ABSTRACT
In unravelling the antecedents and vicissitudes of the Australian heritage movement from the turn of the twentieth century, James Lesh has shown us that despite valiant efforts from individuals, communities, and many organisations, the future of heritage still has some way to go to ensure it contributes meaningfully to the identification, assessment, and conservation of the values that reflect our common humanity. The halcyon days of heritage in the ‘time of hope’ have all but vanished. At least at that fleeting moment it appeared that the centre might hold and there was some common political and social coherence and commitment to heritage conservation. Heritage conservation might be considered an ‘inconvenient truth’. Despite legislation, heritage protection frequently relies on the goodwill and discretion of proponents. Across Australia COVID-19 lockdowns have, at least temporarily and perhaps permanently, transformed life and work.
