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Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register

The register holds information about known Aboriginal cultural heritage places and objects within Victoria. Access the register through the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System (ACHRIS).

About the register

The register is a central repository for Traditional Owners to store information about cultural heritage and includes:

The following documents are kept on the register:

Why we have the register

The Department of Premier and Cabinet is required to maintain a register of Aboriginal places and objects under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006. The quality and type of information available to users of the Register is fundamental to the management of Aboriginal heritage now and into the future. Over 39,000 Aboriginal objects and places have been recorded on the Register and many of these places and objects are located on private property. There are still many Aboriginal places and objects yet to be discovered.

Who can access the register

The Register can only be accessed by people or organisations who need detailed information on cultural heritage places and objects to protect and manage them.

The Register is not a publicly accessible register as it contains culturally sensitive information.

How to access or get information from the register

The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System (ACHRIS)

The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System (ACHRIS) is the online tool that is used to access the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register. (ACHRIS supports Chrome and Firefox browsers. Chrome is recommended.)

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System (ACHRIS)

Guides and information sheets

Standards for Recording Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Places and Objects March 2026
PDF 3.17 MB
(opens in a new window)
Sensitive Aboriginal heritage information
Word 66.18 KB
(opens in a new window)

Forms and resources

Form to recommend sensitive Aboriginal heritage information on the Register
Word 43.92 KB
(opens in a new window)
Low density artefact distributions recording form
Excel 47.26 KB
(opens in a new window)
Preliminary report form - Possible Aboriginal heritage
Word 57.62 KB
(opens in a new window)
Aboriginal cultural heritage place assessment: Archaeological survey and excavation attributes form
Word 61.5 KB
(opens in a new window)
Scarred Trees: An identification and recording manual
PDF 3.65 MB
(opens in a new window)
A guide to shells commonly found in Aboriginal shell middens
PDF 1.78 MB
(opens in a new window)
Midden Census & Shell Genus Catalogue
Excel 24.56 KB
(opens in a new window)
Guide to Midden Census & Shell Genus Catalogue
PDF 147.11 KB
(opens in a new window)

Recording form templates

Heritage professionals should access ACHRIS to record or change the details of a place on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register.

The details of Aboriginal places are recorded on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register using online digital forms accessed through ACHRIS.

The content of these forms is set out in the document below to assist heritage professionals in collecting the required information of Aboriginal places and objects prior to registration:

Aboriginal Place and Object Recording Form Templates
PDF 346.98 KB
(opens in a new window)

Updated