The Victorian Goldfields has been officially included on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, a promising step on the road to the goldfields receiving World Heritage Listing.
The City of Greater Bendigo, City of Ballarat and 13 other Local Government counterparts involved in the bid are today celebrating the exciting news.
The Tentative List is controlled by the Australian Government. Inclusion on the Tentative List means the Victorian Goldfields is considered a strong candidate to be submitted to UNESCO for World Heritage Listing, which can only be applied for after 12 months on the Tentative List.
Six sites across the region have been included in the Tentative List, with three additional places identified as being subject to further investigation and the possibility other sites may also be added.
Over the next 12 months all possible sites will be assessed in preparation for the Victorian Goldfields bid to be submitted formally to UNESCO in February 2026, with a final outcome likely to be determined after mid-2027.
Getting the Victorian Goldfields on the Tentative List now was critical, as Australia can only make one nomination to UNESCO per year and there are many other places from around Australia that are being considered.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said securing a World Heritage Listing was a long process but today's Tentative Listing announcement represented a significant milestone.
"In 2020, international world heritage expert Barry Gamble confirmed the Victorian Goldfields was the best surviving landscape from the 19th century goldrush anywhere in the world. This validation propelled the efforts of the 15 councils involved to continue our push to celebrate and protect this outstanding example of global significance," Cr Metcalf said.
"If World Heritage Listing is achieved, it puts the Victorian Goldfields on the same map as the Pyramids of Egypt or the Taj Mahal in India. This would be an incredible achievement for our region, with economic modelling forecasting a Victorian Goldfields World Heritage site could attract 2.5 million new visitors to the region over 10 years, injecting more than $500M into local economies.
"The sites selected for the Tentative List demonstrate outstanding global heritage significance and celebrate the region's multi-layered history - from the First Peoples living on Country to the goldrush, and subsequent waves of immigration and the contribution made by people who were chasing riches."
The Victorian Goldfields is currently represented in the Tentative List submission by:
- Castlemaine Goldfields and Historic Townships - pre-eminent alluvial diggings of an early major gold rush in Victoria
- Creswick and the Deep Lead Landscape - unparalleled example of this rare type of gold mining
- Bendigo Historic Urban Landscape - one of the world's most notable gold rush cities
- Lalgambuk (Mt Franklin) - an area that evidences Aboriginal connection to Country before, during and after the gold rushes
- Great Nuggets Historic Landscape - these diggings yielded the greatest concentration of the largest gold nuggets the world had ever known
- Walhalla Alpine Mining Landscape -steep topography that guided settlement centred on Victoria's richest gold mine
Other places mentioned in the Tentative List submission for inclusion at the World Heritage nomination stage, which will be developed in 2025/2026, include:
- Ballarat Historic Urban Landscape
- Beechworth Historic Township and Sluicing Landscape
- Whroo and the Balaclava Open Cut Mine
Cr Metcalf said further investigations over the coming 12 months were likely to mean an updated list would make up the final nomination.
"A working group, led by Heritage Victoria and including Traditional Owners and councils involved in the bid, will lead consultation with the communities where each of the sites are located, including with site owners and nearby residents," she said.
"Tentative Listing should be considered a placeholder only. Sites may change and are all subject to consultation, but the focus will be on confirming a list that ensures the best examples of the lasting legacy of the Victorian Goldfields are celebrated and this critical piece of Australia's history is conserved and shared with future generations."
The World Heritage bid is the initiative of a regional partnership made up of 15 councils and the Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive, led by the City of Greater Bendigo and the City of Ballarat. The Victorian Government announced $2M to progress the Victorian Goldfields World Heritage nomination in 2023.
