I'm pleased to announce the famous Parkes Observatory - or to most of us - the Dish 'in the middle of the sheep paddock', is one of two new places being assessed for inclusion on our National Heritage List.
The Australian Heritage Council will conduct National Heritage assessments of Parkes Observatory in New South Wales and Yalangbara in the Northern Territory.
Each year the Australian Government puts out a call to add sites of outstanding national significance to our heritage register.
All Australians will have the opportunity to give their feedback on heritage listing of these sites.
Parkes Observatory in central-west NSW is best known for the pivotal role it played in transmitting images of the Apollo II moon landing to the world in 1969.
Since it was built, more than 50 years ago, it has showcased Australia's scientific ingenuity and expanded our knowledge of the universe.
Established in the pioneering years of radio astronomy, the Observatory's radio telescope was one of the first built as a movable dish. It served as a prototype for other telescopes around the world and contributed to major scientific advances such as the discovery of quasars - celestial objects which helped support the Big Bang theory.
Yalangbara, home to Yolngu traditional owners, stretches over 210 square kilometres of sand dunes, rocky outcrops and coastal waters, including Lalawuy Bay (Port Bradshaw) in north-east Arnhem Land. This region is central to the foundation story of the Dhuwa group and culture. Wapilina Island is known for its early interactions with Macassan fishers from Indonesia who visited before European settlement.
The Yolngu are also known for their Aboriginal activism, through the Gove court case - the first Native Title land rights application and the Carpets court case, which was brought to protect the intellectual property rights of Aboriginal artists from the unauthorised reproduction traditional Aboriginal designs.
