Heritage Listings

These views and settings are important in demonstrating the place’s role as a centre of colonial administration and contribute to maintaining the integrity of the convict landscape. The World Heritage Committee has recommended that Australia manage the landscape values of the Old Government House and Domain site by studying the visual impact of the current environment and future projects that may affect those values.

The ‘Conservation Agreement for the protection and conservation of the World and National Heritage values of the Australian Convict Sites, Old Government House and Domain, Parramatta’ addresses the World Heritage Committee’s recommendation and Australia’s obligations under the World Heritage Convention by providing standards for development in the immediate vicinity of the property.

The Conservation Agreement recognises that development that complies with certain planning controls in Parramatta’s identified ‘Highly Sensitive Area’ will not have a significant impact on the place’s listed values. As such, any development that meets these controls, including height limits, floor space ratios, setbacks, materials and siting, do not need approval under national environment law. The controls also include an allowance for an additional 15% in building height and/or floor space if certain requirements in the agreement are met, such as if the property/development is the winner of a competitive design process.

Proposed developments that do not meet these requirements in the Conservation Agreement will need to be referred to the Federal Government Department of the Environment for consideration in accordance with the requirements of national environment law.

The 'Development in Parramatta City and the Impact on Old Government House and Domain's World and National Heritage Listed Values: Technical Report' informed the Conservation Agreement.

The National Heritage List is Australia’s list of natural, historic and Indigenous places of outstanding significance to the nation.

Parramatta Female Factory

From 1821 onwards, tens of thousands of women and children passed through the Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct in the care and custody of the state.

The Precinct, which housed female convicts, orphaned children, and vulnerable girls and young women, is a leading example of a site which demonstrates Australia’s social welfare history.

Institutionalisation was a core part of Australia’s welfare system over two centuries, and the Precinct is outstanding in its capacity to tell the stories of women and children in institutions over the course of Australian history. It includes a rare surviving example of a convict female factory, and offers us the opportunity to find out even more about convicts experiences as a potential source of future archaeological finds.

State heritage items are listed on the State Heritage Register. This list includes only those items which have been identified as having particular importance to the people of NSW including Old Government House in Parramatta Park built in c1799 and enlarged 1815 that is on the State Heritage Register and is also listed as being of State significance.

Local heritage items are listed on heritage schedules in the Council's Local Environment Plan (LEP).

Planning Instruments

Heritage items and conservation areas have been identified through various studies undertaken by the City of Parramatta since the 1990s.

The studies undertaken demonstrated the heritage values and significance of items and conservation areas in accordance with the NSW Government’s strict criteria for listing.

Once identified, they were listed in Council’s planning instruments after a public consultation process.

Our planning instruments contain lists and maps of all heritage items and conservation areas:

• Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 – Schedule 5

How to Identify if my property is Heritage Listed?

Section 10.7 planning certificate will identify if a property is heritage listed or is located within a heritage conservation area.

We issue a section 10.7 planning certificate with a small fee.

Conservation areas are areas where history and elements create a cohesive sense of place that is worth protecting. Elements can include a pattern of subdivision, building style, landscaping and streetscapes.

List of Heritage Conservation Areas

There are 18 Heritage Conservation Areas within the City of Parramatta Local Government Area (LGA). These are mapped in the relevant Local Environmental Plan and listed below:

An interim heritage order made under the Heritage Act 1977 safeguards a place or object of potential heritage significance for a temporary period of up to 12 months.

These listings must meet stringent heritage assessment criteria of the NSW Government and generally need to fall into one of the following categories:

• be historically, aesthetically, scientifically or socially significance
• be rare and/or connected to historical people
• be significant in what they represent.

Any proposal to remove an item from a heritage list also needs to be stringently tested to show that it no longer meets the assessment criteria. The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage provides an online database of heritage inventory sheets for the State and includes information such as a brief history, description of the item, statement of significance and photographs are provided for most heritage properties.

The State Heritage Inventory holds information about most statutory protected heritage items in NSW. It includes the State Heritage Register and much more.

Maintaining the State Heritage Inventory is a requirement of the Heritage Act 1977.

We maintain information about heritage items on statutory lists and other significant sites also protected under legislation. Collating this information involves working collaboratively with other NSW government agencies, local councils and local Aboriginal land councils.