REQUIREMENTS
SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT OF OBJECTS AND COLLECTIONS
A significance assessment is the investigation and documentation of the
meanings and values of heritage objects* and collections. The aim is to
identify and describe how and why an object or collection is important, and
to whom. The result is a well-researched and succinct statement, which
describes the object or collection and summarises the significant heritage
values.
*Objects are defined as 3D objects, archival material, machinery and art works.
Significance assessments are used in two main ways:

Custodians of objects and collections use the assessments to inform
their collection management activities; to prioritise scarce
preservation resources and for interpretation.

Heritage Victoria uses these assessments to identify objects and
collections of state significance for potential entry on the Victorian
Heritage Register. The identification of objects and collections of
state and local significance is also important in the management of
Victoria’s cultural heritage assets.
These Requirements have been designed to ensure that significance
assessments provide the above essential information. It is CRITICAL
that these Requirements are thoroughly read and understood by everyone
involved in the project.
Consultants undertaking assessments should also thoroughly read and
understand the following documents which are included as appendices to
these requirements:
Appendix 1 – Heritage Victoria Significance Assessment of Objects and
Collections - Report Template
Appendix 2 – Heritage Council of Victoria Criteria for Assessment
Appendix 3 - Examples of on-line resources for comparative analysis
Appendix 4 – Examples of objects and collections of state significance
INFORMATION
Contact Heritage Victoria for more information:
Jenny Dickens, Senior Conservator
Tel: 03 8644 8908 Email: jenny.dickens@dpcd.vic.gov.au
Consultants will be required to attend a HV Information Session to be held
prior to the commencement of the project.
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Ensure that ALL the following requirements are met:
1. The significance assessment report must follow Heritage Victoria’s
Significance Assessment of Objects and Collections Report Template
(Appendix 1).
2. The collection as a whole must be assessed and significant items must
be clearly identified using the Heritage Council of Victoria Criteria
for the Assessment of Cultural Heritage Significance (Appendix 2)
and
also
available
online
at:
www.heritage.vic.gov.au/Registration/Criteria-for-assessment.aspx
Consultants must use Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes to
categorise the objects and collection. An on-line copy of the publication
and selected cases studies are available at:
http://heritage.vic.gov.au/admin/file/content2/c7/Victoria_Framework_
Historical_Themes_themes.pdf
3. Consultants should be familiar with the standard methodology for
conducting significance assessments of collections published by the
Collections
Council
of
Australia
(CCA)
in
Significance
2.0
http://significance.collectionscouncil.com.au/.
4. Identify collection items which are associated with places on the
Victorian Heritage Register (VHR), local government Heritage
Overlay (HO) or the Victorian Heritage Inventory (HI).
 To search for VHR and HI places use the Victorian Heritage
Database here http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/vhd/heritagevic. You
may also request a report from HV covering the HI places in a Local
Government Area (LGA).
 To search for HO places contact the LGA planning department or
see here http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/planningschemes/index.html
5. The significance assessment report should identify or recommend a
‘level’ or threshold of importance, e.g. local, state or no significance
for each type of collection item and the collection as a whole, by
comparison with similar collections or objects.
a. Local significance indicates that a collection, group of objects or
individual object is characteristic of a community’s local history.
b. State significance indicates that a collection, group of objects or
individual object contributes to a broader understanding of Victoria
and its history.
6. The assessment should determine if the object, type of collection item
and the collection as a whole is significant in its own right; in association
with a place on the VHR, HO or HI; or whether it contributes to the
significance of a place on the VHR, HO or HI.
7. Aboriginal cultural material in the collection should be identified in the
report but should not be included in the assessment.
8. Heritage Victoria’s funding, historic themes, guidelines and any other
input or publications must be acknowledged in the assessment.
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APPENDIX
1
Heritage Victoria
Significance Assessment of Objects and Collections
Report Template
HOW TO USE THE TEMPLATE:
This template outlines the recommended structure for Heritage Victoria
Significance Assessment Reports. The key sections (3, 4, 5 and 6) include the
suggested percentage of project time that should be allocated to these areas.
Methodology
The significance assessment process must include use of the following:

Heritage Victoria Significance Assessment Requirements for Grant
Recipients and Consultants

Heritage Council of Victoria Criteria for the Assessment of Cultural
Heritage Significance

Significance 2.0: a guide to assessing the significance of collections

Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes

Victorian Heritage Database
The process must address the 5 main steps as outlined in Part 3 of Significance
2.0: a guide to assessing the significance of collections:
1. analysing an item or collection
2. researching its history, provenance and context
3. comparison with similar items
4. understanding its values by reference to the criteria
5. summarising its meanings and values in a statement of significance
Please note:

The funding source and copyright details must be included at the
beginning of the report.

Collection refers to original items owned by the organisation. Copies,
loan items, display props and day to day administrative documentation
are not collection items and must not be included in the assessment.

No recommendations are to be included in the report.

A stand alone history of the local area should not be included in the
report. Any reference to the history of the local area must relate directly
to the development and themes of the collection.

Annotated images should be included where possible to support the
findings of the report.
TEMPLATE – Heritage Victoria - Significance Assessment of Objects and Collections
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REPORT TEMPLATE:
Acknowledgements
Must include:
 The significance assessment and report were funded by Heritage Victoria
as part of Victoria’s Heritage Grants Program.
 ©State of Victoria, Heritage Council of Victoria 2010
This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process
except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
1. Executive summary (1-2 paragraphs maximum)
2. Project Aim (2 paragraphs maximum)
3. Collection Review
10%
Must only refer to original items owned by the organisation. Copies should
only be included if no original exists within the organisation or elsewhere.
Loan items, display props and day to day administrative documentation
must not be included in the assessment. The Review must include:
a. A brief history of the development of the collection with reference to the
history of the local area.
b. The Collection Aim / Mission Statement (if available).
c. The location of the collection.
d. The collection themes / sub-collections attributed by the organisation.
e. An inventory of significant collection items including: object name;
registration/accession number; relevant significance criteria and
historical theme if applicable.
f. A list of the relevant Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes as
reflected by the collection and/or significant items.
g. Identify items that may be associated with places on the Victorian
Heritage Register and/or local Heritage Overlay.
4. Comparative Analysis
40%
This is the key component of the assessment that supports the statement of
significance and must be based on thorough research and detailed
evidence. Reference to discussions must be documented included in the
footnotes.
a. Must demonstrate research undertaken and use clearly referenced and
specific examples.
b. Must identify comparable objects/collections held by other organisations
and/or individuals.
c. Where collections and/or objects reflect a specialised area (such as
contemporary and decorative arts, scientific apparatus etc), relevant
experts should be identified and consulted.
5. Assessment of Collection Against Criteria
30%
Assess collection and/or objects against:
a. Heritage Council of Victoria Criteria for the Assessment of Cultural
Heritage Significance (Appendix 2). The collection and/or objects do not
have to relate to all of the criteria.
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b. Comparative criteria as outlined in Significance 2.0
these criteria evaluate the degree of significance.
Please note that
6. Statement of Significance
20%
Detailed stand alone statement which refers to the information identified in
the body of the report (maximum 1 page) and:
a. Must relate back to the results of the Comparative Analysis component
of the report and reference relevant criteria identified in section 4.
b. Must state and clearly demonstrate threshold – local, state or no
significance.
c. Must not include information not already identified in the body of the
report.
d. Should answer the following questions:
What is significant?
 Brief description of the collection including history and type.
(1 paragraph)
 Brief history of the collection. (1 paragraph)
How is it significant?
One sentence: The collection is of [choose one or more of the following:
aesthetic, archaeological, cultural, historical, scientific and/or social]
significance at a local/state level.
Why is it significant?
Maximum of 2-3 paragraphs for each significance category identified
under How is it significant?
 The exact nature of the significance should be noted and must be
explicit. If any of the categories above have been outlined then each
must be addressed specifically in this part of the statement.
Example: The [name of collection] is of historical significance as
[outline reason]…..
 The categories can be combined. For example: social and historical
significance but there must be an explanation for each category of
significance.
 Should take into account the Victoria’s Historical Themes identified in
the Collection Review component of the report.
7.
Bibliography/References
Must include:
 Heritage Victoria’s guidelines and publications.
 All sources
8.
Appendices
Must include:
 An inventory of significant collection items including: object name;
registration/accession number; relevant significance criteria and
historical theme if applicable.
 Mission Statement and/or Collection Policy if applicable.
 List of comparative analysis sources including reference to
discussions.
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APPENDIX
2
Significance Assessment of Objects and Collections
CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT
Criteria for assessing cultural heritage significance
(Criteria adopted by the Heritage Council of Victoria on 7 August 2008
pursuant to Sections 8(1)(c) and 8(2) of the Heritage Act 1995).
Criterion A:
Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history.
Criterion B:
Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural
history.
Criterion C:
Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of
Victoria’s cultural history.
Criterion D:
Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of
cultural places and objects.
Criterion E:
Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics.
Criterion F:
Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical
achievement at a particular period.
Criterion G:
Strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group
for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. This includes the significance of a
place to Indigenous peoples as part of their continuing and developing
cultural traditions.
Criterion H:
Special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons,
of importance in Victoria’s history.
Heritage Council of Victoria – Criteria for Assessment of Cultural Heritage Significance
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APPENDIX
3
EXAMPLES OF ON-LINE RESOURCES FOR COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
It is also important to examine collections in the local area and/or
similar types of collections in order to undertake a valid
comparative analysis.
Note this list is not exhaustive and consultants should undertake their own
research to ensure they have enough data to be able to do an accurate
comparative analysis.

Victorian Heritage Database
http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/vhd/heritagevic

Collections Australia Network (CAN) collections database
http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/collections

Picture Australia http://www.pictureaustralia.org/

Picture Victoria http://www.picturevictoria.vic.gov.au/

Royal Historical Society of Victoria collections online catalogue
http://210.15.209.254/test1.htm and the Affiliated members
collections database http://210.15.209.254/societies.htm

Museum Victoria website provides an overview of the significant
items in each of its collections
http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections-research/ourcollections/

State Library of Victoria
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/collections/index.html

Public Records Office Victoria
http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBas
eContainer?component=daAccess&componentLabel=Access%20th
e%20Collection&breadcrumbPath=Home/Access%20the%20Colle
ction

University of Melbourne Archives
http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/archives/

National Museum of Australia online collections database:
http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/index.html

National Archives of Australia
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/recordsearch/index.aspx

Australian War Memorial
http://www.awm.gov.au/search/collections/
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APPENDIX
4
Significance Assessment of Objects and Collections
EXAMPLES OF OBJECTS AND COLLECTIONS OF STATE
SIGNIFICANCE
Detailed descriptions and significance assessments may be viewed on the
Victorian Heritage Database (VHD)
http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/vhd/heritagevic :
I. Examples of objects and collections of State Significance which are
listed in their own right on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) are:
a. The Eureka Flag [VHR H2097]
b. The Women’s Suffrage Petition [VHR H2121]
c. Kelly Papers [VHR H2115]
d. CSIRAC [VHR H2217]
e. Loong, Chinese Dragon [VHR H2120]
f. Cunningham Dax Collection [VHR H2201]
g. Eight Hour Day Trade Union Banners [VHR H2086]
II. Examples of objects and collections which are associated with and
included in the VHR listing of places of State Significance are:
a. All Saints Church, St Kilda - The Church Bell; the Billings' model
of All Saints Church; the two 1882 candelabra and four oak
Sanctuary chairs [VHR H1364]
b. Braille Library and Hall, Prahran - Wrought iron "Braille and
Talking Book Library" sign; Memorial Plaque over Fire place in
Braille Hall and stained glass windows from Braille Hall depicting
Dickens, Shakespeare, Scott and Milton [VHR H1926]
c. Daylesford Botanic Gardens - Cannon and World War 1 German
Mortar [VHR H2202]
d. Soldiers' and citizens' memorial hall and former municipal
chambers - Three honour rolls located in the ground floor corridor
(Life Members, Past Presidents and World War I); Scenery
backdrop painted on cloth, c.1925, located on the stage; Five
timber chairs (two with arms) and one table, c.1925 located in
the RSL Room; One large timber table, c.1925 located in the
former Municipal Chambers; Five timber chairs with leather
inserts, c.1925 located in the former Municipal Chambers [VHR
H1905]
NOTE: Objects and collections associated with places of State or Local
significance do not have to be located at the place to retain this association.
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