When, if ever, does graffiti become an historic or cultural artefact?
That was a challenging question posed by Tasmanian historian, Dr Nic Haygarth, at a recent lunchtime seminar hosted by Heritage Tasmania. The talk that followed provided a fascinating insight into the history of tourism cave heritage in Tasmania. Dr Haygarth said caving has long been a recreational and tourist activity for Tasmanians and visitors. The earliest accounts of a recreational visit to a karst cave dates from the 1840s and the earliest found graffiti dates back to the 1850s from Wet Cave, Mole Creek. “These early recreational trips to Wet Cave were basically a social outing. People dressed in their Sunday best and headed for the caves,” Dr Haygarth said. Visitors left evidence of their presence at Wet Cave by signing their name in a small chamber off a passage which became known as the Registry Office. “There are hundreds of signatures in the Registry Office and visitors to the cave were clearly very keen because they needed a ladder to get to its upper reaches. The Registry
