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| Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material |
| Abbreviation | AICCM |
| Formation | 1973 |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Region served | Australia |
Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) is the principal Australian professional association for conservators and conservation technicians working with movable cultural heritage, including collections from museums, galleries, libraries, archives and private holdings. The institute promotes conservation practice, research, education and ethical standards, and liaises with national and international bodies to support preservation of artefacts, artworks, archival materials and scientific collections.
The institute emerged in the early 1970s amid developments in heritage policy associated with the Australian Heritage Commission and the bicentenary planning that engaged institutions such as the National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia, Australian National University and state museums including the Museum Victoria and the Powerhouse Museum. Founding members included conservators from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of New South Wales, Queensland Art Gallery, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and university departments such as University of Melbourne. Over decades the institute engaged with international organisations including the International Council of Museums, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, ICOMOS, UNESCO and the Getty Conservation Institute, and interacted with heritage legislation like the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and state heritage acts through networks involving the Australian War Memorial, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Sydney Opera House Trust and major collecting institutions such as the National Museum of Australia.
Governance structures reflect models used by professional bodies such as the Australian Museums and Galleries Association, Engineers Australia, Australian Library and Information Association and specialist societies like the Australian Society of Archivists. The institute is organised into state and territory branches similar to Arts Queensland networks and regions represented in governing councils akin to the board frameworks at the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). Committees address ethics, accreditation, professional development and disaster response, liaising with agencies such as the Emergency Management Australia and custodial institutions like the Australian War Memorial and the National Film and Sound Archive. The institute’s constitution and code of ethics are modelled on standards referenced by the International Council on Archives, Australian Institute of Architects and other chartered associations.
Membership categories mirror frameworks used by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Law Institute of Victoria, with professional, associate, student and retired tiers drawing members from institutions including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, State Library of Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria and university programs at the University of Canberra, Griffith University, University of Sydney and RMIT University. Accreditation pathways align with practices at the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and include peer review, mentoring and competency frameworks comparable to those used by the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Society of New South Wales. Standards govern conservation ethics, preventive conservation and treatment decisions in contexts such as the Heritage Council of Victoria listings and collaborations with organisations like the Australian Federal Police when dealing with forensic recovery or repatriation cases involving the Repatriation Program and Indigenous custodians including the National Native Title Tribunal stakeholders.
The institute publishes technical guidance, position statements and a peer-reviewed journal comparable to outputs from the Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University and the Canadian Conservation Institute, and distributes resources to members in formats used by the Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum. Resources cover preventive conservation for media types held by the National Film and Sound Archive, textile care relevant to collections in the Powerhouse Museum, paper and archival guidelines referencing practices at the National Archives of Australia, and digital preservation guidance aligned with standards from the Australian Signals Directorate and the National Library of Australia. The institute’s publications often cite methodologies shared at conferences hosted by the International Institute for Conservation and partner projects with the Getty Conservation Institute, Australian Research Council, CSIRO and state cultural agencies.
Professional development activities include training workshops, seminars and symposia modelled on programs run by the Courtauld Institute of Art, Winterthur, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Tate network. The institute organises biennial conferences that attract delegates from institutions such as the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, Museum Victoria, Queensland Museum and Science Centre and universities including the University of Adelaide and Monash University. Partnerships for internships and placements echo schemes at the Museums Association (UK) and collaborations with emergency response training from the State Emergency Service and conservation labs in organizations like the Australian Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.
Project work spans object treatments, preventive conservation, collection surveys and disaster recovery, in collaboration with entities such as the Australian Red Cross, Australian Defence Force heritage units, the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, the Australian Centenary of Federation initiatives and community collecting projects with groups like Reconciliation Australia. Notable project types include textile conservation for the National Museum of Australia collections, paper conservation for the State Library of New South Wales, photographic conservation with the National Film and Sound Archive and scientific specimen care with the Australian Institute of Marine Science and CSIRO research collections. The institute contributes to salvage operations after cultural losses from events involving agencies such as the Bureau of Meteorology and state fire services including the Country Fire Authority.
The institute administers awards and honours similar in role to prizes conferred by the Australian Museums and Galleries Association and academic awards from the Australian Academy of the Humanities, recognising excellence in treatment, research and conservation leadership. Recipients often are staff or alumni of the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian National University, RMIT University and leading conservation units like those at the British Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute with whom collaborative projects have been recognised. Awards also acknowledge contributions to Indigenous heritage conservation in partnership with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and community stewardship programs supported by the Australian Heritage Commission.
Category:Conservation organizations Category:Australian cultural organisations