Australia's heritage draws on its cultural and natural
environments and the history of its people. It encompasses all
the things that are significant to Australians which have
survived from the past. Cultural heritage includes historic
places of significance, such as: old towns and residential and
commercial buildings; Indigenous ceremonial grounds and rock art
galleries; shipwrecks and streetscapes; as well as paintings,
objects, books, aircraft and natural history specimens.
Increasingly what was formerly intangible, such as traditions,
customs and habits, is being recorded and documented in
photographs, films, tapes and digital records. Movable cultural
heritage refers to items of cultural heritage which are capable
of being transported. Australia is one of only a few countries
which have developed and published a specific policy and
strategy to care for their movable cultural heritage. Through
the Heritage Collections Council, governments at all levels work
collaboratively with the museums sector and non-