Pambula's Royal Willows Hotel features in Sydney exhibition

In 1962, conservationist and council member of the National Trust (NSW), Dame Helen Frances Blaxland (1907-1989) initiated an exhibition of Max Dupain photographs of early public buildings and houses of Australia.

The National Trust said that then, as now, there was no time to spare for our heritage.

"As the Trust prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of this landmark exhibition in 2022, through the hard work of our volunteers we present this - a first glimpse - of twenty images in the Annie Wyatt Room," the organisation said.

"This is not an end but a start - the tiny tip of an iceberg. Now is the time to come together to call for better outcomes for a more beautiful, layered and complex future; one that is entwined with our past, not built over it," the National Trust said.

"Our cities and our forests have evolved over many years, yet can be destroyed almost in an instant. This display of images invites us to take time to understand and appreciate our heritage - the importance of respect, of community, the value of our past - not just to the past but to the present and to our future. Instead of jumping for the loudest voice or the biggest wallet, we must consider our responsibilities individually and collectively to our heritage and to the planet," the National Trust said.

The Royal Willows Hotel photo carries with it an explanation of the hotel's history:

"Built 1885, licensed 1886, the Royal Willows has been an essential part of the Pambula streetscape for 130 years and played a major role as a gathering place and backdrop to events that have shaped the district. Despite community demands dating back to 2013, Bega Valley Shire Council has rejected heritage listing and is considering a Development Approval to replace the existing building with a supermarket. This proposal speaks to hundreds of similar buildings - modest yet important to local communities. Readily able to be adapted to and continue to serve the community, buildings like this need to be reconsidered as unique parts of our rural and urban identities."

The National Trust's 'No Time to Spare' exhibition will run until March 31.