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  • Heritage
    • About Australia's heritage
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About Australia's heritage

Richmond bridge, Tasmania

Heritage includes places, values, traditions, events and experiences that capture where we've come from, where we are now and gives context to where we are headed as a community.

Our heritage gives us understanding and conveys the stories of our development as a nation, our spirit and ingenuity, and our unique, living landscapes. Heritage is an inheritance that helps define our future.

By identifying, protecting and managing our heritage we are conserving a valuable asset and ensuring that those places will continue to be experienced and enjoyed by future generations.

Our heritage is managed by various levels of government and peak bodies that identify and list places for their heritage values. Significant heritage places are identified and grouped (by type) into lists that guide the protection and management of heritage values.

World heritage

Find out about Australia's world heritage places. The World Heritage List identifies heritage that is of outstanding universal value.

National heritage

Find out about Australia's national heritage, comprising natural and cultural places of outstanding heritage value to the nation.

Indigenous heritage

Indigenous heritage is an important part of Australian heritage. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a long historical and ongoing link with the land.

Commonwealth heritage

Commonwealth Heritage comprises natural, Indigenous and historic heritage places on Commonwealth lands and waters or under Australian Government control.

Underwater cultural heritage

More than 8000 historic shipwrecks, sunken aircraft and other underwater heritage sites lie beyond Australia's shores. Each has a unique story and an important place in our heritage.

Overseas places of historic significance

Overseas sites that have a special place in Australia's history are symbolically recognised on the List of Overseas Places of Historic Significance to Australia (LOPHSA).

State, territory and local lists

Australia's states and territories maintain lists or registers of heritage places that have particular importance to the people who reside there. These lists and registers can be viewed on state and local government websites.

How is heritage protected?

Find out about the many government and private sector organisations and resources available to help protect Australia's heritage places.

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Last updated: 21 February 2023

© Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.