Heritage places provide a tangible link to the people and events that have shaped the urban and rural areas in which we now live.

They help us to appreciate the social and technological changes that have gone before us and give us a point of reference for changes to come. Heritage places play an important role in providing communities with a sense of continuity and meaning.

Heritage conservation is about identifying these places and providing ways to ensure that they are appropriately maintained into the future.

A range of protective measures are required to achieve a broad level of heritage conservation. There are a number of different heritage lists with differing levels of protection. Lists range from world heritage through to local heritage. The places listed within this website are from the following heritage lists:

Register of the National Estate

The Register of the National Estate is maintained by The Australian Heritage Commission and comprises approximately 12,000 heritage places throughout Australia. Although these places have no legislative protection, listing does alert planners, decision-makers, researchers and the general public to the heritage value of the places. Of the places on the Register of the National Estate, 64 are located within the City of Onkaparinga.

State Heritage Register

The State Heritage Register allows for the identification and protection of places of value to the State. State heritage places listed within the Register are protected under both the Heritage Act, 1993 and the Development Act, 1993. To be included within the Register, a place must meet the assessment criteria within section 16 of the Heritage Act. There are currently 82 State heritage places within the City of Onkaparinga.

Local Heritage List

The Development Act enables the identification and listing of places of local heritage value within Development Plans (prepared and administered by Councils). A local heritage place is defined within the Development Act as "a place that is designated as a place of local heritage value by a development plan". Currently there are 421 local heritage places within the City of Onkaparinga.