The Yooroonah Tank Barrier was listed on the State Heritage Register (Item No. 01803) in November 2009. This fascinating site is part of Australia’s 1942 WW2 defence strategy – it is the most intact survivor of such WW2 barriers, given its relative isolation.
Our team led a detailed mapping of the remaining fire-damaged features across a three-day field survey. The results of this mapping confirmed a significant degradation of the timber features due to bushfire activity in 2019.
Community consultation has been a key part of the project, including an organised site visit and consultation with former University of New England staff who had completed earlier assessments, along with meetings with members of the ‘Nashos’ in Armidale, who have a keen interest and knowledge of the site.
Virtus Heritage and NSW NPWS are confident the ALMP will guide the way forward, and it has provided NSW NPWS with updated information for the State Heritage Register listing and the NSW NPWS Historical Heritage information management system. The Yooroonah Tank Barrier site is not currently accessible – a virtual touring and education program for the site is also in discussion.
