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Heritage historian, Terry Kass, has been engaged by Walgett Shire Council to write a thematic history of the shire as part of their community-based Heritage Study.
Mr Kass, accompanied by Graham Hall, Architect and Heritage Consultant and Joe Wooldridge, Group Manager Services Management Walgett Shire Council, conducted a series of meetings throughout the shire last week.
Through consultation with community members an overall picture of the shire will be developed gleaned from existing histories, early maps and documents.
“Forces that impact upon an area such as settling the land, finding accommodation, continuity of pastoral leases will be the basis of our study,” said Mr Kass.
“We will prepare a draft; and by meeting with people we will fill in
the gaps,” he said.
“Many villages have no histories written about them, however, we have established that many have developed along Roads and Traffic Stock Routes or become whistle stops on the railway line.”
The role played by the local hotel or pastoral
homesteads has been identified.
The evidence gathered will comprise written, oral and physical with consideration given to the geological forces that started the area.
The 60 to 80 page study comprising 15 to 25,000 words will be a working document
limited in its use and aim. The draft will give time for comment and correction. From this document there will be time to identify and expand and its footnotes will provide any opportunity to interpret and follow-up. It is expected the draft will be prepared within six months.
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