Western Australia's built environment is rich with historic places — colonial-era buildings, heritage precincts, archaeological deposits from early settlement and places of cultural significance listed on the State Heritage Register and local government heritage lists. Navigating the Heritage Act 2018 (WA) and the requirements of the WA Heritage Council is complex, and getting it wrong carries serious consequences for your project. Trace Archaeology's historic heritage team takes that complexity off your desk.
We work with property developers, landowners, builders, local governments, government agencies and private individuals who need expert historic heritage advice to progress development, obtain planning approval or manage heritage obligations responsibly. Whether you're proposing to alter, demolish or develop near a heritage-listed place, or managing a site with historic archaeological potential, our team provides the assessments, statements and management plans needed to satisfy regulatory requirements and protect what matters.
Our historic heritage services span the full scope of what your project might require. We conduct desktop and archival research to establish the historic significance of a place before any assessment begins. Our qualified heritage consultants prepare detailed heritage impact assessments and heritage impact statements — evaluating the potential effects of proposed works on heritage places and recommending mitigation strategies that satisfy the WA Heritage Council, local government and the Development Assessment Panel process. We prepare heritage character statements for places listed on local heritage lists, and conservation management plans for significant sites requiring a long-term management strategy.
Where subsurface investigation is needed, our team deploys ground-penetrating radar — a non-invasive technology that maps subsurface features and potential archaeological deposits without disturbing the ground. This is particularly valuable for heritage sites, development sites in historically settled areas, and any project where disturbance of the ground carries heritage risk.
Our historic heritage consultants are well-versed in the Burra Charter, the HERCON criteria and the relevant provisions of the Heritage Act 2018. We engage constructively with the WA Heritage Council, local heritage officers and other relevant bodies to achieve outcomes that balance heritage preservation with development viability — giving our clients the certainty they need to move forward with confidence.
Trace Archaeology is a division of Trace Enterprises — Perth's only fully integrated heritage, environmental and planning consultancy. When your project also requires environmental assessments or planning approvals, our Trace Ecology and Trace Planning teams work alongside us, giving you a single point of accountability across every discipline.
Every historic heritage project starts with the right conversation.
Whether you’re developing near a listed heritage place or managing a site with historic significance, Trace Archaeology’s expert team is ready to help. Talk to us today — no obligation.