Australian Conservation Organisations
Many large collecting organisations have conservation or preservation facilities that care for their institutional collections, usually named the Conservation or Preservation Department.
With the development of preventive conservation as a field of activity, conservation has moved toward a philosophy of preservation. Preventive conservation focuses on managing the condition of whole collections at one time through environmental management.
Have a look at these organisations to see how they are involved in conservation.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The AGNSW Conservation Department aims to safeguard artworks for the future by preventing, slowing down, remedying or reversing decay and damage.
Art and Archival
Art & Archival is the largest private materials conservation facility in the Canberra region and have been offering quality conservation treatments since 1982.
Artlab Australia
Artlab is a business of the South Australian government that services state collecting organisations and generates a third of its income through private contracts, both in Australia and overseas. It offers conservation expertise in a wide range of conservation fields and runs regular Consultation Days for the public.
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum’s Conservation Unit focusses on natural history and ethnographic collections. There are many useful pages including a range of project and Frequently asked questions.
Australian War Memorial
At the Australian War Memorial, conservators care for large technology, small objects, textiles, photographic, paper and art collections. There are also staff working in the fields of conservation science and preventive conservation. The site provides resources for caring for a range of objects and materials.
Endangered Heritage
Endangered Heritage are based in Canberra and provide Conservation services to the public, to museums, galleries, archives and libraries.
The Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (GCCMC)
The Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (GCCMC) is the leading art conservation and restoration centre in Victoria and the only centre of its kind in Australia, combining both commercial conservation services and training in cultural material conservation. CCMC specialises in all areas of art restoration and museum standard conservation to institutions and private clients.
Heights Heritage
Heights Heritage Conservation is a privately owned company operating out of a purpose built studio in Belrose, NSW offering solution driven services for the preservation of historic or culturally significant objects and collections throughout Australia and internationally.
Heritage Victoria
The Heritage Victoria Conservation Department practices archaeological conservation. The website gives examples of typical archaeological object types and how they are managed.
International Conservation Services
International Conservation Services is a large conservation business located in Sydney. It undertakes commissions from around the world that range from delicate textiles conservation tasks through to site management plans for Antarctic Heritage.
National Archives of Australia
The National Archives specialise in the preservation needs of archives and related materials.
National Gallery of Australia
The NGA Conservation Department is concerned with the treatment, display and storage of works in the collection.
Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Conservation Department offer extensive resources and the preservation search engine called ‘CARE search’.
Preservation Australia
Preservation Australia is a conservation business specialising in preventive conservation and offers training through workshops and seminars.
Queensland Art Gallery
The Centre for Contemporary Art Conservation focuses on contemporary art and employs specialists in the conservation of paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and frames.
State Library of Queensland
The Library’s Conservation Services protect Queensland’s unique and original assets through preservation of our physical and digital collections, workshops and conservation clinics.
State Library of South Australia
The Conservation Department has overall responsibility for preserving and protecting the State Library’s archival and published heritage collections for the benefit of current and future generations.
Western Australian Museum
The Materials Conservation Department specialises in shipwreck and rock art conservation and is a world leader in shipwreck conservation science.