Heritage Highway Interpretation Strategy

10/9/2008

The Heritage Highway Tourism Region extends from Pontville in the south to Breadalbane in the north and from the Great Western Tiers to the Eastern Tiers.

In 2006, Tasmania's Heritage Highway Tourism Region Association Inc. successfuly applied to the Federal Government's Australian Tourism Development Program for a grant to develop an Interpretation Strategy for the Heritage Highway Region.

In essence, the project involved capturing the rich stories of the historic towns and colonial families of the Heritage Highway Region, and interpreting these into tourism products that give visitors to the region unforgettable experiences, and entice more visitors iinto the Heritage Highway Region. Thus the project will contribute to economic growth and sustainablility in the region, and to local employment growth.

A total of fourteen new tourism experience/product concepts were developed. These include self-guided interpretive walks in Longford and Oatlands that bring alive the stories of colourful characters from the town's past, ipod tours throughout the region, a contemporary Heritage Highway website, a bush nursing heritage feature, and five star quality postcards showcasing paintings by famous Heritage Highway artists.

Some of these experiences/products are already produced and available on the market, others are in the process of being designed and produced, and others are prototypes for future production considersation.

The launch was a colourful, musical, cultural, entertaining and educational event. Highlights include:

Professor Henry Reynolds speaking on 'History, Heritage and Tasmanian Cultural Tourism';

The Hon. Dick Adams officially launched the Interpretation Strategy;

The opportunity to view the fourteen new experiences/products;

Tasmanian film maker Roger Scholes opened the "Hidden Highway" art exhibition by artist Elizabeth Smith;

Musicians, characters and transport of the 1800s;

A military re-enactment and musket salute;

A huge and scrumptious birthday cake.

Information about product availablilty will soon be avialalbe on this site. If you would like to be notified of when it is, please send an email to fiona.dewar@northmidlands.tas.gov.au .

The menu on the left has a variety of PDF documents with further information, inlcluding a photo collage of the launch and a brochure outlining the experiences/products.