Opportunities for an Holistic Approach to Coastal Archaeological Heritage Cassandra completed a BA Honours research thesis in archaeology in 1998. The thesis was a comparative study of cultural heritage legislation in South Australia, its application to the discipline of archaeology and the contributions that archaeology can make to the protection and management of cultural heritage through legislation. It concluded that whilst the seven pieces of legislation reviewed are each able to adequately protect sites, they are not used to their fullest capabilities, they lack uniform penalties and none of them are enforced to a sufficient extent. Cass is interested in following up some of the areas raised within this research, looking at the ways in which legislation can be worked with to protect cultural heritage sites, and also the issues involved with interpretation and promotion of the sites for the enjoyment of the public.
Legislation is the first requirement in the protection of heritage sites.
For effective heritage management to take place, it is essential to incorporate legislation and into administration with site interpretation, promotion and stewardship, and to apply these tools to develop sustainable management and tourism practices. It is proposed that by evaluating international theory and practice and comparing it with current cultural heritage management practices in Australia, more appropriate, Australian-based theory can be developed to more effectively manage Australian heritage sites, including promoting their use for the public. In addition, it is proposed that it is possible to integrate the management of indigenous, historic and maritime heritage sites, compelling the various government agencies to open their lines of communication, thereby enabling all heritage sites to gain better protection and preservation results. The lower south eastern region of South Australia has been chosen as the optimum area in which to base this study. The region has a strong maritime links, evident in all parts of the archaeological heritage, from Aboriginal shell middens and associated campsites, to whaling, sealing, and the shipment of pastoral stock and produce from SE ports to other parts of Australia and beyond.