Australia ICOMOS E Mail News No 1114

Australia’s leading heritage event is landing in Ballarat—on Wadawurrung Country, in the heart of the Victorian Goldfields, now on the World Heritage Tentative List.

With 200+ delegates already registered, spots are filling fast!

Program Highlights:

This year’s program is packed with provocative voices, powerful experiences, and critical conversations that challenge and inspire.

Keynote talk on the path to Treaty by proud Gunditjmara man Damein Bell, CEO First Peoples’ Assembly Victoria.
Diverse panels, field trips, and case studies exploring heritage under pressure and reimagining its future
Immersive cultural experiences and hands-on learning
A spectacular dinner + Aura light show at Sovereign Hill

⚠️ Conference Dinner Alert: Only 20 places left – book now to avoid missing out!

Just Announced: Exclusive Delegate Tour

Special presentation for Australian ICOMOS Conference delegates only!

Join Wadawurrung woman and cultural educator Tammy Gilson for a hands-on experience exploring traditional weaving practices. Learn about gathering natural fibres on Country, see weaving techniques in action, and handle Tammy’s unique suite of materials.

Includes a tour of the Australian Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades.

📅 Tuesday 18 November | 🕧 12.30pm–2pm

📍 Australian Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades, Ballarat

Tickets available via the Rare Trades Centre website only

⚠️ Please note: The Centre for Australian Goldrush Collections Night Tour is now fully booked.

Sponsor the Coffee Cart – Be Seen, Be Remembered

Want to be the brand delegates talk about over their morning brew?

The coffee cart is the busiest spot at the conference—prime visibility, daily engagement, and national reach.

Sponsorship & Exhibitor Packages

Gold Sponsor – $16,500 inc GST (ONE remaining)
Silver Sponsor – $11,000 inc GST (FOUR remaining)
Bronze Sponsor – $5,500 inc GST (Unlimited)
Coffee Cart Sponsor – $8,000 inc GST (ONE only)
Conference Exhibitor – $1,100 inc GST (TEN remaining)

Sponsorships close 1 November – don’t miss this rare chance to connect with Australia’s heritage sector. Talk with conference sponsorship coordinator, Michael Queale, to find out more!

🤝 Become a sponsor
📝 Register now

🔗 Explore the conference website for full details.

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ICOMOS INTERNATIONAL

NEW Europa Nostra and ICOMOS International Wood Committee Seminar | Wood, Fire & Reconstruction | Stokholm & Online | 7 November 2025

Europa Nostra Sweden’s autumn meeting 2025 on 7 November draws attention to Nordic wood construction and the devastating threat of fire. The autumn meeting is carried out in cooperation with the ICOMOS International Wood Committee. Fire and reconstruction are highly topical topics.

Four internationally well-qualified speakers will participate. For the full program follow the link: https://usercontent.one/wp/europanostra.se/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Seminar-wood-and-fire_251003.pdf?media=1736420207

Advance registration latest 24 October required to Kersti Berggren kersti.berggren@me.com.

Please indicate in your registration whether you will participate physically or virtually. Link will be provided after registration.

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ICOMOS MEMBERS

Membership Payments for the 2025/2026 Membership Year Now Due

As Australia ICOMOS runs on the financial year, membership payments for the 25/26 financial year are now due.

There are three ways you can pay: via the membership database, direct deposit or credit card.

Direct Deposit Account name: Australia ICOMOS BSB: 033 120 Account Number: 349654 Reference: Members Name (please ensure you add this)

Please send a banking receipt to austicomos@deakin.edu.au

Pin Payments: Make a payment to Australia ICOMOS – Pin Payments Please note the name of the member.

If your circumstances have changed and you would like to move your membership to retired, unwaged or would like a payment plan please reach out to the secretariat austicomos@deakin.edu.au

Unsure of your current financial status? Please log in to the membership database and view the ‘Payments History’ link (See example)

This will show whether you are paid until 30/06/26 (up to date) or 30/06/25 (expired)

A reminder that current financial membership is a requirement for participation in ICOMOS groups and committees like ISCs/NSCs, working groups etc, as is the use of the post nominal M.ICOMOS. These are important membership benefits. The executive will be checking payments over the coming months to ensure that membership fees are paid.

Changed address recently? Please update the member database.

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS / GRANTS / NOMINATIONS / EOI

NEW Applications for the Richard Mackay Scholarship closing soon – 20 October 2025

At its 2024 Annual General Meeting in Perth, Australia ICOMOS established a special higher degree research scholarship named in honour and recognition of the outstanding contribution to the success of the ICOMOS General Assembly 2023 made by Prof Richard Mackay, AM.

The Australia ICOMOS Richard Mackay Scholarship is an annual scholarship of $10,000 for research related expenses for an enrolled higher degree student with an approved research plan.

The student may be enrolled at any university in Australia and their research will contribute to understanding and conserving heritage, broadly conceived.

Please find the detailed Terms and Conditions here.

How do I apply?

Your application should include:

A CV that highlights your academic achievements.
A two-page summary of your University-approved research proposal and outline of the proposed research activities that the scholarship would be used to support.
A detailed budget for the proposed research activities for up to AUD$10,000 including, for example, flights, accommodation, library/archive access fees, documentation fees, fieldwork costs etc.
A one-page personal statement that demonstrates the following:

the contribution of your research to the field of heritage studies, how the planned activities are essential to your research, and an interest in the work of Australia ICOMOS.

Applications are due by 5pm 20 October, 2025. Please email your application as a single PDF attachment, Attention: Rebecca Davies, Secretariat Officer, Australia ICOMOS, with ‘Australia ICOMOS Richard Mackay Scholarship’ in the subject line. Email: austicomos@deakin.edu.au

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City of Perth Heritage Conservation Grants NOW OPEN

Applications for the City of Perth’s Heritage Conservation Grants program 2025/26 are now being accepted. Contact the Sponsorship team now to discuss your potential project (details below)

Program Details

Two streams of funding are available under the program:

Heritage Advice and Documentation – Funding of up to $15,000 or up to 75% of the total documentation and professional fees available, whichever is the lesser amount; and
Heritage Conservation Works – Matched funding of up to $25,000 or up to 50% of the project cost available, whichever is the lesser amount.

Projects funded through the Heritage Conservation Grants should enhance the public realm, maintain and enable use of heritage-protected places, and develop community understanding about the importance of heritage conservation.

Key Details

Program: NOW OPEN
Applications Close: 17 November 2025, 4pm AWST
Notification of decision: 25 February 2026

Projects may commence following the date of submission for a Heritage Conservation Grant on SmartyGrants. However, projects that have commenced and/or have been completed prior to the date of submission are ineligible.

Key Information
Program guidelines outlining eligibility, assessment criteria, program outcomes and key dates are available on the City’s website.

Contact the team: (08) 9461 3352 Email: planning@cityofperth.wa.gov.au

To learn more about projects that have achieved great outcomes with the support of a City grant, view the case study for Newspaper House | City of Perth

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WORKSHOPS / COURSES / EVENTS / EXHIBITIONS

NEW Docomomo Australia | Sydney Talk Series 2025 | Deborah Barnstone: The Colour of Modernism | October 22nd 2025

One of the most enduring and pervasive myths about early modern architecture is that it was white-pure- with white walls both inside and out. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

In this talk Professor Deborah Barnstone author of The Color of Modernism (2021) explodes this myth of whiteness by offering a riot of colour in modern architectural treatises, polemics, and buildings. Focusing on Germany in the early 20th century, one of modernism’s most important and influential periods, it examines the different scientific and artistic colour theories that were advanced by members of the German avant-garde, from Bruno Taut to Walter Gropius to Hans Scharoun. German colour theory went on to have a profound influence on the modern movement, and Germany serves as the key case study for an international phenomenon that included modern architects worldwide from le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto to Berthold Lubetkin and Lina Bo Bardi overseas and Sydney Ancher and Norman Seabrook in Australia.

Professor Deborah Ascher Barnstone, of Sydney University, is both an architectural historian and a registered architect. She holds degrees from Barnard College, Columbia University and Delft University of Technology. She has held academic positions at University of Technology Sydney, Washington State University, Ball State University, Fachhochschule Cologne, and the Boston Architectural Center. She is co-commissioning editor of the Visual Culture in German Contexts Series at Bloomsbury Academic and Vice President of the Association of Architecture Schools of Australasia (AASA).

Location: State Library of New South Wales, Michael Crouch Room

Time: 5.30 for a 6.00pm start

Price $30

Book here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1479140?embed

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NEW Sydney Branch – Australian Garden History Society event | Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine Outer Garden | 22 October 2025

Architect Hisashi Nakahara gives a talk on Central Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine Outer Garden – milestone in Japanese urban & landscape planning – its answer to such as Carlton Gardens, Melbourne / National Mall, Washington DC

Product of eminent scholars and designers melding Japanese and neo-Baroque planning & design principles. With a bumpy history post- 1928 completion – 1945 firebombing, 1958-64 and 2020 Olympic Stadia.

Bookings / more info: AGHS Sydney – Meiji Shrine Outer Garden Tokyo Tickets, Annie Wyatt Room, National Trust of NSW, Millers Point | TryBooking Australia

Or www.trybooking.com/DGIPY

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ACAHUCH Annual Symposium – Toxic Heritage | Melbourne University | 27 October 2025

ACAHUCH is pleased to announce their tenth annual symposium titled “Toxic Heritage” on Monday 27^th October, 2025.

The symposium will feature expert talks and panel discussions, where speakers from practice, policy and research domains will debate ideas and share current preoccupations with ‘difficult’ heritage and conservation.

Keynotes and panellists will explore ‘toxic materials’ in historic contexts, ‘toxic policies’ and planning regimes, and the remediation of ‘toxic environments’. Case studies will range from the conservation of the very local to international heritage sites that have been catalysts for destruction.

Registration link on Eventbrite is here.

More information can be found on ACAHUCH’s website here.

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University of Canberra Short Course | Materials for Heritage Engineering | Online & Fremantle | Nov – Dec 2025

Registrations are now open for the Materials for Heritage Engineering short course to be held online with a two-day workshop at the Fremantle Port site. This course is designed for engineers, conservators, architects and other heritage professionals, offering the chance to explore traditional materials, understand site deterioration and apply practical conservation techniques. It’s a unique opportunity to deepen your expertise, connect with specialists and take the next step forward in your career. Registrations close 1 October though late registrants may be considered.

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Native Title & Indigenous Cultural Heritage Law – Professional Development Seminar | Storey & Ward Melbourne | 13 Nov 2025

Storey & Ward Lawyers are pleased to announce their next Native Title & Indigenous Cultural Heritage Law professional development (CPD) seminar in Naarm (Melbourne), providing training and expertise in the area of Land Rights, Native Title, Indigenous Cultural Heritage, and associated legal and policy developments.

The Native Title & Indigenous Cultural Heritage Law seminar introduces Land Rights in Australia, the theory of Native Title, the Native Title Future Acts regime, and Indigenous Cultural Heritage law.

“Land justice is about much more than Mabo, it’s about a complicated web of statutory, legislative and spiritual responsibilities for Country.”

The seminar will also provide an opportunity to participate in discussion with senior Traditional Owner Liz Allen about how rights & responsibilities to culture & Country are enacted within statutory and regulatory environments.

Designed for those working in the area, including heritage advisors, professionals working in the resources, planning, environmental regulation or community policy sectors, lawyers (providing 6 CPD points subject to jurisdictional requirements), and those interested in Native Title & Cultural Heritage more generally, this seminar provides a good working understanding of Native Title, Cultural Heritage law and associated regulatory and statutory regimes.

“To really understand the complex environment of Traditional Owner rights, you have to talk to people with lived experience.”

This all day seminar (9:00am – 4:00pm) will be held on Thursday 13 November 2025 in Naarm (Melbourne). It includes resource materials, morning & afternoon tea & a light networking lunch.

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Museums of History – Sydney Open | Various Locations | 2 November 2025

Join MH on Sunday 2 November for their major Sydney Open city-wide experience, giving you access to some of Sydney’s most exclusive buildings and places, including important heritage spaces, new buildings and significant sites.

A City Pass is your ticket to explore more than 55 buildings and spaces, many of which are rarely open to the public. Go behind the scenes and discover each building’s architectural significance and unique story.

For further information and to book, follow this link.

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Centre for Rare and Forgotten Trades Restoration Skills Workshops 21, 22, 23 November 2025

Introduction To Leadlight Restoration with Brian Sims

Friday – Sunday, 21 – 23 November 9:30am – 4:30pm

https://www.raretradescentre.com.au/events/introduction-to-leadlight-restoration/

You will bring your own small leadlight panel along for the workshop, and using this will learn how to safely clean and prepare the panel for restoration, dismantle the damaged areas, repair existing solder joins, select and cut replacement glass pieces and solder them into place. At the end of the session, you will have a restored leadlight panel ready for installation.

$770

Introduction To Building a Dry Stone Wall / Intermediate Dry Stone Walling: Cheekends with Emma Knowles

Saturday & Sunday, 22 & 23 November 9:00am – 5:00pm

https://www.raretradescentre.com.au/events/introduction-to-building-a-dry-stone-wall/

You will work as a team with other workshop participants to build a small section of a wall using traditional dry stone walling techniques, learning about tools, planning and design, types of stone, selecting the appropriate stones for your build, creating a wall foundation, and deconstructing and re-constructing sections of an existing dry stone wall. You will gain the knowledge and skills to commence a basic private project and pursue further learning.

$630

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PUBLICATIONS

NEW Heritage Council of Victoria’s Strategic Plan 2026–30

The Heritage Council of Victoria has published its new Strategic Plan 2026–30. It sets an ambitious vision for this period, underpinned by 4 key objectives.

Wider understanding of the value and diversity of cultural heritage in Victoria
An accessible Victorian Heritage Register that recognises and protects state-significant cultural heritage in all its diversity
Partnerships and practices enabling inclusive, innovative and sustainable heritage conservation and management
A dynamic and respected Heritage Council with the resources and tools to maintain its independence and effectively fulfil its statutory responsibilities.

The plan includes a strong commitment to truth-telling in the way we communicate and conduct our work. It also prioritises collaboration with all levels of government, industry and the heritage sector so that the state’s heritage is valued and protected for generations to come.

To find out more, read the plan on the Heritage Council’s website.

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Collections Law and Ethics: Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums | Shane Simpson & Ian McDonald, Federation Press

Collections Law & Ethics addresses the key legal and ethical issues that arise in public museums, galleries, libraries and archives in Australia and New Zealand. Its authors, Shane Simpson and Ian McDonald, are pre-eminent cultural property lawyers with decades of experience advising collecting and other cultural organisations and this book distils that expertise into a comprehensive, practical text that covers:

• key areas of law, including contract, copyright, bailment, limits to freedom of speech;
• ethical issues and frameworks, including in relation to First Nations peoples;
• core collection activities such as acquisitions, loans, touring, deaccessioning and disposal of collection material;
• legal and ethical issues arising from technological advances, including NFTs and AI;
• merchandising, sponsorships, philanthropy and consultancies; and
• the duties to visitors, volunteers, and the responsibilities of staff and board.

An invaluable book for anyone working in, or advising, a public collecting organisation.

Order here

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Constructing Faith in the Antipodes Modern Church Architecture in Queensland 1945-1977 by Lisa Marie Daunt

The overlooked history of modern church architecture in post-war Australia

Over 1,650 churches were built in Queensland, Australia, between 1945 and 1977. They constitute some of the most notable modern architecture in the state and reveal tensions surrounding modernism’s role in cultural expression and regional identity. While much research has focused on post-war modern church architecture in the Global North, little has been done on the Global South.

This book offers a particular perspective on modernist church architecture, differing from accounts of buildings in the northern hemisphere, as it highlights how church architecture in Queensland was shaped by its very specific time and place – a young and developing state covering a vast area of land, sparsely populated, highly multi-denominational and located in the antipodes.

Modern architectural developments and emergent religious ideas did not simply transfer to Queensland. Rather, architectural ideas were circulated globally, allowing for a global narrative. This landmark study seeks to broaden views and methods for future research, both locally and internationally. Richly illustrated, Constructing Faith in the Antipodes combines both a chronological and a thematic approach to narrate modern church architectural history and offers a fascinating glimpse into a distinct collection of modern church buildings.

Publication can be purchased here.

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SURVEYS

Climate change and Australian public historic gardens survey – Anna Beesley

Anna is a PhD researcher at the University of Melbourne undertaking a study exploring how climate change is impacting public historic gardens in Australia. Anna is also a horticulturalist, former lawyer and former custodian of an Edna Walling designed private historic garden at Bickleigh Vale in Mooroolbark and it is this that spurred Anna’s interest and is the impetus for the PhD research.

If you would like to take part, the survey is open until 30 November 2025.

To find out more, a plain language statement is attached and is also included with the survey. The survey has 27 questions and should take about 20 minutes to complete.

The survey can be found: Climate change and Australian public historic gardens survey
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SITUATIONS VACANT

NEW SITUATION VACANT | University of QLD | Lecturer in Architecture and Urban Design | Applications close 21 October 2025

We are seeking a passionate and experienced Lecturer in Architecture and Urban Design to join our vibrant academic community at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning (ADP) at our beautiful St Lucia campus.

This newly created role offers you a unique opportunity to shape the future of architecture and urban design, bringing your industry expertise into a dynamic environment where teaching, research, and collaboration thrive. At UQ, you’ll be part of a university consistently ranked in the world’s top 50, known for fostering excellence, innovation, and real-world impact. You’ll join a supportive community that values work–life balance, career development, and global connections, with access to state-of-the-art facilities and opportunities to inspire the next generation of design leaders.

This full-time position is initially being offered on a 2-year fixed-term basis, with the potential for continuation. We welcome applicants who may prefer a different service fraction—please indicate your preferred arrangement in your cover letter. Flexible options, including job share, may be considered to accommodate the right candidate. If you’re ready to make your mark in a world-class institution that invests in its people and their potential, we’d love to hear from you.

Further information and how to apply can be found here.

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NEW SITUATION VACANT | Heritage 21 | Heritage Consultant | Alexandria NSW | Applications close 7 November

Join our team at Heritage 21 – Heritage Consultant

Heritage 21 is a firm of dedicated heritage practitioners with expertise in built heritage, urban planning, history and architecture.

We are looking for a heritage consultant to join our team in Alexandria NSW. You’ll work on diverse heritage projects across NSW and the ACT, preparing assessments, reports, and conservation documentation. We’re looking for someone with 2–3 years’ experience, strong communication skills, and a background in heritage, architecture, or planning. A current NSW Driver’s Licence and legal right to work in Australia are required. To apply, email your resume and cover letter to reception@heritage21.com.au

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SITUATION VACANT | Heritage 21 | Senior Heritage Consultant | Alexandria NSW | Applications assessed on submission

Heritage 21 is a ﬁrm of dedicated heritage practitioners based in Alexandria NSW with expertise in built heritage, urban planning, history and architecture.

We are on the lookout for a talented individual who is ready to take on a leadership role in our expanding team. You will bring your years of heritage experience and knowledge to a range of projects in the private and public sectors, building strong relationships with clients and supporting junior staff in their professional growth. A proven ability to manage complex projects efficiently and familiarity with heritage architecture and construction techniques are essential.

If you are passionate about preserving history and shaping the future of heritage in Australia, email your resume and cover letter to reception@heritage21.com.au

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SITUATION VACANT | DCCEEW Senior Cultural Heritage Coordinator | Kakadu NT | Applications Close 22 Oct 2025

Under the supervision of the EL1 Manager Culture, working in a small team and in accordance with the Lease Agreement, Kakadu Plan of Management and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Senior Cultural Heritage Coordinator will help to implement the delivery of Kakadu’s cultural heritage program, guided by park management governance and policies including the cultural heritage working group, An-Garragen – Cultural Heritage Management Plan, the Bim Strategy, and associated action plans. This role works closely with Bininj/Mungguy Traditional Owners and other partners to protect, manage and promote Kakadu’s cultural values, and involves a mix of office-based coordination, stakeholder engagement, and field-based work across the park.

Further information can be found here.

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