Cultural Resource Management in Australia's Northern Territory: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

4CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT is an American term now being used increasingly in Australia. It refers to the investigation, recording, and conservation of both historical and prehistoric places, especially at an official level. A recent study described the term as being concerned with scarce, nonrenewable resources worthy of conservation and in some cases, total preservation. The management of cultural resources involves determining the least loss of information covering past lifeways.' The emphasis is on planning, research, and ultimately balanced conservation policies which encourage the use of man-made materials important to a community's heritage. While academic analysis of cultural resource management is well advanced in the United States,2 it has attracted little attention in Australia. This is surprising as over the past decade much thought and work have been devoted to the protection and preservation of what is often termed Australia's national estate. The creation of the Australian Heri-