Tiaki Objects Conservation

Tiaki Objects Conservation Conserving material heritage, Preserving culture continuity Our mission is to conserve material heritage and preserve its value for future generations to enjoy.

Tiaki Objects Conservation is an objects conservation practice that is formed around the concept of promoting the protection of cultural heritage. We achieve this by working closely with individuals and communities and embed traditional processes and transparency in our approach to objects conservation. This, we believe, ensures there is a balance between the scientific and cultural understanding surrounding use, display and preservation of objects.

Only a few days left to go - see you all at Tūhonohono in Napier 💃
04/04/2026

Only a few days left to go - see you all at Tūhonohono in Napier 💃

Next week I'll be heading to Tūhonohono i nga Taonga ā-iwi 2026 to present alongside iwi and hapū.This kaupapa has been ...
04/04/2026

Next week I'll be heading to Tūhonohono i nga Taonga ā-iwi 2026 to present alongside iwi and hapū.

This kaupapa has been shaped through collaboration - bringing together technical conservation work with cultural knowledge, tikanga, and the voices of those connected to the taonga.

My role has been to support the technical side of work - creating a foundation that aligns with conservation practice - while the kōrero sits with iwi and hapū, where it belongs.

Really looking forward to being part of this space, reconnecting, and listening.

I'll also be part of a public panel discussion on Friday evening - Taonga Koiora: Living Practice - sharing whakaaro around Indigenous approaches and community-led practice.
If you're around, come through.


📸 Onepoto Bay, Wharekāhika, Te Tairāwhiti

04/04/2026

Join us in Taradale, Napier from 8 - 10 April 2026 for Tūhonohono i ngā Taonga ā-Iwi 2026.

Kia Ora koutou,If anyone is travelling to or through Napier these school holidays, come along to our kōrero on the 10th....
03/04/2026

Kia Ora koutou,

If anyone is travelling to or through Napier these school holidays, come along to our kōrero on the 10th. Details and registration here ⬇️

✨ 10 YEARS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE ✨This month marks 10 years since I took a deep breath, threw caution to the wind, and bac...
14/02/2026

✨ 10 YEARS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE ✨

This month marks 10 years since I took a deep breath, threw caution to the wind, and backed myself.

On 15 February 2016, I had my ABN ready to go, registered my business name, “activated” my website, and sent an email out to my network saying: I’m doing this.

Those were the humble beginnings of Tiaki Objects Conservation.

Ten years on, I’m incredibly grateful to be working as a conservator in private practice across Australia and Aotearoa, partnering with iwi, hapū, community groups, museums, galleries, and cultural organisations to care for taonga and collections in ways that honour people, place, and practice.

At Tiaki Objects Conservation, our work is guided by connection, respect, and shared knowledge. We work alongside communities, not just on collections, creating space for community-led care, cultural authority, and meaningful collaboration.

I couldn’t have reached this milestone without the strength and unwavering support of my whānau - especially my husband, who has backed me, lifted me up, and encouraged me when doubt set in. The absolute backbone of all the mahi that happens.

To everyone who has trusted me with your collections, your stories, and your taonga - thank you. It is a privilege I never take lightly.

Here’s to the past decade… and to what comes next. 🤍

Caring for taonga, together.
Conservation through connection.
Honouring people, place, and practice.

Gratitude, reflection, and a full-circle moment.Ten years on, we’re deeply thankful to the Australian Sports Museum - ou...
07/02/2026

Gratitude, reflection, and a full-circle moment.
Ten years on, we’re deeply thankful to the Australian Sports Museum - our very first client at Tiaki Objects Conservation.
That first project sparked an enduring relationship and entrusted us with the care of some of Australia’s most cherished sporting history. From supporting the redevelopment of the gallery and preparing objects for display, to caring for items that carry profound national and cultural meaning - it’s been a privilege every step of the way.
Among them, Cathy Freeman’s flags from the Sydney 2000 Olympics - carried together after her gold medal win in the 400m, symbolising unity, pride, and Indigenous strength. An object that holds far more than fabric.
From cycling sashes to gold medals, spandex suits to bespoke crate construction, stitch-mounting significant flags and the ongoing care of trophies and cups — we’ve grown alongside the collection, the team, and the institution itself, witnessing its evolution from the National Sports Museum to the Australian Sports Museum.
And yes - even the quiet privilege of sitting in the stands of the Melbourne Cricket Ground on a lunch break, taking it all in.
Ten years of trust. Ten years of learning. Ten years of growth.
We’re grateful for the relationships, experiences, and shared care that shaped our early years - and continue to shape what comes next.

Established in 1913, the Edward de Courcy Clarke Earth Science Collection is a living record of more than a century of g...
01/02/2026

Established in 1913, the Edward de Courcy Clarke Earth Science Collection is a living record of more than a century of geological research, teaching, and discovery in Western Australia.
As part of the Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program, we were engaged to develop the Significance Assessment for this extraordinary collection, articulating its historic, scientific, social, and research value at local, national, and international levels.
Closely tied to the founding of Earth sciences at the University of Western Australia, the collection comprises over 183,000 registered specimens - including rocks, minerals, fossils, thin sections, palynological slides, meteorites, and irreplaceable type material from across Western Australia and the Indo-Pacific.
Still actively used today, the collection supports contemporary research, student learning, and public engagement, while preserving geological records from sites that are now inaccessible or depleted.

A working research archive, teaching resource, and public museum - the EdCC Collection demonstrates why understanding and articulating significance is essential to sustaining collections into the future.

Te Rā is an oceanic spirit sail - the only remaining historic Māori sail in the world. Woven from harakeke, it carries a...
26/01/2026

Te Rā is an oceanic spirit sail - the only remaining historic Māori sail in the world. Woven from harakeke, it carries ancestral knowledge of voyaging, innovation, and connection that first brought people to Aotearoa.

The return of Te Rā to Aotearoa and its 2023 exhibition at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū was made possible through the Māori-led research project Whakaarahia anō te rā kaihau! (Royal Society Te Apārangi Marsden Fund, 2017–2020). The project was led by Donna Campbell (Ngāpuhi), Ranui Ngarimu (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga), and Dr. Catherine Smith, whose work revitalised the Indigenous knowledge embedded in Te Rā and laid the foundation for its homecoming.

Working alongside the British Museum, through the exhibition and conservation process and were guided by senior Māori weavers, curators, and conservators, including Pouarataki Curator Māori Chloe Cull (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi te Ruahikihiki), and Māori conservators Erina McCann (Ngāti Ruapani, Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tamanuhiri), Jade Hadfield (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara) and conservators Rangi Te Kanawa (Ngāti Maniapoto).
We acknowledge this collective of Māori leadership, scholarship, and care. Te Rā was not simply exhibited - it was welcomed home, reconnected with iwi and whānau, and cared for in ways that honoured tikanga Māori and reawakened its mauri.

Whakaarahia anō te rā kaihau!
Raise up again the billowing sail.

Over the years, our private clients are among those we value most. Kanohi-ki-te-kanohi - face to face - matters. It’s wh...
21/01/2026

Over the years, our private clients are among those we value most. Kanohi-ki-te-kanohi - face to face - matters. It’s where trust is built, stories are shared, and care begins.
many treasured taonga have come into our care, from heirloom toys and sabre-tooth (Smilodon) skulls, to feather and shell money, painted turtle shells, kākahu, siapo, and even a “lyrebird” - we care for people’s most treasured taonga. Not just the objects themselves, but the stories, memories, and connections they carry.
Preservation isn’t only about materials - it’s about safeguarding personal history.
Caring for taonga held in families and communities is a privilege and preserving your memories matters.

As communities across Victoria face the ongoing impacts of bushfires, our thoughts are with everyone affected - families...
14/01/2026

As communities across Victoria face the ongoing impacts of bushfires, our thoughts are with everyone affected - families, volunteers, and the local organisations working to protect people, places, and histories under incredibly difficult conditions.

At Tiaki Objects Conservation, our work in disaster preparedness is grounded in community care. Over the years, we’ve delivered hands-on salvage and recovery training with AMaGA, supported historical societies and small heritage organisations across the Greater Bendigo Shire, and worked with institutions such as the Racing Museum of Victoria - alongside many others.
Disaster preparedness isn’t about anticipating the worst. It’s about ensuring communities are supported, informed, and not alone when the emergency has passed - knowing what can be salvaged, how to stabilise damaged cultural materials, and how to take the first steps toward recovery.

To everyone responding right now: we see you. Caring for cultural material is part of caring for community - and recovery is possible, one careful step at a time.

Building Foundations for the Future. 🏛️✨One of our most rewarding focus areas is supporting volunteer-run institutions l...
03/01/2026

Building Foundations for the Future. 🏛️✨
One of our most rewarding focus areas is supporting volunteer-run institutions like the Dandenong Ranges Music Council. Small community groups are the heart of our local history, and our goal is to empower them with professional-standard tools and sustainable workflows.

We recently collaborated with their dedicated team to establish a robust framework for collection care and digitisation. By aligning our strategy with volunteer capacity and available resources, we’ve ensured this project is built to last. And, the work will carry us into 2026.

Project Highlights:
🔹 Professional Access: Utilised a full digitisation equipment kit via AMaGA, allowing for high-level results without upfront costs.
🔹 Workspace Setup: Established a secure, fit-for-purpose digitisation station.
🔹 Data Precision: Captured 666 images across 220 records, refining documentation workflows and creating a spreadsheet ready for bulk upload to Victorian Collections.
🔹 Skill Sharing: Delivered hands-on, applied training to volunteers, ensuring these vital skills remain within the society.
🔹 Curatorial Care: Initial sorting and de-duplication ensured only the most significant materials were registered and preserved.

It’s an honour to help communities take control of their digital future. Here’s to another decade of preserving local stories! 🔥

Preserving the Deep Past for the Future. 🏛️🦴As part of our 10th-anniversary celebration, we’re looking back at a landmar...
29/12/2025

Preserving the Deep Past for the Future. 🏛️🦴
As part of our 10th-anniversary celebration, we’re looking back at a landmark multi-year collaboration with Flinders Palaeontology. Over 2023 and 2024, we had the privilege of working with the Flinders University Vertebrate Collection (FUVC).

Supported by the Community Heritage Grants Program, our journey began with a Significance Assessment (2023), followed by a comprehensive Preservation Needs Assessment (2024). This collection is more than just data - it is a vital repository of cultural and scientific history, documenting the legacy of Professor Emeritus Roderick T. Wells and the world-renowned research emerging from the World Heritage Naracoorte Caves.

The Scale of the Task:

✨ Over 1,500 vertebrate specimens representing 200+ species.
✨ A cultural archive of documentaries, research, and rare books.
✨ More than 25,000 original prints of scientific monographs.

Our work focused on centring the scientific knowledge intrinsic to this collection while ensuring its long-term physical preservation. By assessing both the specimens and the archival history of Flinders Palaeontology, we’ve helped ensure that the tools used to interpret Australia’s fossil record remain protected for the next generation of researchers.

Thank you to Lisa, Gavin and the staff at Flinders Palaeontology at Flinders University for trusting us with this irreplaceable piece of scientific heritage.

Address

Melbourne, VIC
3199

Telephone

+61425799958

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tiaki Objects Conservation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Tiaki Objects Conservation:

Shortcuts

Share