Kakadu National Park

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1981 (extension: 1987, 1992; modification: 2011)

criteria. Mixed

The Kakadu National Park WHS is located in the territory of the Northern Territory. It is an important reserve for archaeology and ethnology as well as flora and fauna biology. Continuously inhabited by the Australian Aboriginal people from some 50,000 years ago, well-preserved art (cave paintings, rock carvings), anthropological, and archaeological sites record the histories, practices, and cultures of the region’s indigenous inhabitants. The wide range of ecosystems here, including tidal flats, floodplains, lowlands, plateau, mangroves, savanna woodlands, open forests, and monsoon forests, provide habitat for an array of rare or endemic species of animals and plants.

K'gari (Fraser Island)

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1992

criteria. Natural

Fraser Island – also known as K’gari, its Australian Aboriginal name – is in the state of Queensland. It is the longest sand island in the world. Distinctive natural features found here include: majestic remnants of tall rainforest growing on sand, perched freshwater dune lakes, a large unconfined aquifer, sandy long stretches of ocean beach, strikingly coloured sand cliffs, and spectacular blowouts. All of these showcase the ongoing biological, hydrological, and geomorphological processes found here.

In 2021, the official name of the World Heritage Site was changed from Fraser Island to K'gari (Fraser Island). 

Shark Bay, Western Australia

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1991

criteria. Natural

Shark Bay WHS is in the state of Western Australia, and hosts three exceptional natural features: one, the largest and richest sea-grass beds in the world; two, its dugong population; and three, the stromatolites (alga organisms, which are one of the oldest lifeforms on Earth). Furthermore, five species of endangered mammals can also be found here.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1987

criteria. Mixed

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, formerly known as the Ayers Rock-Mount Olga National Park, the name by which this WHS was originally listed as, is in the territory of the Northern Territory. The park centres on Uluru – an immense monolith – and Kata Tjuta – rock domes – that rise above the red sandy deserts of the area. The Anangu are the Aboriginal Australian group that owns the area, and the two geologic formations form a crucial part of their traditional belief system.

Heard and McDonald Islands

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1997

criteria. Natural

Heard Island and McDonald Islands is an external territory of Australia. These sub-antarctic islands are volcanically active, providing an opportunity to study geomorphic and glacial dynamics. Its remoteness has given rise to a rare pristine island ecosystem, with complete absence of alien plants and animals as well as human impact.

Australian Convict Sites

country. Australia

year of inscription. 2010

criteria. Cultural

This WHS is composed of eleven penal sites, amongst the thousands, established by the British Empire in Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries CE. Some 166,000 men, women and children were transported to Australia between 1787 and 1868, sentenced by the British judicial system to be transported to convict colonies in Australia. This WHS commemorates the harsh use of forced migration in the form of convict transportation to help establish European colonial expansion. The various sites give insight into the difficult and deprived living conditions of these convicts, who cover the whole spectrum from hardened criminals to people convicted for minor offences, and to political opponents. The proliferation of these convict colonies also impacted Australian Aboriginal communities by forcing them to resettle in less fertile land in the hinterland.

The eleven sites are:

• In the state of New South Wales:
• Cocokatoo Island Convict Site,
• Hyde Park Barracks,
• Old Government House and Domain, and
• Old Great North Road;
• In the external territory of Norfolk Island:
• Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area;
• In the state of Tasmania:
• Brickendon and Woolmers Estates,
• Cascades Female Factory,
• Coal Mines Historic Site,
• Darlington Probation Station, and
• Port Arthur Historic Site; and
• In the state of Western Australia:
• Fremantle Prison.

Tasmanian Wilderness

country. Australia

year of inscription. 1989 (modifications: 2010, 2012, 2013)

criteria. Mixed

This WHS is made up of a vast expanse of one of the last remaining temperate rainforests in the world, in a region shaped by severe glaciation. Furthermore, human remains of more than 20,000 years old have also been found in caves in this area.

Greater Blue Mountains Area

country. Australia

year of inscription. 2000

criteria. Natural

The Greater Blue Mountains Area WHS is located in the state of New South Wales. Comprising of eight protected areas, its natural landscape of sandstone plateaux, escarpments, and gorges is dominated by temperate eucalypt forests. One of the largest and most intact tracts of Australian bushland, it is well-known for its wide diversity of eucalypts and other rare flora, including relict species like the Wollemi pine. 

Sydney Opera House

country. Australia
year of inscription. 2007

criteria. Cultural

The Sydney Opera House is located in the state of New South Wales. Designed by Danish architect, Jørn Utzon, and completed in 1973, its complex form represents the creativity and innovation in 20th century CE architectural design as well as engineering and building achievements.