NSW Heritage Forum 2025
Photos © Tom Pascoe Photography
In August, GML consultants joined around 200 heritage professionals and stakeholders at the annual NSW Heritage Forum. The two-day event provided a platform for dialogue on contemporary heritage challenges.
The forum opened with a Welcome to Country by Binowee Bayles (Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council), who reflected on the power of our legacy and asked the audience to consider, “What kind of ancestor do you want to be?”
The Minister for Heritage, Penny Sharpe, provided an opening address. She expressed her strong interest and commitment to history and storytelling, explaining that heritage was more than protecting ‘old buildings’. She focussed on the clear imperative to deliver housing and heritage better but cautioned there were insufficient funds to keep things up to date. She provided a summary of some achievements in heritage noting the release of the State’s first ever heritage strategy, over 40 State Heritage Register listings over the last two years, two Aboriginal Place declarations, and the Blue Plaques program.
Professor Marcia Langton AO (Yiman and Bidjara nations) delivered the keynote, ‘Heritage adapting to the future: Protecting Country and Aboriginal cultural landscapes’, calling attention to ongoing cultural genocide under current laws and advocating for a heritage system grounded in respect, inclusivity and First Nations leadership.
Throughout the forum, attendees took part in workshops on topics including Aboriginal cultural heritage, community engagement, adaptive reuse, and emerging heritage technologies. Key issues, such as Heritage and Housing, were discussed in light of the NSW Government’s Transport-Oriented Development (TOD) and Low- to Mid-Rise (LMR) planning reforms. Heritage NSW staff also shared insights gathered from public submissions on the draft NSW Heritage Strategy.
GML Principal David Logan joined a panel on navigating technical and compliance requirements in adapting heritage buildings. The session explored how evolving building regulations—including the proposed NSW Building Act—intersect with heritage contexts, and the challenges of applying modern codes to historic fabric. Key frameworks such as the National Construction Code and Burra Charter were discussed, supported by case studies like the Sydney GPO.
Conservation architect Elizabeth Vines OAM led a session on addressing trades skill shortages in regional NSW, showcasing the award-winning ‘Pirie Chambers Building, Argent Street, Broken Hill – Heritage Trades Training Program and Conservation Project’, which combined hands-on conservation on landmark buildings with training in traditional trades such as stone and brick pointing, rendering, painting, and roofing.
David Burdon of the National Trust (NSW) led a session that examined the critical role of adaptive reuse in maintaining the relevance of heritage places both now and into the future. Drawing on urban and regional examples, he emphasised that successful reuse must respect a building’s inherent character while balancing sustainability, functionality, and community value.
Professor Marcia Langton AO delivering the keynote address at the NSW Heritage Forum.
GML Principal David Logan presenting at the NSW Heritage Forum.
GML staff at the NSW Heritage Forum.
A session on proactive heritage-making for diverse communities, presented by the City of Sydney and Wingecarribee Shire Council, highlighted recent studies—including GML’s Modern Residential Apartment Study and Chinatown Thematic History—to demonstrate how local councils can proactively identify and protect distinctive community heritage.
The two days closed with an address on the future of heritage practice by Prof Tracy Ireland of the University of Canberra, followed by a panel discussion facilitated by Sally Barnes, Chair of the Heritage Council of NSW, with Dr Paul Irish, Rowena Welsh-Jarrett, and GML advisor Julian Siu.
The 2025 NSW Heritage Forum provided a valuable opportunity for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and reflection on the evolving role of heritage in our communities. GML was proud to contribute to the discussions and engage with peers and stakeholders committed to protecting and celebrating NSW’s rich and diverse heritage.
Professor Tracy Ireland delivering the closing address.
Attendees at the NSW Heritage Forum at the Sydney Masonic Centre with Mona Hessing’s large ‘Masonic Tapestry’ (1979) in the background.
