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Training in Conservation and Preservation


While formal training in the preservation and conservation of documentary materials is not extensive in Australia, there is a variety of training available through formal and informal courses and workshops.

The list that follows is a rudimentary one to which information will be added as it comes to hand.

PRESED-X: The Preservation Educators' Exchange

PRESED-X is a World Wide Web site for preservation educators. It contains documents, information and resources that educators wish to share both among themselves and with others who are interested in the teaching of library and arhive preservation. It includes: *syllabi of full semester courses being given in library schools *descriptions of workshops, and other continuing education classes *announcements of upcoming institutes, conferences and workshops *miscellaneous items of interest. Items can be posted to the exchange by either:

  1. sending documents to Robert DeCandido (bronxbob@well.com) in plain text (ascii) format. They will be coded in HTML format and mounted on the Exchange, or
  2. having your documents that are already mounted on a web or gopher server linked from the exchange by providing Robert with the appropriate URL.

Also on the Web:


Training Courses

University of Western Sydney - Nepean New Heritage-Based Masters Courses

Two heritage-based Masters courses are available at UWS, Nepean. Both courses run on a part-time basis over six semesters. The M.App.Sci (Ind. Archaeol.) is a science-based archaeology course and focuses attention on the recording and preservation of Australia's industrial heritage.

The M.App.Sci. (Mat. Cons.) is intended to provide postgraduate study in the preservation of cultural heritage. The course is not aimed solely at those people wishing to become practising conservators but also at those in the wider museum professions wishing to gain competency in the care of their collections.

Both courses are available at distance through open-learning strategies with attendance at intensive schools during the semester breaks. The courses are open to applicants who have a bachelors degree and some science competency. However, whilst a science-based first degree would be an advantage it is not a pre-requisiste of entry into the courses.

Please direct enquiries to:

Dr Richard Thomas,
University of Western Sydney, Nepean
PO Box 10, Kingswood, NSW 2747
Australia
Telephone: (047) 36 0091
Facsimile: (047) 36 0742
Email: rthomas@st.nepean.uws.edu.au

Canberra Institute of Technology, School of Applied Science

Certificate in Cultural Preservation

The course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to provide technical assistance in the cultural preservation industry.

Units offered include:

For information contact:

Phil Smart or Geoff Bell
Telephone: (02) 62073164 or (02) 62072469 (02) 62073469
Facsimile: (02) 62073166

Charles Sturt University, School of Information Studies

Master of Applied Science

As part of its advanced course work component in its Master of Applied Science (Information Studies), Charles Sturt University offers a unit in Preservation of Information Resources.

The unit seeks to educate students in the administrative and technical aspects of conservation and preservation programs. It investigates the settings in which such programs occur, the factors involved in program planning and management, the relationship between library materials and scientific advances, financial considerations, sources of expertise at State and national level. The focus is on management and administration rather than on technical procedures.

The university does not offer discrete units in preservation and conservation at the undergraduate level, but does include these subjects as components of broader undergraduate units. This is also the case in the undergraduate program at the University of New South Wales's School of Information, Library and Archive Studies (eg. Conservation of Archive Materials).

University of New South Wales, School of Information, Library and Archive Studies

BISA Preservation and Conservation
(BISA = Bibliographic and Information Services in Asia and the Pacific)

The University of New South Wales introduced its BISA training programs in 1981. The Preservation and Conservation short course was held for the first time in 1994. The course was developed in recognition of the special needs of preservation and conservation in tropical climates, and is designed to consider appropriate technology for Southeast Asian and Pacific countries.

The focus of the course is on the technical and managerial processes and policies involved in the area of preservation and conservation of all types of print and non-print documentary materials, eg. paper, sound, photograph, digital, cartographic and artifactual materials.

Topics include:

For information about 1995 courses and BISA courses held in other countries contact:

Dr Helen Jarvis
School of Information, Library & Archive Studies
University of New South Wales
PO Box 1
Kensington, New South Wales, Australia 2033
Telephone: +61 2 9385 3438
Facsimile: +61 2 9383 3430

The University of New South Wales also introduced recently a Master of Librarianship in Preservation Administration. For information contact Dr Paul Wilson on Telephone: +61 2 9697 3439, Facsimile: +61 2 9313 7092.

University of Canberra, Faculty of Applied Science

National Centre for Cultural Heritage Science Studies

The University of Canberra offers an Associate Diploma in Applied Science and a Bachelor of Applied Science with Specialisation in Conservation of Cultural Materials (ie. the scientific techniques of materials conservation). It also offers a Graduate Diploma and Master's program in Cultural Heritage Management, which includes strong preservation and conservation components.

In conjunction with the University of Canberra's National Centre for Cultural Heritage Science Studies, the ACT branch of Museums Australia presents short courses on Community Conservation of Cultural Material. No special qualifications are needed to participate in the courses, which are run free of charge in Canberra, ACT.

For information contact:

Dr Linda Young, NCCHSS
University of Canberra
PO Box 1
Belconnen ACT 2616
Telephone: (02) 62012079.

University of Canberra Summer School: The Conservation of Traditional Buildings

University Campus Bruce ACT

This Summer School is presented by the University of Canberra's Cultural Heritage Research centre, a partnership of the National Centre for Cultural Heritage Science Studies (Faculty of Applied Science) and the Faculty of Environmental Design.

Program: The school covers aspects of the origin, use, properties, deterioration and conservation of stone, brick, mortars, plasters, renders, wood, metals, paints, and decorative finishes. Conservation philosophy and planning, and heritage legislation and administration are also covered. Site inspections in the Canberra region are an important component.

Enquiries: Telephone: (02) 6201 2236; Facsimile: (02) 6201 5419

University of Melbourne, Ian Potter Art Conservation Centre

The Centre offers occassional continuing education courses for curators. The courses cover general principles of conservation practice, environmental control, exhibition, storage, examination and documentation methods, dating and analysis and causes of deterioration.

The courses are usually 2-3 days and comprise 50% practical and 50% thory content. The cost is usually about $A100.00.

For information contact:

Robyn Sloggett, University Conservator
Telephone: +61 3 9344 7989

James Cook University of North Queensland, Material Culture Unit

The Material Culture Unit offers a number of qualifications that include conservation components.

The postgraduate course in museum curatorship covers the general principles of conservation practice, environmental control, exhibition, storage, causes of deterioration, general treatment procedures and materials, and organic materials including ethnography, papyrus and taxidermy.

The postgraduate program in material anthropolgy covers environmental control, exhibition, storage, causes of deterioration, crafts, general treatment procedures and materials, and organic materials as above.

The undergraduate course on collection management, curatorship and conservation for curators covers general principles of conservation practice, general treatment procedures and materials, couses of deterioration, crafts, textiles wood, and other organic materials, as above, inventory and survey, microscopy for conservators.

For information contact:

Barrie Reynolds, Director
Material Culture Unit
Telephone: +61 77 814844 or +61 77 814855
Facsimile: +61 77 814045

University of Sydney, Department of Museum Studies

The Department of Museum Studies offers a postgraduate course in Museum Studies which covers environmental control, exhibition, storage, legislation and administration.

Edith Cowan University, Department of Library and Information Science

As part of its Graduate Diploma of Science (Archives Studies) program, the Department of Library & Information Science offers a unit on Preservation & Storage. The Unit addresses the physical defence of culturally important materias. The roles of archivits, progressional conservators and conservation technicians are examined. Methods of preventive and restorative conservation are covered, togther with content preservation.

Conservation Access, State Library of New South Wales

Conservation Access is a business venture of the State Library of New South Wales which treats paper-based materials from other institutions and private collections. It also runs short courses, seminars and workshops on a number of topics including disaster planning, library security and other topics pertaining to items made from paper.

For information:

Telephone: +61 2 9230 1676
Facsimile: +61 2 9232 4816.

The Preservation or Conservation Services sections of some State Libraries also run occasional short courses or workshops for a variety of groups.

ALIA Special Interest Group, Preservation of Library Materials

(ALIA = Australian Library and Information Association)

This ALIA Special Interest Group publishes a quarterly newsletter and holds conferences. In addition it holds numerous evening meetings during the year at which guest speakers address a particular documentary preservation topic.

For information contact:

Alan Howell, Manager Preservation Services
State Library of New South Wales
Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW 2000.


Further Reading on Conservation Training in Australia:

Conservation Training: Future Strategies (Proceedings of a workshop, 18-19 November 1993). National Centre for Cultural Heritage Science Studies, Faculty of Applied Science, University of Canberra, PO Box 1, Belconnen, ACT 2616.

1994 International Directory of Training in Conservation of Cultural Heritage / compiled by Cynthia Rockwell, in collaboration with Kim Dalinka, Christina Georgoff and Miriam Bianco. Printed as a joint venture between ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property) and the Getty Conservation Institute.


Return to NIAC - Preserving Access to Documentary Heritage Page

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Last updated 7 August 1997

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Telephone + 61 2 6262 1111; Facsimile +61 2 6257 1703; TTY: 1800 026 372