A World Heritage Site is a location that is listed by UNESCO as having outstanding cultural or natural value to the common heritage of humanity. The World Heritage Committee has designated 37 World Heritage Sites in Oceania. These are in 14 countries, with the majority of sites located in Australia. The first three inscriptions from the region, the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park and the Willandra Lakes, were in 1981—three years after the list's creation. The region contains the world's three largest sites: Phoenix Islands Protected Area, Papahānaumokuākea, and the Great Barrier Reef. In addition, the Tasmanian Wilderness is one of only two sites that meet seven out of the ten criteria for World Heritage listing (Mount Tai in China being the other).
Each year, the World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list, or delist sites that no longer meet the criteria. Selection is based on ten criteria: six for cultural heritage (i–vi) and four for natural heritage (vii–x). Some sites, designated mixed sites, represent both cultural and natural heritage. In Oceania there are 11 cultural, 19 natural and 7 mixed sites. UNESCO may also specify that a site is in danger, stating "conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List." In 2013, the Committee added East Rennell to the List of World Heritage in Danger because of the threat of logging activities to the site's outstanding universal value.
Legend The list below includes all sites located geographically within Oceania, and is constructed without reference to UNESCO's statistical divisions. The list comprises a number of sites for which the state party is outside the region, but the site itself is located in Oceania; this includes sites belonging to Chile (Rapa Nui National Park), France (Lagoons of New Caledonia and Taputapuātea), the United Kingdom (Henderson Island), and the United States (Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Papahānaumokuākea).
Site – named after the World Heritage Committee's official designation. Location – sorted by country, followed by the region at the regional or provincial level. In the case of multinational or multi-regional sites, the names are sorted alphabetically. Criteria – as defined by the World Heritage Committee. Area – in hectares and acres, excluding any buffer zones. A value of zero implies that no data has been published by UNESCO. Year – during which the site was inscribed to the World Heritage List. Description – brief information about the site. None of the sites in this list have been classified as endangered.
Sites Site Image Location Criteria Areaha (acre) Year Description Australian Convict Sites AustraliaNew South Wales,Norfolk Island,Tasmania andWestern Australia, Cultural:AustraliaAap(iv), (vi) 2010 There are over 3,000 convict sites remaining in Australia, which were established by the British Fleets in the early colonial period of Australia's history. Eleven of these sites were selected as the most outstanding examples in the country. Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte) AustraliaQueensland andSouth Australia, Natural:AustraliaAap(viii), (ix) 1992 Riversleigh and Naracoorte were inscribed for their extensive fossil records, and are listed among the ten richest deposits in the world. Both are illustrative of separate, key stages in the evolution of mammals on the Australian continent. Riversleigh has provided some of the earliest mammalian records from the middle Cenozoic. The deposit at Naracoorte, Australia's largest, spans the much-more-recent Pleistocene epoch and the first migrations of humans to Australia. It contains some of the best-preserved examples of ice-age megafauna. Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site MarshallRalik Chain, Cultural:MarshallAap(iv), (vi) 2010 A total of 67 nuclear weapons tests were conducted here by the United States between 1946 and 1958, including the detonation of the first hydrogen bomb in 1952. The tests had significant consequences on the health of the surrounding environment and its inhabitants. The fallout from the Castle Bravo explosion in 1954 led to the most significant radiological contamination in U.S. history. The site contains many visible remains of the effects of nuclear testing. Budj Bim Cultural Landscape AustraliaVictoria, Cultural:AustraliaBudj(iii), (v) 2019 Located on the traditional lands of the Gunditjmara people, the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape consists of three components that make up one of the world's most extensive and oldest aquaculture systems in the world. Lava flows from the nearby Budj Bim helped to provide a complex landscape of channels, weirs and dams that became the base for Gunditjmara society for six millennia. The ongoing relationship is kept alive through knowledge systems retained by oral transmission and cultural practice. Chief Roi Mata's Domain VanuatuShefa, Cultural:VanuatuAap(iii), (v), (vi) 2008 Consists of three sites on the islands of Efate, Lelepa and Artok associated with Roy Mata, a 13th-century paramount chief whose social reforms have remained relevant to contemporary local society. It includes his residence in the abandoned settlement of Mangaas, the site of his death on Lelepa, and his burial site on the island of Artok. East Rennell SolomonsRennell and Bellona, Natural:SolomonsAap(ix) 1998 Rennell Island is the world's largest raised coral atoll. It is heavily forested and hosts high levels of endemism. The southern portion of the atoll surrounds its former lagoon, Tegano, which is now the largest lake in the Pacific Ocean. Gondwana Rainforests of Australia AustraliaQueensland andNew South Wales, Natural:AustraliaAap(viii), (ix), (x) 1986 This site was inscribed for its significance for geology and conservation. It covers a large number of protected areas in what is the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world. It has an extremely high conservation value, with more than 200 rare or threatened plant and animal species. Great Barrier Reef AustraliaQueensland, Natural:AustraliaAap(vii), (viii), (ix), (x) 1981 The world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs. It hosts an outstanding level of marine biodiversity and is considered likely to be the richest area in the world in terms of animal diversity. It is home to approximately 400 types of coral, and forms a critical habitat for many endangered species. Greater Blue Mountains Area AustraliaNew South Wales, Natural:AustraliaAap(ix), (x) 2000 An area of sandstone tablelands and gorges. Covered by eucalypt forest, the area was inscribed as a representation of Australia's biodiversity, with particular regard to the diversity of eucalypt species. It is composed of eight protected areas providing crucial habitats for many endangered species. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park United StatesHawaiʻi, Natural:AustraliaAap(viii) 1987 Located on Hawaiʻi Island, it is home to two of the world's most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. As constant volcanic activity is easily observed, the area has provided scientific insight into the processes of volcanism, including the birth of the Hawaiʻian Islands. Heard and McDonald Islands AustraliaHeard and McDonald Islands, Natural:AustraliaAap(viii), (ix) 1997 These two islands are the only two active volcanoes in the subantarctic, and were inscribed for their value to research in glaciology and geomorphic processes. Over three-quarters of Heard Island is covered by glaciers. Because of their remoteness, the ecosystem is undisturbed, with no history of significant human impact or any introduced species. Henderson Island UnitedKingdomPitcairn Islands, Natural:UnitedKingdomAap(vii), (x) 1988 One of the most remote islands in the world, Henderson is home to an ecosystem undisturbed by human activity and hosting multiple endemic species. It was inscribed as a tremendous value to natural science, providing the opportunity to study the dynamics of an isolated ecosystem. Kakadu National Park AustraliaNorthern Territory, Mixed:AustraliaAap(i), (vi), (vii), (ix), (x) 1981 Kakadu's wetlands, covering over a third of the park, are considered internationally important. Several archaeological sites provide evidence of the area's habitation for more than 40,000 years. The pictographs at Ubirr, Burrunggui and Nanguluwu are internationally recognised as outstanding examples of ancient rock art, dating from over 18,000 years ago. Fraser Island AustraliaQueensland, Natural:AustraliaAap(vii), (viii), (ix) 1992 Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island, composed of sand accumulated over approximately 750,000 years. It contains over 100 freshwater lakes, and dunes reaching up to above sea level. Due to naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi present in the sand, it is the only place in the world where tall rainforest grows on sand. Kuk Early Agricultural Site PapuaNewGuineaWestern Highlands, Cultural:PapuaNewGuineaAap(iii), (iv) 2008 Archaeological surveys at Kuk Swamp have provided evidence of primitive irrigation and cultivation systems from about 9,000 years ago, making it one of the earliest sites for the development of agriculture in the world. Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems NewCaledoniaNew Caledonia, Natural:NewCaledoniaAap(vii), (ix), (x) 2008 One of the three largest reef systems in the world, enclosing a lagoon area of . The density of reef structures here is the most diverse in the world. It host a great diversity of species with a high level of endemism, and is an important habitat for endangered dugongs and sea turtles. Levuka Historical Port Town FijiEastern Division, Cultural:FijLev(ii), (iv) 2013