On behalf of the Australian Heritage Council and DSEWPC, the Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts (ANU) convened a workshop to examine methodologies for assessing the aesthetic values of places nominated to the National Heritage List. At the time the Australian Heritage Council had recognised challenges in relation to criterion (e): the criterion itself; definitional and legal issues that surround its interpretation; methods that are suitable across a great range of natural and cultural values; diverse landscapes; and the varied data sources that can be used to provide evidence of aesthetic values. Chris Johnston made the first workshop presentation on ‘Setting the scene’, providing a brief historical background on landscape perception and on existing aesthetic assessment methodologies.