Recent news from NSW Government’s Heritage Grant Program has seen $487,825 worth of funding awarded to fourteen sites or heritage programs aimed at conserving local history and upgrading and preserving historical sites in the western area.

The funds help to preserve, promote and realise the value of heritage of items and historic places, while creating awareness of the value of heritage in both cultural understanding and local economies.

In the western plains, some groups are able put grants towards protecting specific sites and making them more accessible to the public, while councils are assisted to identify heritage assets, provide expert advice and distribute small grants to help owners of historic buildings and sites repair and maintain them.

This year projects will take place across a multitude of western area towns and Member for Barwon Roy Butler is thrilled about this for each community.

“I am delighted to announce the Barwon recipients of the NSW Government's Heritage Grants Program and look forward to their progress and completion,” said Mr Butler.

The recipients are:

• Giru Ngurra (Warm Home), Warren Macquarie Local Aboriginal Land Council.

• All Saints Anglican Church Condobolin Lachlan Shire.

• 2025 - 2027, The Heart of NSW - Local Heritage Funding - Lachlan Shire.

• Updated Local Heritage Study and Nyngan Town Hall Action Plan – Bogan Shire Council.

• Council Heritage Services - Bourke Shire Council.

Old Towers Drug Co building in Bourke.

• Brewarrina Heritage Advisory Service - Brewarrina Shire Council

• Gilgandra Local Heritage Initiatives Gilgandra Shire Council

• Small Heritage Grants Program 2025-2027 - Walgett Shire Council

• Small Heritage Grants and Heritage Advisor Program - Warrumbungle Shire Council.

• Coonamble Heritage Reflections - Coonamble Shire Council.

“We were very pleased to have been allocated some Heritage Grant funding after our application earlier this year,” said Derek Francis General Manager Bogan Shire Council.

Bogan Shire Council General Manager Derek Francis - Image Angie White.

“At our November meeting council considered a report from me on the condition of the Nyngan Town Hall as well as a Notice of Motion from Councillor Emily Stanton that we apply for the grant to do an updated Heritage Study of the Bogan Shire LGA.

“This study will build on an earlier study (2012) to identify, conserve, promote and celebrate heritage within the LGA and will involve community consultation.

“The Nyngan Town Hall is a very important community asset but in 2023 Council closed the Hall on discovery of damage to parts of the ceiling caused by a roof leak.

“Council engaged a structural engineer to carry out a comprehensive inspection, and the report received prompted a discussion with the NSW Public Works Heritage Section and asking them to develop a Heritage Asset Action Plan to guide the repair and preservation of the Nyngan Town Hall, whereby BSC is providing 50% of the total cost of the plans,” said Mr Francis.

Beemunnel Reserve Aboriginal Place - Image Warren Shire Council.

Senior Project Officer for Warren Local Aboriginal Land Council, Fleur Magick Dennis was successful in obtaining an $80,000 grant from Heritage NSW towards the Beemunnel Reserve Aboriginal Place.

"Culturally our Country, our home, our Ngurra, our special places require respectful visitation from the people who belong to Country,” said Ms Dennis.

"The visitation keeps our place "warm", keeps our place spiritually well.

“Giru Ngurra (Warm Home) project is the upgrade of the pedestrian pathways at the Beemunnel Reserve Aboriginal Place from the current gravel to an asphalt surface.

"This will allow for better access for wheelchairs, walking frames, mobility scooters and emergency services. It will increase access and safety for visitors to our special place,” said Ms Dennis.

The Beemunnel Reserve Aboriginal Place is a highly significant place for Aboriginal people of Warren and surrounding region.

“Historically, Aboriginal people lived at the site, gave birth at the site, created carved trees & ceremonial places and buried our loved ones,” said Ms Dennis.

“In contemporary times the Beemunnel Reserve Aboriginal Place is used by our local & regional Aboriginal community for special community events such as NAIDOC, for cultural gatherings and workshops, for cultural projects, for ceremonies and for continuation of our cultural practices.”

The Beemunnel Reserve Aboriginal Place is also visited extensively by the non-Aboriginal community by both domestic and international visitors for cultural education, cultural tourism and recreation.

“The increasing visitation to the reserve by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal visitors since the introduction of the pathway and interpretive signage is a positive for our community and our Country.

Uncle George Riley, Chairperson of Warren Local Aboriginal Land Council and volunteer caretaker of the Beemunnel - Image WLALC.

Uncle George Riley, Chairperson of Warren Local Aboriginal Land Council and volunteer caretaker of the Beemunnel for over two decades commented "It feels terrific to get the funding to upgrade the pathway because the Beemunnel means everything to me and my family."