Time travellers guide to forbidden places of awe and wonder

Time travellers guide to forbidden places of awe and wonder

At the invitation of the Victorian Branch of the English Speaking Union and as part of National Heritage month I gave a presentation "Time travellers guide to forbidden places of awe and wonder in Australia" at the ESU Victorian offices on May 2, 2025.

The talk provided a historical, mythbusting perspective to recent closures of bushwalking and climbing sites in Australia, including the Grampians, Mount Arapiles, Ayers Rock and Mount Warning.

The closure of public access to landscapes of awe and wonder in Australia has been wracked with controversy. Summit access at Ayers Rock and Mount Warning has been banned without due acknowledgement of the wonderful history of climbing at both locations. This approach is also apparent in the bans on rock climbing at the Grampians and Mount Arapiles in western Victoria. In line with the heritage month theme of "unearthed" history the presentation provided evidence for lesser-known histories, stories and narratives that reveal the complicated interplay of politics, power and fabrication behind decisions to lock Australians out of their cultural heritage.

Marc Hendrickx with ESU president Robert Furlan.

It was a pleasure to meet with ESU members and inform them about the manner in which our National Heritage is being banned by parks authorities.

I am grateful for ESU's support for our quest to keep places of awe and wonder open to all Australians and International visitors. The full presentation is available on You tube:

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