01/08/2005 - One of Australia's
most significant and intact convict sites,
the former Fremantle Prison in Western Australia,
has been officially recognised for its outstanding
heritage value with inclusion on the prestigious
National Heritage List.
It is the first place in Western Australia
to be listed and joins 13 other important
heritage icons, including the Sydney Opera
House and the location of James Cook's first
steps on Australian soil, Kurnell Peninsula
on Botany Bay.
Making the announcement today, the Minister
for the Environment and Heritage, Senator
Ian Campbell, said Fremantle Prison stood
alongside Port Arthur on the National Heritage
List as one of the most important convict
sites in Australia.
The prison also would be included in an Australian
Government serial nomination of convict sites
for inclusion on the World Heritage List.
"Convicts who were sent to the Australian
colonies for punishment played a major role
in our nation's early development, bringing
skills, strength and spirit to a new homeland.
Although they did not come by choice, they
helped build a nation,"Senator Campbell
said.
"Fremantle Prison is an important part
of their story. Western Australia was the
last colony to receive transported convicts
in a period that reflected changing attitudes
in Australia and Britain about the use of
forced labour as a basis for expanding the
Empire.
"The prison was built by convicts from
limestone quarried on the site and the structure
remains remarkably intact. Many of its features,
such as the main cell block, perimeter walls
and cottages, are virtually the same as when
they were first constructed in the 1850s."
Senator Campbell said other aspects of the
six-hectare site, including tunnels, graffiti-marked
walls, murals and signs, provided tangible
links and insights into convict and prison
life in the 1850s through to 1991 when it
ceased to be a prison.
"By including Fremantle Prison in the
National Heritage List, I am ensuring that
this place will be protected for future generations
under the Australian Government's Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
1999," he said.
"Once a place of incarceration, Fremantle
Prison is a now a popular tourist destination.
It is a powerful and evocative place that
stands as a testament to our nation's early
years."
Places listed on the National Heritage List
must be of outstanding value and importance
to the nation as a whole. More than 94 places
have been nominated for listing, including
many natural, Indigenous and historic sites.
For more information on the National Heritage
List visit: http://www.deh.gov.au/heritage/national/index.html
