Our heritage here is world class, and it represents a significant portion of Victoria’s heritage. And that’s only buildings – there’s so much more that gives Boroondara its unique identity.

With your feedback, we’re capturing every part of what you consider heritage.

We need a long-term strategy to ensure we don’t lose heritage forever and to ensure it’s valued. A strategy that sees the challenges to heritage, and comes up with a plan for how we can tackle these. Heritage is constantly evolving, and we need a vision that grows with it.

We've drafted our Heritage Strategy, Action Plan and Historical Societies Background Paper thanks to community feedback. Now, we'd love to know what you think by completing our survey or attending one of our in-person drop-in sessions (listed on this page).

What’s in our draft Heritage Strategy?

What are we doing?

Protecting, preserving, celebrating and promoting our local heritage.

This includes Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung culture, heritage streetscapes and architecture, social history and natural heritage in our parks, gardens and waterways and more.

How will we do this?

We’ll complete actions over 16 years, delivered every 4-years in action plans.

We’ll address the challenges to heritage that we’ve identified. This includes: population growth, climate change, changing dynamics, economic changes, demolition-by-neglect, gaps in heritage knowledge and lack of awareness.

Why have a strategy?

Heritage that is overlooked is at risk of being lost forever.

We asked you what heritage means to you in consultation during 2024.

You told us you value protecting historical buildings, learning about Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung cultural heritage, and celebrating and promoting what we have here – including many other forms of heritage. For more details on the responses we received, see the Consultation feedback section on this page.

Vision

Our heritage reflects the many layers of our history, honouring the enduring connection of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people to the land and respecting our multicultural history.

It includes, our much-loved parks, gardens and waterways, our renowned and intact 19th and 20th century streetscapes and extraordinary architecture, our vast local art and civic collections that tell the story of our past and our vibrant and diverse social history and cultural practices which have shaped and continue shaping our community.

Commitment

Our commitment is to embrace and celebrate our heritage. Weave it into the fabric of our city to inspire pride, create a sense of belonging, and support growth that honours our past while shaping our future. By respecting and valuing all perspectives, our heritage legacy will reflect the richness of our shared history and diversity.

Pillars

1. Recognise and understand our heritage: We will ensure that our heritage is identified, well-researched and documented.
2. Safeguard and future-proof our heritage: We will protect our heritage and advocate for reform to address policy gaps and vulnerabilities.
3. Empower conservation of our heritage: We will lead by example and support the community and heritage place stakeholders in the conservation of our heritage.
4. Champion and showcase our heritage: We will share our stories and engage with our local and broader community about heritage.

Challenges and opportunities

There are challenges and opportunities in delivering our heritage commitment, including:

1. Population growth: With thoughtful planning and active community involvement, it is possible to strike a balance that protects cultural heritage while supporting growth.
2. Climate change: By incorporating climate change into heritage planning, we can protect both natural and built heritage while effectively responding to emerging environmental challenges.
3. Demolition by neglect: There are opportunities to better educate heritage place owners on maintenance and repairs to prevent the loss of heritage fabric and buildings.
4. Lack of awareness: Exciting opportunities exist to celebrate heritage through events, community partnerships, and initiatives.

Have we missed anything? Have your say

Actions for 2025-29

• Prepare the scope for an Aboriginal cultural values study
• Investigate the heritage significance of bluestone and concrete roads and laneways
• Conduct a heritage gap study in Surrey Hills
• Consider a new local law to protect heritage places in disrepair
• Set up more ways to collaborate with community members passionate about heritage
• Expand Boroondara’s heritage photography competition
• Create new heritage walking and cycling trails and tours
• Find ways heritage signage can be improved to promote and celebrate local histories
• Establish a regular forum for Council to connect with local historical societies
• Engage with local historical societies about partnership opportunities and spatial needs.

Beyond 2029

Initiatives for consideration in the development of future action plans post 2029.

• Conduct a Mid-Century and Modernist heritage study
• Conduct a heritage gap study in Balwyn and Balwyn North
• Conduct theme-based heritage reviews and studies
• Carry out recommendations from the Aboriginal Cultural Values Study
• Carry out recommendations from the investigation of Council’s bluestone and concrete roads and laneways
• Carry out recommendations from the Conservation Management Plans, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Land Management Agreements and asset management policies
• Empower the community through initiatives such as a virtual heritage centre, incentives for heritage conservation and an advisory service
• Champion and showcase our heritage through initiatives such as a heritage festival, community heritage awards and a Boroondara heritage hub
• Update the Local Heritage Policy in the Boroondara Planning Scheme to make sure it is protecting heritage places.

Do agree with the timing? Have your say

Boroondara is home to 6 local historical societies. These historical societies make valuable contributions to preserving and sharing our diverse local heritage.

6 guiding principles for working with historical societies:

• recognising the community benefit provided by historical societies
• ready access to collections for the community
• preservation and longevity of local history collections
• strengthening partnerships for future sustainability
• fostering partnerships to activate and increase use of our local facilities
• maximising Council assets and responsible use of Council resources.

What do you think? Have your say

Download ⇣

In 2024, we asked you share your thoughts on what heritage in Boroondara means to you. Thank you to everyone who provided their feedback during this consultation.

This strategy was shaped by community input, with 492 submissions received.

There was strong support for broadening our focus to include other aspects of heritage as we work to celebrate and preserve what we value here.

Who we heard from

• Most participants live in Boroondara (90%), and have lived here for a varying number of years. The top 3 suburbs represented were Camberwell, Hawthorn and Kew.
• All ages participated in this consultation, with a good spread ranging from 13 and under, up to 85 or above.

What we heard

• Most participants value preserving unique areas and architecture (86% and 84% respectively), retaining and reusing heritage sites sustainably (76%), and celebrating local natural environments (63%).
• Heritage in Boroondara was seen as special buildings and unique areas revealing past architectural styles (91%), natural waterways and undeveloped green areas, such as Yarra Bend Park (79%), and unique community places, such as Kew Traffic School, Camberwell Sunday Market and Hays Paddock (57%).
• Your top 3 concerns for local heritage are (in order of priority):
  • community knowledge and appreciation of heritage
  • legislation and policy
  • balancing the need for housing and heritage protection.