Conserving South Australia’s historic places
Applications for the 2026-27 Heritage Conservation Grants Program are now open, helping to ensure the South Australia's built heritage can be preserved and enjoyed by future generations.
Historic South Australian buildings will benefit from up to $250,000 in state government funding to help cover the cost of conservation work, in the latest round of the Heritage Conservation Grants Program.
Applications for the 2026-27 program are now open, helping to ensure the state’s built heritage can be preserved and enjoyed by future generations.
Grants of between $1,000 and $20,000 are available for vital works including roof repairs, stonework restoration, conservation planning, and salt damp remediation.
Eligible recipients – including private owners, councils, businesses and community groups that own State Heritage Places or operate within State Heritage Areas – are encouraged to apply.
The South Australian Heritage Register, maintained by the South Australian Heritage Council, lists places and objects of heritage significance that tell our state’s unique stories.
The Register includes more than 2,300 entries including private residences, lighthouses, hotels, office buildings, bridges, and even stone walls, as well as 17 designated State Heritage Areas that embody the state’s history and distinct sense of place.
These State Heritage Areas span South Australia, stretching from Arckaringa Hills and Innamincka in the Far North to Mount Schank near Mount Gambier in the state’s South East.
A previous recipient, the Rechner Cottage Conservation Association, used their $20,000 grant to help volunteers finalise the restoration of the 150-year-old Rechner Cottage at Light Pass in the Barossa Valley.
Rechner Cottage is one of only two known German barn houses in South Australia and a rare example of the fachwerk construction method brought from Europe.
With the grant, the Association engaged renowned heritage builder Andrew Steinkopf to lead a four-day workshop to teach traditional heritage techniques and limewashing to dedicated volunteers.
More than 20 volunteers put their newly learned skills into practice to restore the cottage to its former glory, while preserving the integrity of its original mid-1800s design and construction.
Association secretary, Catherine Baldwin AM, said the Association's first decision was to conserve the cottage rather fully restore or simply preserve it.
"This meant taking a careful approach to prevent further deterioration so that the structure is solid and stable, retaining original materials or replacing like-for-like where necessary," Ms Baldwin said.
"Through Heritage SA's support and community fundraising, the project has taken seven years to complete and required a close working relationship between heritage professionals and enthusiastic volunteers.
"Seeing the cottage come to life has reinforced the amazing heritage of GJ Rechner who emigrated from Germany in 1848 and the Light Pass community, giving us a real appreciation of our connection to the past and what future generations will learn from this."
Applications for the 2026-27 Heritage Conservation Grants Program are open until 2pm on Thursday, 19 March 2026.
For more information and to apply, visit the Heritage Conservation Grants Program website.
