NEWS

Earlier this month, the Australia ICOMOS Jim Kerr Address was held in Brisbane for the first time ever. Our very own Andrew Sneddon facilitated a discussion with some of the founding parents of the Australian heritage profession: Meredith Walker, Jane Lennon, and Peter Marquis-Kyle. You can catch up on the whole conversation here:

The process of biodiversity offsetting has existed in Australia for several decades, yet it has rarely been applied to cultural heritage places. Here we consider whether and in what circumstances offsetting of cultural heritage impacts may be possible or appropriate. 

One of the concerns voiced about offsetting for cultural heritage is that no two cultural heritage places are equivalent – each is in some way unique.

Extent Heritage is proud to announce we are sponsoring the architecture category at the National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards in Sydney. The Awards, now in their 30th year, are New South Wales’ biggest and most anticipated celebration of outstanding heritage practice.

The Heritage Architecture Award, one of nine categories, recognises projects which are sympathetic to the heritage significance of a place, or complement and utilise existing built heritage, from adaptive re-use to new work in historic contexts.

Last year, the Heritage Council of Victoria commissioned Extent Heritage to compile a report on the value of heritage to the community. This week, we’re proud to announce that our findings have been published.

The report, ‘Why Heritage?’, is the result of an exhaustive review of past studies – local, nationally, and internationally. Written by Dr Leo Martin and Vivian Lu of Extent Heritage and Kate Clark of Public Value Consulting, the report looks at the ways heritage can contribute to a different aspect of society.

Here at Extent Heritage, we look at time differently. We get it. We’re not counting the days… we're making the days count!

Heritage consulting is such a rewarding profession, but it is also challenging. That is why it is critical that we create workplaces that are supportive, collegiate, fun and rewarding. People should love coming to work, and we are passionate to make sure that Extent Heritage is a great place to be.

As we await decisions on the first feasibility licences for Australian offshore wind projects, attention around the environmental impacts of marine development is demonstrating that offshore cultural heritage is a significant consideration. This conference could not be better timed.

This Friday February 2, archaeologists, heritage practitioners, Traditional Owners and other stakeholders will gather at La Trobe University in Melbourne for the 2024 Victorian Archaeology Colloquium.

Last week, Extent Heritage joined Lord Mayor Sally Capp AO and others at the launch of the narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services Centre, a new community hub at the heart of the redevelopment of the Queen Victoria Market Precinct.

We are thrilled to announce that Vivian Lu, Heritage Advisor, has been awarded a high Highly Commended in the Australia ICOMOS President’s Award 2023. The Australia ICOMOS President's Award recognises the important contribution made by the active engagement of younger and/or emerging career heritage practitioners.

Extent Heritage has joined the RSK Group – a global leader in sustainable environmental, engineering, and technical solutions. We are proud of the work that we do in cultural heritage management and we’re excited to be able to bring it to the world stage.

“Our companies share an ethos, values and vision,” said Extent’s CEO Ian Travers. “Our people-centred approach to heritage is the perfect fit for RSK”.

On behalf of City of Parramatta Council, Extent Heritage are currently undertaking an archaeological investigation program at Queens Wharf Reserve (as part of the statutory approvals by Heritage NSW) for the construction of the new Active Transport Link Dual Cycleway and Pedestrian Path Project. These investigations cover artefacts from tens of thousands of years ago to the present day.

Extent Heritage is excited to announce that Erica Walther is joining the team as the Manager of our Sea Country unit and Associate Director.

Working across Extent Heritage’s national operations, Erica will lead a team focusing on the new and emerging field of Sea Country heritage.

“Traditional Owners have been calling for acknowledgement of Sea Country for a long time, so this is a huge opportunity,” says Erica. “Being at the forefront of that legislative change, and working closely with Traditional Owners is a great privilege.”

Last month Sydney was host to over 1,000 heritage experts from all over the world for the 21st General Assembly of ICOMOS. Across over 150 events, site visits, workshops, lectures and gatherings, different communities came together to discuss the past, present and future of heritage.

Extent Heritage is proud to be an Opal Patron of this year’s ICOMOS General Assembly, as well as the principal sponsor of the Knowledge Café.

Every three years, the ICOMOS GA welcomes delegates from all over the world. This year, an expected 1500 professionals will converge on Sydney, from the fields of heritage, archaeology, history, architecture and beyond.

On a horseshoe bend of the Birrarung (Yarra River) in Melbourne, one kilometre downstream from Dights Falls, an architectural icon perches among the trees. The River House, built in 1955, is an A-shaped building resting in a dense canopy, peacefully among the gums, elms and oaks.

For Dr Luke James, a Principal Heritage Advisor at Extent Heritage, it’s been a landmark throughout his life. ‘I think I would have been 11 or 12 when I first saw it,’ James says.

We’re pleased to invite you all to the launch of Andrew Sneddon’s memoir, Prehistoric Joy. Join us to hear Andrew discuss his early life, growing up in a family beset by domestic violence and alcohol abuse. Help us celebrate and support our colleague as he shares his highly personal experiences in an effort to spread an important message.

In March this year, First Peoples – State Relations hosted a Symposium for Assessment of Submerged Landscapes. Extent Heritage, along with our UK colleagues Wessex Archaeology, were there to present our sector-leading work providing cultural heritage services and advice on Australia’s underwater heritage, and the cultural values of Sea Country.

You may not have heard the term before, but you’ll see ‘heritage interpretation’ everywhere. It’s the plaque on a heritage building that shares its story with passers-by. It’s old sandstone blocks incorporated into the floor of a new office building’s foyer, discretely providing historical context and a link with the past. It’s the QR code along a pathway that you can scan to access historical information about your location. But it is also much more than that.

Extent Heritage Senior Associate Brian Shanahan may have a background as a medievalist, but he has built his archaeological career on the possibilities of digital technology.

Growing up in Ireland, Brian Shanahan was surrounded by castles. “All my early memories are of visiting family all over the country, and you’d inevitably end up clamouring over the ruins of a castle together,” he says.