The Burra Charter and Importance of Heritage Preservation

In Australia there are a number of historical buildings and locations, often referred to as ‘heritage sites’ or ‘heritage listings’, with systems put in place that govern how they are protected and maintained; such as the Burra Charter. The specifics for how something becomes a heritage site differs from state to state, but in general, an application must be made to the relevant governing bodies who will then determine whether the site in question will be listed as heritage.

Heritage listed sites are often quite old, usually built with materials that are no longer in production. This can make the maintenance on heritage listings fairly intricate and challenging, but there are a number of reasons why it is important to do so. If you don't keep on top of everything that needs doing, problems will pile up and often escalate, leading to more expensive work requiring to be undertaken.

Originally introduced in 1979, the Burra Charter was adopted for the protection and preservation of the historical mining town, Burra in South Australia. Since the its inception, numerous people have collaborated and worked to update it, ensuring that the charter continues to be a source of not just relevant theoretical information concerning the maintenance of all heritage buildings, but also the practical. To date, in Australia, it remains to be the chief source of information regarding the proper procedures that should be followed when undertaking works on heritage sites.

One of the more tangible reasons to make sure a heritage site is looked after and doesn’t fall into a state of disrepair, is that they can be great for promoting financial growth in an area. This is mostly due to tourism, as people will come from far and wide to see a little piece of history. This is especially important in more remote and rural areas of the country.

Another reason for the protection of heritage listings, is the preservation of history and culture. Often times these sites offer a snap-shot into the time period of their development, which offers a unique insight into what it was like back then. Architecture and building technologies of a period have always lent a unique perspective otherwise unobtainable into what a society would have been like.

We would be remiss to not mention that another reason for their protection is for an artistic sake, so that future generations can appreciate the marvels of yesteryear. Photographs and videos can only do so much, and it is unlikely that actually visiting a site and seeing it with your own eyes will ever be beaten.

​Although many of these sites can be tricky to maintain and prevent dilapidation, don’t worry. Here at BellMont we have the benefit of almost 20 years’ experience in the field and we’re ready to help.  

So if you’re looking for an engineer to help you with a heritage project, contact us today.