RESOURCES

The Tools For Real Change

Real change begins when communities take action, and action requires the right tools.
Heritage Australians Resources place power directly in your hands. With them, you can move from intention to organisation, from discussion to campaign action, and from local beginnings to lasting representation.


These resources are more than documents. They are a complete framework for building community strength: clear guides that show you how to organise, templates that make participation simple, and proven methods that ensure every effort is lawful, effective, and enduring.

When you use them, you hold the means to organise your community with confidence and take your place in the movement for representation, recognition and action.

Together, the Handbook and Toolkit form a complete roadmap for turning ideas into organised action.


They are designed for one purpose: to empower you to organise.
With them, any group of committed people can form a Local Association, connect to the wider movement, and create real representation.

The future will not build itself. Pick up the tools and start organising today.

Community Organising Handbook

The Community Organising Handbook is your guide to turning conviction into campaign action. It shows how ordinary people can gather their neighbours, build leadership, and lead campaigns that make real change in their communities.


This is where the work begins. The Handbook gives you the tools to move from discussion to action, from ideas to outcomes, and from small beginnings to recognised influence in public life.


Through the Handbook, you will learn how to:

  • Bring people together around shared values and a clear purpose
  • Lead meetings that inspire confidence and participation
  • Identify local issues that matter and turn them into winnable campaigns
  • Plan and run actions that gain visibility, change opinions, and influence decisions
  • Build partnerships with other organisations, councils, and community leaders
  • Communicate effectively through local media and public events
  • Develop leaders who can share responsibility and strengthen the group over time
  • Build structures that last so your Association continues to grow and lead



The Community Organising Handbook is not just information. It is practical training in how to take initiative, organise campaigns, and create results that can be seen and felt in your community.
It gives you the confidence to lead, the strategy to win support, and the framework to turn your local group into a respected and effective Association.

Constitution Toolkit

The Constitution Toolkit is the next step in building a strong and lasting Association that can support and expand your community’s work.  It provides the structure and confidence needed to turn a local group into a recognised organisation that can act, grow, and represent its members with professionalism and credibility.


Every campaign needs a foundation. The Toolkit gives you the practical framework to keep your efforts organised, lawful, and effective. It shows how to establish your Association properly, run meetings, elect leaders, and manage finances transparently so your group can focus on what matters most: action and results.


Through the Toolkit, you will learn how to:

  • Form a Local Association that coordinates campaigns, partnerships, and events
  • Hold inaugural meetings and adopt a constitution that reflects your community’s purpose
  • Establish committees and roles that share responsibility and maintain momentum
  • Manage membership, finances, and records clearly and confidently
  • Use ready-made templates for meetings, minutes, agendas, and compliance
  • Stay organised and lawful while pursuing community projects and advocacy
  • Connect with other Associations across your state to share experience and build momentum
  • Contribute to state and national structures that strengthen representation for all Heritage Australians



The Constitution Toolkit is a practical, step-by-step guide designed for ordinary members. It turns enthusiasm into organisation and organisation into influence. With it, your group can grow from a local effort into part of a state-wide and national movement that represents Heritage Australians with unity and strength.

Join Heritage Australians

Take the first step in building representation where you live. By registering below, you will be connected with other motivated Australians in your region who share your commitment to organising and action. Together, you will form the foundation of your Regional Association.

REGISTER INTEREST

What a Local Association Can Do

Local Associations turn shared concern into practical action. They build visibility, pride, and representation by strengthening civic participation and advancing the interests of Heritage Australians in local public life.


Your Association might:

  • Meet with councillors, community leaders, and local representatives to ensure fair recognition of Heritage Australians’ contributions and perspectives in community decision-making
  • Organise heritage days, cultural gatherings, or history projects, ensuring Heritage Australian representation that strengthens civic pride, historical awareness, and local identity
  • Coordinate submissions and petitions to influence planning and policy decisions, particularly around sensitive issues such as high-density development, infrastructure, or heritage protection
  • Work with other community organisations to preserve heritage names and sites, increase access to local parks, or create signage that reflects and represents Heritage Australians’ place in the community
  • Run information campaigns that highlight local issues and promote active citizenship for Heritage Australians, encouraging engagement in councils, schools, and civic forums
  • Support members and families through mentoring, volunteering, and social initiatives that strengthen community connection and mutual assistance
  • Develop relationships with media, local businesses, and educational institutions to promote understanding, respect, and inclusion of Heritage Australians’ heritage and values

Each of these actions gives practical meaning to the Association’s purposes to represent, to advocate, and to connect.


They demonstrate that organised communities can create a respected voice in Australian civic life.

 Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the Constitutional Toolkit?

    It’s a complete package of documents that allows a community group to set up and run an association. It includes a professionally drafted Constitution and By-Laws, plus plain-English guides, checklists, and ready-to-use templates for meetings, forms, and record-keeping.

  • Who is it for?

    The toolkit is designed for ordinary people — community leaders, families, or groups of neighbours — who want to organise locally without needing legal or professional help.

  • Do I need legal training to use it?

    No. The toolkit explains everything in plain language. It includes a Quick Start Checklist and an Explanatory Memorandum that guide you step by step through forming and managing an association.

  • What can we do with it?

    With this toolkit, you can hold an inaugural meeting, adopt a constitution, elect a committee, set membership fees, keep proper records, and begin organising community projects, events, or advocacy. It provides both the rules and the practical tools to administer the association.

  • Is it legally valid in my state or territory?

    Yes. The Constitution and By-Laws have been prepared in line with the associations incorporation legislation of each state or territory. Your group can operate as an unincorporated association at first, and later choose to incorporate under the relevant law if needed.

  • What are the Appendices?

    The Appendices are practical tools — templates for membership forms, nomination forms, AGM agendas, minutes, role summaries, registers, and financial records. They make administration simple and consistent, even for first-time committee members.

  • Can our group grow beyond the local level?

    Yes. Local associations can connect with others across NSW to form a state body, and eventually contribute to a national voice for Heritage Australians. The toolkit is designed with that long-term pathway in mind.

  • What support does the toolkit give for day-to-day running?

    It includes standard agendas, compliance calendars, and record-keeping templates, so committees know what to do and when to do it. It also includes summaries of each office-bearer’s role, so responsibilities are always clear.

  • How much does it cost to use the toolkit?

    There is no licence fee — the toolkit is freely provided for communities to adopt and use. The only costs are your local decisions about membership fees or expenses such as hall hire, insurance, or incorporation fees (if and when your group chooses to incorporate).

  • How do we get started?

    Download the toolkit, gather interested people, and follow the Quick Start Checklist at the front. This will walk you through the inaugural meeting, adoption of the constitution, and election of the committee. From that moment, your association is up and running.

You now have the tools, the pathway, and the community to begin. The next step is yours.