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Australia joined the World Heritage Convention in 1974. With 21 inscribed properties, the country is one of the more prominent contributors to the World Heritage List. Australia ranks 14th worldwide and 1st in Oceania by number of World Heritage Sites. Its inscriptions include cultural and natural properties, representing a diverse heritage portfolio.

Australia as a State Party to the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: August 22, 1974

Status: Ratification

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: 1976-1983, 1983-1989, 1995-2001, 2007-2011, 2017-2021

Total of Mandate Years: 27

Total of Mandates: 5

WHC Electoral Group: IV (Asia/Pacific)

Map of World Heritage Sites

This interactive map shows the location of all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Australia.

World Heritage Inscription Timeline

1981
Great Barrier Reef
1981
Kakadu National Park
1981
Willandra Lakes Region
1982
Lord Howe Island Group
1982
Tasmanian Wilderness
1986
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
1987
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
1988
Wet Tropics of Queensland
1991
Shark Bay, Western Australia
1992
K’gari (Fraser Island)
1994
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte)
1997
Heard and McDonald Islands
1997
Macquarie Island
2000
Greater Blue Mountains Area
2003
Purnululu National Park
2004
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
2007
Sydney Opera House
2010
Australian Convict Sites
2011
Ningaloo Coast
2019
Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
2025
Murujuga Cultural Landscape

Tentative World Heritage Sites (8)

  • Victorian Goldfields · submitted: January 28, 2025
  • Australian Cornish Mining Sites: Burra and Moonta · submitted: September 3, 2024
  • Cultural Landscapes of Cape York Peninsula · submitted: June 18, 2024
  • Workers’ Assembly Halls · submitted: December 15, 2023
  • Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct · submitted: September 13, 2023
  • Flinders Ranges · submitted: April 15, 2021
  • The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area (extension to existing property) · submitted: May 7, 2010
  • Great Sandy World Heritage Area · submitted: January 4, 2010

Source: UNESCO Tentative Lists

Country Profile Australia

Official Name: Commonwealth of Australia

Continent: Oceania

Subregion: Australia and New Zealand

UNESCO Region: Asia and the Pacific

Capital: Canberra

Population (2024): 27,204,809

Land Area: 7,692,020 km²

Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)

Country Data Sources

About States Parties

States Parties are countries that have joined the World Heritage Convention. They commit to identifying, nominating, and protecting properties of outstanding cultural or natural value on their territory. States Parties are also expected to monitor and report on the condition of inscribed sites.

World Heritage Insights

How Politics and Institutions Shape the UNESCO World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage List is usually seen as a catalogue of the world’s most important cultural and natural places. Yet behind every inscription there is a structured decision process: countries must first join the Convention, run for a seat on the World Heritage Committee, prepare nominations through a fixed procedure, and finally obtain enough votes for inscription.

World Heritage Info

Background

Learn about UNESCO, the World Heritage Convention, Tentative Lists, and how World Heritage Sites are selected and preserved. Explore the history, structures, and processes that protect humanity’s cultural and natural treasures.

Last updated: August 6, 2026

Portions of this page are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset. Changes made. Original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE) is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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