Heritage Victoria facts for kids

A Heritage Victoria blue plaque on the Ballarat Town Hall

Heritage Victoria is a government group in Victoria, Australia. It helps protect old and important places and things that tell us about the past. It works with another group called the Heritage Council of Victoria. Both groups follow a special law called the Heritage Act 1995.

What is Heritage Victoria?

Heritage Victoria started from an older group called the Historic Buildings Preservation Council. The Heritage Council is a separate, independent group that was also set up by the same law. This means it has its own powers to make decisions.

What Does Heritage Victoria Do?

Heritage Victoria's main jobs are to find, protect, and explain Victoria's important historical places and items. These are places that are very special to the state's history. Heritage Victoria also gives advice about heritage to local councils, the state government, businesses, and everyone in the community.

Protecting Victoria's Past

Heritage Victoria keeps a list of important historical places called the Victorian Heritage Register. They also have a list of old archaeological sites, which are places where people find ancient objects. They look after old shipwrecks and other historical items too.

They help decide which places should be added to the Heritage Register. If a place is on the Register, Heritage Victoria manages a permit system. This means people need permission before making big changes to these protected places. They also give money to help keep these places safe and teach people about their history.

Blue Plaques

Sometimes, Heritage Victoria puts a special Blue plaque on places that are on the Heritage Register. These plaques help people know that a building or site is historically important.

Helping People Learn About History

Heritage Victoria has won awards for some of its work. For example, they created a mobile app that helps people find and learn about historical places using their phones. They also have a public website where you can search for information about historical places and objects.