2022 AICCM Medal

The AICCM Medal is to acknowledge Cobus’s more than more than 30 year long career in conservation and his contributions to the AICCM and conservation profession more broadly. In his 20 years at TMAG he “unflinchingly advocated for the security and longevity of the collection”. Simultaneously he has committed a huge amount of time to the AICCM in various state and national committee positions. In his role as AICCM Publications Officer since 2010, Cobus was the force behind the change of the AICCM Bulletin from print only to a formally peer reviewed journal available online. He has contributed to countless publications which has shared conservation nationally, and importantly Australian conservation internationally.

The AICCM Medal is to acknowledge Ian’s work as a professional conservator and teacher for more than 30 years, teaching, guiding and encouraging professionals, and the next generation of student conservators. Many conservators across the country have been mentored by, worked with, or sought advice from Ian. His working life was spent at the National Archives where he contributed to the conservation of iconic Australian cultural heritage, established the NAA Archival Quality paper Trademark, and set up the accredited paper testing facility, the only one in Australia that provides the Photographic Activity Test. He retired from the Archives but continued to lecture at the University of Canberra where he unreservedly shares the depth and breadth of his knowledge. Ian has been an active member of the ICCM and the AICCM for his entire career and has been the AICCM ACT President since 2008. His quiz nights and Hawaiian shirts at the AICCM ACT Christmas parties are legendary.

The AICCM Medal is to acknowledge Robin’s profound contribution to the conservation profession over her 40-year long career. She has forged her own path from the beginnings of furniture conservation in Australia to embarking on a unique career as a conservator-engineer where her abilities as a designer, fabricator and supplier of equipment has contributed hugely to the conservation profession. RH Conservation Engineering products are in laboratories and studios the world over, providing innovative and creative solutions to conservation problems.

On top of running RH Conservation Engineering, Robin has been a Visiting Lecturer with multiple conservation training programs, offered many training courses and fostered mentorship within the profession. Robin represents Australia on the world conservation stage and since the early 2000s she has attended most IIC, AIC, ICOM-CC and AICCM conferences. She has demonstrated continual commitment to the AICCM at both state and national levels. The overwhelming support by colleagues for this application that shows Robin’s far-reaching influence and contributions.

Image Credit: Ryan Hernandez Museum Applied Arts and Sciences

The AICCM Medal is to acknowledge Suzanne’s career long contributions to the conservation profession which dates back to when she 1985 when she first worked as a Conservation Assistant at the Powerhouse Museum. Over her extensive career, Suzanne has been responsible for the conservation and display of countless textile cultural heritage items and led research into the ageing Speedo swimwear in the Powerhouse collection. She has shared conservation with the wider community through webinars, presentations and workshops, which one participant described as ‘life changing’. Suzanne has been been part of the AICCM Textile SIG since its inception. Her colleagues say “Suzanne is a quiet achiever, a resilient and diligent worker and highly respected by her peers, evidenced by the fact that [her] nomination was proposed by a multi-disciplinary museum group”.