Newsletter Issue Number:
AICCM National Newsletter No 136 December 2016

Conservator of the Year

Nicole TSE

A member of AICCM for more than 20 years, involved in the organising committees for IIC in 2000, and ICOM-CC in 2014 and AICCM Bulletin editor since 2013, Nicole has been awarded 2016 Conservator of the year in recognition of her networking, leadership and collaborations in SE Asia.

Her role in APTCCARN, the Asia Pacific Tropical Climate Conservation Art Network and her involvement in disaster recovery activities in Bohol, the Phillipines following the earthquake and Typhoon Haiyan. Through her role in APTCCARN, Nicole has successfully gained support from the Australian-ASEAN Council of DFAT to present an international forum, Natural Disasters and Cultural Heritage in the Phillipines: Recovery, reconstruction and measures of effectiveness in 2017 in conjunction with the National Museum of the Phillipines.

Conservator of the Year Nicole Tse

Students of the Year

In acknowledgement of their outstanding academic achievements, engagement with the conservation profession and contribution to AICCM, the 2016 students of the year are:

University of Canberra

Di Knight

Di Knight

Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation

Eleanor Vallier

Eleanor Vallier

Service to the Conservation Profession

Cobus van Breda

As AICCM publications officer, Cobus has been instrumental in the successful transformation of AICCM Bulletin from in-house management to publication and distribution by Taylor and Francis, and the transition of the AICCM newsletter to an e-publication as well as the management of AICCM web services. Cobus’ intelligent, sensible and full of good humour contribution to the profession, all in a volunteer capacity as publications officer cannot be overstated.

Cobus van Breda

Outstanding Conservation Volunteer

Awarded to Celeste Wing Young, GCCMC Student in recognition of her volunteer contribution to the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) through her work for Dow’s Pharmacy in Chiltern, Victoria’s  oldest collection of pharmaceuticals in an original apothecary building. AICCM applauds the exceptional efforts put in by Celeste to assist this important site.

Celeste Wing Young

Outstanding Research

Paula Dredge

Since 2009, Paula has been conducting extensive research on modern paints. Her collaborative research with several universities, CSIRO and the Australian Synchrotron and numerous publications on metallic paints, house paint technology and commercial paints used by Australian artists in the 20th century has contributed greatly to the understanding of provenance, attribution, deterioration and conservation of modern artworks.

Paula Dredge

Hall of Fame

Ian Cook

With a contribution to conservation sustained over a lifetime AICCM is honoured to award the 2016 Hall of Fame award to Ian Cook. Appointed by the National Library of Australia to train as its first conservator in 1965, Ian was the very first conservator employed by the Commonwealth Government, commencing work at the NLA in 1969. In 1985, Ian left the NLA to join the State Conservation Centre in SA, and became the inaugural director of Artlab Australia, a position that he held for 19 years. A key figure in establishing AICCM and a member of the team that fought for the introduction of the materials conservation course at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. Ian has been influential at the highest levels in government and international organisations. Foundation chair of AusHeritage Ltd, a government initiated program to export the Australian heritage industry, Ian was also a founding member of the Heritage Collections Working Group, later the Heritage Collections Council. In 2009 Ian became a Salzburg Global Fellow.

Ian’s achievements as a leader in the field and an advocate for the profession are significant.

Ian has worked tirelessly to promote conservation within government, public and private commercial organisations as well as in the education system at all tiers and has supported and made opportunities for fellow conservators throughout his career. He continues to teach through workshops in Asia and brings the message of the high standards in conservation in Australia to new audiences.

IanCook