World Heritage Listing Bid
While the Story of Colonel William Light and the laying out the City of Adelaide in 1837 is well known and captured on the National Heritage List, the events leading up to the establishment of the ‘Province of South Australia’ are less well known.
South Australia was a socio-economic experiment designed and championed by Edward Gibbon Wakefield and Robert Gouger. Its goal was to create a free and self-sustaining society that left unfair European systems behind.
This World Heritage Bid seeks to understand the full story of Wakefield’s ‘systematic colonization’ for the benefit of all South Australians – including the First Nations peoples whose lifeways were so heavily impacted by it.
Why World Heritage?
World Heritage sites are places of special importance, representing valuable examples of humanity’s cultural and natural heritage.
The World Heritage Bid understands that the settlement of South Australia is a significant event in the history of the World and seeks to recognise this by seeking to include Adelaide and its Rural Settlement Landscapes (the working title for the Bid) on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
UNESCO World Heritage Listing has many additional benefits. It brings international recognition and attention to South Australia, is a source of local, state and national pride, and boosts optimism and investment.
The Bid also provides an opportunity to tell the South Australia story holistically by incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and supporting Reconciliation and Truth-telling outcomes.
Detail about the preparation for listing is available here: World Heritage Centre - Preparing World Heritage Nominations
What do the experts think?
Experts from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) have that found that Adelaide and its Rural Settlement Landscapes are of high heritage value and worthy of addition to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The following reports detail the basis for consideration for World Heritage listing as well as the practical steps to achieve this outcome.
What areas are being investigated?
Proposing a suitable boundary for this World Heritage nomination requires rigorous research and extensive consultation. The below map shows the extent of areas being investigated as part of the World Heritage Bid, as well as the proposed World Heritage Bid footprint.
First Nations areas relevant to this World Heritage nomination have yet to be identified in consultation with Traditional Owners using the ‘Free, Prior and Informed Consent’ principles. The seven First Nations most directly impacted by European arrivals and land division are shaded and named on the below left map.
Mapping will be progressively updated as research progresses.
We encourage you to view the interactive World Heritage Map and tell us about a thing, place or event that matters to you through our survey.
Left: The area being investigated for the World Heritage Bid Right: The proposed World Heritage Bid footprint
Have we engaged with Traditional Owners?
While the proposed World Heritage values relate to the settler history, the land on which settlement occurred was an ancient and enduring Aboriginal cultural landscape, adapted by the settler-colonisers with impacts still felt deeply today by Aboriginal communities.
The World Heritage Bid provides an opportunity to tell the South Australia story holistically and incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and attributes, supporting Reconciliation and Truth-telling outcomes.
City of Adelaide is building enduring relationships with Traditional Owners, support participation in the development of the World Heritage Bid.
For a World Heritage Bid to be successful, it must be supported by Traditional Owners.
The Bid is at the first stage of preparing a Tentative List Submission, which is a modestly detailed submission made to the Federal Government (by means of the State Government) for potential inclusion in Australia’s Tentative World Heritage List. This submission includes an overview of the grounds for potential World Heritage listing as well as indicative details of the area/attributes proposed for inclusion.
The first draft of the Tentative List Submission is available here:
Once all parties accept a draft submission, the Federal Government will advise the UNESCO World Heritage Centre about its inclusion on Australia’s Tentative List.
- January 2013, The Character Preservation (Barossa Valley) Act 2012 and the Character Preservation (McLaren Vale) Act 2012 were created to protect and manage the special character of these districts.
- In October 2019 Minister for Environment, David Spiers advised of the synergies between the Mount Lofty Ranges Consortium and Adelaide Park Lands Authority’s World Heritage Bid, suggesting the bids be combined.
- To progress the World Heritage nomination, World Heritage expert consultant Duncan Marshall was engaged to lead a small expert 2-day workshop on the 25 and 26 August 2022 regarding the feasibility of a combined World Heritage Bid. The outcome of the workshop was to combine the two World Heritage Bids.
- In January 2023, Deputy Premier, the Hon Susan Close MP provided a letter supporting the local government partners to develop a Tentative Listing submission for the proposed nomination.
- In August 2023, the Mount Lofty Consortium Council’s, and representatives from the Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water were hosted by City of Adelaide for a briefing by Duncan Marshall AM, Assoc. Professor Neale Draper and the South Australian Department for Environment and Water, with a vision to reinvigorate the partnership and progress bid governance arrangements.
- In September 2023, and for the first time ever, the international heritage conservation peak body, ICOMOS’ General Assembly conference was held in Australia. Duncan Marshall AM and Uncle Jeffrey Newchurch (Kaurna Elder) officially launched the Adelaide and its Rural Settlement Landscapes World Heritage Bid with a presentation titled ‘Evolving perceptions of settlement landscapes as Shared or Exclusive Realms’.
- In early 2025, City of Adelaide administration met with the State and Federal Governments to advise of our intention to seek approval of the Tentative List Submission in early 2026.
- In March 2025, City of Adelaide together with Yamagigu Consulting / Deloitte embarked on a project to understand and pursue Free, Prior and Informed Consent from Traditional Owners in accordance with National and International standards and requirements.
- In March 2025, City of Adelaide, working with SA Native Title Services, commenced engagement with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The heart of the World Heritage project is Truth-telling to achieve a shared understanding of South Australia’s history and support Reconciliation processes.
- Throughout 2024 and 2025, City of Adelaide has progressed in identifying and mapping potential areas for further investigation for a potential World Heritage property.
- From 2025-2026, the City of Adelaide held several workshops with representatives of seven (7) Aboriginal groups. Through these workshops, Truth-telling and Governance Frameworks were developed to guide the Bid, and text regarding Aboriginal culture, history and the impacts of colonisation was prepared to include in the Tentative List Submission.
- Throughout 2025 and 2026, the City of Adelaide undertook several meetings with Heritage SA (Department for Environment & Water), and the World Heritage section of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (Commonwealth).
- In April 2026, City of Adelaide held a Civic Event for ICOMOS Australia (advisors to UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre) at Town Hall to celebrate their 50th Birthday as an organisation.
- In June 2026, City of Adelaide formally sought a decision from the Aboriginal Groups that have been involved in the Bid for their Consent for the Tentative List Submission to be provided to the State and Commonwealth governments.
Following a Decision of Council on 12 March 2024, the City of Adelaide has elected to lead the preparation of the Tentative List Submission. The City of Adelaide will seek a partnership with the State and Federal Governments to realise Adelaide and its Rural Settlement Landscapes on Australia’s World Heritage Tentative List. Adelaide and its Rural Settlement Landscapes World Heritage Bid brings together two previously separate World Heritage Bids:
- Adelaide Park Lands and City Layout World Heritage Bid
- Work on this bid began in 2000 and included City of Adelaide and Adelaide Park Lands Authority / Kadaltilla.
- Mount Lofty Ranges Agrarian Landscapes World Heritage Bid
- Work on this bid began in 2008 and involved City of Onkaparinga, The Barossa Council, Adelaide Hills Council, District Council of Mount Barker, and Department for Environment & Water.