Historical Monuments Commission
The Historical Monuments Commission (HMC) was the national heritage conservation authority of South Africa from 1923 to 1969. The HMC was the first such body to be established in South Africa and was the predecessor of the National Monuments Council and therefore also of SAHRA and South Africa's provincial heritage resources authorities. From 1934 onwards the Commission became known principally for its declaration of several hundred historical monuments, later known as 'national monuments' and today as provincial heritage sites. History Known officially as 'The Commission for the Preservation of Natural and Historical Monuments of the Union', the HMC was established thirteen years after the coming into being of the Union of South Africa in 1910. It was the first government agency to be specifically tasked with conservation of the country's heritage. Prior to its creation the only such protections had been limited powers afford the Minister of the Interior to control archaeology and rock art via the Bushman-Relics Protection Act, 1911. Natural and Historical Monuments Commission Act of 1923 Under the Natural and Historical Monuments Act, 1923, the commission was appointed by the Governor General and consisted of seven or more unpaid members. It had powers to identify 'monuments of