The conservation of Indigenous cultural material is a field that recognises the importance of cross-cultural communication. Through acknowledging and incorporating the Indigenous owners of cultural material in the preservation of their heritage, conservators, museums and researchers can establish processes of display and care in meaningful ways. Video: Artists Steaphan Paton and Cam
The Objects Special Interest Group (SIG) encompasses the conservation of a broad range of three-dimensional cultural and historic material. Media and objects include: Australian Indigenous materials Contemporary art Traditional sculpture Outdoor sculpture Ceramics and glass Metals Kinetic art Furniture First People's cultural materials Social history Natural sciences Plastics and modern materials Decorative arts Archaeological materials
Archaeological materials in Australia are generally uncovered from early colonial occupation sites, marine environments, burial sites or ruins. They can be made from a wide range of inorganic and organic materials including metals, stone, ceramics, bone and skin, wood and plant fibres. In addition, Australia has significant collections of ancient materials from the Stone
The conservation of complex machinery, clocks and technical or scientific equipment requires specialist knowledge in the history and usage of such objects. Owners or custodians of these objects must find a balance between demonstrating how these objects were originally used (for example, by replacing their worn parts with replicas) or keeping them as display
As with many objects that were or still are functional, antique furniture and other wooden objects in decorative arts collections within museums or in private hands require special care. Items of furniture are often complex structures that are comprised of different materials each with their own conservation needs. Such materials could include metals, textiles and
Ceramic plate repair. Photo: Jon Carpenter courtesy of Western Australian Museum. The conservation of ceramic and glass includes both functional and decorative objects such as jewellery, sculptures, tiles, mirrors, dolls, and chandeliers. The term ceramics encompasses any type of object that is made out of clay minerals, and can either be fired
Metals come from ores that form naturally in the environment. These ores are smelted and transformed from a stable mineral state to a less stable metallic state. Most metal objects are made using alloys, a mixture of more than one metal. Combining metals provides certain qualities, strengths and colours. Gold, silver, copper alloy, pewter,
