The Hermannsburg community has welcomed the completion of the first round of restoration works to its iconic heritage area.
Stage One upgrades to the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct included a $1.4 million investment from the Territory Labor Government, with Alice Springs building company Nicholl Constructions undertaking the major refurbishment and landscaping works.
The upgrades are part of the Territory Government’s $3.5 million Turbocharging Tourism investment to deliver much-needed restoration works at the historical precinct, established by Lutheran missionaries in 1877.
The significant refurbishment works were undertaken on nine of the existing 16 buildings within the heritage site, including stonework restoration, timbers and roofing renewal and utility upgrades.
Landscaping upgrades have enabled better visitor movement around the precinct with the works including the re-establishment of a small section of the market garden which existed in the late 1800s.
Completion of the Stage One upgrades follows salt extraction works that were completed in 2019 by heritage stonemasons, Centralian Masonry. With three Hermannsburg locals on board, the Alice Springs company extracted salt that was causing the stonework, bricks and mortar to decay.
Another aspect of restoring the Precinct has been the development of a contemporary interpretation design plan by Navin Officer Heritage Consultants (NOHC) in partnership with the Australian Government.
NOHC is regarded as a national expert in heritage interpretation and will capture the rich history and stories of the Lutheran Mission and the local Arrernte people.
The display materials better narrate the story of the Precinct, and include visual materials, website redesign, improvements to social media and brochures including a signage and a new logo.
The restoration of the Precinct aims to increase visitation and participation by tourists and the local community, through new experiences and activities in restored, conserved, and new exhibits.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Chansey Paech:
“The Hermannsburg Historic Precinct is one of only five nationally-listed heritage sites in the Territory and it is important to restore and preserve the iconic monuments.
“The old mission is the cornerstone attraction for visitors to the West MacDonnell region and a pivotal part of our shared history that has helped to shape Territorian identity, especially in Central Australia.
“This significant restoration project will not only protect and preserve this quaint outback treasure, it will showcase our history, create local jobs and boost visitation to the region.”