Victorian Goldfields added to Australia’s World Heritage Tentative List

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Victorian Goldfields added to Australia’s World Heritage Tentative List

February 2, 2025

Culture / Tourism /

Victoria’s Goldfields – home to some of the most extensive and best-surviving goldrush landscapes – has been added to Australia’s World Heritage Tentative List.

This is the first formal step on the path to World Heritage status, celebrating the extraordinary history, culture, and heritage of Victoria’s goldrush era.

The project has been a partnership between the Federal and Victorian Governments, First Nations groups, 15 local councils and other organisations, who will now continue to work together to develop the nomination and begin the World Heritage process.

From hard rock open cut mines at Castlemaine to the Victorian era buildings of Bendigo, the region is considered the most extensive and best surviving goldrush landscape in the world.

Covering more than 20% of the state’s landmass, the Goldfields bears the imprint of hundreds of thousands of migrants who took part in successive gold rushes from 1851 onwards.

The Goldfields continue to shine as a cornerstone of Victoria’s identity, with diverse gold mining infrastructure, vibrant townships, and enduring cultural markers of First Nations communities, including the Dja Dja Wurrung and Gunaikurnai peoples.

This region already welcomes millions of tourists each year, contributing over $1.8 billion to Victoria's regional economy. Gaining World Heritage status is expected to boost tourism even further, attracting an additional 2.2 million visitors within 10 years of being listed.

Six key areas have been included in the Tentative List submission, with the possibility of more areas being added as the nomination is developed. They include:

Bendigo Historic Urban Landscape
Castlemaine Goldfields and Historic Townships
Creswick and the Deep Lead Landscape
Great Nuggets Historic Landscape (Tarnagulla, Moliagul, and Dunolly)
Lalgambuk (Mt Franklin)
Walhalla Alpine Mining Landscape

Australia already has some remarkable properties on the World Heritage list, including the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and the Sydney Opera House.

Image. Walhalla Alpine Mining Landscape

9th September 2024 - Central Goldfields Shire transformed Visitor Centre attracts increased visitation

21st March 2024 - Construction underway on new Indigenous Garden at Maryborough’s Central Goldfields Art Gallery

16th November 2023 - Play Spaces Strategy underway for Central Goldfields

24th August 2023 - Virtual reality installation transports Central Goldfields Gallery visitors to different realms

12th March 2022 - World Heritage Bid partnership aims to elevate goldfields tourism to an international level

28th July 2021 - Victoria’s Goldfields launch wellness survey as part of World Heritage Bid

3rd July 2020 - Funding to assist development of Sustainable Tourism Toolkit for Central Victorian Goldfields

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