Engineering Heritage Recognition Program - Guidelines and Templates
Heritage and Conservation
In August 2023 Engineering Heritage Australia published An engineer’s guide to the conservation of Australia’s engineering heritage. This Guide is designed to assist engineers working on a built item or its intangible heritage, to assess the significance of the item and its components and devise a course of action to achieve the conservation of the significance of the item.
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program (EHRP)
Engineers Australia established the Australian Historic Engineering Plaquing Program in 1984 as a means of bringing public recognition to engineering works of historic or heritage significance and to the engineers who created them. This program is now called the Engineering Heritage Recognition Program. The purpose of the Program is to encourage conservation of Australian engineering heritage and to raise community awareness of engineering and the benefits it provides.
EHRP Guidelines
In 2024 the EHRP Guidelines were updated to support EHA’s on-line presence and to clarify EHRP policy. Importantly, the underlying principles with a focus on engineering significance; and where practical the provision of an interpretation panel, remain unchanged. The Guidelines explain the Program and provide details of the Nomination process.
A copy of the 2024 EHRP Guidelines are available for download here.
Following approval of a nomination by the EHRP Committee, the method of formal EHRP recognition of an item is by the awarding of a marker in one of the following categories:
- Engineering Heritage Marker (EHM)
- Engineering Heritage National Marker (EHNM)
- Engineering Heritage International Marker (EHIM)
EHRP Nomination Process
Recognition with a Marker occurs through a Nomination process. Anyone can make a Nomination. However, all Nominations must be submitted through the relevant Engineering Heritage Branch in whose area the item is located. The Nomination process is shown below:
Key extracts from the Guidelines are:
Please contact the Chair, EHRP at heritage.engineersaustralia@gmail.com to forward Nominations and also to report any damage to Markers or Interpretation Panels.
EHRP Committee
Current Terms of Reference for the EHRP Committee were approved by the EHA Committee during their meeting held on 13 December 2023.
The EHRP is run by a volunteer national committee. Current members are: Richard Muncey (Chair); Bob Taaffe (Deputy Chair); Perry Beor; Rex Glencross-Grant; Gregg Klopp; Merv Lindsay; Frank Johnson; Bill Phippen, Phil Willis and Mike Taylor (ex-officio member, Chair EHA).
Items of Engineering Interest
Generally, an ‘EHRP Item of Engineering Interest’ is an example of engineering or technology with a story that is worth recording. Many of these items are already identified, for example, in brochures for local walking tours.
Recognition of an ‘EHRP Item of Engineering Interest’ is by inclusion in the EHA Website list and the creation of a webpage for that item. No physical or virtual Marker is provided as part of the listing. Each Engineering Heritage Branch is responsible for items included in the EHA Website list and for the accuracy of the material included on the webpage, subject only to editorial and style review by the EHA Webmaster.
Items of Engineering Interest should be recorded using the Item Description Template.
References:
EHRP Committee, 2017 EHRP Guidelines, Engineers Australia, accessed 15 February 2025.
