This new award recognises a conservator, or group of conservators who have undertaken a conservation treatment that has significantly contributed to the conservation field, nationally or internationally and promoted the profession of conservation and its activities to the wider community.a

2021 – Grimwade Conservation Services (Peter Mitchelson, Christine Mizzi, Libby Melzer, Jordi Casasayas, Jacinta Brown, Victoria Thomas, Noni Zachri, Briony Pemberton, Lois Waters, Jessica McElhinney)

Photo courtesy of Paul Burson, The University of Melbourne

Grimwade Conservation Services, with a team of eleven conservators, spent over 1000 hours conserving two 17th Century Dutch wall maps from the workshop of Master Cartographer Joan Blaeu. These significant, large, fragile maps, are owned by the Wilson Family who funded the conservation treatment and supported the semi-permanent loan of them to MONA. The two year long project required extensive research, collaboration between multiple specialisations, and adaptions of conservation techniques to preserve to important historical context of the maps while allowing them to be displayed and appreciated. The Grimwade team achieved incredible results while facing challenges including the composite nature of the maps, their large scale, and having to navigate lockdowns to complete the treatments.

Past Recipients