Places and Objects
Using 'enter' to execute a search
You can use the enter key on your keyboard to execute a search, but only if your cursor is located in a search field. If your last action was to select an option from a dropdown menu, you'll need to click back into a search field for the search to execute using the enter key.
Search using ID Number
If searching for a record using an ID number, the following conventions must be used:
- Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) records - all VHR records have a four digit number that begins with H, eg. H0001. You must include the H as part of your search.
- Heritage Inventory (HI) records - HI records begin with H or D (de-listed). You must include the H or D as part of your search, e.g.H7524-0103 or D7822-0224.
- Heritage Overlay (HO) records - thAese are records for places included in Heritage Overlays of planning schemes administered by local councils. The prefix HO must be used when searching using a HO number, e.g. HO9.
Heritage Categories
Heritage Act categories are assigned to places and objects when they are included the Victorian Heritage Register. Note that places/objects categorised as archaeological places or archaeological relics are places/objects on the Victorian Heritage Register - not the Heritage Inventory.
Geography - Searching for a place/object located within a municipality
To search for a place or object that is located within the geographic boundary of a municipality, select the municipality from the dropdown list.
You can search for more than one municipality by holding down the control key on your keyboard, and then selecting the municipalities to you wish search on.
Dates of Construction
Dates of construction may have been attributed to the start and end date of a building's construction, or phases of its development.
Searching for a place/object record 'owned' by a listing organisation
The records in VHD are owned by a number of diffferent organisations. This includes the Heritage Council of Victoria, local councils, the National Trust and the Victorian War Heritage Inventory. This may mean that a single place or object has multiple records, as each record owner maintains their own record for a particular place/object. For example, a place may be on the Victorian Heritage Register, as well as having a non-statutory National Trust listing.
To search for a place or object record 'owned' by a particular organisation, select the record owner from the dropdown list. You can search for more than one record owner by holding down the control key on your keyboard, and then selecting the listing owners to you wish search on.
Shipwrecks
Try different search terms
There are many words to describe any item. Imagine which words a seller might use to describe the item you're looking for. Try several different options and combinations - but use just two or three words at a time to be sure you get a variety of results.
Searching using the Enter key
You can use the enter key on your keyboard to execute a search, but only if your cursor is located in a search field. If your last action was to select an option from a dropdown menu, you'll need to click back into a search field for the search to execute using the enter key.
All records
Shortlisting search results for place/objects records and shipwreck records
You can create a short-list of search results that include both place/object records and shipwreck records. For example, you could search for all places/objects on the VHR in Port Albert. Once the search has been executed, you can create a new shortlist called 'Port Albert VHR places, objects and shipwrecks' and add each of your relevant search results to the shortlist. Then click the ‘shipwrecks’ button, add each of your relevant search results to the 'Port Albert VHR places, objects and shipwrecks' shortlist. This list can then be downloaded.
Using the Browse function on the Homepage
You can browse for records from the Homepage using pre-defined categories such as style, theme, group etc. Please note that the results returned using the browse categories may not be exhaustive, as they rely upon these categories having been assigned to individual records.
'Theme' is the most likely to return limited results, as the application of historic themes and sub-themes will usually only apply to places/objects on the Victorian Heritage Register and this practice only commenced after 2009. Similarly 'Group' data (categories and sub-categories) has not been consistently applied to all records in the VHD.
Searching using a keyword
Once you've opened a record details page for a place, object or shipwreck record, you can search for a keyword in the record's content by holding down the CTRL and F keys at the same time. A small input box should display - usually at the top or bottom of your screen (this may vary between browsers). You can then enter the keyword in the input box, and all instances of that word will be highlighted in the record contents. This is particularly useful when reviewing records returned through a keyword search, to understand how the record has met the keyword search parameter.