Heritage values

The Reef is attributed with a diverse range of heritage values that contribute to its national and global significance. These include natural, Indigenous, and historic heritage values and other heritage values including social, aesthetic and scientific. The Reef’s heritage values reflect its deep connections and significance for many people and communities.

Natural heritage values align with World Heritage and National Heritage values. These include the Reef’s natural beauty and natural phenomena, its representation of major stages of the Earth’s evolutionary history, ecological and biological processes, habitats for conservation of biodiversity, and integrity of the Reef’s wholeness and intactness as an ecosystem. 

Indigenous heritage reflects the deep cultural connection to the Reef held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It includes cultural practices, observances, customs and lore, sacred sites, sites of particular significance and places important for cultural tradition, stories, songlines, totems and languages, Indigenous structures, technology, tools and archaeology. 

Historic heritage encompasses human-made artefacts in the Region since European arrival, such as lightstations, lighthouses, wrecks, forts, structures, ruins, and voyagers.

Other heritage values such as social, aesthetic or scientific refer to the broader use of the Reef. They are determined by the meaning of the Reef to a community, the sensory perception of the beauty of a site or object that influence the value and enjoyment of the Reef, and the potential of a place to contribute to scientific understanding.