Local Heritage Survey

Love local history? Then settle in for a thrilling read!

The original 1996 Shire of Esperance Municipal Heritage Inventory - a record of local post European settlement historic sites and exploration spanning all the way back to the year 1600 - has recently been updated as required under the Heritage Act 2018 to form the 2021 “Local Heritage Survey”.

What is a Local Heritage Survey?

The Local Heritage Survey is a record of places and areas in the Shire of Esperance which have been identified as having cultural heritage significance, including a broader back story of European exploration and settlement in the Esperance area dating back to the year 1600.

Reviews of a Local Heritage Survey are intended to:

  • Ensure that the existing Local Heritage Survey meets the minimum standards, and to bring the findings into line with these standards if deficient; and
  • Review changes in the local heritage in the preceding period such as demolitions of places, changes in their condition, or the availability of other new information.

Inclusion of a place or area in this Local Heritage Survey alone does not mean that a property is ‘heritage listed’. The listing of places and areas of heritage significance in the Local Planning Scheme is a separate process under the Planning and Development Act 2005 that is informed by this Local Heritage Survey.

Hard copies of the 700 + page draft Local Heritage Survey are available for viewing at the Esperance Museum, the Esperance Public Library and at the Shire of Esperance Planning Services counter. The complete Local Heritage Survey is also freely available to view or download (click the arrow in the top left) in PDF form above. Please note this is a large file which may take time to download.

For further information, please contact Planning Services on (08) 9071 0674 or via email at shire@esperance.wa.gov.au.