National Trust Register

While the Trust Register has no legal force, it has many active purposes for many people. A Trust classification is regarded as an authoritative statement on the heritage significance of a place. Often classification cards are referred to by local councils in considering applications for demolition or alteration of a place. Councils (and government agencies) use the Trust Register and Classifications as a basis for preparing heritage studies for their area or department.

The Trust Register is of value for a variety of reasons, its broadest value is in being an all inclusive single Register for the state of New South Wales. As such it is of use on a comparative basis over the whole state.

The purpose of the Register is to alert responsible authorities, property owners and the public to the heritage significance of a place. Classification by the Trust and the information contained on the classification card may assist in the decision making process and ultimately the conservation of places and items.  The Trust Register serves as an independent early warning to identify places that are important and that could be under threat.

The National trust’s NSW Register is not currently available online.

However, you can either visit our Archives in person at the National Trust Centre to view the Register, or you can email an enquiry to advocacy@nationaltrust.com.au to see if a place is listed.  If a place is listed, a copy of the listing card can be made available to you.

We also hold extensive records relating to listed and unlisted places in our Archives that can be of benefit to researchers.  Our Archives webpage has more information.

The National Trust is a community-based, non-government organisation, and as such it has no statutory power. The Trust’s Register is intended to perform an advisory and educational role.

The listing of a place in the Register has no legal force. However, it is widely recognised as an authoritative statement of the heritage significance of a place.  However, if a place becomes threatened, the Trust may campaign and advocate for its protection. Specific campaigns are conducted to save threatened places, to stimulate debate and to raise the level of public and government awareness of the need to conserve our heritage.

If a National Trust classified place is under threat, please contact us. We will also advise you to take action, particularly with the local council.

The process of listing a place on our Register involves the identification and assessment of the place using criteria to indicate its cultural significance – its historic, aesthetic, social and scientific value for past, present and future generations.

This assessment is carried out by a\our technical staff and a number of expert committees who advise the Trust on items to be placed on the Register. These committees are made up of individuals with professional qualifications, such as architects, historians, archaeologists, planners, botanists, lawyers, educationalists and landscape architects, who all give their time freely to the Trust.

If you wish to nominate a place to our Heritage Register, please contact one of our Advocacy staff on 02 9258 0123 or at advocacy@nationaltrust.com.au

They can provide you with more information on the nomination process, the information we require and the nomination form.