The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n national

peak body A peak organisation or peak body is an Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania ...

for community-based, non-government

non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in contrast with an entity that o ...

s committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage. Incorporated in 1965, it federates the eight autonomous National Trusts in each Australian state and internal self-governing territory, providing them with a national

secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) The secretariat of an organization is the department that fulfils its Central administration, central administrative or General Secretary, general secretary duties. The term is especi ...

and a national and international presence. Collectively, the constituent National Trusts own or manage over 300 heritage places (the majority held in perpetuity), and manage a volunteer workforce of 7,000 while also employing about 350 people nationwide. Around visitors experience the properties and their collections in Australia each year.

History

Modelled on the

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, cou ...

and inspired by local campaigns to conserve native bushland and preserve old buildings, the first Australian National Trusts were formed in

New South Wales New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW) is a state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * The State (newspaper), ''The State'' (newspape ...

in 1945,

South Australia South Australia (abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Austral ...

in 1955 and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelles ...

in 1956; followed later in Western Australia,

Tasmania Tasmania (), abbreviated as TAS, is an island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atol ...

and

Queensland Queensland ( ) is a state situated in northeastern Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the ...

. The two Territory Trusts were the last to be founded, in 1976 (see below). The driving force behind the establishment of the National Trust in Australia was

Annie Forsyth Wyatt Annie Forsyth Wyatt (3 January 1885 – 27 May 1961) was an Australian community worker, Conservation movement, conservationist and International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Red Cross worker. She is celebrated as the driving force behind ...

(1885–1961). She lived for much of her life in a cottage in

Gordon, New South Wales Gordon is a suburb on the Upper North Shore (Sydney), Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia north-west of the Sydney Central Business District and is the administrative centre for the Local government in Austral ...

, which is still standing. She was living in the Sydney suburb of St Ives when she died. In 1975, the National Trust moved into the former

Fort Street High School Fort Street High School (FSHS) is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Mixed-sex school, co-educational Selective school (New South Wales), academically selective secondary school, secondary day school, located in Petersh ...

building on

Observatory Hill

, after the girls' school moved to Petersham to be reunited with the boys' school, which had moved in 1916. The distinctive building, which retains its appearance from the time of its conversion to a school in 1849, is visible from the approaches to the

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a heritage-listed steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North Shore. The vi ...

Member organisations

The constituent organisations are:

History

Member organisations

See also

References

Further reading