Mosman Historical Society promotes heritage values, and encourages the conservation of Mosman's places of natural, indigenous and built heritage. This includes adaptive re-use that is sympathetic to heritage places, and has minimal impact on their cultural significance. But, as a historical society, what do we mean by heritage?
Although the terms history and heritage are often used together, they represent two very different concepts. History (in an academic sense) is the systematic research, interpretation and presentation of information about past lives, events and places. History also ‘has a life beyond the university’, when it is delivered as ‘public history’ through all forms of media including books, television, podcasts and the internet. The range of public history is immense, with family history, genealogy, community and local history being just a few examples. History has arguably never been more popular.
Heritage, in contrast, typically means remnants surviving from the past that we value now and want to keep for future generations. Although heritage usually means physical places and objects, these items also have intangible meanings that are crucial to their cultural significance. Moreover, some heritage only exists in intangible forms, such as the ideals of national identity that are demonstrated by the annual commemoration of Anzac Day.
Although we recognise other forms of heritage that are important, Mosman Historical Society is primarily concerned with ‘built heritage’. This includes residential and other buildings from the Victorian, Federation, Californian and more recent periods that display pleasing aesthetics and functionality in their design. Heritage professionals are ethically obliged to follow standards such as the Burra Charter to interpret the aesthetic, historic, scientific, social and/or spiritual values that contribute to the cultural significance of these places.
Historical and heritage processes may intersect; for example, a house history typically provides information about the past occupants of a heritage dwelling, but the fabric of the house itself can provide historical information on the design elements of a particular builder or architect. Historians can play a crucial, problem-solving role in this process.
Mosman Historical Society has a long-standing interest in promoting heritage values and encouraging conservation. In 1984, the society hosted a one-day conservation seminar arranged by the Heritage Council of NSW, and four of the seminar papers were subsequently published. Between 1983 and 1988, society members volunteered with the Mosman Bicentennial Community Committee to complete Mosman’s largest Bicentennial environmental heritage projects – the Bradley Bushland Reserve & Bicentennial Wildflower Walk near Rawson Oval, and the Beauty Point Foreshore Walk & Bicentenary Trail at Spit West Reserve. More recently, the society has advocated for the conservation of Mosman's precious heritage in response to the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy. We continue to advocate for heritage issues that matter to Mosman.
1. John Tosh, The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods and New Directions in the Study of History, 6th edn, London and New York, 2015, pp. 278-279.
2. Australia ICOMOS, The Burra Charter: The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance, rev. edn, Burwood, Victoria, 2013, http://australia.icomos.org/, accessed 23 June 2026.
3. Heritage Council of NSW, Conservation of Heritage Houses: Papers Relating to One Day Seminars Arranged by the Heritage Council of NSW, 4th edn, Sydney, 1985.
A stone at Curlew Camp, carved by a resident artist in 1890.
Article written by Stephen Palmer.