This course introduces students to the historical, political, institutional and cultural frameworks for contemporary heritage practice in Australia and internationally. It gives students the opportunity to gain a broad but comprehensive understanding of the essential underpinnings of heritage practice that are required for working in the sectors of natural and cultural heritage, land management and heritage institutions including government departments, museums and archives. The course will provide a solid professional basis for any employment where concepts of natural and cultural heritage and environmental management are involved.

The first half of the course focuses on theoretical and methodological concepts at the core of natural and cultural heritage practice. The second half of the course focuses on the application of key concepts in theory, policy and practice, including examining different approaches to heritage practice from local, state and territory, national and international contexts. A key part of the course concentrates on fully exploring and understanding the different dimensions that both link and distinguish processes for natural and cultural heritage identification, conservation and management. In the Australian context, the course examines how Indigenous notions of caring for country have influenced, and continue to influence approaches to natural and cultural heritage. The role of different disciplinary traditions in environmental and cultural heritage practice is also critically examined.

Key course topics:

• The key concepts of natural and cultural heritage practice
• The evolution of heritage methods and practices
• Heritage practice in Australia
• The practices of documenting heritage values
• Communication and interpretation strategies for heritage
• Balancing heritage and development

Course aims:

The aims of this course are to:

1. introduce students to the historical, political, institutional and cultural frameworks for contemporary heritage practice in Australia and internationally;

2. provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the different manifestations of heritage and the different means of socially constructing heritage and heritage practice;

3. provide a solid working knowledge of key elements of heritage practice as they relate to the federated Australian political system and to international systems of heritage practice; and

4. provide an understanding of the different disciplinary traditions and their contribution to different aspects of heritage practice in both natural and cultural heritage conservation.

Learning outcomes:

On completing this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1.     use appropriate written and verbal expression for a variety of relevant professional and academic purposes in cultural and environmental heritage that include essays, report prepartation and analysis, funding applications and policy preparation and advice;

2.     apply interdisciplinary thinking and the ability to apply theoretical ideas to case studies developed from personal observation;

3.     participate more effectively in workplaces requiring an understanding of practices in natural and cultural heritage. This includes data-collection, analysis, and verbal and written presentation at the standard of a postgraduate degree; and

4.         apply a functioning knowledge of current industry standards and protocols, policy frameworks, and funding regimes to academic and professional practice in natural and cultural heritage.

All other courses listed in the Cultural and Environmental Heritage sub-plan of Liberal Arts program.

This course is available both as a face-to-face course for students based in Canberra and also as a distance (fully online) course for external students. The online course materials will be available through http://wattlecourses.anu.edu.au/

Please contact the course convenor in advance if you intend to take this course as an online unit.