There is a strong continuing connection between the people of the 6 Aboriginal language groups of the Greater Blue Mountains—Darkinjung, Darug, Gundungurra, Dharawal, Wanaruah and Wiradjuri—and the places they call Country. These Aboriginal communities are resilient, vibrant and involved, having continued, adapted or re-established their connections with Country.

Some Indigenous people in the Greater Blue Mountains were displaced during the 19th century, but have subsequently returned to their ancestral places. The Gully in Katoomba was a fringe camp established on the upper slopes of the Kedumba Valley. Before 1788, this area was used as a meeting and camping place. Gundungurra and Darug people re-established settlement here around 1894, when it was outside the jurisdiction of the Aboriginal Protection Board. However, the residents of the area were subjected to forcible eviction in 1957—an event that reminds us of the ongoing impact of European settlement on culture and Aboriginal people, even into the second half of the 20th century.

Traditional owners have returned and re-established connection with The Gully, which is now managed for its cultural values. It has recently been the venue for a Living Country Culture Camp and a gathering of global Indigenous people held in conjunction with the World Parks Congress in 2014.

The Gully is now recognised—both culturally and legally—as an Aboriginal Place (NSW OEH 2016b).

Natural disasters can be devastating to heritage places, and the 2003 Canberra bushfires were no exception. Most of the Commonwealth Heritage–listed Mount Stromlo Observatory site was razed by the fires. The site owner, the Australian National University (ANU), was left with few surviving buildings and a haphazard collection of masonry shells.

The iconic director’s residence (completed in 1928) was one of the many built casualties of the fire. The 2-storey structure was deemed unstable and unsafe, and was surrounded by a fence for more than 10 years.

Although the building’s heritage values were still apparent, its inaccessibility, lack of interpretation and condition meant that these values had been diminished, and were at further risk with continued deterioration of the structure.

During Canberra’s centenary year (2013), the ANU was fortunate to receive a generous Australian Government heritage grant, which was matched by the ANU. The project saw the building decontaminated, stabilised, weatherproofed and made accessible to the public for the first time in its almost 90-year history.

The residence’s fabric became its most powerful interpretive tool, with a stark contrast between the restored exterior and the untouched interior. The interior bears scars of the fires while clearly displaying the structural stabilisation measures. State-of-the-art interpretation, including oral history soundscapes and large-scale projections, were installed within the building, and an interpreted landscape setting was established outside. It is now a feature of the Mt Stromlo Heritage Trail (ANU 2016).

Although the building has only been partially restored, this project was able to recover and safeguard some of the heritage values of the residence, and enhance the public appreciation of, and connection to, this important site. In 2015, the project received an ACT National Trust Heritage Award for its significant contribution to heritage conservation (National Trust 2015).