Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00620:body:0:p43
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00620
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 116723–119706

aesthetic values are of greatest relevance to West Block, as discussed below.

3.1                    Assessment of historic value
The 'Understanding and assessing cultural significance' Practice Note to the Burra Charter 2013 provides the following definition of historic value:
Historic value is intended to encompass all aspects of history – for example, the history of aesthetics, art and architecture, science, spirituality and society.  It therefore often underlies other values.  A place may have historic value because it has influenced, or has been influenced by, an historic event, phase, movement or activity, person or group of people.  It may be the site of an important event.  For any place the significance will be greater where the evidence of the association or event survives at the place, or where the setting is substantially intact, than where it has been changed or evidence does not survive.  However, some events or associations may be so important that the place retains significance regardless of such change or absence of evidence.
To help understand the historic value of a place, ask:
        >         Is the place associated with an important event or theme in history?
        >         Is the place important in showing patterns in the development of history locally, in a region, or on a state-wide, or national or global basis?
        >         Does the place show a high degree of creative or technical achievement for a particular period?
        >         Is the place associated with a particular person or cultural group important in the history of the local area, state, nationally or globally?
Historic value as related to West Block includes consideration of:
      * The association between West Block, and the Parliament House Secretariat group generally, with the Federation of the Australian colonies;
      * The association between the Parliament House Secretariat group and the establishment of Canberra as the national capital;
      * The Dugout as evidence of a strategic means of communication between Australia and her allies during World War II; and
      * Associations between West Block and individuals and organisations who have made notable contributions both to the establishment of Canberra and to processes of Government.

3.1.1               The Commonwealth of Australia
Even before Australia became a federated nation, the requirement for a national capital was apparent in the colonies.  Political steps were to be taken to choose the capital using grand ideas of democracy.  The intent was to create a federal capital free from the political or commercial domination of any single state or colony.[88]
The Australasian Federation Conference (Melbourne, 1890) and National Australasian Convention (Sydney, 1891) were held to determine how the colonies should federate, but were fraught with inter-colonial rivalry.  The location of the future national capital was the source of heated debate during the 1890s, but