Heritage Collections Council
ATTAINABLE AND SUSTAINABLE:
SKILLS GAPS IN CONSERVATION IN AUSTRALIA
SKILLS GAP AUDIT OF SPECIALIST CONSERVATORS
AND CONSERVATION SPECIALISATION
IN AUSTRALIA
UNDERTAKEN BY THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE FOR THE CONSERVATION OF
CULTURAL MATERIAL INC.
FOR THE COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION WORKING
PARTY
OF THE HERITAGE COLLECTIONS COUNCIL
June 2000
 Commonwealth of Australia 2000 on behalf of the Heritage Collections Council
ISBN 0642 750467 – print version
ISBN 0642 750521 – online version
DOCITA 48/00
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Produced by the Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information Technology and
the Arts.
2
CONTENTS_______________________________
1.
Introduction …………………………………………………….. 3
2.
People …………………………………………………………… 5
3.
Context …………………………………………………………. 14
4.
Sectors / Collections …………………………………………… 24
5.
Professional Conservation Statistics …………………………. 41
6.
Models for Skills Enhancement ………………………………. 56
7.
Funding Structures and Fund Delivery Mechanisms ……….
64
8.
Recommendations ……………………………………………..
67
Appendix 1: Background
Appendix 2: Methodology
Appendix 3: The Skills
Appendix 4: Responses Sought
Appendix 5: Bibliography
3
1. INTRODUCTION
The National Conservation and Preservation Strategy for Australia's Heritage Collections 1
recognises skills development as one of the major areas requiring strategic support.
Key Strategy SD3 aims to:
Facilitate the development of a range of conservation and preservation education opportunities
and support the development of professional codes of practice, codes of ethics, accreditation and
standards for conservators and collection managers.
The output against this Key Strategy was the development of:
A register of accredited conservators and facilities ... by the end of 1999.
The action required, which forms the basis for this survey, was:
Audit gaps in skills and match of trained conservators in certain fields eg. conservation and
preservation of textiles, natural history collections, photography and furniture.
In order to better assess this need, and in order to identify individuals who are recognised by the
Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) as being accredited
conservators, the Collections Management and Conservation Working Party of the Heritage
Collections Council (HCC) commissioned the AICCM to undertake a skills gap audit of
specialist conservators in Australia.
The project's objectives were to:
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identify the major specialist areas where conservation skills are required or expected
and possible shortfalls in availability of skills;
identify areas where conservation work is being undertaken outside of professional
conservation networks and/or by practitioners who are not regarded as professional
conservators; and
collect data to assist in the development and publication of a register of accredited
conservators.
It was understood that in order to undertake this study the AICCM would:
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employ its existing resources, as well as the additional funds provided, to conduct a
national survey of skills and training in conservation;
prepare a report on the state of the profession, drawing on the results of the survey,
together with recommendations on issues that arise; and
1
Developing a National Strategy: Working Papers for a Public Forum on Developing a National Strategy for the
Conservation of Australia’s Movable Cultural Heritage, for the Conservation Working Party of the Heritage
Collections Committee of the Cultural Ministers Council, Australia, 1996.
4
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collect data to assist in the development and publication of a register of accredited
conservators.
This document goes some way to identifying the issues relating to the auditing of conservation
skills in materials conservation in Australia. It compliments and expands a survey of staffing
needs undertaken by the University of Canberra in 1985. Some earlier data is also present in the
Pigott Report, the Anderson Report and papers from the National Conservation Strategy Forum.
An outline of existing documentation relating to conservation skills is included in Appendix 1.
In pursuing this project it became obvious that there are two issues to be grappled with under the
somewhat ambiguous title ‘Skills Gap’. The first issue is where there is either little training, or
unstructured training, in conservation related skills; the second is where the skills may exist but
access to these skills is difficult (for a number of reasons discussed later). This lack of access
constitutes a gap in skills availability and accessibility, even if the skills do exist, as is
highlighted in one response from a user rather than provider, of conservation services.
[T]he nexus between supply and demand … is fundamentally different of course to the need and the
theoretical ability to meet that need … That the need is huge and overwhelming is given. The actual
demand for conservation services is considerably less than the need because of chronic inability to
fund those services.2
The nexus between skills and research is also relevant. Research forms the basis of another audit
being conducted by the AICCM for the HCC’s Collections Management and Conservation
Working Party and so is not addressed in this report, but the relationship of both skills and
research development is noted where relevant. The HCC has also commissioned a report on
conservation skills development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which
should be read in conjunction with this document and the Research Audit. Finally, the Working
Party has provided funds to support the review of the AICCM’s Code of Ethics and develop a
professional Code of Practice. These documents provide a context of professional standards and
should also be referred to in relation to this document.
2
Alan Smith, Director, Carrick Hill. Written response included with South Australian Focus Group response.
5
2. THE PEOPLE
2.i Skills gap
The range of responses indicated that the issue of what constitutes a skills gap is observer or
participant dependent. 3 The working definition which was consistent across sectors, however,
was whether a collection or object type was able to be properly provided with conservation
expertise and assistance. The lack of access to the skill was the perceived gap, not the number of
people in Australia with that skill. A skills gap can therefore be read as:
a) not enough people having that skill, or
b) not enough people being able to access that skill, which usually resulted through lack of
funds.
The issue of skills development and skills availability are conjoined issues and need to be
addressed as such.
The definition of a skills gap has also been used to describe a lack of conservation understanding,
even if the particular skill is available. For example, in technology material there may be trained
mechanics who can repair the material, but they do not understand the ethics underpinning
conservation practice. Their skills, therefore, relate to repair not conservation.
The ASCO Occupation Definition lists a conservator as one who:
[p]lans and organises the conservation of materials and objects in libraries, archives, museums or art galleries.
Skill Level
Education: 3 year degree or 2 year associate diploma. 4
In the AICCM Code of Ethics and Code of Practice the definition for conservation states:
The conservation profession is responsible for the care of cultural material. Conservation activities may
include preservation, restoration, examination, documentation, research, advice, treatment, preventive
conservation, training and education.5
The interrelationship between these activities defines the scope of the conservation profession, as
well as a philosophical and ethical approach. While those engaged in the repair of certain
categories of items may not need to be trained as conservators, increasingly those employing
them will require some indication that conservation issues will be addressed as part of the
3
Museum directors and managers were more likely to identify the lack or limited access to good quality and
affordable conservation expertise as the gap, whereas conservators identified the gap as a lack of specific
competences.
4
Kate Cowie, ‘Map of Conservation and Preservation Services in Australia’ in Developing a National Strategy:
Working Papers for a Public forum on Developing a National Strategy for the Conservation and Preservation of
Australia’s Movable Cultural Heritage, for the Conservation Working Party of the Heritage Collections Committee
of the Cultural Ministers Council, Australia, 1996.
5
The AICCM Code of Ethics and Code of Practice, AICCM, Canberra, Draft version, 1999.
6
treatment, and those undertaking repair and treatment will require and seek a conservation
context for their work. At present the availability of this conservation context appears to be a
skills gap.
Conservation skills also fit within a range of sectors which are defined, managed, funded and
trained in various ways. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) defines a museum as:
A non-profit making, permanent institution, in the services of society and of its development,
and open to the public which, acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits for
purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and his environment.
ICOM recognises the broad range of sectoral involvement in museum activities when it notes, in
addition, that the following comply with the above definition:
(a) Conservation institutes and exhibition galleries permanently maintained by libraries and
archives centres;
(b) Natural, archaeological and ethnographic monuments and sites, and historical monuments
and sites of a museum nature, for their acquisition, conservation and communication activities;
(c) Institutions displaying live specimens, such as botanical and zoological gardens, aquaria,
vivaria;
(d) Nature reserves;
(e) Science centres and planetariums.
Even within museums the issue of sectoral difference is obvious and meaningful.
As the Pigott Report noted:
The difference between a major museum in Melbourne and Sydney and a small museum in three rented
rooms on the inland plains is so great that it is difficult to describe them with the same word. 6
As a broad generalisation it can safely be claimed that major State and National museums, have
access to in-house professionally trained and mentored conservation staff 7; the next level of
museums which house important collections and form associations with other museums
generally have a paid curator who can ensure that professional conservation expertise can be
accessed through government or professional networks (generally this means being successful in
applying for grants for conservation work to be undertaken) 8; and finally the number of small,
local museums which are run by volunteers and may or may not have an interest in or knowledge
6
What is now commonly referred to as ‘The Pigott Report’ in Museums in Australia 1975, Report of the Committee
of Inquiry on Museums and National Collections including the Report of the Planning Committee on the Gallery of
Aboriginal Australia, 1975, Committee comprising P.H. Pigott, Chairman, G.N. Blainey, R.W. Boswell, Mrs
A.Clayton, D.J. Mulvaney, F.H. Talbot, D.F. Waterhouse, F.J. Waters, E.E. Payne (Executive Member), 7.
7
Institutions within this category are referred to in ‘The Pigott Report’ as, ‘Major Museums: these would embrace
the main government-supported museums, both State and Federal. Not more that 25 Australian museums would
come within this grading in the near future and most already conform to the ICOM definition of a museum’, ibid., 7.
8
Referred to in ‘The Pigott Report’ as, ‘Associated Museums: this grade would embrace perhaps forty or fifty
museums, holding collections deemed to be of national importance and requiring certain government support or
services in order to lift them to, or keep them within, the ICOM definition of a museum. The associated museums
would include many provincial art galleries, certain university museums, and several large open-air and folk
museums’, ibid., 7.
7
of the conservation requirements of their collection/s and means by which to address such
requirements.9
Within the heritage sectors conservators work with a range of diverse professionals including
archaeologists, architects, historians and engineers.
As noted in Appendix 1 the range of stakeholders in relation to movable cultural heritage is
extremely diverse. Libraries and museums represent National and State government
involvement, small and regional museums reflect State government, local government and
corporate and private involvement. Archives also represent National, State, local, corporate and
private involvement. Within the heritage sector dealing with places and sites there is also broad
sectoral involvement and broad interests to be accommodated.
For each of these sectors the permutations on funding, management and structural support are
almost infinite. What is definite is that it is very difficult to deliver comprehensive services
across these sectors. This is one of the reasons that considerations of ‘skills gap’ includes not
only descriptors of skills but also indicators for delivery mechanisms.
2.ii Professional conservators
In Australia anyone can call themselves a conservator. The AICCM, however, provides
professional status through its system of accreditation and the parameters are defined in the Code
of Ethics and Code of Practice.
The Special Interest Groups (SIGS) of the AICCM also provide a professional forum where
issues relating to specialist skills development can be raised. SIGS encompass the following
areas:
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Antarctic Heritage
Book and Paper
Conservation Picture Framers
Conservation Science
Gilded Objects Conservation
Objects (incorporating Wet Organics)
Paintings
Photon (Photographic)
Preventive Conservation
Sculpture, Monuments and Outdoor Cultural Material (SMOCM)
Textiles.
The South Australia Focus Group noted that :
9
Referred to in ‘The Pigott Report’ as, ‘Local Museums: small, local museums, mostly opened in the last fifteen
years, they collectively hold collections of importance, especially in Australian history. While most of these
museums can never meet the ICOM or any other rigid definition of a museum they serve the public, provide
entertainment for tourists, and can raise their standards and effectiveness with discreet aid from governments. These
local museums, [form] the bulk of museums in this country’, ibid., 7.
8
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conservators seeking employment in the field are generally successful;
existing career paths are into management – there is no option to remain as a ‘practical’
conservator if you want to ‘advance’ professionally - therefore as senior conservators move
into management roles, accumulated skills are lost;
the current situation is that graduates from early years of the course are mostly employed as
managers, with the result that there will be little career opportunities for younger conservators
for some time (unless senior conservators move out of the profession or there is a growth in
opportunity), and with the implication that senior conservators have often been fast-tracked
into their position, missing out on mid career development training in relation to conservation
practice;
there is a need to restructure career paths for conservators, providing alternatives to moving
into management and thus preventing loss of accumulated practical skills;
there is a need to develop strategies to encourage the extension of the practical skills held by
senior conservators and increase information and skill sharing;
in the case of the private conservation sector, private conservators often do not have
opportunities to develop skills base in the same way as conservators in large institutions;
consequently little information sharing and cross over occurs between the two sectors.
The issue of professional development to support the development of management skills was
raised by a number of responses within the profession.
2.iii Conservation technicians
Conservation technicians:
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work with conservators to provide assistance at a level that provides technical and hands on
skills, however, they are not as broadly or deeply skilled as conservators;
can obtain training and skills development by either completing a course which is specifically
aimed at conservation technicians, such as TAFE, or on the job training;
need suitable forums for sharing information and skills across the sector.
The Pigott Report distinguished between conservators and technicians by noting that 'tasks in
conservation are often so complex as to be beyond the competence of technicians applying
standardised measures.' 10 This may be a useful distinction in developing levels of skills
enhancement training. It recommended that:
technicians or laboratory assistants working in conservation ... should work essentially under an
apprenticeship-type system, supplemented by studies at a local technical college. The
conservation laboratories of the larger museums should accept a major responsibility in taking
on such apprentices.11
One response noted that conservation technicians work with conservators to provide assistance at
a level that provides technical and hands on skills, but does not require the breadth of knowledge
10
11
Ibid., ‘The Pigott Report’, 11.19, 67.
Ibid., ‘The Pigott Report’, 11.21, 68.
9
or depth of skill of a professional conservator. As a group, conservation technicians were
considered very useful within conservation. It was also noted that there was some need for a
level of assistant conservator to relieve experienced staff. This was noted in the response quoted
in the Introduction.12
There is conservation technician training available at the Canberra Institute of Technology, and
this was considered to be providing a good base for conservation technician training.
Conservation technicians however are more often trained on the job, and work in isolation, so
there is not a professional network readily available to them. Encouraging technical assistants to
belong to relevant professional organisations, in particular the AICCM, was seen as an important
step in developing and maintaining professional standards.
2.iv Museum workers other than conservation staff
A range of other museum workers representing all levels of professional interest also have
responsibility for the care of collections, but are not linked to a conservation department. In
small museums such workers represent the installation team, director, conservator, education
officer, and registrar in one person. This group represents a broad range of backgrounds not
necessarily involving further study related to cultural material.
It was suggested that museum workers involved in non interventive action with conservation
outcomes, such as installers and art handler, should be attached to conservation not registration,
where proper mentoring can be undertaken. The reality is that professional and amateur curators
have to undertake general conservation work but sometimes lack expertise. Information is
needed on day to day housekeeping and preventive conservation. One suggestion is that there
should be short courses aimed at those engaged in cultural heritage maintenance, incorporating
display and storage and including, for example, boxmaking, and gallery and storage maintenance.
These can be delivered in a variety of ways, but it is important that whatever the delivery method,
there are consistent outcomes that can charted across institutions and sectors and can form
meaningful text in a job description.
2.v Volunteers
‘Volunteers outnumber paid employees in museums by more than 2:1. In 1993, an estimated
9,000 volunteers worked in museums.’13 The demographics of this group vary considerably as
does their ability to access training. For example, in small regional history collections there may
be no opportunity for training with other people, in particular no opportunity for training with
professionals. On the other hand, models such as the Volunteer Guides at the National Gallery of
Victoria require volunteers to undertake an intensive training program in order to become a
Volunteer Guide. The role of the volunteer and their levels of responsibility vary enormously.
Some organisations are run completely by volunteers, and much conservation and restoration
work is done by them. In other organisations the volunteers form a very small part of the
12
Op. cit., Response from Alan Smith.
Cassandra Parkinson, ‘A National Conservation and Preservation Strategy for Australia: How Education and
Training Can Contribute’, for the Conservation Working Party of the Heritage Collections Committee of the Cultural
Ministers Council, Australia, 1996, 2.
13
10
workforce and have a very defined role within the organisation. The training programs of the
Collections Management and Conservation Working Party of the Heritage Collections Council
have developed a number of mechanisms to assist volunteers attain and maintain a professional
context and professional focus in their work. In particular the training workshops,
ReCollections,14 Significance: A Guide to Significance Assessment in Australian Museums15, Be
Prepared: Guidelines for small museums for writing a disaster preparedness plan16, and
Advisory Guidelines on Environmental Conditions and Buildings and Storage Standards for
Museums17 are all useful products for volunteers. Given that many volunteers of necessity treat
cultural material, some guidelines in this area aimed at volunteers would be useful.
A study of the role of volunteers and the best way to assist them to work to acceptable standards
and increase their understanding of best practice would also be useful.
2.vi Technical contractors
Professionals with either trade and/or technical skills base are often contracted to undertake
treatment of an item. This group may include craft/tradespeople with technical skills, a
knowledge of conservation issues (which may be highly developed), but for which there is no
specific conservation training. It may also include highly skilled allied professionals who may
engage in conservation work such as stonemasons, bookbinders, furniture repairers and the like.
For many of these professionals there is currently little scope for developing specific
conservation skills related to their area of expertise. There are potential risks with tradespeople
who advertise themselves as able to provide ‘conservation’ service, but who do not have
conservation skills or materials. On the other hand there is the danger that craft skills can be seen
as ‘hobbyist’, and that conservators may not understand the expertise involved in the craft/trade.
This can be counterproductive as specialised craft or trade skills are often required for the
treatment, and may be more appropriate. Issues relating to the conservation of traditional trade
skills as well as the conservation of cultural items was also highlighted in this section. It was
suggested that short courses and seminar type training could be made available for commercial
contractors supplying services to conservation such as drycleaners and commercial copying
services. Information could also be provided through their professional networks, newsletters
and the like, and provided through an Australian Museum Online (AMOL) link. It was also
suggested that specific units in conservation related topics could be provided within existing
training courses. For example, stonemasonry could include plastic stone repair/patching,
desalination of stone. It was pointed out, however, that this proposal has been put forward in
relation to archaeological courses a number times at a number of forums and has not actively
been taken up.18
2.vii Allied professionals (others working within cultural heritage industry)
14
ReCollections: Caring for Collections Across Australia, Heritage Collections Council, Canberra, 1998.
R. Russell, K. Winkworth and L. Young, Significance: A Guide to Significance Assessment in Australian
Museums, DCITA, Canberra, 2000.
16
Be Prepared: Guidelines for small museums for writing a disaster preparedness plan, HCC, Canberra, 2000.
17
Advisory Guidelines on Environmental Conditions and Building Storage Standards for Museums, Department of
Communications, Information, Technology and the Arts, Canberra, 1998.
18
Response from Dr. Colin Pearson, The University of Canberra
15
11
Allied Professionals
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This sector included a range of trades and professionals who would like to include
conservation in their services.
The need to share information with paraprofessionals was highlighted as the paramount
concern.
Paraprofessionals were seen as willing to learn but unable to access information easily.
Training could include preventive conservation, storage and handling, use of better quality
materials and practices, and conservation ethics and philosophy, and be delivered via short
courses, information sheets and the internet.
Some form of ‘accreditation’ for paraprofessionals would help improve industry standards as
there is no system for quality control of businesses that deal with objects such as framers, art
couriers, dry cleaners, disaster recovery services and furniture restorers.
There is no apprenticeship course for picture framing and thus no conservation input or
awareness.
This group includes those working within the cultural heritage industry but not directly
supervised by a conservator and generally not working full time within an institution. This group
includes exhibition designers, specialist movers, architects, engineers and photographers and a
variety of other skilled professionals who tend to be in private practice. Although they may have
no conservation knowledge, their income is received, in part, from conservation related work.
They may undertake work on important items without recognising the associated conservation
values, such as engineers involved in the restoration or maintenance of heavy equipment. Skills
development for this group is problematic as those under its umbrella are often isolated and may
be experts in their own field.
In summary
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Skills development and skills availability need to be considered jointly.
A range of trades and professionals would like to include conservation in their services.
The need to share information with the range of professionals who work with cultural
material was highlighted as the paramount concern.
Technical staff and associated professionals were seen as willing to learn but unable to access
information easily.
All training should include preventive conservation, storage and handling, use of better
quality materials and practices, conservation ethics and philosophy, and be delivered via short
courses, information sheets and the internet.
Some form of ‘accreditation’ for associated professionals who are involved in aspects of
movable cultural material for their income would help improve industry standards.
For conservators accreditation needs to add substantial value to their professional standing.
For the client base and the community accreditation of conservators must indicate identifiable
and enforceable standards.
The lack of a ‘conservation context’ is a skills gap in many areas and providing skills
enhancement that addressed the development of a ‘conservation context’ for non conservators
was considered important.
The development of management skills for conservators needs to be addressed.
12
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In-house training should be assessed as a training model .
Technical staff should be encouraged to join AICCM.
Registration and curatorial staff may benefit from attachments to conservation departments to
assist in the development of their conservation understanding and skills.
Information is needed on housekeeping and preventive conservation as well as boxmaking,
display, storage and maintenance. Short courses would provide this information and could be
linked to position descriptions. Volunteers would also find this structure useful.
Specific units could be developed within existing conservation programs. These could be
general units aimed at volunteers, more advanced units for technicians as well as specialist
units for commercial contractors. Accreditation at various levels could be provided.
A study of the role of volunteers and of successful volunteer programs would be useful.
Short courses could be developed for commercial contractors supplying services to
conservation such as drycleaners and commercial copying services.
Conservation information could be provided through the professional and trade associations
other than conservation networks.
13
3. CONTEXT
3.i The museological context
The museological context for conservation and preservation is broader than the institution of
museums. Collections of cultural material are held in historic homes, on sites, in libraries and
archives, by private corporations and individuals, in universities and by a broad range of other
stakeholders. Not all of these stakeholders can provide a museological context for the
management and development of their collection. Nevertheless in terms of object management
(as distinct from book or record management) museums still provide the core facilities for the
development of conservation skills.
The Pigott Report noted:
Obviously a museum can be healthy only if every part of its organisation is healthy. A
deliberate, considered policy on acquisitions is not feasible if the museum lacks adequate funds
for research and curatorial staff, for trained assistants, for field-work and for storage.19
The interdependence of various skills on the final outcome of preservation of cultural material is
one of the complexities of this study. For example, it is not possible to run a successful
conservation program in a collection where cataloguing and access issues have not been dealt
with. For some museums and organisations issues relating to museological skills rather than
specific conservation skills must first be addressed. In the case of allied professional or
paraprofessional skills, the treatment skills that relate to the needs of the object are sound, but the
lack of a museological context can lead to an outcome that will adversely affect the object.
The issue of museological skills was highlighted by most respondents referring to allied
professional and technical skills. The Collections Management and Conservation Working Party
of the Heritage Collections Council has developed training packages including ReCollections to
assist in the development of standards and agreed methodology, but the lack of conservation
planning, knowledge and the inability to be in a position to hire conservators to undertake this
planning process was raised by a number of respondents and by the majority of respondents in
small museums. This Audit identified that there is an unequal distribution of conservation skills
and that this is a problem for the preservation of many categories of collections, including small,
regional and some private and local collections. It was also noted that the conservation needs on
many sites (archaeological and built) are not identified at the beginnings of the project.
The Anderson Report suggested that:
(a) the citation accompanying each collection or object/specimen on the register of heritage
collections include an assessment of its state of preservation;
(b) following the compilation of the register the conservation needs of all collections (and
objects/specimens) of significance be assessed;
(c) a priority listing of significant collections at greatest risk be drawn up, the list to include an
indication of the resources required to ensure preservation of the collections;
19
Op. cit., ‘The Pigott Report’, 4.10, 10.
14
(d) and that a strategy be devised for directing conservation resources to these
collections/objects.20
In many organisations such a stepped process is still not achievable because skills in condition
assessment are lacking.
It was further noted that:
Recognising the relatively small size of collections of Australian Aboriginal material heritage
and the urgent conservation needs of these collections, we recommend that these collections
have special priority in the allocation of resources. 21
The issue that managing the best preservation outcome is much more complex than broadening
professional skills is still relevant and raised by an overwhelming majority of the respondents.
3.ii Research and scholarship
The Pigott Report noted:
A museum cannot live without scholarship. Deprived of scholarship it can become a huckster's
supermarket. Without the guidance of scholars, the collecting, the classifying and indexing, the
storing, displaying and conserving of objects will each suffer.
The issue of research skills in conservation was topical. Many respondents felt that there was
only limited research being undertaken by the conservation profession, and that this represented a
major skills gap. As this topic is being examined in another project, the Research Audit, it was
felt that while the issue needs to be acknowledged it was best left to that project to deal with the
complexities of conservation research skills. Input however has been provided to that project
from this Skills Gap Audit project.
3.iii New technologies and broadening functions
The role of new technologies in providing new training opportunities was raised by the majority
of respondents. The challenges presented in the development of preservation methods and
treatments was also raised. The preservation of material created with new technologies was
highlighted as an area where skills development was needed. This issue has been closely
examined in the library and archives sectors. Respondents noted that new technologies raised a
number of issues apart from information delivery, including the management of the preservation
of the hardware that ran the programs and ensuring successful migration of content across media.
These issues relate to the development of management skills. It was also recognised that
treatment skills for audio, visual and electronic material were needed, and that these skills should
be informed by an understanding of the issues relating to information migration across format. It
was noted that:
20
21
M. Anderson, Heritage Collections in Australia, National Centre for Australian Studies, Monash University, 8.
Ibid., 9.
15
Preservation professionals need to be able to bring a strategic preservation awareness to their work. This
requires an awareness of and capabilities in holistic collection management and the ability to manage the
preservation of resources created in or migrated to electronic form. 22
The issue of new technologies in driving diversified and broad skills enhancement programs was
raised by a number of respondents across a range of sectors (including professional conservators,
small museums and educational institutions).
3.iv Broader collaborations
As noted previously the responsibility for the conservation and preservation of cultural material
rests within a number of sectors, including museums, libraries, archives, the heritage sector and
the private sector. Similarly the provision of skills development is also based within a number of
sectors including those just mentioned as well as the university, TAFE, private and ancillary
education providers.
The Pigott Report recommended that 'universities and major museums and art galleries would
gain if they were linked more in research and in teaching'23 with greater mobility between
institutions. In this Skills Gap Audit this translated into a desire to provide broader professional
skills advancement by extended collaborations, not just across the university and museum sector
but generally across a range of institutions and organisations, including private ones. The idea of
professional exchange was mentioned in most focus group responses and was a popular
suggestion from conservators.
The issue of overlap with the Australian Heritage Commission was also addressed,24 and more
active engagement of the Australian Heritage Commission, the National Library and Australian
Archives was recommended in discussions of conservation skills enhancement programs.
The South Australia Focus Group noted that joint efforts such as the Preservation of Audiovisual
Material course which is a collaboration between the University of New South Wales and the
National Film and Sound Archives, was a useful model. It was also noted that many institutions
run paraprofessional training for clients or groups. As a means of assisting the development of
meaningful collaboration it was suggested that a listing of all conservation courses in the country,
including professional and short courses, may be useful. The issue of course accreditation was
raised by a number of respondents. The difficulty of this process was also raised.
3.v Decentralisation
22
Response from Adrian Cunningham, President, Australian Society of Archivists Inc.
Op. cit., The Pigott Report, 4.32, 17.
24
The Australian Heritage Commission Act of 1975 defines the 'national estate' as consisting ‘of those places, being
components of the natural environment of Australia or the cultural environment of Australia, that have aesthetic,
historic, scientific or social significance or other special value for future generations as well as for the present
community’. It continues, ‘Australia includes the territorial sea of Australia and the continental shelf of Australia. A
'place' is defined as including: (a) a site, area or region; (b) a building or other structure or a group of buildings or
other structures (which may include equipment, furniture, fittings and articles associated with or connected with such
buildings or structures)’.
23
16
In the development of additional skills enhancement opportunities, the issues of centralisation
and decentralisation of resources (personnel, funding, knowledge and infrastructure) were
discussed. Decentralised skills enhancement opportunities, perhaps focussing on centres of
excellence, rather than centralised educational institutions were raised as a means of extending
current skills development programs. Many respondents felt that there were already a number of
centres of excellence, such as the Maritime Museum in Fremantle, and that these provided good
models for skills development. Web based delivery models were seen as effective if underutilised ways of providing skills enhancement, particularly in order to address the problems of
regional collections that related to the tyranny of distance.
3.vi Existing networks
Respondents were asked to indicate existing networks where conservation services, information,
or training could be accessed or where funding was provided to facilitate access. Little
information was forthcoming and a detailed analysis of existing networks is beyond the scope of
this Audit. There are a number of models, however, which could be examined. These include
the centralised major institution Artlab’s delivery model which is dominant in South Australia,
the Museums Australia (Victoria) training model for professional development, the regional
centres model such as is used in North Queensland and other areas and the centre of excellence
model such as the Western Australian Maritime Museum. The models mentioned relate to
delivery mechanisms, but it is necessary that there is a suitable product in terms of information
packages or training opportunities. In this regard many respondents noted that ReCollections was
an extremely important tool and methods for ensuring its continued distribution and currency
were critical.
The need to have a mechanism in place to continually monitor and adjust skills development
programs in conservation was seen as an important outcome from this study. Responses
indicated the need to further develop auditing of conservation skills over a longer period of time
and more intensely than was possible in this study. Finding a mechanism for this to take place is
important.
The Western Australia Focus Group noted that:
In WA there is a shortage of expertise in all areas of Conservation. While Museums Australia, Art on the
Move, the Universities and the various library and archives professional bodies do provide some para
professional training the reliance is on the Institutions to provide the technical expertise. This is becoming
increasingly more difficult to provide due to lack of funds for travel, lack of staff in general and increased
workload in house - at this stage the Western Australian Museum's Department of Materials Conservation
and Museum Assistance Program are the only units actively involved on an ongoing basis. Almost none of
their client groups have adequate resources to pay private conservation rates even if one were available,
compounding the problem.
There is a tripartite dependency on funding bases, delivery structures and product development.
Further work is required to properly identify existing opportunities and developments in all three
areas and to assess the relationships between these three factors.
3.vii Indigenous Australia
17
Aboriginal communities allow the nation access to their culture through public exhibition, but the nation has
a reciprocal duty to ensure the safety of their material it exhibits. To date ethnographic material has
assumed less priority in the allocation of conservation/preservation resources than have some selected
aspects of European heritage, in particular art collections ... The urgent need of Aboriginal ethnographic
material in particular for priority conservation treatment should be recognised urgently and strategies
adopted to allocate resources appropriately.25
The recent development of a number of museums including Melbourne Museum and the South
Australian Museum have meant that there has been an increased focus on ethnographic material
in certain collections. While many respondents still indicated that they considered there was a
lack of ethnographic conservators there is appropriate training available. Of more concern is
providing suitable skills at community level for the care and conservation of material held there,
or which is produced there. One respondent noted that artwork is easily and often damaged on its
journey from community to dealer and that some skills development in choosing materials and
transporting items was important. Despite attempts to attract indigenous candidates to
conservation training26 there is still very little representation by indigenous Australia in
conservation activity, particularly at professional levels. The Queensland Focus Group noted that
‘basic training is required in regional areas for the conservation and preservation of sacred sites,
sacred objects and other items that Indigenous Museums and/or Aboriginal communities collect.’
It was also noted that Aboriginal people may either not have the opportunity or the desire to go
away from their communities to undertake/complete courses but would prefer to have on-the-job
accredited training in conservation and preservation. It was also noted that multiskilling was
essential and should include museum management, conservation and preservation skills. The
Skills Gap which is examining issues relating to indigenous Australia will produce
recommendations in this area.
3.viii Multiculturalism and cultural diversity
Towards Federation 2001 notes:
Although there is a national network for bibliographic information gap, there is no network or structure
dealing with multicultural and multilingual collection and access issues.27
The outcomes of an HCC sponsored internship at the Powerhouse Museum will provide useful
information to assist in the area of migrant and ethnic cultural materials conservation. Much
material resides with families and while it may be identified as important by a community,
developing conservation networks into communities is not yet well developed. This area requires
a separate study Ensuring ReCollections is available to ethnic and migrant communities,
however, would be an important first step.
3.ix Professions allied with the conservation profession
25
Op. cit., Anderson, 42.
The Heritage Collections Council sponsored a number of indigenous and community based internships from 1995.
27
Towards Federation 2001: Linking Australians and their Heritage, A national conference on access to Australia’s
recorded documentary heritage, 23 – 26 March 1992, The National Library of Australia, Canberra, 269.
26
18
Professionals who are not conservators nevertheless often undertake conservation work either
with or without a conservator, or any conservation advice. Often these professionals are senior
experts and their specialisation could not be undertaken by a conservator, but they lack a
conservation context for their work. Respondents suggested that internet and distance education
packages were useful models. The issue of the development of guidelines for conservation work
for non-conservators was also raised. The relationship and role of professions allied with the
conservation profession have been discussed under Section 2: The People.
3.x Conserving professions
The loss of traditional skills is a world wide problem, and one to which individual professional
groups should respond - it is not necessarily a conservation issue. The loss of many skills bases,
however, will impact on the ability to properly conserve cultural material, and this was raised as a
concern during the Audit. The issue was raised by Harold Lamb who wrote:
The problem with me is at 83 I am getting too old but I have passed my trade on to a younger man (50) who
can do all that I could ... He is quite capable of carry on the wheelrighting trade. As a hobby only, he cannot
let it interfere with his work ... You must understand that wheelrighting is a trade that has gone as a business
... There is no way that a hobbyist can help a apprentice as not enough work [sic]. It is not affordable.28
A project to map these skills where they relate to the conservation of cultural material could be
undertaken in conjunction with an organisation such as International Specialised Skills which
already has well developed surveys and delivery mechanisms in place.
3.xi The conservation profession
The conservation industry in Australia is small and not lucrative, and the profession cannot rely
on industry support for grants, research and training, as is the case in many other professions.
The main stakeholders in conservation are government institutions and the Australian public.
Additional ongoing government support is therefore required for the profession.
The Western Australian Focus Group noted that:
The capacity of the State Institutions is stretched to the limit and there is a huge shortfall in the funds
needed for an extensions service that can adequately meet the needs of all sectors … Perhaps as a priority
outcome from this paper would be to attempt to boost existing extension/regional services along the lines of
the regional centres for conservation in the USA and Canada. 29
Another issue raised was that of mid career specialisation which was seen to be difficult to
achieve and frustrating in terms of career development and job satisfaction. A general frustration
with current career paths was also noted especially within public service positions where
management skills not hands on skills or experience are the only recognition for increased
financial reward.
28
29
Response from H. Lamb from the H. Lamb Early Horse Transport Buggy Museum.
Written response from the Western Australian Focus Group, August, 1999.
19
It was also noted that funding was needed for research into the background and construction of
various heritage items. This is an issue for the Research Audit.
The conservation profession is made up of a number of types of professionals including
technicians and managers, it is not isolated to those working from a treatment skills base.
The Queensland Focus Group’s response noted that ‘conservation assistants do conservation
work and are highly skilled but are paid at a much lower rate’. It was suggested that the issue of
accreditation and competencies should be examined.
A large number of individual responses and most focus group responses suggested that the
AICCM employ an education/public relations officer as well as an administration officer.
3.xii Conservators in private practice
It was suggested that post graduate workshops and short courses be provided for private
practitioners. Conservators in private practice are not likely to be paid while away from work
and do not receive institutional sponsorship. Respondents from this group also mentioned that
they often were working in isolation and did not have access to a broader skills base on which to
draw on a day to day basis. In some areas conservators in private practice are working in areas
where there is not tertiary training in Australia and skills development is particularly important
for them to maintain their professional edge.
3.xiii Training
It was noted that there is a proliferation of courses which include the word ‘conservation’ in their
title, and that there is at present no means of assessing the content of such courses. It was also
noted that mid career training often involved working in other institutions or travelling and that
this was difficult.
Internships for recent graduates were considered important. Further discussion on this is
included in Section 5: Models for Skills Enhancement.
The alternatives to a three year training course were raised by a number of respondents. In
particular it was felt that there could be two paths into conservation - the general three year
degree with later specialisation, or early specialisation supported by further study in conservation
to integrate both areas of expertise. Theory components of training courses could be taught as
correspondence courses where needed, with some face to face contact periods. Increased
practical training was seen as important for conservation students in general, and it was felt there
could be a more formal relationship between training centres and conservation laboratories.
Individual responses and focus groups considered the promotion of existing materials to assist
with training, such as ReCollections and Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) Notes, to be
important. The Queensland Focus Group suggested more industry involvement in student
research projects.
20
The role of other training providers such as International Specialised Skills and Museums
Australia requires further examination.
In summary
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Good conservation is predicated on good collections management - it is not possible to run a
successful conservation program in a collection where cataloguing and access issues have not
been resolved.
Many organisations lack conservation planning and knowledge and are not in a position to
hire conservators to undertake a conservation planning process.
In many small organisations skills in condition assessment are lacking.
Treatment skills for audio, visual and electronic material are needed. These skills should be
informed by an understanding of the issues relating to information migration across format.
The idea of professional exchange was mentioned in most focus group responses and was a
popular suggestion from conservators.
More active engagement of the Australian Heritage Commission, the National Library and
Australian Archives was recommended in discussions of conservation skills enhancement
programs.
A listing of all conservation courses in the country, including professional and short courses,
would be useful to determine linkage and integration issues.
Decentralised skills enhancement opportunities, perhaps focussing on centres of excellence,
rather than centralised educational institutions, may be a means of extending current skills
development programs. Models such as the Western Australian Maritime Museum in
Fremantle are worth investigating.
WEB based delivery models were seen as effective if under-utilised ways of providing skills
enhancement, particularly in order to address the problems of regional collections that relate
to the tyranny of distance.
Auditing of conservation skills should be undertaken on a regular basis.
Indigenous communities require multiskilling which should include museum management,
conservation and preservation skills. The Skills Gap which is examining issues relating to
indigenous Australia will produce recommendations in this area.
Conservation networks into indigenous, ethnic and migrant communities are not yet well
developed. This area requires a separate study. Ensuring ReCollections is available,
however, would be an important first step.
Noting that ‘conservation assistants do conservation work and are highly skilled but are paid
at a much lower rate’, it was suggested that the issue of accreditation and competencies
should be examined for conservation workers who do not have conservation training.
A large number of individual responses and most focus group responses suggested that the
AICCM employ an education/public relations officer as well as an administration officer.
Mechanisms should be developed to ensure conservators in private practice have the
opportunity to attend professional development opportunities. Respondents from this group
are often working in isolation and do not have access to a broader skills base on which to
draw on a day to day basis. They may be working in an area where there is no tertiary
training available in Australia.
More formal relationships should be engendered between training centres and conservation
laboratories, including more industry involvement in student research projects.
21
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There is a range of important material that has been developed as part of the National
Conservation Strategy, including ReCollections, Significance: A Guide to Significance
Assessment in Australian Museums, and others. The use and availability of this material
needs to be promoted.
The role of other training providers such as International Specialised Skills and Museums
Australia requires further examination.
22
4. SECTORS/COLLECTONS
4.i Private collections
The Pigott Report noted that:
While many private collections, being collections of 'national significance', come within the
terms of our inquiry, we found it impossible to report adequately on the main private
collections, their whereabouts, their state of preservation, their present availability to scholars,
and ... their future as collections,30
and suggested that:
Selected articles of collections listed in such a register might then be eligible for assistance from
governmental conservation laboratories.31
Private collections suffer from the same problems as small museums and a number of small
museums in Australia are in fact private museums. Many important corporate art collections rival
those of the major regional institutions. The material in private collections may be of national or
international importance but the skills base rests within large institutions. Many small museums
felt that the private conservation sector could not help them because the skills needed to work on
much of the material were not available and the private conservation sector was too expensive to
be an option. Many conservators expressed concern at the lack of cross over between those
servicing the private market and those working in institutions. The State Library of Victoria
noted that private conservators were required to deal with books and photographs in a different
way to those working in public institutions. This warrants further investigation. Private
collectors are a diverse and disparate group, ranging from major corporations to one individual
with little means of support. The issue here is not a lack of skills availability but a lack of
conservation context and contact for those managing or caring for these collections.
Within the build environment sector, the proclamation of the Commonwealth Historic
Shipwrecks Act in 1976, and its associated amnesty in 1993, have meant that members of the
public and community groups have been able to gain ‘permission to retain or hold recovered
material’ providing they ‘demonstrate that they have access to the necessary conservation and
curatorial expertise.’
‘In practice, large private collections of maritime and land archaeological material exist and the
custodians rarely have access to conservation expertise, and the artefacts receive little or no
conservation attention.’32
There should be active attempts to ensure that ReCollections is advertised in a way that makes it a
ready resource for private collections. The other products of HCC such as the Advisory
Guidelines on Environmental Conditions and Building and Storage Standards for Museums and
30
Op. cit., ‘The Pigott Report’, 7.3, 33.
Ibid., 7.4, 33.
32
Response from Jenny Dickens, Heritage Victoria.
31
23
Significance: A Guide to Significance Assessment in Australian Museums present further
opportunities to assist the private collector.
4.ii Library and archive collections
'Library material' is defined as including:
books, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts, films, sound recordings, musical scores, maps, plans, pictures,
photographs, prints and other recorded material, whether in writing or some other form .'33
The issues for libraries and archives were similar and in some instances overlapped, although
there are clear sectoral differences. A very large percentage of respondents indicated that the
library and archive sectors required an extension to and strengthening of the existing skills base.
In both sectors there was an emphasis on in-house training to provide additional skills to
graduates. Both sectors also noted that private conservators were required to, and offered, a
different range and type of service from that required within institutions. It was noted that
archive conservation required as equal an emphasis to be placed on phased
preservation/conservation as on intensive treatment. The State Library of Victoria considered
that the development of skills relevant to public institution libraries would only come from
working with a parallel professional library to support skills development. They mentioned the
Library of Congress as being one such institution.
4.iii Museum collections
Large museums and small museums
It was felt that there were skills development synergies between large institutional museums and
small local and regional museums which were not being developed. A number of skills need to
be accessed by both small and large museums. Often small museums are unable to do so,
however, because the specialisation built up within a large institution is not able to be built up in
a similar manner by conservators in private practice, and so there is no one with a full skills base
in the area. The conservation of scientific instrumentation is one such example where there may
be technical knowledge in the private sector, but this is not likely to have a conservation context.
It is, however, likely to be a skills base which is accessed and provided with a conservation
context by a conservator working in a state institution. It is also a skills base which is needed by
small museums, such as maritime museums, but in a small museum this conservation context is
not so easily provided. Such examples reflect the need for State institutions to develop particular
skills bases which can be shared with regional museums, and which can be made available to a
wider public (see Private Collections above).
Issues for small museums
Respondents from both the conservation profession and the museum sector noted the following:

33
Small museums face two main problems. Firstly, there is difficulty in accessing adequate
funds and secondly, an inability to access trained conservators.
The National Library Act 1960, Commonwealth of Australia, 1960.
24
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In most small museums there is simply not the skills to conduct even a basic audit of the
collections. Regional museum workers tend to be untrained, unpaid and volunteers.
Small museums are missing out on the skills base developed in large institutions, even though
they require similar skills. Private conservators serving the small museums often do not have
opportunities to develop skills base in the same way as conservator in large institutions, and
there is lack of cross over between those servicing the private market and those working in
institutions.
The private conservator sector is often too expensive for small museums.
The mixed nature of collections in small museums is a particular problem.
According to the respondents small museums face two main problems, access to funds and access
to trained conservators. It was generally agreed that there were not enough specialist conservators
and that finances were constantly stretched. It was also felt that conservators need experience in
small museums with small budgets and little if any facilities. One respondent noted that, 'most
conservators work in State museums and have no idea of what to do when faced with no
resources yet have to perform.'
Respondents recognised that proper conservation involved a stepped approach including proper
collections management in terms of policy development, cataloguing and conservation. The
mixed nature of small museums was recognised as being a particular problem, material often
ranged from transport items, to books, photographs and archival material. The Crafts Australia
Survey 1997 noted the lack of experience regional gallery curators have in handling craft objects.
One respondent noted that there was an increase in regional museum facilities and that this will
lead to an increase in the need for conservators who have the ability to deal with objects relating
to the industry of the region. The Museum of Tropical Queensland noted that it was in the
process of moving to a new purpose built building which included laboratories for conservation
of maritime artefacts with new positions at conservator and assistant conservator level.
The fact that regional museum workers tend to be amateur, unpaid and volunteers meant that very
basic skills were often not available at the museum. It was noted that in most small museums
there is simply not the skills to conduct even a basic conservation audit of the collections. There
were strong feelings that support services were needed that could be accessed but not on a 'user
pays' basis and that generally more conservators were needed to service the small museums. It
was also felt that there was a lack of information regarding the availability of services.
Respondents from Western Australia were particularly vocal in expressing their sense of the lack
of access to conservation expertise, particularly to conservators who could advise on a wide range
of materials. One response in particular appears to sum up the feelings in this sector.
Only the major museums who receive significant government funding employ conservators and carry out
much needed treatment and controls. Quite frankly the small museums are in a position where little
conservation work is possible. I am all for professional development and accredited conservators but if most
museums are not able to use the service what hope for our nations heritage? I know the State branches of
Museums Australia operate conservation workshops and field visits but these barely scratch the surface and
I feel a great sense of frustration that so many museums (this one included) do so little in the area of
conservation.
4.iv Art collections
25
The varied nature of the management of art collections was raised. Institutions and collections
requiring specific management include national and state institutions which were well funded and
had conservation laboratories, regional galleries, commercial galleries, private collections with
limited access to conservation resources, painting collections which contained major works but
which were secondary collections in major library and museum and archive collections. It was
also noted that just as library and archive institutions may hold artwork, similarly art collections
may hold archival material.
A number of respondents noted the difference between art conservation and painting
conservation. Paper conservators in particular were keen to highlight the fact that paper
conservation involves paintings on paper as well as philosophical issues relating to ephemeral art
or conceptual art. A number of respondents noted that the issues raised by modern art included
multimedia issues and philosophical issues such as those relating to intention and material
transience. Respondents noted that there were a range of paintings conservation skills that should
be able to be upgraded. These included varnishing and retouching, and lining and structural work.
It was considered important that practitioners keep up with advances in the field. The Paintings
SIGS of AICCM has been particularly active in developing professional development
opportunities for members through regular symposia. The papers presented at these symposia are
published and in recent time a workshop theme has accompanied the meeting.
Concerns regarding framing were twofold. At present there is no structured training for frame
conservation in Australia. This means that framing conservators must pick up and extend their
skills base through workshops (at present mainly organised by the Frames and Gilded Surfaces
Special Interest Group of AICCM), or must travel overseas. In addition anyone can set up as a
framer with no training in framing techniques and no understanding of conservation. Many
framers also offer conservation and restoration as part of their service with varying degrees of
professionalism. One respondent noted that frame restoration is a problem, with much restoration
being done on a trade basis with no adherence to conservation ethics or guidelines. It was also
noted that paper conservators need to develop better skills in framing issues, and that this should
form part of their training. Cross industry linkage for skills development was considered critical.
Recently a Conservation Picture Framers’ SIG of AICCM has been established which will
provide focus for this issue.
4.v Art/Craft galleries
The Western Australian Focus Group suggested that art/craft galleries be included as a separate
grouping. Craft based conservation skills were noted by a number of respondents as being
important yet neglected. A number of respondents noted that skills in packing, transport, storage
and handling would be useful for the art/craft sector. Indigenous art/craft centres require similar
skills.
4.vi Natural sciences
26
Natural science collections are held by a range of organisations, many of which do not have close
links to the museum professions. These incorporate those held by Australian government
departments including:
 biological collections held by CSIRO;
 collections of the Australian Institute of Anatomy;
 collections held by the Bureau of Mineral Resources; and
 collections of the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences. 34
Universities and botanic gardens also hold important natural science35 and botanical collections,
respectively.
Within museums it was noted that most work on natural history specimens was being done by
technical officers with no training in conservation ethics or skills practice for example. It was
also noted that natural history specimens have historic as well as scientific importance. These
include mounted vertebrate specimens, invertebrate specimens, fish mounts, entomological
specimens as well as a range of wet specimens. Many of these were prepared at a time when
health and safety issues were not well understood or observed. Formaldehyde and mercury are
common in such collections. The presence of such chemicals, which represent historic
preservation techniques, raise philosophical and ethical questions as well as health and safety
issues.
4.vii Ethnographic collections
The complexities of this group of materials are both technical and philosophical. Ethnographic
conservation is one of the skills bases taught at the University of Canberra Materials
Conservation Course, identified by the Getty Conservation Institute as one of only two such
courses to address these issues in the world36. A number of respondents noted, however, a
shortage of people trained in ethnographic conservation particularly at senior level. It is likely
that ethnographic conservators are being placed in major institutions and therefore there is a skills
gap in the availability of this skill for smaller collections such as ethnographic collections held in
historical societies. Previous Possessions: New Obligations37 identifies appropriate responses to
the management of indigenous material. A similar document relating to treatment issues may be
useful.
4.viii Scientific and technological collections
The conservation of scientific instrumentation is an example of a multi-disciplinary skills base. It
includes the ability to deal with material types, such as metal, glass, leather and natural fibres,
with a technical knowledge of the items and an understanding of their history. It is an area of
34
Op. cit., ‘The Pigott Report’, 8.27, 44.
Cinderella Collections: University Museums and Collections in Australia, The Report of the University Museums
Review Committee, Canberra, 1996.
36
Response received from Dr. Colin Pearson
37
Colin Pearson, Previous Possessions:New Obligations,Policies for Museums in Australia and Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Council of Australian Museum Associations, 1994.
35
27
intense specialisation and even within the field of the conservation of scientific instrumentation
there is a range of specialisations required to deal with, for example, clocks, microscopes,
barometers and cameras. It was felt that current training did not cover this kind of skills base, and
that as a result there was little conservation context for those working in this area.
Similar issues arose in relation to large transport items, engineering items, large technology
items, mechanical/industrial collections. Even in large museums the treatment or servicing of
such collections is unlikely to engage the full time services of a specialist. Instead, this is likely to
be contracted out as special projects. Small museums require such services as well and models
for developing availability of skills development in this area (in both undertaking the
conservation work and in managing the contract) need to be explored. The issues relate not only
to the development of a skills base, but the provision of service, (often a conservation project in
these areas is complex and involves trades people and support staff with no previous museum
experience). Issues relating to objects which need to be maintained so that they can also used,
such as cars and boats, also needs to be fully explored.
In a large number of cases the material may form part of the meaning of a place or site, for
example historic material located in an historic house.
4.ix Archaeological collections (including marine and historical archaeology)
Archaeological collections include marine and contact archaeology material, material relevant to
indigenous Australia as well as a range of historic material with some relating to living memory.
The Pigott Report noted that over five hundred shipwrecks had been located in 1975.38
Archaeological material is housed within institutions, including national and state institutions.
One respondent noted:
Most practitioners [working in archaeological conservation] have been trained in general
conservation and have adapted this training to their work situations. However archaeological
conservation is a multi-disciplinary area where skills in the conservation of specific materials, eg.
textiles, may not necessarily translate to the conservation of archaeological artefacts made of the
same materials. Archaeological artefacts are often very seriously damaged and need urgent
interventive treatment or they will self-destruct rapidly.
Development pressures are causing the destruction of land archaeological sites and their associated
artefacts. Many of these sites have not been identified. Items remaining on sites (land and maritime)
are also very vulnerable to treasure hunters and this popular activity has resulted in large private
collections, many of which are suffering serious damage. Recent research conducted by Heritage
Victoria found that over 60% of the maritime artefacts held in private hands were in need of
conservation treatment and anecdotal evidence suggested that many other items in these collections
had already self destructed due to lack of conservation.
While there are archaeological conservation laboratories in most states (NSW being the exception)
these are often part of major museums and only deal with maritime artefacts.39
4.x Regional collections
38
39
Op. cit., ‘The Pigott Report’, 14.1, 89.
Response from Jenny Dickens, Heritage Victoria.
28
Most initiatives to date have worked on a centralised model (from necessity due to the lack of
local expertise). Decentralisation is important if skills are to be maintained and retained in a
particular region. This requires building a skills base that is attainable and sustainable for
regional areas. This is a different model than that under which conservation has been developed
since the Pigott Report, which saw national objectives as being paramount. The availability of
the ReCollections and other HCC products such as Significance: A Guide to Significance
Assessment in Australian Museums40, will assist in supporting new skills enhancement models
that deliver both attainability and sustainability to regional areas. In relation to Aboriginal
Australia the ability to develop attainable and sustainable skills in a decentralised and regionally
responsive way is very important.
The Western Australia Focus Group noted:
While progress is being made on the dissemination of general conservation/preservation awareness there is
a dire need for an increased professional conservation presence in WA. The capacity of the State
Institutions is stretched to the limit and there is a huge shortfall in the funds needed for an extension service
that can adequately meet the needs of all sectors. The small number of private conservators in the State are
also centralised in Perth and most are fully committed to treatment work. 41
Regional collections are maintained in such diverse locations as remote area museums, aboriginal
communities and churches. Pathways for workers in these areas to get information are not clear,
and there are limited resource bases for materials and people. Training difficulties are associated
with the fact that these museums are often staffed by a largely volunteer workforce. They also
have a large number of composite objects which require conservators with good all round skills.
Regional collections require a wide skills base in preventive conservation and in condition
assessment for all objects as access to conservation facilities is often difficult. Respondents from
small and regional museums noted that condition assessment training was important for museum
staff. Conservators working in regional areas noted that regional conservation services or
travelling conservators are required to provide both expertise and training in regional areas.
The issue of lack of access to specialist conservators was also mentioned in relation to training in
Western Australia.
Our Certificate [in Museum Studies] can highly motivate but it is only sufficient really to alert them to the
dangers ... There is simply nowhere for them to get the extended training in this State, although a select few
of our students have been taken on in an apprentice-type situation. 42
4.xi Built environment
40
Russell, R., Winkworth, K., and Young, L: Significance: A Guide to Significance Assessment in Australian
Museums,Heritage Collections Committee Canberra, 2000
41
Response from Western Australia Focus Group.
42
Response from Brian Shepherd, Director, Edith Cowan University.
29
Within the built environment conservation sector there is substantial cross over with other
professionals. The main document for this section is The Burra Charter. However the definition
of ‘conservation’ in The Burra Charter differs slightly in meaning to that used by conservators.
Conservation means all the processes of looking after a place so as to retain its cultural significance.
It includes maintenance and may according to circumstances include preservation, restoration,
reconstruction and adaptation and will be commonly a combination of more than one of these.
According to this definition conservation implies all aspects of the overall management of a
place.
There are a number of architects working in the historic built environment who call themselves
‘conservation architects’ although they may have no formal training that relates to conservation.
Many conservation architects have never worked with a conservator and some have not even heard of
the profession. Conversely most conservators do not have training in the structural issues associated
with the conservation of buildings. Legally conservators are not permitted to undertake structural
treatments to building (only architects, engineers and builders can do this work.) 43
The Heritage Commission and Heritage Act are powerful agents for this sector. Conservators
often brought in as part of a team and the conservation context for the team may be limited.
Closer links with the heritage sector in the development of object related skills were seen as
important, and is raised a number of times throughout this document.
Another issue relates to the protection and maintenance of historic material. Few organisations
are systematically collecting architectural fragments, which are often lost during building
alterations or demolitions. Material at risk includes original surface coatings, carpets, frescoes,
wallpaper, metalwork and paint. The conservation of such materials in the built environment
poses a different set of issues from those within a museum environment. The lack of awareness
and lack of skills in this area are linked issues.
4.xii Training institutions
The University of Canberra
The University of Canberra's Materials Conservation Course offers a three year undergraduate
degree course. The University also offers a Masters in Materials Conservation by research and
Doctoral qualifications. The course was set up as a direct result of the recommendations of the
Pigott Report and specifically aimed to address the problems of the lack of trained conservators
in this country. The course undergoes regular restructuring in order to fit with University funding
structures. To date over 300 students have graduated,44 and those seeking employment in the field
are still generally successful. Increasingly however students are employed on short contracts or
work within the private market. The major building and relocation programs such as that of the
43
Response from Jenny Dickens, Heritage Victoria.
Graduates from the University of Canberra Conservation of Cultural Material Program are:
Associate Diploma - 36; Bachelor ofApplied.Science 3 year - 202, Honours 1; Graduate Diploma in Rock Art - 14;
Masters Course Work - 23, Research (current) - 3; PhD Research (current) – 2. Total number of Graduates at end
of 1998: Undergraduate 239; Postgraduate 42: Total 281. Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials
Program, University of Canberra.
44
30
Museum of Victoria have created short term employment opportunities in some areas; it remains
to be seen if these positions are sustained after relocation. Staff from the Materials Conservation
Course pointed out the problems of providing full conservation training for a few specialist
conservators. It was noted that:
universities are funded on student numbers, and unless there are at least 20 in a unit it is not viable. A one
semester specialisation on a part-time lecturing basis only would cost an additional $25,000 to $40,000
approx, depending on whether the lecturer just taught the subject or also provided full student support as a
part-time staff member.45
The changes in the course over the years reflect the pressures on universities to ensure economic
viability, and are a good indicator of the issues in the tertiary sector. Staff at the University of
Canberra Materials Conservation Course noted that the original course enrolled 18 students
which was a viable class size for practical units. In 1992, however, the University required
double this class size. This has meant that introductory conservation units have been scrapped,
however, students receive more training in their specialised fields. More recently the course has
been restructured as a result of the Vice Chancellors decision to offer a new academic program
across the University with less units on offer and the need for students to do general studies units.
This has reduced the options and opportunities for course development and specialisation in
conservation. 46 Staff also noted that there has been ongoing discussion regarding upgrading the
three year Bachelor's degree to a two year Masters by course work (DETYA regulations do not
allow for a longer period for a Masters). It was pointed out, however, that to be economically
viable the course must take at least 30 students per year.
We have found from experience that three years of training is required to produce a conservator capable of
entering the work force. To produce students with experience commensurate with the current undergraduate
degree the course would have to be extended to 45 weeks per year, or there would have to be an extra 15
weeks of work experience each year.47
The University of Canberra has a visiting scholar scheme. A recent visitor was Dr Lorraine
Gibson who was brought to Australia for four weeks. She gave workshops and visited
institutions in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney discussing pollution and control in museums.
The University of Canberra ran a postgraduate internship with funding from the Getty Grant
Program for five years. This was provided on a matching grant basis. 'Of interest, there were
only a handful of Australian institutions interested in joining the scheme, even though part of the
costs were provided.' Staff at the University of Canberra noted that it would be difficult to place
25 interns in Australian institutions each year, as there are enough problems placing 25 work
experience students for five weeks each year. It was also noted that students currently take five
weeks work experience at the end of the second year or during the third year. Feedback from
institutions indicates that some second year students have insufficient training to work
comfortably in a laboratory, and feedback from students indicates that this five week work
requirement impacts on their ability to earn money during the semester breaks.48
45
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra.
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra.
47
Ibid.
48
Ibid.
46
31
It was generally acknowledged that the University of Canberra course was providing a good
grounding in conservation theory and practice, but that it was hampered by the constraints facing
all universities. One respondent noted that one important area the University of Canberra course
could cover would be to make students aware of the range of skills they will require, even if they
will not gain these skills within the course, at least they will be aware of the areas where further
knowledge is required and can work to acquire these skills themselves.
The issues relating to textile conservation training was of great concern generally reflected in a
range of responses. It was noted that:
textiles should be reinstated as a permanent training option, however the current crisis in funding within
universities means that unless alternative funding can be found this is unlikely to occur . 49
The University of New South Wales
The postgraduate certificate course in Audiovisual Management and the Preservation and
Conservation of Audiovisual Materials course, are joint initiatives between the University of
New South Wales and the National Film and Sound Archives. It is considered to be a good model
for addressing vocational needs. The course commenced in 1997 and provides a mechanism for
staff from the NFSA to update their skill and knowledge.
In its response the National Film and Sound Archives noted that 'The University of New South
Wales and the National Film and Sound Archives are exploring future evolution of the current
Audiovisual Management course, with linkage to the intern based School of Film Preservation at
George Eastman House (USA).' If this eventuates this may be a useful model to examine further
given the points raised about internships and further training.
This was seen as a good model of a course addressing gaps in industry.
Canberra Institute of Technology (TAFE)
In 1994 CIT established a course to provide training for conservation technicians working in
institutions in Canberra. In recent time the course convenor, Mr Geoff Bell, has been exploring
extending the course beyond these confines. Generally it was considered that the CIT course
provided good grounding for conservation technicians.
CREATE AUSTRALIA was created in 1995 as an amalgamation of Arts Training Australia and
the Recreation Industry Advisory Training Board.
In 1994 Arts Training Australia published the National Museums Competency Standards. Those
developed for conservation and preservation identify four levels of competency. These are:
Level 1
 Move and store objects
 Treat an object
Level 2
49
South Australian Focus Group response.
32
 Plan and carry out the movement and storage of objects
 Survey an object for conservation
 Determine conservation requirements for an object
 Apply conservation techniques
Level 3
 Develop and maintain the collection
Level 4
 Move, store and maintain information records for objects
 Decide appropriate conservation methods
 Conserve objects
 Manage the conservation of objects for storage and display. 50
The University of Melbourne
One new course and subject have commenced at The University of Melbourne, and are aimed at
increasing the knowledge of curators and art historians about conservation, rather than training
conservators. The Graduate Certificate in Art Conservation Studies is a one month intensive
course aimed at giving teachers and curators a background knowledge in conservation,
particularly preventive conservation, conservation planning and an overview of historical and
ethical issues relating to the conservation of art material. The new subject is an undergraduate
unit entitled 'Histories and Theories of Conservation' which aims to equip students with a
knowledge of the history of conservation issues and problems. Neither lead to conservation
training courses.
Museum Studies courses
It is beyond the scope of this survey to address the issues relating to the proliferation of Museum
Studies courses in Australia. It should be noted, however, that many of these courses contain
conservation components, and that there is no easy access to information relating to standards or
staff in these courses. In many cases, there is limited if any consultation with AICCM regarding
the content and qualifications of those running the courses and this highlights the need to
'accredit' training courses and define the outcomes and level of training.
Heritage Studies courses
There has been a proliferation of Heritage Studies courses in Australia in the past five years. An
analysis and audit of both these and conservation courses would be useful.
The University of Western Sydney
Dr Richard Thomas, Course Co-ordinator, The University of Western Sydney, provided
information on the Master of Applied Science (Materials Conservation). He noted that the course
aims to provide for:
the study of items of material culture with a view to their conservation for future generations to appreciate
... Students study the scientific processes that cause material to degrade and the steps that can be taken to
lessen the rate of deterioration whilst maintaining the item's integrity as an item of cultural heritage. 51
50
Cassandra Parkes, CREATE Australia, in National Conservation Strategy Forum, 1996.
Response from Richard Thomas, Master of Applied Science (Materials Conservation), The University of Western
Sydney.
51
33
The course aims to provide ‘a broad-based instruction in the skills of a conservator’ and to ‘serve
the broader need for education and formal qualification for students wishing to follow other
career paths within Australia's heritage industries.’52
The Master of Applied Science (Materials Conservation) seeks to further the knowledge of
graduates in the field of conservation, material culture and collections management, and in
particular to develop specific research, writing and analytical skills in the field of heritage
conservation, its recording and preservation. The course also seeks to provide a venue for
members of the museum profession to increase their professional knowledge of areas of Materials
Conservation. To gain admission to the course, Master of Applied Science (Materials
Conservation), candidates should possess a Bachelors degree or equivalent qualification. Special
consideration will be given to candidates with prior learning/ experience in the conservation field.
The course, in addition, seeks to:






provide the educational basis for students to follow higher research-based degrees in
materials conservation;
act as a focal point for the training of conservators from other countries in the Asia-Pacific
region;
extend students' knowledge of the disciplines of museology and history;
develop students' awareness of the cultural significance of the material they are dealing with;
develop skills in conservation, investigation, analysis and writing; and
provide opportunities for museum professionals to develop their skills in conservation.
In order to meet the needs of conservators already in full-time employment but lacking formal
qualifications, the course is designed for delivery at-distance via the internet. Dr Thomas also
noted that the conservation profession places high demands on those entering it, requiring both
high degrees of manual skills and high academic competence and that it was increasingly difficult
for universities to provide both academic content and skills training within the financial
constraints imposed on the Higher Education sector.
In order to prevent the dilution of academic value of conservation degrees it was necessary for
the education sector to adapt rapidly to the changes. This, he argued would mean the
development of a two tiered system in education and training in conservation. The first based on
providing hands-on practical training should be directed at the Bachelors level and the second, at
the Masters level, based on providing the academic content that it was previously possible to
deliver within Bachelors programs. The changes in academic funding to universities threatened to
undermine the content of degree offerings. However, they also offered opportunities to re-think
the manner that conservation education is delivered in a manner that would enable Australian
conservation to maintain its traditionally high standards, whilst permitting entry into the
education system by the highly skilled conservators who would otherwise be lost to the
profession. In order to achieve this, Dr Thomas encouraged the strengthening of links and
articulation between universities and TAFE colleges and announced the commencement of the
52
Ibid.
34
University of Western Sydney's bachelors programme in conservation under the Bachelors of
Heritage Technology; developed jointly between the University and the TAFE sector, specifically
aimed at bridging the widening skills-gap. The programme is a practical-based degree course
aimed at providing hands-on skills in conservation practice and designed to compliment the more
academic approach followed in the Masters programme.
International Specialised Skills
The International Specialised Skills Institute (ISS Institute) is a national organisation which
provides opportunities for Australian industry and commerce to gain skills and experience in
traditional and leading-edge technology, design and management. The ISS Institute identifies the
specialised skills gap and provides overseas fellowship program, education and training activities
and consultancy services.
The ISS Institute creates links across industries, occupations, government, education and the
community and targets the following industries:










Art and Design
Building and Construction
Conservation and Restoration
Textile, Clothing and Footwear
Entertainment, with other industries to follow such as
Food
Agriculture
Information Technology
Manufacturing, and
Tooling.
Its programs and activities are to:


maintain specialist skills which may otherwise disappear; and
bring new skills developed internationally to Victoria and elsewhere across Australia.
Since 1991, the ISS Institute has awarded thirty-four Fellowships. Twenty-seven of these have
been awarded to Australians to undertake overseas study programs to countries such as Italy,
Austria, Denmark, France, England, USA, Turkey, Germany and Indonesia; and seven to experts
to travel to Australia to conduct a range of activities.
In summary


For many small museums the private conservation sector was too expensive to be an option
and some skills were not available.
There should be active attempts to ensure that products being developed by the Collections
Management and Conservation Working Party of the HCC such as ReCollections are
advertised in a way that makes it a ready resource for private collections and other sectors.
35



















In some instances skills can only be developed through strong links to other relevant to public
institutions. The State Library of Victoria mentioned the Library of Congress as being one
such institution for them.
It was felt that conservators need experience in small museums with small budgets and
minimal facilities.
In some regional and small museums skills development needs to include how to conduct a
conservation audit and recognise deterioration.
Paper conservators identified a need for experience in art conservation issues, such as modern
art that included multimedia and philosophical issues including those relating to intention
and material transience.
Frame restoration is often done on a trade basis with no context of conservation ethics or
guidelines.
Paper conservators need to develop better skills in framing issues, as part of their training.
Cross industry linkage between paper conservators and framers was considered critical.
A number of respondents noted that skills in packing, transport, storage and handling would
be useful for the art/craft sector.
Many collection types presented health and safety issues.
Previous Possessions: New Obligations identifies appropriate responses to the management
of indigenous material. A similar document relating to treatment issues may be useful.
Despite training existing at tertiary level for ethnographic conservators, a number of
respondents noted an ethnographic conservation skills need.
Conservation of scientific instrumentation incorporates a range of specialisations. Items
requiring such treatment are, for example, clocks, microscopes, barometers and cameras. It
was felt that current training did not cover this kind of skills base, and that as a result there
was little conservation context for those working in this area.
The conservation of some items such as heavy machinery and automobiles requires a team of
different skills and trades. Managing these teams to provide a good conservation outcome
involves the development of skills for the manager as well as skills for the individual
contractors.
Conserving machinery and instrumentation for use was identified as a conservation skills gap.
Extending conservation skills gained in Museum Studies courses was identified as important
but difficult to achieve.
Closer links with the heritage sector in the development of object related skills was seen as
important, and is raised a number of times throughout this document.
A one semester specialisation is expensive (approximately $25,000-$40,000) and requires
substantial forward planning.
The postgraduate certificate course in Audiovisual Management and the Preservation and
Conservation of Audiovisual Materials was considered a good model for addressing a
vocational need.
Developing links between professionals and industry were seen as important models in
addressing gaps in industry.
It was recognised that links and articulation between universities and TAFE colleges need to
be strengthened.
36
5. PROFESSIONAL CONSERVATION STATISTICS
Results of survey of collections, conservation staff, specialisations and skills gap areas
Survey Rationale
The scoping survey and literature search indicated that there were few statistics relating to the
conservation profession, with most statistics concentrating on collection and condition surveys.
In addition, the comments received on skills development areas and the nature of the use of allied
and paraprofessionals in conservation activities needed to be further defined.
A survey was sent to the conservation community to establish data on conservators, conservation
specialisations, allied and paraprofessionals and skills gap areas.
Questions were framed to allow comparison with previous surveys (Anderson53 for collection
documentation and number of conservators and the NCCHSS54 for projections on conservator
numbers and training needs). The skills development areas expressed in the Skills Gap Audit
mailout and AICCM membership specialisations were also used to design questions.
State Representatives were asked to supply relevant email addresses of conservation managers
and service providers.
Survey Response
Category
Type of organisation
Jurisdiction
Main collection materials
No. of professional conservators
No. of para and allied staff
Specialisation
Skills gap areas
Question No.
4
5
6, 7, 8
9
10
11
12, 13, 1, 4, 15, 16,
17
Response
20
20
20*
19
18
11
17
Comments
 Thirty-eight surveys were sent out for submission and several for comment. Twenty surveys
(51% response rate) were returned. Within each question there was a varying range of
responses which made interpretation less straightforward.
 *Not all respondents could provide data.
 The above categories are elaborated upon in the following pages.
53
M. Anderson, Heritage Collections in Australia, for Heritage Collections Working Group, 1991.
‘Proceedings of the Workshop: Conservation Training – Future Strategies, November 18-19, 1993’, National
Centre for the Cultural Heritage Science Studies, Canberra, 1993.
54
37
Category 1: TYPE OF ORGANISATION
Qu. 4: Organisation
Response
Library
Archive
Gallery
Museum
Service provider
Society
*University department
Total
4
5
6
8
3
1
27**
* Additional field
** Some individual organisations had numerous functions
Comments
 The distribution of survey returns was evenly spaced over the major organisation types
(considering the dual function of many museums). This would encourage more equitable
correlations across the survey.
Category 2: JURISDICTION
Qu. 5: Jurisdiction
Response
Local government
State government
Federal Government
University
Private
Total
2
13
3
1
2
21*
*One of the respondents had several major funding sources
Comments
 The response rate and survey distribution favoured institutions at the State level.
38
CATEGORY 3: MAIN COLLECTION MATERIALS COLLECTED, SURVEYED AND
CONSERVED
Qu. 6 % COLLECTION MATERIALS IN DESCENDING ORDER AND RESPONSE NUMBER
1
2 3
4
N/
A
Paper
Photographic
Inorganic
objects
Audiovisual
Paintings
Organic
objects
**Natural
science
Textiles
Synthetic
materials
**Dec. arts,
furniture, med
ob, whaling
**Digital
media
25
10
25
90
1
95
2.5
<0.1
2
9
1.5
3
25
5
6 7
8 9
c
N/
A
c
5
3
25
<0.1
2
20
10
11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20
c
71
3
1
66
13.7
11.1
15
5
40
1
0.31
18
2
4.27
25
10
4
2
1
1.74
5
0.5
0
c
95
3
85
4
40.5
2
0.5
59.5
c
90
50
10
16
65
25
1
1
5
15
5
3
40
5
5
<0.001
5
3
9
6
2
** Additional field
N/A - Not Applicable
c - No data provided, comments only
Comments
 This table has been reordered in descending order to show the range of materials from highest
% to lowest in each collection. The majority of collections are therefore paper based in this
survey. The % is in no way a reflection of the numbers of objects in each category as
collection sizes will vary considerably. Sometimes it was found that the designated materials
type may not match collections or the recording method of an organisation.
Qu. 7 % SURVEYED OF THOSE ORGANISATIONS WITH COLLECTIONS IN
DESCENDING ORDER AND RESPONSE NUMBER
1
**Dec. arts,
furniture, med
ob, whaling
Paintings
3
4
7
9
10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
100 c
100
50
60
100
80
80
0
100
c
20
c
60-70
70
39
Inorganic
objects
Photographic
Organic objects
Textiles
Paper
Audio-visual
**Natural
science
Synthetic
materials
**Digital media
30
50
25
80
50
0
0
75
30
50
40
20
20
90
10
10
50
0
10
74
20
5
50
0
1
<1
20
30
50
20
0
5
1
30
90
20
40
unsure 0
unsure 10
unsure 0
59
3
5
20
20
0
20
0
20
30
0
0
Comments
 Barring respondents that were unsure how much surveying had been done and the decorative
arts field containing a selected range of materials, by far more paintings have been surveyed
with the other categories to audio-visual at around the same response level.
 Comments indicated that surveying was not undertaken routinely, often hard to compile,
undertaken by discrete collections and while undertaking projects rather than being assessed
on a global scale.
40
Qu. 8
% CONSERVED OF THOSE ORGANISATIONS WITH COLLECTIONS IN
DESCENDING ORDER AND RESPONSE NUMBER
1
Paintings
Textiles
Photographic
Paper
Audio-visual
Inorganic
objects
Organic
objects
**Natural
science
Synthetic
materials
**Dec. arts,
furniture, med
ob, whaling
**Digital
media
40
20
10
10
0
5
10
3
<1
<5
<5
4
7
9
10 11 12
13
40
0
0
5
0
0
10
10
1
5
30
1
10
2
20
15
10
10
0
25
unsure c
5
5
10
70
10
unsure unsure
unsure unsure
unsure unsure
unsure
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
c
74
59
<1
<5
<5
c
40
0
10
25
0
0
50
10
20
0
0
1
0
*
0
Comments
 After paintings, either an undefined amount or very little conservation has been completed on
the majority of collection items. There is also no indication of how much material still needs
conservation.
41
Category 4: NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL CONSERVATION STAFF
Qu. 9
POSITION
Permanent Contract
% TOTAL FULLTIME
1999
1999
9.75
0.33
17.8
3
48.7
14.26
4
1
0.6
Unpaid
Total
1999
2.0
0.8
1999
10.8
20.8
62.96
4
2
2.4
**Project Management
**Assistant Conservator
**Intern
**Artisan/Framer
2
5.6
2
1.0
-
2
5.6
4
1.5
Total
91.85
20.19
0.5
3.3
Heads of Conservation
Senior Conservator
Conservator
Conservation scientist
Volunteer (conservator)
Volunteer (conservation
student)
2
116.06
**Additional field
Comments
 The nature of this question was to establish the level of employment, categories of
employment and projected changes.
 As many respondents could not supply all levels of information, the 1999 data is the only
fully tabulated field.
 As can be seen there were 4.5 times more permanent staff than contract staff recorded and
few voluntary staff.
 Nearly 50% of staff are working as conservators and some senior conservators are acting as
laboratory managers.
 There are 4 conservation scientists recorded in the 116 staff recorded.
 From retrospective data (1994 – 1999), there has been no real increase in conservators with
modest gains and losses in conservators across organisations, but the number of contract
conservators has clearly increased from 1994.
 In 2001 there is optimism for increased funding for numerous conservation and conservation
scientist positions and conservation staffing for 2004 could not be predicted.
Category 5: NUMBER OF PARA AND ALLIED PROFESSIONAL
CONSERVATION STAFF
Qu. 10 POSITION
Architects
Permanent Contract Unpaid Total
% TOTAL FULLTIME
1999
1999
1999
1999
0.1
0.4
0.5
42
Artist
Bookbinder
Bookbinder’s assistant
Business manager
Cabinetmaker
Conservation science
technician
Conservation technician
Designer
Engineer
Framer/mount cutter
Installers
Mechanic
Packer
Photographer
Registrar’s assistant
Security
Shipwright
Storer and handler
Technical operator
Textile assistant
Tradesperson
Volunteer (para and allied)
**Audio/video/film technician
**Sound conservator
**Diver
**Administrative Assistant
**Conservation officer
Total
4
4
1.0
1.0
1.3
21.2
0.5
3.0
3.8
0.1
1.0
1.4
1.0
22.6
1.5
3.0
4.8
1.1
1.2
4.16
1.2
0.1
7.3
1.4
19
0.2
0.05
2.0
1.0
5.0
1.4
1.3
1.0
1.0
0.2
2.0
0.8
0.3
0.2
1.2
2.0
8
0.1
0.2
1.0
69.51
28.7
1.4
6.16
2.2
5.1
8.7
1.4
21.0
1.2
0.35
1.2
2.0
8
0.1
0.2
1
99.61
** Additional field
Comments
 There are a smattering of different professions and trades allied with conservation
departments.
 They are often employed on a part-time basis, though 70% are permanent and numbers are
slowly increasing.
 The technical operator and conservation technician category reflect mainly those working
with audio-visual collections and their figures mean almost as many para and allied
professional as professional conservation staff have been recorded.
Category 6: CONSERVATION SPECIALISATION
43
Comments to Qu. 11
 This question was trying to define conservation specialisations (range and proportion of
time).
 It was answered in a variety of ways and it was not possible to make any meaningful
interpretation of the data.
44
Category 7(a): PROFESSIONAL SKILLS GAP AND DEVELOPMENT AREAS
This group of questions was to try to quantify the Skills Gap Audit draft report.
Qu. 12 Objects
SKILLS GAPS - Objects
Modern materials
Gilded objects
Ethnographic objects
Large technology
Rock Art
Technology collections
Archaeological materials
Architectural materials
Firearms
Frames
Metals
Polychrome
Scientific instrumentation
Stained glass
Stone
Wooden objects
Musical instruments
Timber
Wet organic materials
Built environment
Furniture
Natural science specimens
Sculpture
RESPONSE
PROFESSIONAL
7
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
45
Qu. 13 Paper
SKILLS GAP - Paper
Audio
Electronic records
Modern materials
Video
Photographic
Multi-media
Bookbinding
Book conservation
Film
Photo identification
Framing
Paper
**Archival paper conservation
RESPONSE
PROFESSIONAL
12
10
10
9
7
6
5
5
5
5
2
2
1
** Additional field
Qu. 14 Textiles
SKILLS GAP - Textiles
Modern materials
Framing
Objects
Textiles
RESPONSE
PROFESSIONAL
6
2
2
1
Qu. 15 Paintings
SKILLS GAP - Paintings
Modern materials
Art Conservation
Gilded objects
Framing
RESPONSE
PROFESSIONAL
4
2
2
1
Qu.16 Management
SKILLS GAP - Management
Project management
Contract management
Conservation management
RESPONSE
PROFESSIONAL
10
9
6
46
**Database development
**Professional profile raising
1
1
Qu.17 Preventive/Testing/Research
SKILLS GAP Preventative/Testing/Research
Materials testing
Technological history
Conservation science
Disaster preparedness and response
Art history
Preventative conservation
Design history
**Environmental management
**Museum building planning
RESPONSE
PROFESSIONAL
10
9
5
5
4
3
3
1
1
Comments
 These questions are self-explanatory, but conservation knowledge of modern materials and
information carriers were identified as skills gaps.
 Responses for paper, management and preventative/testing/research were strongest.
47
Category 7(b): PARAPROFESSIONAL AND ALLIED PROFESSIONAL SKILLS GAP
AND DEVELOPMENT AREAS
Qu. 12 Objects
SKILLS GAP - Objects
Modern materials
Archaeological materials
Architectural materials
Metals
Polychrome
Sculpture
Scientific instrumentation
Stained glass
Stone
Timber
Built environment
Ethnographic objects
Furniture
Frames
Firearms
Gilded objects
Musical instruments
Rock art
Technology collections
Wet organic materials
Wooden objects
Natural science specimens
Large technology
RESPONSE
PARAPROFESSIONAL /
ALLIED
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
Qu. 13 Paper
SKILLS GAP - Paper
RESPONSE
PARAPROFESSIONAL /
ALLIED
Electronic records
Audio
6
4
48
Modern materials
Photo identification
Book conservation
Film
Multi-media
Video
Bookbinding
Framing
Paper
Photographic
**Archival paper conservation
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
Qu. 14 Textiles
SKILLS GAP - Textiles
Modern materials
Framing
Objects
Textiles
RESPONSE
PARAPROFESSIONAL /
ALLIED
4
2
1
1
Qu. 15 Paintings
SKILLS GAP - Paintings
Framing
Art conservation
Modern materials
Gilded objects
RESPONSE
PARAPROFESSIONAL /
ALLIED
3
2
2
1
Qu.16 Management
SKILLS GAP - Management
Conservation management
Contract management
Project management
**Database development
**Professional profile raising
RESPONSE
PARAPROFESSIONAL /
ALLIED
2
1
1
-
Qu. 17 Preventive/Testing/Research
49
SKILLS GAP- Preventative/Testing/ RESPONSE
Research
PARAPROFESSIONAL /
ALLIED
5
Materials testing
5
Technological history
4
Conservation science
4
Preventative conservation
Disaster preparedness and response 3
1
Art history
1
Design history
**Environmental management
**Museum building planning
Comments
 Responses were generally weaker for the para and allied professional category, perhaps
implying a smaller range of work performed. Skills gaps identified were related mostly to
modern materials, electronic media and preventive conservation.
50
6. MODELS FOR SKILLS ENHANCEMENT
6.i Regional associations
The Pigott Report identified some models which were also mooted by respondents in the Skills
Gap Audit. In particular the idea of regional associations,55 which were provided with a
professional conservator or full-time consultant was seen as a model that had worked well in
many areas and needed to be extended broadly across regional Australia. This model is different
to that provided by Museums Australia as it would link across sectors to include regional
libraries, archives and historic buildings and sites.
Local government structures may provide the most effective way of developing this model. The
appointment of professional conservators to a regional area was seen as the simplest and cheapest
way to give small museums and collections sound professional advice. The formation of regional
associations would also enable streamlining of information distribution, workshop management
and provide a focus from where advice could be sought or gathered. There is often a wealth of
skills in a region, but each particular skill is only harnessed by one museum. On a regional
association model if a small town has an expert amateur restorer of leatherwork or an expert on
the history of farming machinery, their advice could be made available to the wider regional
network. The existence of such networks would also greatly facilitate and enhance data
collection and mapping exercises.
6.ii Internships
The response from the conservation profession indicated that internships are critical. This was a
broad response and mentioned in a large number of initial replies and in focus group responses.
The University of Canberra managed a postgraduate internship program with funding from the
Getty Grant Program.
This was on a matching grant basis and lasted for 5 years. Of interest, there were only a handful of
Australian institutions interested in joining the scheme, even though part of the costs were provided. At this
time only two institutions regularly offer internships in conservation. 56
The discrepancy between perceived value and need, and the actual take up by organisations needs
to be investigated.
6.iii Post-graduate and advanced courses
Staff at the University of Canberra noted:
Professional development courses can be provided on any topic providing there is sufficient interest.
However, the 5 - 12 day summer schools we run each year need at least 18 participants to be financially
viable. Many specialised areas of conservation would not get this response. 57
55
Op. Cit., ‘The Pigott Report’, 5.18, p.24.
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra.
57
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra.
56
51
Nevertheless the professional response indicated that advanced courses were required. The
Integrated Pest Management Courses run by the Australian Museum is a model that appears to
have been successful. The Paintings SIG of AICCM has recently attached advanced skills
workshops to its bi-annual symposiums. Recent workshops in infra-red imaging and lining of
paintings held at The Art Gallery of New South Wales have proved popular. The need for
scholarships to be available to enable attendance at courses overseas was also raised.
6.iv Conservation certificates, course modules and course articulation
The University of Melbourne offers a Graduate Certificate in Art Conservation Studies. This is
aimed at teachers, curators, collectors and the like who are interested in conservation, require
some in depth knowledge of preventive conservation, conservation theory and conservation
issues but who do not intend to become conservators. The development of certificate courses,
which could form modules for other qualifications, was raised by a number of respondents. The
new Cultural Heritage Course at Deakin University provides one such model.
The need to avoid duplication was raised. A number of respondents indicated that short
certificate courses with specialisation offered once every 3 - 5 years could help to fill in current
skills gaps without stretching resources.
6.v Major institutions as mentors and centres of excellence
The variations in levels of funding and support structures across sectors was recognised. For
example libraries are usually funded by the states, local government, schools etc., whereas small
museums tend to be run by volunteers with no defined sectoral funding structure. As a result the
former have better access to funding and can run ancillary programs, such a library education
activities. In addition the National Library plays an important role nationally, providing the focus
for professional development as well as program support. Many respondents suggested that the
role of major institutions around the country should be examined and some responsibility for the
development of specialised centres of expertise be given to them. The mentoring role played by
major institutions was also discussed. One suggestion was to link institutions and universities
more closely so that training done at institutions could be accredited with academic status.
6.vi Staff mobility
It was suggested by focus groups and in individual responses that staff exchanges between
institutions, states, and the public and private sector should be encouraged, and mechanisms
developed to facilitate such exchanges.
6.vii In-house conservation training
The responses to the issue of in-house conservation training varied. Many institutions noted that
in-house training was the only way many skills could be achieved, while others suggested that inhouse training was difficult, time consuming and expensive. The most favoured model was a
mix of on the job training supplemented with short courses and tiered training programs. This
issue links institutions with training providers and models for the articulation of industry and
52
education should be examined. The National Film and Sound Archives (NFSA) / University of
New South Wales Archives course was seen as a model of this type. The Canberra Institute of
Technology course was also seen as relevant.
6.viii Workshops
Continuing to develop workshop opportunities for a range of stakeholders and a range of issues
was identified as being extremely important, especially in relation to paraprofessional training.
A workshop program for our Museum volunteer where they received training and ongoing
supervision from a textile conservator has made possible some very good work on
conserving our textile collection at minimal cost. Perhaps this is a suitable and realistic model. 58
The use of ReCollections as a workshop resource was considered important. Topics for
workshops are contained within Appendix 3 which lists the range of skills development
mentioned during this survey. Identifying people in the country who have developed particular
skills to a high level and encouraging them to conduct more workshops on particular techniques
was also mentioned as an important initiative.
6.ix Cross professional/cross discipline training
The cross sectoral and cross discipline nature of much conservation work was a common theme.
A number of ideas were put forward including suggestions that:



trades people could have introductory conservation courses made available to them rather
than trying to give conservators trade skills;
accredited certificates be offered for short courses that extend a conservators knowledge in
ancillary areas such as environmental control or skills such as millinery; and
accredited certificates be offered to non-conservators to extend their knowledge of
conservation standards and acknowledge their expertise in relation to specific conservation
parameters.
6.x Web based skills enhancement
The use of web based facilities and the internet to provide skills enhancement was a popular
response. Web based delivery is being provided by education institutions in the development and
assessment of accredited courses. It was considered that databases and contact lists were usefully
accessed through the web and that on-line discussion forums should be developed. The OZCON
site was noted as relevant and it was felt that this could be developed further to provide specific
advice. The web was considered an excellent delivery mechanism for areas where information is
not freely available or where information on specific issues may be needed such as electronic and
magnetic media or disaster recovery.
6.xi Distance education
58
Op. Cit., Response from Brian Shepherd.
53
Responses from Western Australia (from professional conservators, collections managers and
educational institutions) and from small museums generally noted the need for distance education
opportunities. The fact that professional training in conservation was delivered from a few
centres was noted. The issue of delivery of distance education opportunities and its links to
issues of web based skills enhancement was raised by a number of focus groups.
6.xii Technician level training
The Canberra Institute of Technology course which has been training conservation technicians in
Canberra since 1994 was considered by a number of respondents to be very successful. The
response from the University of Western Sydney noted that there was no articulation of
conservation training between TAFE and universities and that this had an effect on the kinds of
conservation skills that were currently being developed within the tertiary sector.
6.xiii Triage training
A possible partial solution to [the problem of having a large demand and limited supply] which may
warrant some discussion is more emphasis on triage training so that highly trained (and therefore
expensive) conservators can quickly determine tasks that can be performed by paraprofessionals so
that the conservation dollar can be more effectively spent for the benefit of collections. This would
avoid the situation where I am paying $X an hour for a textile conservator to vacuum clean curtains
and the same hourly rate for painstaking highly skilled repairs … The important thing is being able
to offer the customers variable choices to suit their range of needs. 59
There was broad agreement in the focus groups that a flexible approach was needed for training
with cooperation between training institutions to establish such things as recognition of training
at other institutions (or even partnerships between institutions), and the ability to gain
qualifications from courses taken over various fields. It was also noted that flexibility in training
requires accreditation by an external body.
6.xiv Training generally
It was felt that a useful model would be to define two paths to conservation. Firstly, the general
three year course with further specialisation; and secondly, for those who come from craft,
industry or other professional backgrounds further study in conservation to integrate both areas of
expertise. Theory components could be taught as correspondence courses where needed with
some face to face contact periods. Increased practical training was seen as important and it was
suggested formal relationships be formed between training centres and conservation labs. The
University of Canberra noted that students wishing to specialise in large technological objects
have done this through special arrangements with the Australian War Memorial (AWM) with the
unit taken there rather than at the University of Canberra.
The response from the University of Western Sydney noted that:
At its base the conservation profession is extremely broad. However, the academic background of those
entering as professional-level conservators has until recently been restricted to those with sufficient funds to
59
Op. cit., Response from Alan Smith.
54
move to Canberra and support themselves for three years. This situation has created an extremely narrow
educational base for the profession and contributed to a skills-gap between those with high degrees of craft
skills and those with professional-level qualifications.60
The response from the South Australia Focus Group noted that:



there is a plethora of needs;
training providers do not have the ability to address all of these needs in the current
training system;
there needs to be a new training model based on a multiplicity of needs, which is flexible,
more theory based and industry need to become pro-active with real
interaction/partnership between industry and training providers.
It was suggested that a list of all the regularly available conservation training courses be
included on the AICCM Web site for the information of those inside and outside the
AICCM membership.
6.xv Visiting scholar schemes
A number of visiting scholar schemes, such as that run by the British Council, are
available to bring international experts to Australia. The University of Canberra managed
Dr Lorraine Gibson’s visit, which provided workshops on pollution and environmental
control, with such a scheme. The AICCM has used visiting scholar schemes to provide
workshops on fibre identification and pigment identification.
6.xvi Accreditation
The issue of accreditation was raised in a number of responses. Accreditation was seen as
important for:




training courses and training providers;
conservators;
other professionals who work on cultural material who are not conservators but who
claim some conservation expertise or ability (such as framers);
non-conservation professionals who want to increase their knowledge of conservation in
order to expand their skills base but who will not claim specific conservation expertise
(such as art couriers).
The National Film and Sound Archives felt that there was the need to provide complimentary
training within the industry to produce a wider skills base.
There may be a clear need for places like Australian Film Television and Radio School
to place some emphasis on the cultural and historical aspects of the otherwise technical
training offered. It is also worth considering providing media specific technical training
to the students of the conservation course at the University of Canberra. Each stream will
produce a different mix of expertise and will appeal to a slightly different student. Both of
60
Op. cit., Response from Richard Thomas.
55
theses streams would then have the potential to provide the Archive with valuable staff members.
Presently, it is difficult for prospective employees to gain entry to an institution such as
the National Film and Sound Archives as there is no specific course relating to the more
technical aspects of the work performed in an archival situation.
In summary















Regional association models can provide a focus for accessing expertise within a region, for
making advice available to a wider regional network and facilitating and enhancing data
collection and mapping exercises. There are a number of regional models which should be
explored.
The response indicated that internships are critical. The actual number of internships being
supported by institutions is extremely low. The discrepancy between perceived value and
need and actual take needs to be investigated.
Advanced courses were considered important for professional development. Topics and
viability of delivery need to be investigated.
Short certificate courses with specialisation offered once every 3 – 5 years could help to fill in
current skills gaps without stretching resources.
Many major institutions have a stated function as mentors to smaller organisations. Examine
those which have charters to support small and regional museums.
Develop centres of excellence from existing bases of professional strength.
Staff mobility should be encouraged, including between the public and private sector, and
mechanisms need to be developed to facilitate such exchanges.
In-house training is an important component of skills development.
There needs to be an overview of short courses, outlining information such as their duration,
level, and recognition of qualifications.
Workshop development and delivery needs to be a sustained activity. Appendix 3: The
Skills identifies some areas for workshop development. Workshops were considered
particularly important for paraprofessional and volunteer training.
For the development of higher level of professional skills it is considered worthwhile to
identify people in the country who have developed particular skills and encourage them to
conduct more workshops on particular technique.
In a number of scenarios it makes more sense to provide trades people with introductory
conservation courses rather than try to give conservators trade skills.
Accredited certificates provide an acknowledgment of skills development and enhancement
and should be offered as short courses that extend a conservators knowledge in ancillary areas
such as environmental control or skills such as millinery. They should also be offered to for
non-conservators who can extend their knowledge of conservation standards and context.
Distance education was considered a critical delivery mechanism by professional
conservators, collections managers and educational institutions working in regional areas or
with regional collections.
Technician training was considered very useful and the Canberra Institute of Technology
course was considered a good model.
56





The articulation of conservation training between TAFE and universities was important in
developing a broader conservation skills base.
Utilising various training methods and standards for professional development requires
accreditation by an external body.
Visiting scholar schemes provide an important forum for professional development.
An overview of existing courses needs to take place so that duplication of services is avoided
and streamlining of delivery is maintained.
A list of regularly available conservation training courses be included on the AICCM web
site.
57
7. FUNDING STRUCTURES AND FUND DELIVERY MECHANISMS
A number of organisations provide funds for work on Australian heritage collections. They
include:
















Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Commission (ATSIC) (various grants)
Australian National Maritime Museum (Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support
Scheme)
Australian Research Council
Australian Heritage Commission
Australian Museums on Line (AMOL Collection Documentation Grants Program)
Australia Council (various grants)
CSIRO
National and State Museums
National Library of Australia
State Heritage Bodies, such as Heritage Victoria, Historic Houses Trust, etc.
National Trust of Australia
Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies
Various State Government granting programs including funding programs as diverse as the
NSW Ageing and Disability Department’s Seniors Week Grants and the Museums and
Galleries Foundation of NSW Volunteer Initiated Museums Grants Program.
Financial Institutions such as the National Australia Bank Community Link, and the Westpace
Bank Matching gifts program
Heritage Collections Council
Various Philanthropic Foundations and Trusts such as ANZ Foundation, Australian
Multiculturalism Foundation, George Alexander Foundation, Gordon Darling Foundation and
Ian Potter Foundation.
There is, however, no one overarching organisation with a specific brief to secure and distribute
funds for the conservation of cultural material. The Pigott Report recommended the
establishment of an Australian Museums Commission. One of the roles would have been:
To advise the Minister on Australian Government funds necessary to improve the standards of
museums in Australia. 61
In addition, the Commission would have been in a position to coordinate activities and therefore
develop integrated planning for the development and use of funds. Such activities would have
included the following:
To advise the Minister on action necessary to develop, conserve and coordinate collections
of national significance, with particular reference to those collections which record the
history and culture of Australia and its natural environment.
To encourage and promote coordination in research activities on existing collections of
national significance.
61
Op. cit., The Pigott Report, 10.5, 58-59.
58
To arrange technical advice and assistance for authorities responsible for collections of
national significance.
To ... consult, as necessary, with State, local government and other authorities or persons
responsible for the collections concerned.62
Over thirty years on there is still a professional appeal to this proposal.
The results of this Audit highlight the need for a more comprehensive, cross-sectoral and
integrated approach to skills development for conservation and preservation of cultural material.
Very few of the issues raised in this survey can be dealt with without an increased funding base.
As identified in this Audit many of the areas where skills development is required are areas that
are poorly resourced, such as small regional collections or where funding is tenuous such as the
private conservation industry. In terms of the Distributed National Collection, however, there are
important risk management implications in ensuring that a solid conservation and preservation
skills base underwrites the management and treatment of cultural material. There are also
important economic implications in developing a high level skills base in conservation and
preservation. Best museum practice is already an export commodity in Australia and underpins a
number of Memorandum of Understanding’s (MOU) between State and overseas Government
and individual institutions.63 The National Conservation and Preservation Policy is one of the few
national documents of its kind, and its value in the region should be acknowledged and
developed.
Recently Victoria enacted legislation which obliged developers of archaeological sites to fund the
conservation of retrieved artefacts. Heritage Victoria manages this program, and undertakes the
conservation. This model provides a useful partnership between government and the private
sector and develops skills in the conservation of land archaeological artefacts.
Skills development is not a luxury. It is an essential part of proper management of Australia’s
patrimony.
Respondents across the board identified the lack of funds as a major impediment. Restructuring
some skills development models to make delivery easier and more affordable will assist. Money,
however, does need to be targetted towards skills development. Most of the organisations listed
above provide funds for projects rather than professional development and few of the models that
are indicated as being useful would fit easily into these funding structures.
62
Op. cit., The Pigott Report, 10.5, 58-59.
The Cultural MOU between Arts Victoria and the National Arts Council in Singapore is one such example.
Institution to institution MOU’s exist between universities and other cultural institutions. The recent AusHeritage
work with ASEAN-COCI is another example.
63
59
8. RECOMMENDATIONS
8.i Statistics and definitions





While skills gaps can be identified the need gap is less easily addressed. A strategy for
identifying the needs gap and assessing movement in trends relating to needs gaps should be
developed.
List all conservation courses in the country and develop a mechanism for updating the listing.
Develop standards to define conservation roles especially Conservator and Technician, and to
identify suitable conservation expertise in allied industries, such as framing, dry cleaning, art
transit and the like.
Identify mechanisms for updating of statistics relating to skills gaps, current resources (staff
and facilities) and funding bases.
Align current AICCM accreditation to the Code of Practice.
8.ii Funding







Investigate funding models (such as the Lotteries Commission in Western Australia) for
conservation.
AICCM to prioritise fund raising for internships, travel grants etc., and to develop a
mechanism for delivery.
Identify grants available for specific short term training or workshop attendance (both local
and overseas) with mechanisms for ensuring the information is passed on at delegate’s return.
Funding would cover not only the costs of travel and training, but also the costs of running
post-attendance workshops.
Ensure ongoing professional development for conservators either by provision of grants to
attend training courses or funding organisations such as AICCM, Museum Australia or Art on
the Move to bring in expertise for workshops.
Prioritise funding for conservators from the more distant parts of Australia, such as Darwin,
Hobart, Perth at interstate/international workshops.
Employ a central fund for conservation interns, ‘while most institutions would take interns
few have discretionary salary money in the current environment’.
Examine the issue of private conservators being unable to financially commit to extended
professional development.
8.iii Training organisations/professional bodies



Encourage AICCM to provide an officer dedicated to developing training programs and to
undertake fundraising, skills development program coordination, active data collection and
industry input into curriculum development.
Encourage SIGS groups of AICCM to take special responsibility for identifying the needs in
their area and advising National Council for such needs so that they are then able to explore
methods for determining appropriate action.
Identify existing centres of excellence and engage them in program development.
60



Provide training in areas of conservation/preservation assessment for all levels of practitioner
and promote strategic regional assessment. ‘Until we know the scale and scope of the
conservation needs for the State it will be difficult to mount a case for additional staffing,
grant funding, regional centres’.
Establish and industry committee to examine current training and make
recommendations/assist with development where appropriate.
Accreditation needs to be established for training providers, centres of excellence, and
individual conservators.
8.iv Training models and professional development




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
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
Encourage the development of web based technologies in conservation program delivery.
Identify mechanisms for strategic master class development around the country.
Link centres of excellence within major institutions with tertiary institutions, by linking
accreditation of courses, development of adjunct teaching position etc.
Initiate a new training model based on a multiplicity of needs, which is flexible, more theory
based with real partnership links to industry.
Examine module based learning initiatives, especially models where units could be accredited
and run as summer school, short course or distance education classes.
Develop strategies for overseas training in areas where skills development is difficult to
obtain in Australia.
Develop a range of summer school programs negotiated between AICCM and training
providers.
Develop a chat page where regional and local museums could post their enquiries and where
conservation professionals and allied professionals could raise and discuss issues.
Organise a workshop retreat for staff from relevant training institutions to discuss the skill
gaps and examine how these can be realistically met. Participants should be invited from the
University of Canberra, the University of New South Wales, NFSA, CIT, the University of
Western Sydney, The University of Melbourne, and representatives from AICCM plus any
other interested parties. Funding may be required for this.
Prioritise areas where skills building is required, then develop Postgraduate Diploma short
courses (12 months) and Graduate Certificates (1 - 2 months) and identify relevant funding
mechanisms.
Identify postgraduate courses that can be taken through a number of external short courses
modules.
Identify short courses of 5 – 12 days duration which could be offered on regular basis,
organised perhaps by AICCM, Museums Australia or relevant sponsoring organisation, with
arrangements for a person to organise them and for them to be run on a full cost recovery
basis.
Identify how other professions deal with lack of career paths, such as teachers, and develop a
model of career development for conservators that does not involve denying treatment skills
in promotion.
Consider the development of apprenticeship type training in some areas where staff work in
institutions and attend accredited courses.
Actively seek increased industry involvement in shaping training programs.
61




Undertake a more detailed needs analysis which examines issues relating to paraprofessionals
and associated professional overlap with conservation.
Examine graduate level training needs as the most appropriate model for conservation
training.
Provide support for senior conservators to hold master classes or some other mechanisms for
passing on their skills.
Management training and business management represent important training for skills
enhancement for conservators.
8.v Strategic partnerships






Ensure the development of regional areas/associations to ensure identified expertise is
covered within region.
Develop advisory services. State institutions may need to be provided with funds to support
their involvement in a nation wide network of advice.
Encourage regional and local museums to hold listings of accredited people/service providers
with conservation, curatorial, collections management and craft skills.
Encourage close network opportunities between associated professions and establish cross
functional mechanisms (such as forming teams) to increase conservation training
opportunities and awareness.
Encourage Special Interest Groups of AICCM to identify needs in their area of specialisation
and develop planning and programming mechanisms to deal with these.
Support staff exchange and cross institutional mentoring.
8.vi Allied professions






Develop training models that will provide a conservation context for non-conservators who
are involved in conservation programs.
Develop some form of ‘accreditation’ for associated professionals who are involved in
aspects of the movable cultural material in order to support and improve industry standards,
for example, for drycleaners, framers, art movers, mannequin makers and the like.
Provide a conservation context for those engaged in conservation practice but without
conservation training, through the development of standards and guidelines. This will enable
those employing allied professionals to assess their conservation understanding and will assist
those from allied professions working in the field to frame a conservation context for their
work.
Attach installation staff and other handlers to conservation departments rather than
registration departments or provide specific training by the conservation department in order
to develop their conservation knowledge and to ensure uniform standards in handling and
installation.
Provide short courses or seminar type training for allied professionals who deal with heritage
items including framers and dry cleaners, and provide them with acknowledgment of
completion such as a certificate or stamp.
Explore cross professional/discipline training (also augmented by suggestions that trades
people could have introductory conservation courses made available to them, rather than
trying to give conservators trade skills).
62







Encourage web based training supplemented by an institution based practical program to
allow greater access to training and skills enhancement.
Promote staff mobility (such as exchanges) between institutions, states and public and private
sector.
Encourage established professionals to conduct more workshops on particular techniques.
Include all regularly available conservation training courses on the AICCM web site for the
information of those inside and outside the AICCM membership.
Identify core disciplines such as textiles and ensure efforts are made to accommodate such
training within tertiary institutions.
Develop close associations with associated professionals and provide conservation training
for paraprofessionals and allied professionals or form teams to bridge the gaps.
Provide seminars and workshops with specialists such as air conditioning engineers in order
for conservators to keep up to date with new technologies that affect environmental and
preventive issues.
8.vii Regional Australia








Develop a decentralised model for program delivery which operates around centres of
excellence.
Develop a directory of conservation services and facilities across regions.
Lobby for a more coordinated response from government in activities, programs and funding.
Evaluate current programs in cultural heritage program delivery and determine successful
models.
Promote ReCollections as a resource package for small museums.
Identify which services are required to support Distributed National Collection, and whether
or not there are conservators in the area.
Support regional conservation services or travelling conservators which are required to
provide both expertise and training for regional areas.
Train conservators to meet the special needs associated with regional situations, such as
preventive conservation specialisation.
63
APPENDIX 1: BACKGROUND
In November 1975 the Committee of Inquiry on Museums and National Collections delivered its
report, now commonly referred to as The Pigott Report.64
The terms of reference most relevant to this current Audit were:
(iii) in relation to theAustralian Government’s direct field of responsibility and interest, to
recommend measures which should be taken in the immediate future to:
(a) improve collections and conservation facilities for national material, with particular attention
to research needs and training;
(b) ensure effective co-ordination of the Australian Government's activities in this field;
(iv) to recommend in the longer-term measures in the field of museums and collections, with
particular attention to the Australian Government's role in relation to state, local government,
and institutional authorities.
The Committee sought information by 'inviting interested organisations, persons and
groups to make written submissions’ and more than 400 written submissions were
received.
The Committee also visited major State Museums and engaged consultants to selectively survey
regional museums. Four Committee members travelled overseas, one of their main objectives
being:
To obtain first-hand knowledge about facilities for the conservation of collections, and
arrangements for the training of conservators.
The major recommendations of the Committee included a suggestion that they:
divide museums into the categories of major museums, associated museums and local museums, with local
museums forming regional networks or associations [so that] government support can be given most
efficiently.
This model has often been raised in this Skills Gap Audit as a means of consolidating and
extending existing strength, and growing new ones.
The Report noted the lack of conservation training in the country and Recommendation 2.10
called for:
the establishing of a post-graduate course to train professional conservators at a degree-granting
institution, a system of training technical staff for museums on a apprenticeship basis, and
special training programs in those aspects of Australian social, economic and technological
history which are increasingly central to museum collections and displays.
64
Op. cit., ‘The Pigott Report’.
64
The establishment of the then Canberra College of Advanced Education’s Associate Diploma and
Master Courses in Applied Science (Materials Conservation) were the direct result of this
recommendation.
In Chapter 4 under the heading Preservation is Vital the Pigott Report notes the following areas
of concern:






lack of adequate storage areas (4.3)
poor security (4.4)
lack of training in handling and storing objects (4.5)
inappropriate and poor environments (4.5)
lack of facilities and skills to 'arrest or repair damage' to collections of Aboriginal material
(4.6)
lack of public concern, lack of money and lack of trained staff capable of undertaking
conservation treatment (4.7)65
Twenty five years on these issues were still raised during this Skills Gap Audit.
The University of Canberra (the Canberra College of Advanced Education) undertook a survey of
conservation staffing needs in 1988. This survey was undertaken ten years after the Materials
Conservation course was established in Canberra and indicated a slowing in the projected rate of
new conservation positions being established. Since 1988 however recent graduates still manage
to have a high employment rate, although the job structures have changed from permanent full
time positions to short term contract positions.
In August 1990 The University of Canberra circulated a questionnaire seeking information on
professional development requirements to each member of the AICCM. Approximately six
hundred questionnaires were mailed and 105 returned. The respondents identified the following
as the most important areas requiring professional development workshops.
Paper conservation
102
Paintings conservation
Conservation management
62
Photographic conservation
38
Textile conservation
35
Ethnographic conservation
32
Running a business
25
Modern materials
22
Books and book binding
21
Wood
19
Storage
16
Library and archival management 16
Parchment, vellum and leather
conservation
16
65
79
Composite artefacts including
waterlogged materials
Basic analytical techniques
Computer programs for conservation
Conservation chemistry
Exhibitions
Technological collections
Identification of fibres
Painted and composite metals
Disaster planning
Picture frames
Film, sound and electronic records
preservation
Reprography
8
7
7
6
6
6
6
5
5
4
4
4
Ibid., 8-9.
65
Preventive conservation
Teaching conservation principles to
non-conservators
Metals
Archaeological conservation
Identification of dyes
Conservation materials
Outdoor sculpture
Everything
Planning for scientific investigation
Natural history collections
15
15
12
12
11
10
10
9
8
8
Packing and transport
4
Furniture conservation
Stone
3
Building materials
3
Waterlogged wood
2
Graffiti removal from rock art
Collection surveys
1
Electrochemical principles & practices 1
Stained glass
1
Ceramics
1
4
2
Heritage Collections In Australia was commissioned by the Heritage Collections Working Group
in 1991 to enquire into the nature and distribution of Australia's heritage collections and the
extent of access to them. 66
The principal findings constitute something of a needs assessment and included the following:
1. Heritage collections of national significance are widely dispersed ... the bulk of the nation's
material heritage is held in the major state museums. Individual collections and particular
objects of great significance are also held in regional and local museums.
2. Some of the most significant (and some of the most fragile) material is held by state
institutions which lack the resources to give it adequate care.
3. All major museums now employ conservators, but the gains have been patchy. In most
museums too few conservators grapple with an impossible task, which grows increasingly
difficult as collections age.
4. Conservation resources have not always been allocated to the areas of greatest need.
Ethnographic collections and significant natural history collections are probably at greatest risk
overall. Storage conditions in some institutions are sub-standard. There are relatively few
ethnographic conservators and almost no conservators specialising in natural history collections.
5. Museum collections in Australia include an estimated 41 million objects or specimens, the
vast majority of which (35m.) are natural science specimens. However many of these are bulk
specimen…... Excluding bulk material Australia's heritage collections comprise an estimated
10 million objects/specimens.
6. Collections of Aboriginal ethnography deserve particular attention...these fragile collections
constitute almost the entire direct evidence of cultures which until recently left no written
record.
7. Historical collections are also very sparse. Major museums include only some 200,000
artefacts with which to document Australia's post-settlement peacetime history. Such evidence
is fast disappearing.
13. Regional art museums [all] report problems with resources, especially in terms of
conservation.
14. Alongside the larger regional museums, Australia has approximately 1,800 local museums,
most run by volunteers ... Very few employ professional curatorial staff … none employs a
conservator. 67
66
67
Op. cit., Anderson.
Ibid., 4-6.
66
In 1994 The University of Canberra held a workshop Conservation Training - Future Strategies.
This workshop was attended by managers from a range of sectors including library, archives and
museums. The aim of the workshop was to inform course developers on industry needs and to
provide an opportunity for managers to meet and discuss training issues.
In 1993 the library sector produced its review document Towards Federation. This document
summarised a series of forums held by the Library culminating in a Summit. The document
listed recommendations based on data that had been collected for the Summit.
Under ‘Preferred Outcomes – Preservation’ the report noted:
15. That each institution be encouraged to develop a preservation policy document and related
conservation priorities
16. That the establishment of a TAFE level course for conservation technicians be supported .68
In the final paper ‘Preservation – The Key Issues’ it was noted that:
There is a lack of adequate preservation education for librarians and conservators. This
deficiency, which exists at the undergraduate, graduate and continuing education levels, needs
to be addressed.69
It also noted that in 1993 the Australian Libraries Summit concerning preservation recommended
that the:
ACLIS and ALIA discuss with relevant academic institutions and professional organisations the need
for trained staff in the following areas:
1.Technical - conservation assistants.
2.Scientific - graduate scientists with conservation expertise.
3.General Library Staff - awareness and basic competence.
4.
Librarians - continuing education courses and options in coursework for professional
qualifications
5.Research scientists for unsolved problems.
Organisation:
ACLIS/ALIA
Deadline:
2-3 years
Priority:
Medium
and that by 1993:
some preliminary discussions have taken place and some training programs have been established in
higher education institutions.
In 1996 a survey published as Cinderalla Collections was undertaken by the state of University
Collections. Published in 1998, 70 the final report noted that in general, within university
collections:

little conservation was carried out;
68
Ibid., 175.
Ibid., 272.
70
Transforming Cinderalla Collections: The Management and Conservation of Australian University Museums,
Collections and Herbaria, The Report of the DCA/AV-CC University Museums Project Committee, 1998, 47.
69
67



there was inadequate understanding of the causes of deterioration of collection materials;
preventive conservation measures such as control of temperature, relative humidity, light levels and air
pollution were insufficiently practised; and
there were poor storage and display facilities.
Environmental Indicators, 71 a report prepared for the Australian Heritage Commission on the
establishment of relevant indicators, identified conservation as a key indicator, proposing to show
the availability of trained conservation practitioners and conservation training courses on a
national scale by measuring the number of:


trained conservation practitioners;
conservation training courses; and
 total conservation training course completions relevant to the natural, indigenous and historic
environments, as well as to heritage objects.
This data may indicate a different emphasis on the fields as it is being commissioned by the
heritage sector and may include many of the burgeoning heritage courses being developed in the
country.
The programs of the Heritage Collections Council and its predecessor the Heritage Collections
Council have provided the key focus for conservation skills development in Australia over the
past five years. In 1995 the then Conservation Working Party supported the National
Conservation Program in the development of a series of conservation workshops. These
provided a critical focus for skills enhancement and were extremely useful in identifying areas
where further development could take place. The publication and distribution of ReCollections
has been one of the most significant tools developed to support conservation skills development
in this country and its launch in 1999 was extremely well received. Sustainability for initiatives
such as this need to be explored. The success of future programs of the Heritage Collections
Council are critical in supporting the momentum developed over the past five years.
Statistics
Statistics relating to movable cultural heritage and the conservation sector are various and often
differentially defined. For example in 1975 the Pigott Report noted that 'nobody knew how many
museums existed in Australia'.
There is no register of museums and no statistician has tried to list or count the museums operating in
Australia today. We estimate that more than 1000 institutions call themselves museums, even if only
part of their premises are given over to museum activities.72
The Pigott Report also noted that:
Of the 23 museums visited in the Albury-Wodonga district, eight are owned privately, six are owned
by local government authorities, four are owned by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), two are
owned by a combination of historical societies and local government, and one belongs to the
71
Environmental Indicators for National State of the Environment Reporting Natural and Cultural Heritage,
Environment Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, 1998.
72
‘The Pigott Report’, 5.1, 19.
68
Government of New South Wales. All but two museums in this region have been opened since 1960.
With such a variety of sponsors, financiers and supporters, these museums would not fit easily into any
national plan of assistance.73
In 1991 the Anderson Report noted over 1800 small museums in Australia. These figures do not
account for libraries, archives, historic houses and sites, and archaeological deposits (including
marine deposits). Anderson also noted the Australian Museum alone has 33,470 types of
specimens in its collection.74
In the Library/Archives sector in 1975 the Pigott report notes the following holdings:75







In the National Library there are 1,439,976 volumes; 283,172 maps; 139,160 photographs;
72,662 periodicals, newspapers and serials; 1,550 running metres of manuscripts; and 17,887
music scores.
The Australian Archives hold some 500,000 shelf feet of records, including 200,000 feet of
files, manuscripts, registers, cards, books, maps, plans, models, films, paintings, photographs,
recordings, microfilms and tapes.
The Australian Broadcasting Commission hold approximately 750 items which include
wireless receivers, a pedal transmitter/receiver, early gramophones; microphones; recorders;
valves and other sundry items.
At the Australian Postal and Telecommunications Commissions material covers plans and
drawings, telegraph equipment, research laboratory equipment, documents and Australian and
foreign stamps.
At the Australian War Memorial there are 12,000 art works; 40,000 relics; 10,000 maps;
240,000 photographs; 1,220,000 metres of line film and large collections of periodicals,
newspapers, sheet music, sound recordings and press cuttings.
The Bureau of Mineral Resources hold 200,000 specimens in both the rock and fossil
collections and 25,000 specimens in the collections of minerals, gems and other pieces of
historical, research and educational significance; and models, dioramas and other visual aids
to geographical education.
Within CSIRO, the Division of Entomology - Australian National Insect Collection includes
over 640,000 specimens; the Division of Building Research holds 13,000 examples of wood
and wood fungi; and in the Division of Plant Industry about 280,000 specimens are held in
the Herbarium Australiense, to name but a few.
In Towards Federation 2001, the Final Report of a national conference on access to Australia's
recorded documentary heritage, the Working Paper on Cartographic Materials noted that:
in 1974 a survey revealed over 150 institutions, both government and private, maintained a collection
of cartographic materials. Many acted as working collections ... a growing number of local libraries
and historical societies maintain cartographic collections unique to their area. Consequently, no one
institution has overall responsibility for collecting Australia's cartographic heritage and, more
significantly, cannot expect to do so.76
73
Op. cit., Anderson, 5.16, 23.
Op. cit. Anderson, 31.
75
Op. cit., ‘The Pigott Report’, 48-51.
76
Op. cit., Towards Federation 2001, 137-138.
74
69
Under the section Preservation and Cartographic Materials Issues 2. it was noted:
Managers of some collections lack awareness of proper preservation management techniques
77
and that this was often aggravated by inadequate storage facilities.
In relation to Australian film making Working Paper 3 notes:
In nearly a century, the industry has produced tens of thousands of films … the survival rate of pre1930 productions is a mere 5%.78
The model suggested to assist with the preservation of film and sound archives was:
a cooperative model ...[which would] ...involve the financial support and data input of a range of
institutions, associations and commercial organisation … which are currently producing independent parts
of a theoretical whole79
This approach has informed the development of the University of Sydney/NFSA training course
in film and sound archives preservation.
The Pigott Report noted:
Australia has less than ten conservators who could be considered to be professionally trained, and their
present backlog of work has been estimated at thousands of man-years. The conservator of the
National Library estimates that his task alone requires 750 man-years.80
Anderson noted the following conservation staff indicating levels for 1991: 81
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Australian Museum
Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian War Memorial
History Trust South Australia
Museum Applied Arts and Science
Museum of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
National Museum of Australia
Port Arthur
Queensland Art Gallery
Queensland Museum
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
4.6
7
5
22.5
*
24
11
10
5
0.5
3
3
5.5
77
Ibid., 141.
Ibid., 147.
79
Ibid.,.151.
80
Op. cit., ‘The Pigott Report’, 11.3, 63.
81
Table III. 67
78
70
South Australia Museum
Tasmania Museum and Art Gallery
Western Australia Museum
* Access to State Conservation Centre
*
2
11
In 1999 the picture is as follows:
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Australian Museum
Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian War Memorial
History Trust South Australia
Museum Applied Arts and Science
Museum of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
National Museum of Australia
Port Arthur
Queensland Art Gallery
Queensland Museum
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
South Australia Museum
Tasmania Museum and Art Gallery
Western Australia Museum
* Access to State Conservation Centre
3
6.2
6.8
26
*
26
13
19
14
0
4.2
5
7
*
2.4
11.2
With regard to archives, Towards Federation 2001 noted:
Interim statistical information gathered, and analysed, by the Australian Council of Archives from 27
responding institutions for the 1990 reporting year, indicated that they held 289,553 shelf metres of
archives, had 850.6 permanent staff position filled and spend $39.5 million. [However these figures]
are not entirely pertinent to a consideration of private archives and manuscripts for two reasons archives as a whole are under-enumerated in the statistical survey and the survey information is largely
derived from government or official archives.82
The section on Manuscripts and Private Archival Records also noted that:
Several institutions have inadequate resources and therefore cannot afford professional conservation
advice nor can they take preservation action; There can be problems in the availability of accessibility
of conservators or conservation services especially outside major metropolitan areas [an allied
observation is that conservation education remains focussed on item level treatment rather than
collection level treatment and that conservation education is focussed on the training of professional
conservators and could be expanded to train conservation technicians or para -professionals].83
In October 1996 the National Conservation Strategy Forum was held and a range of papers
published. These provide a critical summation of the state of the industry in 1996. In her paper
82
83
Op. cit., Towards Federation 2001, 171.
Ibid., 174.
71
Kate Cowie 84 noted that the ABS Census identified 870 conservators in Australia using the
Australian Bureau of Statistics' ASCO Occupation Definition of a conservator, which is as
follows:
2999-11 CONSERVATOR
Plans and organises the conservation of materials and objects in libraries, archives, museums or art
galleries.
Skill Level
Education: 3 year degree or 2 year associate diploma. 85
Cowie also noted that of the 1996 AICCM membership list, the 456 members included 49
Australian institution members, 91 overseas members and around 300 individual Australian
members. Of the 300 individual Australian members 250 identify primarily as conservators.
The AICCM membership lists 540 members in October 1999. Kate Cowie noted conservators in
large public institutions are less likely to be paid up members of AICCM, using their organisation
institutional membership to access AICCM information.
Conservator by Speciality
Specialisation
Accredited
Antarctic heritage
Archaeological materials
Architectural materials
Books
Conservation framing
Ceramics and glass
Conservation science
Disaster preparedness & response
Ethnographic objects
Frames
Furniture
Gilded objects
Historic objects
Metals
Management
Objects
Paper
Preventive conservation
Photographic materials
Paintings
Rock art
0
2
1
3
1
0
0
1
4
2
1
2
1
3
2
5
10
4
1
2
0
84
85
Non-Accredited Total
Conservators
11
11
16
18
9
10
25
28
26
27
6
6
23
23
13
14
10
14
16
18
5
6
7
9
16
17
1
4
3
5
10
15
11
21
42
46
22
23
6
8
2
2
Op. cit., Cowie.
Kate Cowie, Appendix A, 26.
72
Sculpture
Synthetic materials
Technological collections
Textiles
Wooden objects
Wet organic materials
TOTAL
5
0
1
2
2
0
55
In addition,
* Professionally accredited conservators
*Non-conservator members of AICCM
9
15
5
3
5
2
319
14
15
6
5
7
2
374
31
171
Kate Cowie also noted a predominance of AICCM membership in NSW (30%), Victoria (23%)
and ACT (20%), with most private conservators operating in NSW (44%), Victoria (30%) and
Western Australia (13%). Her paper also includes data on the Field of Expertise in Private Sector
Conservators (refer Table Four) and Generic Conservation Capacity in States-Territories (refer
Table Six).
Skills gaps are directly related to the availability of high quality conservation facilities. As
Cowie points out:
High quality conservation and preservation facilities outside capital cities are rare. Expertise is also rare, as
few private conservators are based in regional areas … virtually no regional centres have dedicated
conservation and preservation facilities.86
Cowie notes (refer Table Eight) that in 1996 there was virtually no public access to professional
awareness and short courses in Darwin and Hobart and no availability of professional training in
Darwin, Hobart, Launceston and regional centres (such as Ballarat and Newcastle). In addition
there was virtually no private sector conservation capacity in Darwin, Hobart, Townsville87, and
Launceston.
The material presented here is predominantly library and museums based. There is, however, also
a wide range of information available on the heritage and archaeological sector and other sectors
such as folk-life and community material, and material in private collections. It would require
another consultancy to deal with all this information, but may be a worthwhile exercise at a later
stage.
86
87
Op. cit., Cowie, 12.
The situation in Hobart has changed since 1996.
73
APPENDIX 2: METHODOLOGY
The aim of the Skills Gap Audit was to identify skills gaps in areas of specialist conservation and
preservation skills. The range and complexity covered by the sectors which involve the use and
development of conservation skills required a broad approach. In 1988 the University of
Canberra had undertaken a survey of future conservation positions. This survey identified a
range of institutional skills. However a survey of existing institutional skills and an extrapolation
from these would not grab data that reflected the diverse needs and diversity in sectors that are
involved in conservation skills development. This study therefore was developed in order to not
only gather statistical data but to provide a context in which this data could be assessed.
While the contract for this Audit was provided to the AICCM it was considered that the project
would need to be broad in order to scope areas where professional conservators were not active,
but where conservation skills were required. As most working conservator members of AICCM
either were trained at the University of Canberra, or work in large institutions, or both, a survey
of AICCM members and institutional needs was considered to be too self-referential to be
meaningful.
After discussions with ABS the following points were determined:
1. The completion of a broad scoping survey was required to give an idea of whether issues are
universally coherent and understood across the sectors. As most trained conservators in Australia
have attended the Canberra University Materials Conservation course it was considered that there
may be a confined set of responses from that group which may not understand issues beyond
their experience. The questionnaire was therefore sent to a broad group including small and
regional museums, representatives of the library and archives sectors, training institutions and
allied professions.
2. The data collection method needed to include a mechanism for capturing concepts such as the
need for variability and diversity, and needed to address issues beyond the current skills base. A
mix of statistical data collection and more discursive and anecdotal information was
recommended.
3. The follow up from this scoping phase involved defining the data and determining the fields
for the statistical survey.
4. A literature search and survey was undertaken.
5. Interviews were held with conservation educators, managers and cultural heritage
professionals for advice on finding information, courses they had taught, reports they had
contributed to and overall opinions.
6. Statistical data was requested from the Canberra Institute of Technology, the University of
Canberra and the University of Western Sydney. Data was also collected from the ABS and the
AICCM secretariat.
74
7. Focus groups met to add to the existing data and to prioritise and weight the proposals and
statements from the scoping survey. These focus groups were organised by the AICCM but
broad participation was sought, and focus groups included many from the first scoping survey
list.
8. A second more specific survey form developed which was mailed to Head of Conservation
Laboratories.
9. The results were collated and weighted according to the statistical analysis and the input from
the focus groups.
10. The final report was prepared and circulated to AICCM Council for comment. Members of
CAMD were advised of the Audit.
75
APPENDIX 3: THE SKILLS
'The problem Pigott identified as a “crises on a massive scale” still exists. In fact it is increasing.
The remedial action taken to date has simply been too little.'88
This was written over a decade and a half after the Pigott Report recommended the development
of tertiary conservation training in Australia. The results of this Audit indicate that there are still
both shortfalls in skills, and shortfalls in methods for providing access to skills.
In the initial scoping survey conducted for this audit respondents were asked to identify those
areas where they felt there were skills gaps. This was generally expressed in terms of the kinds
of materials which were being treated, reflecting perhaps a sense of frustration amongst
conservators, collections managers and custodians that there are still vast areas of collections
which require conservation. The issue of need versus demand was raised during the second
round of responses. This becomes a marketplace issue and is beyond the scope of this Audit. In
terms of facilitating outcomes from this document however it would appear that there are two
ways forward. The first is to document those areas where there are skills gaps - it is then an issue
for training institutions, individual conservators and the AICCM to devise mechanisms to address
this. The second is to identify overarching mechanisms which will enable skills development such mechanisms include sourcing funding and supporting networks that will provide skills
development or skills enhancement programs. The problem with targeting specific skills is that
infrastructure is expensive and there is a long time frame from when a program is implemented to
when the skills become available. In addition not all skills development requires the same
approach. The work of International Specialised Skills in this area is an interesting model.
When the initial survey was undertaken a wide range of skills gaps were identified. The focus
groups and later responses identified these skills gaps as either mainstream or specialist skills as
well as skills that had restricted interest or limited use.
A number of skills were identified as being excluded from current conservation training. There
was not generally a high demand for these skills in the conservation industry and it was
inappropriate to implement specialised training. Rather, it was suggested that it was important to
introduce closer associations with these professions and provide conservation training for those
who were interested in order to bridge the gap, or to form teams of related professionals to work
on projects. Such an approach would raise the profile of conservation in general, and be cheaper
in terms of training costs.
There was general agreement that cross disciplinary approaches be encouraged, for example,
through the publication in conservation journals of work carried out by other professions.
1.1.1.
The skills gap also identified a number of skills that are required by those managing and
delivering conservation services, but which do not fall within conservation treatment skills.
These include:
88
Op. Cit., Anderson, p.41.
76
 Diagnostic
The ability to recognise and properly diagnose a conservation problem was considered an
important skills base for collections managers and conservators.
 Prioritising fund expenditure appropriately
Collections managers identified the issues relating to funding and budget as critical factors in
being able to access and develop conservation skills. Conservators working in regional areas
also noted that preventive skills are often not well understood, and as a result, funds that could
be utilised more effectively on prevention are being used on treatment.
It was noted that skills development was needed to address the following issues:






poor storage space and absence of conservation facilities
poor precautions against fire
dust
burglary
poor environmental condition
poor standards of documentation.
In addition, the following were listed by the respondents as being notable areas where skills
development was required.
Advanced/complex conservation
Many respondents noted that it was difficult to undertake advanced training in this country. A
number of suggestions were made, but it was generally agreed that current job structures impeded
senior conservators from extending their practical skills, as well as from sharing their skills with
other conservators. It was noted that the career pathway for conservators was into management,
which meant that the top practical skills levels were being lost when the individual opted for
career advancement. This was seen as a very real problem but one which could only be
addressed through a restructuring of current career paths. It was also considered difficult for
individuals to build up a complex skills base. Where conservators were engaged with other
skilled practitioners, such as in the conservation of heavy machinery, the work tended to be of a
contract nature, subject to a somewhat piecemeal approach. There was little room for cross
fertilisation of the skills base.
Archaeological
Increasingly archaeological digs will include input from a conservator. There are a large number
of archaeological collections in the country, however, which were put together with no
conservation context. Objects conservators work on these collections where funds permit
however in many cases archaeologists are the only professionals dealing with the collections.
This is particularly the case with many university collections. Skills development can occur on
several levels including the development of guidelines for dealing with archaeological material,
short courses, and specialised training. One respondent noted ‘a large amount of unstable
material is held in storage across the country but relatively few conservators are available to
undertake the necessary remedial work.’89
89
Response from Richard Wesley, Museum Studies Unit, University of Sydney.
77
Architectural fittings
This presents a vast range of issues and problems, from chandeliers to carpets, from light
switches to blinds and a gamut of other objects and items. The issues relating to these objects are
the issues relating to contracting other technical and professional groups to work on cultural
items. This is discussed in Section 2: The People. It was suggested that an Advisory Codes of
Practice for specialists working within various conservation contexts could be developed by the
AICCM which would sit alongside the AICCM Code of Practice.
Art conservation
It was noted that art conservation is not the same as paintings conservation, and practitioners
needed to have an understanding of the issues raised by modern art, multimedia and
contemporary art. There were a range of skills in paintings conservation where it was felt
professional development should be encouraged. These included varnishing and retouching, and
lining and structural work. It was considered important that practitioners keep up with advances
in the field. Many paintings conservation students already have a prior degree in fine art. Some
respondents noted that art history was an important component of art conservation for both
paintings conservators and paper conservators.
1.1.2. Audio visual
Audio preservation in particular proper storage and retrieval of A/V records were highlighted by
a number of respondents and focus groups.
Books
The University of Canberra noted:
From a survey carried out in 1985 on future conservation staffing needs in Australia, conservation of books
was a high priority. [The University of Canberra} therefore designed a course and were about to implement
it when the whole emphasis of conservation of books and paper in libraries and archives changed. Books
were no longer to be conserved but boxed - ‘access’ being the ‘in’ word. Conservation of books is now
back in demand, but it is not possible to start and stop specialist conservation training overnight. 90
In this Audit, however, book conservation was again an area of major response, where great need
was highlighted. It was suggested that paper conservators needed more skills in book
conservation, and that this area was not adequately covered in any current training course in this
country. Respondents also noted, however, that book conservation required special emphasis as it
is a special skill area in its own right. Book conservators need to have an extensive knowledge of
book structure and their history and development. The various levels of conservation work were
also noted, for example the work done by private conservators was highlighted as being vastly
different from the work performed or required from conservators working in a public institution.
The State Library of Victoria provides in-house training to give paper conservators skills in book
conservation, one example of a way in an institution provides skills enhancement while ensuring
that standards are maintained on the work done to their collection. The need to train conservators
in book conservation skills was considered important.
90
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra, October 1999.
78
The Book and Paper Group of AICCM has offered to examine the issues relating to that group
and report back. Further enquiry may be useful in relation to the issues raised above.
Built environment - historic building materials
This has been identified as an area requiring specialist training. At present the conservation of
architectural fittings is dealt with in one of three ways:
1. Conservators with training in a particular area, for example, painted surfaces paper, are
contracted to provide advice on a specific area of an architectural conservation project.
2. Architects undergo postgraduate training to extend their knowledge. They are not trained in
specific skills however, and much of their knowledge appears piecemeal and peripheral to the
conservation profession.
3. Individuals who have been trained overseas in some aspects of architectural conservation
work in their chosen area in Australia. In all cases there is inconsistency with the level of input
and management of the project.
The University of Canberra noted that it has been offering summer schools in the conservation of
historic building materials for about six years. ‘There has been very little interest shown in this
course by conservators of movable cultural property.’91
The issues relating to the built environment are broad and complex. Generally management of
historic buildings falls within the guidelines of the Burra Charter and many of the skills required
are of a trade nature, managed by a conservation architect. It was also noted, however, that in
many instances conservation issues relate not to the conservation of the building, but to the
management of the building so that it is suitable as a repository for collections of cultural
material. A number of respondents noted the need for skills development amongst contractors
employed to fit out buildings with display and storage facilities.
Conservation science
Most respondents saw the conservation scientist as an adjunct position which supported the work
of the conservator. Conservation science, however, was seen as a specific skill and not an
extension of a conservator’s analytical or applied skill base. A conservation scientist was
considered a specialist conservator working in a particular context and not simply a scientist
working in conservation. The need for media analysis of modern materials such as plastics was
highlighted, as was the need to constantly test new materials that claimed to be of conservation or
archival quality. In general, the term ‘conservation scientist’ seemed to be applied to individuals
who were capable of undertaking materials analysis, however in the built environment the
conservation scientist may be an expert in passive building control and the like. There are few
positions for conservation scientists in Australia. This Audit found an estimate of five positions
at present with several more to be created by 2004.92
Conservation management
91
92
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra, October 1999.
Conservation David Hallam and Skills Gap Audit survey response.
79
A number of respondents noted that conservation management was an area that needed
addressing, and that specific training aimed at increasing skills in this area was needed. Staff at
the University of Canberra noted that the University has twice attempted to offer courses in
conservation management, ‘but the response from the conservation profession was that
management courses were readily available within the relevant public service systems and were
cheaper than we could offer.’93 As the profession matures, however, there may be a need to
reassess this response. This is discussed in more detail in the section Addressing Training Needs.
The response from Western Australia highlighted the need for conservators and allied museum
professionals to be skilled in collections assessment.
A fundamental issue raised by the group was the lack of skills in assessing conservation/preservation
requirements at a whole of collection level. This falls into the Conservation Management category but was
seen as being of paramount importance across the full range of small museums, galleries, historical
societies, libraries etc. In most cases these bodies can only obtain conservation services by means of grant
applications and these frequently call for a preservation assessment ... The ability to produce this sort of
documentation was seen as a skills gap in both professional and para professional training for conservators
and allied museum professional. It is an area where short courses are being developed and where the
Library profession has made considerable progress with preservation management a core subject.94
Craft/trade overlap
The trades included gilding/framing, bookbinding and furniture conservation. It was felt that both
sets of skills were necessary, but that crafts people often had no conservation context and that
conservators did not understand the expertise involved in the craft or trade. One respondent
noted that generally craft and trade skills are looked down on as being almost ‘hobbyist’, which
was counterproductive for conservation as there were a range of skills which conservators needed
to develop in this area (millinery was a good example).
Frame conservation and framing
Frame conservation skills are generally arrived at from one of three arenas, those with
conservation training expanding their skills to encompass frame restoration, those working in the
trade coming from an apprenticeship type situation and those who are framing outlet proprietors
with little or no training. At present there is no structured training for frame conservation in
Australia which means that framing conservators must pick up and extend their skills base
through workshops (at present mainly organised by the Frames and Gilded Surfaces Special
Interest Group of AICCM), or must travel overseas. In addition anyone can setup as a framer
with no training in framing techniques and no understanding of conservation. Many framers also
offer conservation and restoration as part of their service with varying degrees of
professionalism. As a first point of call framers often undertake restoration, many with no
adherence to conservation ethics or guidelines. It was also noted that paper conservators need to
develop better skills in framing issues, and that this should form part of their training. Framing
Guilds in various states are useful links to industry. It may be useful to examine mechanisms
where TAFE courses can dovetail to university courses.
Furniture
93
94
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra, October 1999.
Western Australia Focus Group response, 27 August 1999.
80
There is no specific conservation training in furniture conservation in Australia. It was identified
as an area of need, particularly in the museum and built environment sector, however the remarks
that relate to scientific instrumentation, such as transport vehicles, also applies here. It is worth
noting that there is only one furniture conservation program in Great Britain; The Conservation
Analytic Laboratories at the Smithsonian ran one in the United States, but the program stopped
after its second year due to insufficient demand. Furniture restoration is an area where there is
much activity within the trade, but little skills development that relates specifically to
conservation standards. The skills gap is not in people available to undertake the work, but in
their understanding of conservation standards, and hence an inability to identify aspects of work
practice which may be lacking or inappropriate.
There are good opportunities to develop professional workshops and web and print based
material which provides information on conservation parameters.
Gilding and polychrome
It was noted that there is no training in the conservation of gilded or polychrome surfaces in
Australia. The Gilded Surfaces Special Interest Group of the AICCM has run a number of
workshops but does not provide complete training. Objects conservators, paintings conservators
and museums professionals noted this obvious gap. The need for specialist training on patinas,
surface finishes on veneer and gilded frames, was also mentioned. The Gilded Surfaces Special
Interest Group may be interested in examining models for training including International
Specialised Skills training models, cross sectoral models (such as trade and apprenticeship
models) and workshops.
Health and safety
A number of suggestions were made for workshops for conservators, and associated workers
including volunteers that dealt with health and safety issues. In particular advanced courses in
chemicals in conservation were recommended. Regular refresher courses in health and safety
were considered important for professional conservators and other workers including volunteers
who are engaged in collection management or object treatment.
Metals
Decisions regarding the conservation of such items is often context dependent. whether the metal
requiring treatment is part of a large truck in a state institution, for example, a sewing machine in
a small museum, or a complete metal item such as a tin box, pressed metal ceiling or dagger. In
many cases the metal conservator is advising as part of a team. The University of Canberra
offers metal conservation as part of the undergraduate course, and there are options for
postgraduate research in metals conservation. The University of Western Sydney also provides
training in this area. Although some respondents (notably those in small museums) noted this as
a skills gap, the South Australia Focus Group had a large number of individuals who did not
consider that there was a shortage of metals conservation training or conservators. This appears
to reflect the problem of skills gap or skills availability gap, the latter having both a geographical
and economic indicator.
Modern materials - paintings, objects and general material
The need to extend the current training and skills base to include modern materials was
highlighted by a number of respondents, managing or working in diverse areas. Within painting
81
conservation it was noted that paintings conservators working in art museums are often called
upon to deal with twentieth century materials such as styrofoam, fibreglass, and a range of other
materials which do not form part of their training. Respondents from the museum sector,
including small museums, noted that increasingly twentieth century objects are finding their way
into collections. Such objects include domestic, scientific and computer equipment and contain
modern metals and organics. Respondents from the library and archive sectors noted that there is
a range of copying and recording techniques which require specialist skills (see section under
Current Training: University of New South Wales and National Film and Sound Archives). It
was pointed out that modern materials incorporate a multitude of sins in a multitude of contexts.
For example in painting conservation modern materials may indicate the use of plastics and
metals, that is a new use of materials, on the other hand it may mean new materials which are
being used in the manufacture of storage containers, or display materials, such as new polymers.
Whereas the first issue can be dealt with through collegiate networks and accessing skills across
disciplines, the latter requires research for use of the material in a conservation context and a
method for circulating the findings of such research. Objects involving plastics and electrical
systems were cited as being particularly problematic because a proper knowledge of their
manufacture and their deterioration required specialised knowledge, and the manufacturing
technology was constantly changing. One example cited outlined the need to investigate issues
of new technologies such as preserving chips in modern cars, so that they would continue to work
beyond their expected working life. Respondents felt it was important to facilitate cross
disciplinary skills exchange through seminars, workshops and other forums. It was also
suggested that a register of skills available in modern material manufacture and technology be
developed.
Modern archive material (eg. digital records)
A large number of respondents noted that twentieth century records included sound, video, film
and digital media and that there was little training available in these areas. Some very specific
suggestions were made regarding training models. See training models under section Current
Training for a more detailed outline.
Musical instruments
Skills as diverse as tuning and cabinet making are required for the conservation of musical
instruments. In addition each type of instrument requires a different range of skills. There are a
number of museums and collections which focus on musical instruments (the Grainger Museum
and the Monash Music Department Collection to name but two). While it was recognised that
specialists will be required to undertake such work, managing the conservation and restoration of
musical instruments also requires particular expertise. The University of Canberra notes that
when a short course on musical instruments was mooted only two expressions of interest were
received. Professional development courses for those working in the area of musical instrument
conservation and for those managing the conservation of musical instruments.
Natural history specimens
There is currently no notable training program anywhere in the world that deals with this type of
conservation. The few conservators who specialise in this area have been either self-taught or
studied at post-graduate degree level. In Australia most work on natural history specimens is
being done by technical officers. Natural history specimens have historic as well as scientific
importance. These include mounted vertebrate specimens, invertebrate specimens, fish mounts,
82
entomological specimens as well as a range of wet specimens. Many of these were prepared at a
time when health and safety issues were not well understood or observed. Formaldehyde and
mercury are common in such collections. The presence of such chemicals, which represent
historic preservation techniques, raise philosophical and ethical as well as health and safety
issues. The University of Canberra noted that throughout the world collections managers usually
have responsibility for natural history collections and they consult with objects conservators; in
the United States there is a very strong professional group whose membership closely interacts
with each other.
Objects including ethnographic conservation
A number of respondents identified objects conservations as an area of particular need. While the
term ‘object’ covers a wide range of cultural heritage items, it was clear most respondents were
referring to the skills base which is currently employed in the museum sector. The identification
of this as a skills gap probably reflects the vast needs in this area, identified in both the Pigott and
Anderson reports, rather than the fact that no skills development takes place. Ethnographic
conservation was indicated as an area where there is a skills shortage, again relating to the scope
of the problem, more than whether skills development is available. For example, the South
Australia focus groups did not consider that ethnographic conservation needed addressing. In
fact, the University of Canberra Materials Conservation Course was identified by the Getty
Conservation Institute as only one of two courses in the world offering training in ethnographic
conservation, and has a large number of students each year. There were enough conflicting
responses in this area to indicate that further research would be fruitful. The Objects SIG of
AICCM may be able to investigate further the issues relating to object conservation skills.
Packing and transporting items
The need to provide skills in packing and transporting cultural material was raised by both
conservators and non conservators. There was general agreement that there is a need for general
training in packing heritage objects for transit. Specific suggestions focussed on the need for
training in handling and packing for framers and other associated with the industry.
Paper
At the workshop ‘Conservation Training - Future Strategies’, held at the University of Canberra
in 1993 representatives of the library and archive profession stressed the need for training to
focus on the bulk preservation management of collections. The course was altered to
acknowledge this, but as the response from staff of the Materials Conservation course noted this
was ‘at the sacrifice of specialised areas such a film and sound conservation, and modern records
etc.’95 Respondents who addressed the issues relating to paper based material did in the context
of lack of training in particular issues relating to paper items, such as bookbinding, framing and
the like. It was clear that the course at the University of Canberra provided good training in this
area. The issue of paper conservators dealing with modern archive material such as digital
records, was also raised. Conservators also need to have a good knowledge of the array of
modern papers especially designed for use with laser and bubble jet printers. In addition,
respondents noted that there is a range of output and choice of the various printers and that
conservators need to be able to advise people about these papers and techniques now. See also
Modern materials in this section.
95
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra, October 1999.
83
Photographs
In general it was felt that most paper conservators have a need for basic photo identification and
treatment skills, but that these are not available in current conservation training courses. As with
book conservation much training is being conducted in-house, and it was agreed that the work
being provided and required by private conservators differed from the work required by
institutions. Retail outlets often provide photo restoration services but the standards of these
services are not set by professional bodies. A number of respondents suggested that provision be
made for short courses in photographic identification and treatment, and that guidelines and
standards in photographic preservation and conservation treatment be developed and published.
Preventive conservation
There was broad agreement that further development is always required. This was seen as an
area where a range of workshops could be provided. A number of topic areas were suggested
including environmental management, HVAC systems, consultancy, planning and construction of
storage facilities, conservation management (the UNSW Preventive Management course was
cited as an example, as were the Australian Museums/University of Canberra Integrated Pest
Management Course, and Museum Building Design course. Regional museums noted that
general training was needed in packing heritage objects for transit. The Art in Transit model may
be useful.96 ReCollections is a useful tool in increasing the skills base in small museums.
Training for contractors who are fitting out museum storage areas was also raised.
Professional development for conservators
Issues relating to professional development have been dealt with elsewhere in this report. It was
specifically noted, however, that apart from growing management skills professional
development should include skills in preparing papers for publication, and as part of professional
development there should be easy access to policy documents on issues such as storage, pest
control and planning.
Research and development
There was general agreement that the skills base for high level research and development was not
strongly developed amongst the conservation profession. This was due to the fact that there is
little time for research and development in most major institutions. Increasingly conservation is
focussing on exhibition preparation or relocation and rebuilding programs and research and
development is not considered a priority. The issue of research and development is picked up in
the Research Audit.
Stained glass
It was noted that there is no training which provides a conservation context for the conservation
of stained glass in Australia. Practitioners must either travel overseas or work with allied
professions which do have a conservation context in order to pick up relevant ethical and
practical knowledge. The University of Canberra, however, offers an annual student prize (Glass
Connection prize) for the best student project on stained glass. It may be useful to examine other
models for training such as apprenticeship models or the International Specialised Skills model
96
Developed by the National Gallery of Washington, the Tate Gallery and the Smithsonian.
84
Stone
Conservators receive little training in the conservation of stone items given the complexity of
such items. The Rock Art conservation course run in 1989 by the University of Canberra and
supported by the Getty Conservation Institute, enabled the development of some expertise, but
‘of the 14 graduates from the course, only about four have found employment in the field. There
are just no jobs in stone conservation.’97 Many stonemasons undertake stone conservation,
particularly on buildings, but they often have no conservation context or expertise, and may be
managed by people who also have no understanding of conservation issues. It was felt that this
area was one where the introduction of a short certificate course could be beneficial.
International Specialised Skills has had a Fellowship where a stonemason travelled overseas to
gain knowledge of stone conservation. SMOCM may be able to advise on the best approach to
the issue of training for stone conservation.
Storage facilities
A number of respondents noted that the upgrading of storage facilities was a prime consideration
for many institutions both large and small. It was suggested that familiarity with design and
construction principals and the range of proprietary product on the market should be part of skills
development, as consultancy opportunities in this area are likely to grow. This area is also noted
under Preventive Conservation in this section.
Technology items
The conservation of technology items requires a knowledge of the items technology and presents
numerous materials issues. This group includes scientific instrumentation; large transport items,
engineering items, large technology items, mechanical/industrial collections; and firearms and
precision mechanical objects.
The conservation of these objects requires a multi-disciplinary skills base. It includes the ability
to deal with material types, including metal, glass, leather and natural fibres. with a technical
knowledge of the items and an understanding of their history. It is an area of intense
specialisation and within the field of the conservation of scientific instrumentation is a range of
specialisations (for example, clocks, microscopes, barometers and cameras). It was felt that
current training did not cover this kind of skills base, and that as a result there was little
conservation context for those working in this area.
The issues relating to the conservation of these items and collections is similar to that raised by
the conservation of scientific instrumentation. Even in large museums this is unlikely to engage
the full time services of a specialist, instead this is likely to be contracted out as special projects.
Small museums require such services as well, and models relating to the availability of skills
development in this area (in both undertaking the conservation work and in managing the
contract) need to be explored. The issues relate not only to the development of a skills base, but
the provision of service (often a conservation project in these areas is complex and involves
trades and support staff with no previous museum experience.) Issues relating to objects which
need to be maintained so that they can also used, such as cars and boats, also needs to be fully
explored. Two methods for addressing the issue of intense specialisation were presented. The
first was to encourage conservators to gain specialised training after graduation, usually involving
study overseas. The second was to provide conservation training for those already specialised in
97
Staff response, Conservation of Cultural Materials Program, University of Canberra, October 1999.
85
the area - such training would include the preparation of condition reports, a grounding in
conservation ethics, etc. As an example the conservation of firearms falls into the category
mentioned above where project management skills are as important as hands on treatment skills.
The conservation of firearms highlights the health and safety issues that surround much contract
conservation work, and highlights the need to provide a skills base in occupational health and
safety for contract conservators. The National Museum of Australia Conservation Department
noted that the ethics, maintenance and display of operational vehicles was an area where
conservators needed to develop skills.
Textiles
The Textiles Special Interest Group of the AICCM has expressed concern for some time about
the limitations relating to textile conservation training in Australia. There was strong feeling that
textile conservation should be reinstated as a permanent training option, however the current
crisis in funding within universities means that unless alternative funding can be found this is
unlikely to occur. At present the University of Canberra teaches this specialisation every second
year. The University noted that ‘Government funding to universities is continually decreasing,
and universities can no longer afford the luxury of courses with low enrolments.’ The AICCM
Textile Special Interest Group noted that it was preparing a discussion paper on the issue of
textile conservation training in Australia. The Textile SIGS also noted that ‘the current training
situation has resulted in students showing a reluctance to specialise in textiles conservation …
due to the lack of a continuous dedicated teaching position, combined with the uncertain future of
the speciality.’ 98 The University of Western Sydney has one doctoral student working on textile
research. It was also noted that there needs to be training in the conservation of millinery and
accessories which form part of costume collections. The Textile Special Interest Group of the
AICCM will continue to lobby for focussed and sustained training in textile conservation at
tertiary level.
Timber
UNESCO has run a Wood Conservation Course in Norway for a number of years, and several
Australians have attended this course. In the main, however, the skills in this area are built up
through a trade approach. Timber objects include a wide range of objects from outdoor sculpture,
building material, sites such as scar trees, craft objects and artworks. Some skills are provided in
existing courses. It may be useful to examine the development of graduate or associate diplomas
or similar intensive training in wood conservation.
98
Response from Bronwyn Cosgrove, Convenor on behalf of AICCM Textile Special Interest Group.
86
APPENDIX 4 CONTAINS LISTINGS OF ALL THOSE APPROACHED AND THOSE WHO
RESPONDED TO THE AUDIT. IT IS A LENGTHY DOCUMENT. ANYONE WHO IS
INTERESTED IN OBTAINING THIS LISTING CAN CONTACT:
ANGELA KERRY
THE IAN POTTER ART CONSERVATION CENTRE
THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
PARKVILLE 3052
TELEPHONE:
FAX:
03 9344 7989
03 9344 4484
87
2.
APPENDIX 5: BIBLIOGRAPHY
MONOGRAPHS
AICCM Code of Ethics and Code of Practice, AICCM, Draft version, Canberra, 1999.
Anderson, M., Heritage Collections in Australia, National Centre for Australian Studies, Monash
University, Victoria, 1991.
Cinderella Collections: University Museums and Collections in Australia; The report of the
University Museums Review Committee, Australian Vice-Chancellor’s Committee, 1996.
Edwards, R., Museum Policy and Development in South Australia - Final Report. Government
Printer, Adelaide, 1981.
Employment in selected culture/leisure occupations, Australia:Australian Bureau of Statistics
1996, ABS Catalogue No. 6273.0, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Commonwealth of Australia,
Canberra, 1998.
Lennon, J., Hidden Heritage: A Development plan for Museums in Queensland 1995-2001,
Queensland Office of Arts and Cultural development, Arts Queensland: Brisbane, 1995.
Marquis-Kyle, P. and Walker, M. The Illustrated Burra Charter : making good decisions about
the care of important places, ICOMOS Inc. with the assistance of the Australian Heritage
Commission, Sydney, 1992.
McLennan, W., An Introduction to Sample Surveys – A User’s Guide 1999, Australian Bureau of
Statistics, Commonwealth of Australia, 1999.
Museums in Australia, Report of the Committee of Inquiry on Museums and National
Collections including the Report of the Planning Committee on the Gallery of Aboriginal
Australia, 1975.
National Conservation and Preservation Policy and Strategy: Australia's Heritage Collections,
Heritage Collections Council, Department of Communication and the Arts, Canberra, 1998.
National Library Act 1960, Commonwealth of Australia, Australia, 1960.
Parkes, C., ‘CREATE Australia’ in National Conservation Strategy Forum, 1996.
Pearson, M., et al, Environmental Indicators for National State of the Environment Reporting:
Natural and Cultural Heritage, Environment Australia, Australia: State of the Environment Environmental Indicator Report, Commonwealth of Australia, 1998.
88
Previous possessions, New Obligations: policies for museums in Australia and Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Council of Australian Museum Associations, Melbourne, 1993.
ReCollections: Caring for Collections Across Australia, Heritage Collections Council, Canberra,
1998.
Russell, R., Winkworth, K., and Young, L: Significance: A guide to Significance Assessment in
Australian Museums,Heritage Collections Committee Canberra, 2000. In publication.
Soderlund, Kay: Be Prepared: Guidelines for small museums for writing a disaster
preparedness plan. Heritage Collections Council. Canberra. 2000.
Towards Federation 2001: Linking Australians and their Heritage, A National Conference on
access to Australia’s recorded documentary heritage 23-26 March 1992, National Library of
Australia, Canberra, 1993.
Transforming Cinderella Collections: The Management and Conservation of Australian
University Museums, Collections and Herbaria; The Report of the DCA/AV-CC University
Museums Project Committee, Australian Vice-Chancellor’s Committee, Canberra, 1998.
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Walston, S., (ed.), Conservation in Australia: Proceedings of the ICCM National Conference,
Canberra, May 1976, The Institute of the Conservation of Cultural Material, Sydney, 1976.
AICCM Bulletins
Ashton, J. and Hallam, D., The Conservation of Functional Objects, Vol. 16, No. 3, 1990, 19-26.
Ballestrem, A., ICCROM: Standards and Training Committee, Vol. 10, No.s 3 and 4, 1978.
Ford, B., Conservation and Science in Australia, Vol. 11, No.s 1 and 2, 1985, 17-37.
Bickersteth, J., The State of Furniture Conservation in Australia, Vol. 13, No.s 3 and 4, 1987, 5762.
Clayton, M., The Curator: The Clayton’s Conservator, Vol. 16, No 1 and 2, 1990, 103-110.
Cook, I., Towards a National Conservation Industry, Vol. 16, No.s 1 and 2, 1990, 9-14.
Fraser, L., Research into the History of Conservation at the NGV, Vol. 19, No.s 3 and 4, 1994.
Karovich, S., AETA conservation and touring exhibitions, Vol. 16, No.s 1 and 2, 1990, 93-102.
Nizette, M., The State of Photographic Conservation in Australia: 1985 and the Future, Vo1. 12,
No.s 3 and 4, 1990, 103-112.
89
The Conservator-Restorer: A definition of the profession, ICOM,1985.
Pearson, C., Conservation training in Australia, Vol. 10, No 2, 1984, 57-69.
Pearson ,C., Conservation Training in Australia: Where do we go from here? Vol. 16, No. 1 and
2, 1990, 19-26.
Reeves, A., The Heritage Collections Working Group: Cultural Heritage and Conservation, Vol.
16, No.s 1 and 2, 1990, 27-34.
Toyne, P., Cultural Heritage and Conservation, Vol. 16, No.s 1 and 2, 1990, 59-66.
Vincent R., Pragmatism or Theory: How to define the cultural significance of Hobart, Vol. 16,
No.s 1 and 2, 1990, 111-115.
Young, L., The Conservation of Things and the Conservation of Places, Vol. 16, No.s 1 and 2,
1990, 49-53.
NATIONAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY
Developing a National Strategy: Working Papers for a Public Forum on Developing a National
Strategy for the Conservation and Preservation of Australia's Movable Cultural Heritage, for
the Conservation Working Party of the Heritage Collections Committee of the Cultural Ministers
Council, Australia,1996.
In particular the following papers:
Cowie, K., ‘Map of Conservation and Preservation Services in Australia’.
Godfrey, I., ‘Conserving Maritime Heritage’.
Major, G., ‘Conserving Art Collections’.
Nizette, M., ‘Conserving Australia’s Film and Sound Heritage’.
Midwinter, D., ‘Conserving Outdoor Objects and Collections’.
Parkinson, C., ‘Conservation and Preservation Education and Training’.
Parkinson, C., ‘A National Conservation and Preservation Strategy for Australia: How education
and training can contribute’.
Sloggett, R., ‘Accreditation and Standards: Developing a National Strategy’.
Young, L,. ‘Conserving In-situ Collections’.
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PAPERS FROM EDUCATORS
Pearson, C., ‘Crisis facing the Conservation Teaching Profession’ in Conservation News, No. 52,
London, 1993.
‘Proceedings of the Workshop: Conservation Training – Future Strategies, November 18-19’,
National Centre for the Cultural Heritage Science Studies, Canberra, 1993.
‘Survey of Conservation Staff, 1985-86, 1990’, Canberra College of Advanced Education,
Canberra, 1995.
‘Results of Professional Development Workshops Survey 1990’, National Centre for the Cultural
Heritage Science Studies, Canberra, 1990.
Broeze, U., ‘Conservation Training Courses for Technicians? Where are they?’ in ICCM Bulletin
Australia, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1976,14-15.
Wilson, P., ‘From Preservation in Cyberspace: the UNSW Experience’, School of Information
Library and Archive Studies, Faculty of Commerce and Economics, UNSW.
Smith, W. and Wilson, P., ‘Education for Preservation Management via the Internet’, presented at
ALIA Biennial Conference: Pathways to Knowledge.
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