Heritage Service

Historic Cottage Portland Botanic Gardens

As the first site of permanent European settlement in Victoria, the Glenelg Shire has a wealth of history within its boundaries.

Our heritage is a significant economic and social asset which gives the Glenelg Shire so much of its distinctive appeal. Glenelg Shires heritage is everywhere. It is represented in commercial buildings, hotels, churches and schools. It is also reflected in the historic landscape.

The Council's Planning Unit operates a Heritage Advisory Service which is free to ratepayers of the Glenelg Shire.

Council also offers grants for Heritage Building and Places on a dollar for dollar basis. Click here for the Grant Scheme page or on the link below.

Glenelg Shire Heritage

Our heritage is reflected in our historical landscape and represented by commercial buildings, hotels, churches, and schools. Glenelg Shire Council's heritage database and cultural collection span a wide range of cultural objects and structures, including:

  • Hundreds of historic buildings.
  • Civic objects.
  • Public art and monuments.
  • Social history items.
  • Works of art.
  • Objects of maritime significance.
  • A photographic collection documenting the Port of Portland.

Iconic pieces in the collection include the Henty Plough, used by the Henty brothers in 1834, and two magnificent oil paintings by Thomas Clark of Muntham Station and Portland Bay.

The cultural collection is housed and displayed at History House (the original Portland Town Hall), Casterton Town Hall, and the Maritime Discovery Centre on the Portland foreshore.

Heritage Advisory Service

The Heritage Advisory Service is a free service offered by the Glenelg Shire Council. We aim to help owners and occupants of heritage places care for those places, and the service is for all Glenelg Shire residents or ratepayers.

Advice can be sought on any heritage matters, including:

  • Grants
  • Renovations or restorations
  • Modern additions to existing heritage structures

The Heritage Advisory Service is available for monthly onsite property inspections, or you can arrange an appointment at Council's Portland Office. 

Please get in touch with Tammy Hurst of Glenelg Shire Council's Planning Department to arrange an appointment. 
Call 5522 2187 to get started! 

The Heritage Council of Victoria has produced a guide to help homeowners renovate or create a home in a heritage building.

At Home with Heritage: A Considered Approach to Renovating Your House aims to inspire and explain how good design and cultural awareness can support heritage values and contemporary liveable homes.

The guide is a practical starting point, with insights into the ideas of heritage value and significance. It will share the possibilities, trials, and design questions you need to consider. You will also get an overview of the heritage procedures in Victoria.

The guide includes 12 case studies of different kinds of heritage houses. These show the variety of design choices and how others have managed change to houses with various levels of heritage protection.