Heritage links us to the past

Heritage links one with the past and the past becomes relevant and personal. Heritage connects the physical to the invisible – the tangible to the intangible. Tangible items can be seen and touched. Intangible elements include cognitive processes and value systems which determine one’s identity. In an age where technology has brought about numerous beneficial changes in society it has also created confusion and anxiety as individuals attempt to keep abreast with the information explosion.

As well as identifying the importance of heritage on the individual, heritage preservation specialist need to identify the importance of heritage to the well being of a community. The relationship between a community and its history should not be underestimated and heritage is a major link between the past and the present. A country which is composed of many diverse nationalities and cultures has a range of social forces at play. Without developing an understanding of the complexities of cultural differences, intolerance prevails and cultural tensions are heightened as demonstrated in recent Australian. Heritage has the potential to bring together many ethnic groups to create a single national culture.