National Trust of Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Australian Council of National Trusts

National Trust building, Sydney
Founded	5 February 1965; 60 years ago (1965-02-05)
Founder	Annie Forsyth Wyatt
Type	National peak body for national trusts; public company, limited by guarantee
Registration no.	ACN: 008 444 684
Location	Canberra, Australia
Area served	Australia
Employees	350
Volunteers	7,000

The National Trust of Australia, officially called the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is a very important group in Australia. It is the main organisation that helps other smaller groups. These groups work to protect Australia's special places. This includes places important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, beautiful natural areas, and old buildings or sites with a lot of history. The ACNT was officially started in 1965. It connects different National Trust groups from every state and territory of Australia.

History of the National Trust

Annie Wyatt's home in Gordon

The idea for the National Trust in Australia came from a similar group in the United Kingdom. That group is called the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. People in Australia were also working hard to save native bushland and old buildings.

Because of this, the first Australian National Trusts were formed. New South Wales started one in 1945. South Australia followed in 1955, and Victoria in 1956. Later, Western Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland also created their own Trusts. The last two to be founded were in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory in 1976.

A very important person in starting the National Trust in Australia was Annie Forsyth Wyatt (1885–1961). She lived for most of her life in a small house in Gordon, New South Wales. This house is still there today. Annie Wyatt helped make sure Australia's heritage would be protected for future generations.

The main organisation, the Australian Council of National Trusts, was officially set up in 1965. It brings together the eight separate National Trusts from each Australian state and territory. It helps them work together and gives them a national voice. This means they can share ideas and have a stronger presence both in Australia and around the world.

What the Trust Does

The National Trust is Australia's main organisation for protecting heritage. It is made up of many local, non-government groups. These groups are not for profit, meaning they don't aim to make money. Their main goal is to promote and protect Australia's unique heritage. This includes places important to Indigenous Australians, natural environments, and historic sites.

Together, the different National Trust groups own or look after more than 300 heritage places. Most of these places are protected forever. The Trust also has a large team of volunteers, about 7,000 people, who help out. Around 350 people are employed by the Trust across Australia. In 2020, about 1,000,000 visitors came to see these special properties and their collections each year.

National Trust Groups in Australia

As of 2020, the National Trust has groups in every state and territory. These are the main organisations that make up the National Trust of Australia:

National Trust in New South Wales

In 1975, the National Trust in New South Wales moved into a special building. This building used to be the Fort Street High School. It is located on Observatory Hill in Sydney. The girls' school moved out to join the boys' school in Petersham. The building looks very much like it did when it became a school in 1849. You can easily see this unique building when you are near the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

See also

In Spanish: National Trust of Australia para niños

• List of National Trust properties in Australia
• List of Australian Living Treasures
• SAHANZ, the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand
• Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales