“Oops, We Think We Did It Right?” - 2

Bridgit
May 4
3 min read

What Is a Heritage Listed Property Anyway?

Before we got the keys to our 1887 church, we thought it just meant “don’t knock it down.” Turns out, it’s a little more complicated than that.

National, State, and Local Listings

Heritage listings in Australia are handled at different levels — national, state, or local. Each one comes with its own set of rules and degrees of oversight and grant funding (if you're lucky). Ours (one of 500 listed assets in the NSW Mid Coast LGA) had a local heritage overlay, which basically meant the council had a say in what we could touch, paint, change, or even think about adjusting on the building.

The church is in a Heritage Conservation Area

... as well as being a Locally Listed Heritage Asset

Some buildings are listed for their architectural style, others for cultural or historical reasons.

Churches, like St James Presbyterian, of course, often tick all three boxes — especially when they’ve been around since the 1800s and have hosted just about every major life event imaginable.

Why Heritage Protection Matters

Love it or hate it, heritage protection exists to help us preserve the stories, materials, and designs of our past. It’s about more than just old bricks — it’s about remembering how we built, how we lived, and what mattered to communities over time.

And sometimes, despite the red tape, preservation works. Our church still has its original hand-formed bricks, lead light windows, a memorial window and a memorial plaque, the original bell, and timber floors because someone decades ago thought: “Hey, maybe let’s not bulldoze this.” Not that Council would have ever allowed that.

What the Guidelines Actually Say

We later learned that the heritage approach came with a charming list of dos, don’ts, and absolutely-don’t-even-think-about-its. Things like:

Retain original facades
Use traditional materials where possible
Keep rooflines and window shapes intact
Don’t paint over unpainted brick or stone
Ask permission before doing… well, anything

Of course, we didn’t read all that until after we’d bought the church. But somehow, all of the plans we had ticked all of the boxes. Heritage karma or the church's story playing out?

Why It’s Not Always Easy

Let’s be honest — heritage renovation isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s often way more expensive, slower, and filled with surprise hurdles like asbestos, lead paint, or species of timber that cannot be replaced.

But for us, every frustrating bit came with the weird satisfaction of knowing we were keeping something truly special standing. And accidentally doing it right? That was just a bonus.

Heritage 101 - A Quick Checklist.

Before You Buy (unlike us)

🔲 Check if the property is heritage listed. Find out if it's on a national, state, or local register — each has different rules.

🔲 Request or download the Heritage Guidelines or Policy for your Council area. This tells you why the building is protected and what elements matter most.

🔲 Talk to your local council (early!) They'll tell you what approvals you need for changes — even minor ones.

🔲 Understand what you can’t touch. Original façades, window shapes, rooflines, bricks, and timber detailing are often protected.

🔲 Check your budget for extra costs. Heritage-grade materials, custom trades, and consultants can and will add to your budget.

🔲 Document everything, correspondence with Heritage Architects and especially quotes, invoices and receipts. Photos before, during, and after — for approvals, future resale, or just to show off your win.

🔲 Respect the story. The more you understand about the building’s history, the more rewarding the work becomes. For us much of the history came from Trove which is a treasure trove - pun intended!

📌 Pro Tip:

Even if you accidentally follow the rules (like us), having good intentions goes a long way. Councils are often more flexible when they can see you're working with the building — not against it.

In the upcoming Blogs we will cover: