The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national
peak body for community-based, non-government
non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's
Indigenous, natural and historic heritage. The umbrella body was incorporated in 1965, with member organisations in every
state and territory of Australia
The states and territories are federated administrative divisions in Australia, ruled by regional governments that constitute the second level of governance between the federal government and local governments. States are self-governing pol ...
.
History
Modelled on the
and inspired by local campaigns to conserve native bushland and preserve old buildings, the first Australian National Trusts were formed in
New South Wales in 1945,
South Australia in 1955 and
Victoria in 1956; followed later in Western Australia,
Tasmania and
Queensland.
The two Territory Trusts were the last to be founded, in 1976 (see below).
The driving force behind the establishment of the National Trust in Australia was
Annie Forsyth Wyatt (1885–1961). She lived for much of her life in a cottage in
Gordon, New South Wales, which is still standing. She was living in the Sydney suburb of
St Ives when she died.
The organisation was incorporated in 1965. The umbrella body federates the eight autonomous National Trusts in each Australian
state and internal self-governing territory, providing them with a national
secretariat and a national and international presence.
Description
the Australian national
peak body for community-based, non-government
non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's
Indigenous, natural and historic heritage.
Collectively, the constituent National Trusts own or manage over 300 heritage places (the majority held in perpetuity), and manage a volunteer workforce of 7,000 while also employing about 350 people nationwide, . Around visitors experience the properties and their collections in Australia each year.
Constituent organisations
, the National Trust's constituent organisations were:
NSW
In 1975, the National Trust moved into the former
Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School (FSHS) is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Mixed-sex school, co-educational Selective school (New South Wales), academically selective secondary school, secondary day school, located in Petersh ...
building on
Observatory Hill, after the girls' school moved to
Petersham to be reunited with the boys' school, which had moved in 1916. The distinctive building, which retains its appearance from the time of its conversion to a school in 1849, is visible from the approaches to the
Sydney Harbour Bridge.
See also
*
List of National Trust properties in Australia
*List of
Australian Living Treasures
*
SAHANZ, the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand
*
Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales
References
Further reading
*, recollections of the Victorian Trust pioneers
*
*
*, covers the founding years of the NSW National Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Trusts, Australian Council of
Historical societies of Australia
1965 establishments in Australia
Organizations established in 1965
Organisations based in Canberra