KERRIE CHRISTIAN'S HERITAGE INFO

THE BURRA CHARTER

INTRODUCTION

To provide a rational basis for conservation an International Charter for the Conservation of Monuments and Sites was adopted by the 2nd International Congress of Architects and Technicians in 1964. Its principles were accepted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites(ICOMOS)which was founded the following year as a non-Government organisation under the auspices of UNESCO. The document became known as the Venice Charter.

The Australian Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites ("Australia ICOMOS") has prepared and adopted a Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance commonly known as "The Burra Charter". It is a free adaptation of the Venice Charter for Australian conditions. The Burra Charter is generally accepted by heritage authorities and professional conservation practitioners in Australia as the methodological basis for identifying and managing heritage places and objects. The Institution of Engineers, Australia has adopted the Burra Charter as a basis for the conservation of engineering works, with minor amendments to cover movable engineering objects. A copy of the Burra Charter is included as Appendix A .

The Charter has been tried and proven on engineering works and it forms a basis for the understanding of conservation principles, processes and practice. However, some minor extensions are required in the definitions and explanatory notes in the Charter to help in engineering conservation projects.

This structured explanation of conservation processes has many benefits for the professional engineer. Not only will it suggest opportunities and constraints on future action, it will also introduce flexibility by identifying areas which can be adapted or developed with greater freedom.

The Charter contains four main sections:

• Definitions
• Principles
• Processes
• Practice