Heritage Studies

The backbone of the Australian heritage management system is the municipal-wide Heritage Study undertaken according to standardised procedures as directed by key government agencies such as the Heritage Victoria and Australian Heritage Council.

RBA undertake municipal-wide heritage studies, reviews of earlier studies and proposed heritage overlay inclusions/modifications by others, and gap studies throughout Victoria. We are adept at this core cultural mapping undertaking and accept the required keen understanding of our role as the professional interpreter of a community’s heritage values.

Community consultation is a key aspect of the heritage study process as it is vital that multiple and diverse voices contribute to the identification and conservation of valued sites. Distilling local community sentiment and expressing it in clear terms is a responsibility we take seriously. Ultimately heritage protection measures exist to provide communities with a meaningful and tangible link to their past.

We are highly skilled in the identification, documentation and assessment of places for inclusion in the schedule to the heritage overlay, and pride ourselves in producing precise and economical citations which are thorough and can sustain scrutiny by professional peers.

We also prepare concise Thematic Environmental Histories which identify the key human activities that have shaped the physical environment of a municipality and what distinguishes it. The holistic approach provides a clear basis for a comprehensive representation of place types in the heritage overlay.

RBA senior staff appear regularly as recognised and respected experts before planning panels concerning recommendations made in heritage studies.

RBA have undertaken heritage study work for many municipalities including; Greater Geelong, Melbourne, Hobsons Bay, Mount Alexander, Strathbogie, Towong, Boroondara, Melton and French Island.