Interview
Max Bourke
World Heritage Convention
A native of Australia, Max Bourke has had a long career in agriculture and conservation. Involved in the public service for more than twenty years, he was appointed Director of the Australian Heritage Commission from its inception in 1976.
In this position he contributed to the creation of the Australian National Committee of ICOMOS and participated in the preparation of Australia's first nomination files for the World Heritage List. He also served as Deputy Chairman of ICOMOS International from 1984 to 1987. He attended four meetings of the World Heritage Committee between 1981 and 1986 as an advisor to the Australian delegation and, in 1986, as Head of the delegation.
Max Bourke later headed the Australian Arts Council and the Multicultural Affairs Office before leaving the public sphere in 1997 to found Rural Funds Management Ltd. In the same year, he also became the first director of the Thomas Foundation, an organization dedicated to countering the decline of biodiversity in Australia. Retired since 2012, he continues his philanthropic involvement in several organizations dedicated to nature and the arts. The Australian government has acknowledged his contribution by naming him a member of the Order of Australia in 2004.
Interview with
Max Bourke
30 October 2013, Canberra, Australia
The following audio excerpts are from an interview with Max Bourke by Christina Cameron the 30th October 2013 in Canberra, Australia. He describes his personal involvement and that of his country in the early years of the World Heritage Convention. Through his answers, he pays tribute to the ideals underlying this international tool but highlights the difficulties of its practical application.
- 1. The World Heritage Convention
- 1a. Involvement and participation of Max Bourke in World Heritage
- 1b. Aims and objectives of the Convention
- 1c. The World Heritage List
- 1d. Major decisions for the development of the Convention
- 1e. Success / failure of the Convention
- 2. The World Heritage Committee and expertise
- 3. The advisory bodies: IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM
- 4. The secretariat of UNESCO
- 5. The contribution of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, both nationally and internationally
Oral Archives of the
World Heritage Convention
Under the leadership of the Canada Research Chair on Built Heritage at the University of Montreal, an international team of researchers conducts interviews with pioneers of World Heritage to capture memories of important moments in the history of UNESCO Convention.
Launched in 2006, this initiative is part of the UNESCO History project that celebrated the 60th anniversary of the creation of UNESCO. The Oral Archives project records the precious witness of people closely associated with the creation and implementation of the Convention. Their recollections and views have greatly enriched the book by Christina Cameron and Mechtild Rössler, Many Voices, One Vision: The Early Years of the World Heritage Convention (Ashgate/Routledge, 2013).
