【Supplementary Reading】
The following is part of a speech given by Dr.David Kemp，the Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage，on December 18，2003.It explains the importance of Australia’s cultural heritage.
Prime Minister，The Honourable John Howard;Senator Meg Lees;Geoff Bailey，Chief Executive of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust;who are the custodians of this wonderful area that we’re in this morning for this launch;Roger Beale，the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Heritage;parliamentary colleagues;distinguished guests;thank you all for coming this morning to an historic occasion for Australia’s heritage.
We’re here this morning to mark the forthcoming launch of the new national heritage arrangements，and in particular the launch of the Australian Government’s major national heritage program，Distinctively Australian.
Valuing，recognizing and protecting our heritage is important for us as a people，for our heritage reinforces and reminds us of who we are as a people—where we’ve come from，what we’ve done to make us Australians，what it is that we value about our country.
The story of our heritage is the story of our nation.It’s the visible record of the natural wonders and historic achievements that have molded our national identity，and provided us with that unifying sense of what it is to be Australian.
The Australian story is remarkable.Each of us will have our own understanding of what is significant in that story，but we’re surely united in our pride in our land，in the continuing quest to build a society based on human equality and dignity，and in our achievements in building one of the world’s great democracies.
The story of Indigenous Australia over 60，000 years is one of the great chapters in the history of the human race.The cultures and the rock art which represent them are important in world terms.We can turn to these places and discover more about the first Australians who developed a rich，diverse culture in sympathy with that land.
Our heritage encourages us to tell and to understand the stories of the settlers—men and women—who overcame vast distances and isolation and who，despite their differences or perhaps because of them，were able to form a nation and democracy that is unique in the world.
And when you ask Australians what makes them proud to be Australian，as often as not they’ll mention features of the spectacular countryside in which they live—its beaches，mountains，coral reefs，deserts，gum trees and unique wildlife—Dorothea Mackellar’s“sapphire misted mountains，the hot gold hush of noon”.Our natural heritage can also be protected under this new regime，and we should not underestimate how important a part our land itself is of our national identity.
Our outstanding national heritage places are our anchors.They don’t belong to just one city or state.Their individual stories are part of the larger，continuing story of Australia.That is why we must give serious consideration to their identification，protection and management.
The Howard Government is committed to working with the Australian public to take stock of these places and to protect them.We want to ensure that this heritage，yours and mine，becomes a legacy for future Australians and one they’ll thank us for.