Heritage Properties
Gawler and its surrounding suburbs contain many buildings and structures of heritage value. These structures provide the Town of Gawler with a uniquely historic character which is highly valued by its local community as well as visitors to the area.
There are hundreds of structures in the town considered to be of historical significance. These structures may be State or Local Heritage places, Representative Buildings or simply located within a Historic Area Overlay.
HERITAGE GRANTS
Most of historic places and structures in Gawler and its surrounding suburbs are privately owned, and as they continue to age they become increasingly costly for landowners to repair and maintain.
Because of this, Council offers two grants to assist landowners with the preservation of these buildings:
Application Form and Eligibility Criteria
Council’s Local Heritage Grant scheme was established in 2006 to assist and encourage the conservation of historic buildings and structures.
For more information on this grant, please contact Council on 8522 9211
The grant is provided on a dollar-for-dollar basis - i.e. Council would pay 50% of the cost of the works.
The maximum grant amount is currently $3000 per application.
The Local Heritage Grant supported the following projects in the 2021/2022 Financial Year:
Location | Nature of Works | Grant Awarded |
|---|---|---|
Jacob Street, Gawler | Wall repairs | $ 1385 |
Cowan Street, Gawler | Dwelling restoration works | $ 1500 |
Fourth Street, Gawler South | Replace roof sheeting | $ 1180 |
Howard Street, Gawler | Chimney, repoint external walls, repaint | $ 1500 |
Porter Street, Gawler South | Painting and repair of cracks | $ 1500 |
Lyndoch Road, Gawler East | Underpinning of western wall of house | $ 1025 |
Thirteenth Street, Gawler South | Repairs and painting of front fascia posts and repainting front verandah | $ 1175 |
| Fourth Street, Gawler South | Restoration of Verandah Patio | $1500 |
Application Form and Eligibility Criteria
There are over 300 historic walls within the Township of Gawler. Many of these are in poor condition and some pose a safety risk or affect the amenity of historic areas.
The Historic Walls Grant scheme is available to assist owners of front boundary walls considered to be of historical significance but are in need of conservation and repair works.
For more information on this grant, contact Council on 8522 9211
The grant is provided on a dollar-for-dollar basis - i.e. Council would pay 50% of the cost of the works.
Look up your property on our Historic Walls Interactive Map to see if it is eligible for the Historic Walls Grant.
The Historic Wall Grant has supported the following projects in the 2021/2022 Financial Year (works may not be completed to date):
Location | Nature of Works | Grant Awarded |
|---|---|---|
Murray Street, Gawler | Pointing and repair work | $2,392.50 |
Moore Street, Gawler | Repointing, restoration, partial replacement | $5,000.00 |
King Street, Gawler | Reconstruction of collapsed wall | $28,613.50 |
Howard Street, Gawler | Restoration | $3,740.00 |
Historic Walls in the Public Environment – Gawler SA – Conservation Strategy (2007).
This document catalogues walls of historic importance in the Town of Gawler Council area, identifies common construction and management problems, and suggests some of the best and cost effective methods of repairing, maintaining and preserving these walls.
The report and can be downloaded here.
The State Government offers Heritage Grants for State Heritage Places through their Heritage Conservation Grants Program. For more information, click here.
DEVELOPMENT OF HERITAGE PLACES - WHEN IS APPROVAL REQUIRED?
In many cases, minor works to a Heritage Place and/or a property located in a Historic Area Overlay (including internal alterations, fences or painting) may require Development Approval from Council that would not otherwise be required.
If you are unsure whether your property is listed as a Heritage Place, Representative Building, or located within a Historic Area Overlay, you can look up your property on the SA Property and Planning Atlas or contact Council on 8522 9211.
Due to State Government legislation, virtually all building and restoration works to State Heritage Places requires Development Approval.
All development applications affecting State Heritage Places must be referred to the State Government's State Heritage Unit (Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources) as part of Council's assessment.
If you are intending to lodge a development application on a property that is State Heritage Listed, this information sheet may be useful to you.
You can also find some useful information on owning a heritage place by visiting the DEWNR Website.
All properties located in the Church Hill State Heritage Area are State Heritage Places in their own right. Due to this, virtually all building and restoration works to State Heritage Places requires Development Approval.
If you have a property located in the Church Hill State Heritage Area, the Church Hill Development Guidelines and the Church Hill Management Plan may assist you in maintaining the heritage value of your property. This document has been prepared to assist Council and residents in the future planning for Church Hill State Heritage Area. The purpose of this document is to strengthen the existing policies and requirements, and provide design guidance with respect to signage, fencing, verandah, roofing, dwelling extensions, doors and windows, carports and new infill development within the area.
This information sheet also contains some useful information on the Church Hill State Heritage Area.
FREE HERITAGE ADVISORY SERVICE
The Town of Gawler provides a free Heritage Advisory Service to the community, with a Heritage Advisor available to the public every fortnight (generally every 2nd Thursday) to provide advice on the following matters:
* Preliminary Development Application Heritage advice (often in conjunction with Council’s Planning staff)
* Design suggestions for improvements/renovations/repairs to Heritage Places
* Local Heritage Grant and Historic Wall Grant advice
If you would like to make an appointment with our Heritage Advisor, please contact us on 8522 9211.
Please note that the Heritage Advisor cannot give advice with respect to State Heritage listed items. For free advice with respect to State Heritage properties please contact the SA Government State Heritage Unit on (08) 8124 4960.
LOCAL HERITAGE TRANSITION DEVELOPMENT PLAN AMENDMENT
The Town of Gawler is pleased to announce that it has been successful in its request to elevate 150 buildings to Local Heritage Places, following advice received from the Minister for Planning.
A full list of buildings elevated to Local Heritage status can be found here
In late 2019, Council commissioned a heritage survey to review all 604 Contributory Items listed in Council’s Development Plan, with the intention to transition them to Local Heritage Places, if and where appropriate.
This Heritage Review and subsequent Development Plan Amendment was a consequence of significant changes proposed by the State Government via the Planning and Design Code, which may have negatively impacted on the preservation of Gawler’s unique heritage.
Final - Town of Gawler Local Heritage Transition Development Plan Amendment