The Nobbys Headland and Lighthouse and the Newcastle Maritime Museum are two of a number of heritage sites to receive grants under the state government's Heritage Near Me Activation Grants Program.
The Nobbys Headland and Lighthouse will enjoy a $39,000 grant, while the Maritime Museum will be granted $64,820, for a total of a little over $100,000.
At the Headland the grant will go to the Newcastle Business Improvement Association, who will plan for income generation and re-investment, define important themes and activation options, and plan interpretive spaces and attractions on the Headland.
At the Maritime Museum the grant will benefit the Re-Animation project, with a 360-degree, 3D virtual reality exhibit which they hope will draw younger generations to the heritage site.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald, who announced the grants on Monday the 9th of October, said there are a number of goals in mind: preserving these important heritage sites, drawing local communities back to their past through the sites, and involving local owners and businesses in the process.
"This funding doesn't only mean we can invest in protecting and preserving out local heritage but it means we're giving more people the opportunity to appreciate their local history," Mr. MacDonald said.
"These grants acknowledge and support the vital role owners and managers of locally listed heritage items play in protecting our local heritage."
The grant program was designed to allow local governments, businesses and community organisations to preserve and reactivate their local heritage items, opening them up to the community.
"This funding will help communities build on the knowledge the have with their heritage," said Heritage Minister Gabrielle Upton.
"No one knows their heritage better than the locals who live and breathe it."
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| $39,000 will be put toward drawing business and the community back to the Nobbys Headland and Lighthouse. Image: Newcastle Herald |
