Recovery) is a special formal category of National Parks signifying a property or area was acquired for the sole purpose of recovery of critical habitat and landscape connectivity in areas of outstanding value but compromised integrity that can and must be recovered.

A close-up image of the signage relating to the Springbrook Rescue restoration project.