Heritage & Character

The Town of Cambridge contains several properties and places of heritage significance.

These places may be recognised in one or more of the following:

  • Heritage List adopted under Local Planning Scheme No. 1
  • Conservation Area or Heritage Area
  • Local Heritage Surveys
  • State Register of Heritage Places

You can view heritage places within the Town through the Heritage Council of Western Australia's online database inHerit.

Heritage Grant Program

THE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE 2023-24 FINANCIAL YEAR IS NOW CLOSED

The Town's Heritage Grant Program offers assistance for conservation and maintenance of places:

  • Entered in the State Register of Heritage Places;
  • Entered in the Town of Cambridge Heritage List; and
  • Located in a Town of Cambridge Heritage Area (i.e. Holyrood Street Conservation Area).

Owners of heritage places may apply for 50% of the total project costs, up to a maximum amount of $5,500 (incl. GST). Grants are awarded by Council annually and successful applicants are paid once the project is complete, and prior to 30 May 2024.

Applications will be assessed against the eligibility and selection criteria outlined in Local Planning Policy 1.6: Assistance for Heritage Places(PDF, 67KB). 

Applications closed on Sunday, 22 October 2023. 

The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage also offers a range of heritage assistance measures and a directory of other funding opportunities on its website

For more information on the Heritage Grant Program or to book an appointment to discuss an application, please contact the Town's Planning team on (08) 9347 6000 or mail@cambridge.wa.gov.au.

Heritage List

The Heritage List identifies properties with cultural heritage significance that are considered worthy of protection under the Town Planning Scheme. Heritage Listed places require planning approval for demolition and most development works.

The Town's first Heritage List was adopted in 2018 and may be updated from time to time.

View Heritage List(PDF, 778KB) 

Holyrood Street Conservation Area

The Town of Cambridge Council declared Holyrood Street between Cambridge Street and Woolwich Street in West Leederville a Conservation Area in 2002.

A Conservation Area is an area of land or precinct where special planning controls adopted under the Town Planning Scheme are in place to conserve and enhance the area's cultural heritage significance and its character.

To ensure the important qualities of the street are retained Design Guidelines have been prepared to control design in the street.  These guidelines are adopted as Local Planning Policy 2.5.1(PDF, 747KB) and are to be applied in addition to the Residential Design Codes.

State Registered Properties 

The State Register of Heritage Places is a statutory list of places identified by the Heritage Council of WA to have cultural heritage significance for Western Australia.

The State Register is maintained under the Heritage Act 2018 and approval of the Heritage Council of WA is required for the development of State Registered places.

Several properties in the Town are entered on the State Register of Heritage Places, including the Leederville Town Hall, West Leederville Primary School, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Quarry Amphitheatre, Catherine McAuley Centre and two original Floreat homes.

For more information on the State Register visit the Heritage Council of WA website.

Local Heritage Surveys

The Town of Cambridge Local Government Inventory was adopted on 27 November 2018 and replaces the 1997 Inventory.

Local Government Inventories are now termed Local Heritage Surveys (LHS) under the new Heritage Act 2018. It is a requirement under Part 8 of the Heritage Act 2018 that local governments prepare, review and update a LHS.

A LHS is a database of places and areas of local heritage significance within a local government area. The LHS by itself offers no legal protection of these places and does not affect future development.

The LHS assists local governments to:

  • Provide a cultural and historic record of the district
  • Implement decisions in harmony with heritage values and inform heritage policies
  • Prepare its Heritage List or list of Heritage Areas under the Town Planning Scheme

View Local Government Inventory(PDF, 42MB)

You can read about the 2018 heritage review on the Heritage Review Community Consultation Page

For more information call our Planning Services team on (08) 9347 6000.