Heritage Status for NSW Sky? March 27, 2008
Posted by astroed in Astronomy.trackback
The Australian has an interesting report that the NSW National Trust is to give heritage status to the sky in NSW. I cannot find specific mention of it on the Trust’s website at present though it has a notice that it is undergoing a major upgrade due for completion in May/June.
I have to agree with these quotes from the article:
National Trust NSW president Zeny Edwards said the sky viewed from NSW had extraordinary aesthetic, historic, social and scientific significance for all Australians.
and
“A clear view of the sky is the right of every Australian and should be preserved.”
Dr Edwards said the Milky Way and Southern Cross were defining symbols for Australians.
“Our sky predates life on earth and is known to have been highly significant to the Aboriginal people who have depicted the sun, moon and stars in art and dreamtime legends,” he said.
I’m not sure as to how effective heritage listing of the sky will actually be or even if it has any legal standing but I admire and respect the symbolism. It will be interesting to see how this proposal develops and how people respond to it.
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