Two senior members of the National Trust's Bathurst branch have received the trust's second highest honour for meticulous service to the region's heritage.
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Bathurst branch chair Iain McPherson and secretary/treasurer Fran White have received Meritorious Service Awards from the NSW National Trust for their collaborative effort to protect and conserve Bathurst's heritage over the past 15 years.
The NSW National Trust awards six Meritorious Service Awards statewide each year.
Mr McPherson said his partnership with Ms White has seen success in the preservation of key heritage sites across the Bathurst region over the years.
"Over the last decade, we've made great progress as a community to recognise Bathurst's irreplaceable assets, including buildings, streetscapes and landmarks," he said.
"Whilst the National Trust may identify and take the lead on heritage issues, we're supported by so many people who contact us on an individual level."
Mr McPherson and Ms White have played instrumental roles in a range of heritage projects, including the Coxs River Bicentennial Project, O'Connell's Anzac Memorial Avenue and the popular Experience Bathurst Heritage Tourism brochures.
Ms White focuses more on the promotional side of local heritage through her involvement with Bathurst Regional Council's tourism reference group.
She said Bathurst is extraordinarily rich in cultural heritage spanning multiple generations.
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"Bathurst's heritage is highlighted by 40,000 years of Wiradyuri history, as well as the early European settlers, the gold rush era and unique Victorian-era architecture," she said.
"We have a unique story to tell, and there's no other settlement in Australia with a history like Bathurst's."
As two of Bathurst's senior advocates for heritage, both agree the preservation of Bathurst's history is essential to the further development of the community into the future.
"Bathurst's bicentenary year [2015] reminded the community of our historical significance in Australia's story, and we need to continue investigating ways to repurpose heritage sites for future generations," Mr McPherson said.
"In recent years, we've concentrated on the economic benefit of heritage conservation, as we need more reasons for tourists to stay here longer," Ms White added.
The Bathurst branch is made up of volunteers dedicated to the ongoing preservation and advocacy of local heritage, and are always open to new members.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
