As one of the oldest continually operating airports in the world, we recognise the importance of the history and heritage values of our airport.

Section 3.9 of the Airport Environment Strategy 2019-2024 sets out our key objectives in relation to heritage management, and our action plan sets out how these will be achieved. Our objectives are to:

• recognise and celebrate First Nations and Non-Indigenous cultural heritage
• ensure that items listed in the Heritage Management Plan for the airport as having heritage value are managed appropriately and in accordance with applicable legislation

In 2019, Sydney Airport celebrated its Centenary Year. To learn more about the 100 years of our airport, visit our online Centenary Centre.

First Nations cultural heritage

Aboriginal people of Australia are the oldest living culture in the world. For hundreds of generations, they have lived on and managed the land around Sydney Airport and Gamay (Botany Bay).

To learn more about the Indigenous cultural heritage and Sydney Airport, visit Chapter 1 of our SYD Stories website which tells their story.

Non-indigenous cultural heritage

Sydney Airport is one of the oldest, continually operating airports in the world, and as a whole has Commonwealth Heritage Values. The airport’s layout, runways and other built, landscape and archaeological elements are the product of a century of development on the airport site, early colonial farming and industrial development of Sydney.

Heritage management

The management of heritage at Sydney Airport is guided by our Heritage Management Plan, which has been developed in accordance with our obligations under the Airports Act and the EPBC Act.

Section 3.9.5 of the AES details our five-year heritage management action plan.