The Victorian Heritage Register lists and provides legal protection for heritage places and objects that are significant to the history and development of Victoria.
- Heritage places can include buildings, trees, parks and gardens, streetscapes, archaeological sites, cemeteries, precincts, shipwrecks and structures such as bandstands.
- Heritage objects can include furniture, shipwrecks, relics, archaeological artefacts, equipment, transport vehicles and everyday articles that contribute to an understanding of Victoria’s history.
How places and objects are included in the Register
Anyone can nominate a place or object to be included in the Victorian Heritage Register. Applications to register a place or object in the Victorian Heritage Register are processed by Heritage Victoria, a part of the Department of Transport and Planning. The Executive Director of Heritage Victoria recommends whether a place or object should be registered but the final decision is made by the Heritage Council of Victoria, an independent statutory body.
Places and objects that are nominated are evaluated using the Heritage Council’s assessment criteria to determine their importance to the history and development of the Victoria. Places which do not meet the criteria of the Heritage Council of Victoria may be of local significance and may merit inclusion on the relevant local council’s heritage overlay.
How registration decisions are made
We seek the views of the owner before adding a place or object to the Register. Owners may comment on the proposed registration.
Those opposing registration are given the opportunity to present their case directly to the Heritage Council of Victoria at a Registration Hearing. If a Registration Hearing is not necessary, the Heritage Council will make a registration decision at a meeting of the Council.
A registration process chart on the Heritage Victoria website shows the steps involved in applying to add a place or object to the Register.
Advice to owners
If a place or object is recommended, we provide a report to the owners. This includes:
- a statement of cultural heritage significance
- the proposed extent of registration
- proposed activities that may not require a permit.
Registration means legal protection
A place or object included in the Register is legally protected and cannot be altered in any way without a permit or permit exemption from Heritage Victoria.
Viewing the Victorian Heritage Register
You can search for places and objects in the Victorian Heritage Database.
The database includes places and objects which may be:
- in the Victorian Heritage Register
- classified by the National Trust
- included in the Victorian War Heritage inventory
- covered by a local government Heritage Overlay (if the local council has made this information available).