A groundbreaking online history resource about Sydney, in which UTS has been a principal partner, has won a National Trust Heritage Award for 2010.
Associate Professor Paul Ashton
The Dictionary of Sydney has been presented the Interpretation and Presentation – Community Groups award for its initiative, "to commission new digital material about Sydney's history and to design and build a permanent and ever-growing digital repository of interconnected information to store and deliver this material."
The Dictionary of Sydney website is the first window into the material, but over time it will also be accessible through other technologies, including mobile delivery and print-on-demand.
Funded initially by an Australian Research Council grant to the University of Sydney, City of Sydney Council, UTS, NSW State Records and the State Library of NSW, the project has since secured additional funds from the City of Sydney and smaller institutions.
UTS played a significant role in developing the successful ARC grant and supports the dictionary through its Australian Centre for Public History (ACPH).
Associate Professor Paul Ashton, Co-Director of the ACPH, is a board member of the dictionary and a member of the editorial management committee.
Chair of the Board Dr Lisa Murray said the award recognised the value of the Dictionary of Sydney as an educational and advocacy tool for the whole community.
"The dictionary's innovative platform delivers authoritative historical content that connects Sydney's urban environment, its people and its places, with history," she said.
The National Trust citation said the dictionary, "promises to become an invaluable tool in promoting awareness of heritage, and of the values of contested places and interests, as it continues to consolidate and grow."
Photographer: Joanne Saad
Contact: Terry Clinton Ph: +61 2 9514 1623
