General News
4 February, 2025
Goldfields World Heritage bid takes formal step towards international recognition
After years of advocacy from local councils, First Nations groups and the Victorian Government, it was announced on Friday that Victoria’s Goldfields have been added to Australia’s World Heritage Tentative List.
This is the first formal step towards gaining World Heritage status, showcasing the extraordinary history, culture, and heritage of Victoria’s goldrush era.
Chair of the Victorian Goldfields Tourism executive Chris Meddows-Taylor said this announcement is a great boost for local tourism.
“It’s magnificent because it’s the first formal commitment by the government. They have put the line in the sand and this is ready to go,” he said.
There are currently six key areas throughout Victoria’s Goldfields included in the submission, but a finalised list of historical landmarks is yet to be determined.
Mr Meddows-Taylor said local communities will play a significant part with their own histories.
“Irrespective of what’s added, Maryborough will play a very central role. The Goldfields touring route connecting all of those towns will come into its own. They are going to be very important, Talbot, Maryborough, Dunolly, Moliagul, the Welcome Stranger, we are in the middle of it,” he said.
The process towards full listing requires extensive assessment and won’t be achieved until 2027.
“The listing process follows through UNESCO, we could have assessment in 2026, with the full listing in 2027. All of the sites around the world have to go through the same process,” Mr Meddows-Taylor said.
He said during that time, the next step is the development of a tourism masterplan incorporating local historical sites, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the exciting history of the Goldfields’ larger well-known locations and smaller but significant places.
“In the meantime, we will be rolling out a masterplan which we will be putting a lot of work into,” Mr Meddows-Taylor said.
He said this is a huge step towards making local landmarks more interesting and connecting them all through World Heritage.
“Here’s our government telling everyone, ‘Hey, this whole area is so special and we are in the middle of it with our beautiful buildings, and connections on the Goldfields’,” Mr Meddows-Taylor said.
Central Goldfields Shire mayor Grace La Vella said Friday’s announcement marks another significant milestone in securing a World Heritage listing for the Victorian Goldfields.
“As one of 15 local councils involved in the partnership, we have worked hard over many years to advance this initiative knowing the benefits this would bring at a local level here in the Central Goldfields,” she said.
Cr La Vella said the local community will see numerous benefits from the listing.
“In addition to boosting tourism visitation and injecting funds into our local economy, the World Heritage listing would also support conservation of our beautiful gold rush buildings and enable the traditional custodians of the land to tell their own stories,” she said.
A 2024 assessment found the listing could see an additional 2.5 million new visitors to the Victorian Goldfields region over 10 years, generating over $500 million into regional and local economies.
The project has been a partnership between the Albanese and Allan governments, First Nations groups, 15 local councils and other organisations, who will now continue to work together towards the next stages of the World Heritage process.