Conserving Australia's Cultural Record

At the Grimwade Centre, at the University of Melbourne ,Western disciplines like chemistry, physics, art history and archaeology help to analyse, understand, preserve and restore Australia’s cultural heritage. The conservation of Indigenous cultural heritage however requires knowledge that is very different to this. The partnership between The Warmun Art Centre and the Grimwade Centre enables the sharing of particular knowledge about Gija culture in ways that are Gija-led, it also shares important lessons about life in a remote Indigenous community and life at a university. Instigated by Gija Elders this partnership is enabling staff and students at the Grimwade Centre to learn from Gija people, and for Gija art workers to learn about conservation. It has shaped the way students at the Grimwade Centre are taught, and ensures that they are engaged in proper ways with knowledge, history, culture and lore that are instrumental in defining what it is to be Australian