PEOPLE CENTRED HERITAGE - SYDNEY SPOTLIGHT // Dr Madeline Shanahan

“It starts with research. Really deep research. I love falling into the history of places and finding out their stories. On every project, I still get that little moment where I discover something new. The opportunity to really bring that to life really is a privilege.” – Madeline Shanahan.
 
Madeline Shanahan is a Director at Extent Heritage, and the company’s lead of heritage interpretation, a practice by which a place’s history is brought to life for the public through things like signage, artefact displays and digital assets. It’s all about helping find the opportunities to celebrate the history and stories of a site, and contributing to placemaking in our cities.
 
Recently, Madeline has been working with Sydney Metro on the new Sydney Metro West metro railway line. Running 24km from Westmead to Hunter Street in the Sydney CBD, the new line crosses Burramattagal, Wangal, and Gadigal Country.
 
“One of the key aims is that everyone who travels through should know whose Country they are on,” says Madeline. “We worked really closely with Aboriginal engagement specialists and the Connecting with Country Working Group to ensure First Nations priorities are embedded in the design and storytelling.”

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