The State Register
What is the State Register of Heritage Places?
The State Register of Heritage Places is a list of places that have heritage value and includes buildings, structures, gardens, cemeteries, landscapes and archaeological sites. A place could also be an historic precinct, where the combination of landscape, buiding, streets or spaces of an area has cultural heritage value because of their grouping and their relationship to each other.
Entry in the State Register recognises a place’s value and importance to Western Australia and helps ensure that it is conserved into the future.
Entry in the State Register also offers owners financial and professional assistance to help make the most of their heritage places and ensures any proposed development is in harmony with the place’s identified heritage values.
When a place is added to the State Register, a Gazette notice is placed on the Gazette Notices page for seven (7) days.
Entries on the State Register can be searched and viewed spatially from the Heritage Council's Places Database web page.
A monthly extract of Stage Registered Heritage Places is also available for download.
To view the State Register of Heritage Places Stakeholder Consultation Workshop Summary Report 2011 click here
Right: Geraldton Club. Added to the State Register in 2008.
How are places assessed?
The cultural heritage significance of a place to Western Australia, that is, its heritage value or importance, is assessed by considering various values. Each place is unique and has its own combination of values, which together show its cultural heritage significance.
A simple explanation of these values is:
| Value | Explanation |
| Aesthetic value | Is the place important for what it looks like or its physical characteristics? |
| Historic value | Is the place important as part of the story of Western Australia’s history and development? |
| Scientific value | Can the place provide information of an archaeological nature or on a technical achievement in construction? |
| Social value | Is the place important to the community for social, cultural, educational or spiritual reasons? |
| Rarity | Is the place rare for any reason? |
| Representativeness | Is the place typical of anything – what does it represent? |
Three other factors are also taken into account in determining cultural heritage significance of places - physical condition, integrity (whether the place's original function/use is clear) and authenticity (the level of original fabric retained).
It is possible for a place in poor condition or one that has been substantially changed or modified to be entered in the State Register where other values, such as historic or rarity values, are strong. It is also possible for a place to meet only one of the above values and still be entered in the State Register.
Nomination
Nomination of a place to the State Register can be made by a member of the public, an organisation or local government. Nomination forms are available from the Office of Heritage.
Office of Heritage staff do a preliminary review of all places that are nominated. The Heritage Council's Register Committee then decides whether the place should have a full heritage assessment. Not all places nominated to the State Register go on to have a full heritage assessment or become registered.
The Heritage Council researches nominations to see if a full assessment should be done, based on whether it seems likely that place would meet the criteria needed for entry in the State Register as described previously.
Assessment
If the Register Committee decides a place is likely to be of State heritage value and requires a full heritage assessment, it is then entered in the Heritage Council's Assessment Program. The length of time before a place can be assessed varies depending on available resources.
We contact interested parties when the assessment is about to happen and let owners know the consultants will contact them to arrange a visit to the place. Usually an architect and historian work together on the assessment, researching documents for the history and describing the physical elements of the place.
The Register Committee considers the draft assessment (now called assessment documentation) and decides whether the place meets the criteria for entry in the State Register of Heritage Places. If the places does meet the criteria and is of State significance, the documentation is sent to the owner(s) and those with an interest in the place. Stakeholders can then provide comments on the documentation and discuss any issues about possible registration.
The Heritage Council considers all comments before considering possible entry in the State Register. In some cases it is necessary to deal with matters raised by stakeholders before proceeding. This is done through discussions, correspondence and meetings.
If it is decided that the place is of State heritage value, the Register Committee will make a recommendation to the Minister for Heritage, who makes the final decision on whether or not the place is entered in the State Register.
Download the places that will be assessed in 2011/12.
Interim and permanent registration
At the Minister’s direction, new places are entered in the State Register on an interim basis.
Before a place can be considered for entry in the State Register on a permanent basis it is advertised publicly for six weeks so owners and any other interested parties can formally comment on the proposed registration. Permanent entry in the State Register needs to happen within 12 months of the interim registration, unless it is owned by the Crown.
The Heritage Council considers any comments received after the six-week period and the Register Committee recommends to the Minister whether the place should be permanently entered in the State Register. The Minister decides whether the entry should be made permanent.