_{Image: Merindah Funnell's designs, entitled ‘Invitation to Connect' fixed to the fencing on the main station entrance. Photo courtesy of Gartner Rose.} 

^.

Liz, Alex and Cole from our Country & Culture team recently took part in a Walk on Country with Uncle Gavi Duncan and Uncle Phil Bligh on sites located in the Darkinjung LALC on the NSW Central Coast.

They visited Pearl Beach, the Bulgandry Aboriginal Art Site, participated in a smoking ceremony and learnt about the local Aboriginal community’s history, art, spirituality and cosmology.

As Artefact’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Office Cole Perry noted, “walking on Country is such an important part of the process. Listening to the Elders talk about the land, the animals and our songlines fills in a part of me that is missing and is slowly coming back. I could sit and listen to the same stories they tell a million times and get something different from it at each stage of my life. Walking on Country cleanses my soul and makes me feel lighter as if I’ve just been baptized in a pool of knowledge given to me from my ancestors.”

Read about how Artefact’s Country & Culture team can help with your next project.

^{Image: Portrait of Wiradjuri warrior Windradyne, courtesy of ABC.}

We’re pleased to welcome the wonderful Jennifer Castaldi – who joins the team in Artefact’s Newcastle Office.

Jennifer is a highly experienced heritage architect who is interested in the architectural interface between the preservation and reuse of items and how this works to express the narrative history of the site.

"I believe that pursuing conservation works generally offers economic value and sustainable outcomes. That’s why I’m excited to offer my skills and passion for heritage architecture to our clients in the Hunter Region and expand Artefact’s local service offering.”

Outside of heritage she loves the water, travelling and traditional trades and practices including repairing broken ceramics using the Japanese Kintsugi method.

You can read more about Jennifer here

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘invest in women: accelerate progress’ and that’s just what Artefact’s Founder and Managing Director has done in her approach to business.

Dr Sandra Wallace formed Artefact Heritage and Environment at the start of 2011 driven by a desire to ‘shake things up a bit’. Today her company is one of NSW’s most respected cultural heritage and environmental agencies.

At the heart of Artefact’s success is the unofficial motto of ‘do things differently’ – and in Sandra’s case she has realised this by giving a much louder voice to women and First Nations people who have typically been poorly represented in the construction, environmental and engineering industries.

Here Sandra reflects on her 13 years in business and highlights some of the challenges she’s observed as a female business owner.

Read blog

_{Image: Sandra circa 2003 on an archaeological excavation in western Sydney.} 

For the last few weeks the team have been hard at work undertaking an Aboriginal archaeological salvage excavation at a greenfield development site north-west of Sydney.

The project involved excavation, wet sieving, and the cataloguing of a number of Aboriginal artefacts found on site.

It was great working in partnership with a range of Registered Aboriginal Parties on this major project.

See more

_{Image: Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officer Kelly Barton wet sieving.} 

It's exciting to see our Heritage Interpretation Plan come to life at Stanmore Station in Sydney. Built in the 1880s, the station is an excellent example of a late 19th century style of suburban railway architecture.

Stanmore Station was recently upgraded as part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program and included the integration of additional lighting, wayfinding, public art, activation and CCTV cameras.  

Working with DesignInc and Haslin, our Heritage Interpretation Plan focused on telling three key stories: Mura (tracks); The Heart of the Village; and Railway Architecture.

The plan resulted in two beautiful artworks in the new lift foyers by Gunu Baakandji artist Maddison Gibbs, and a series of wall features and interpretive panels outlining the history of the station and the heritage of the Aboriginal people of the area.

Read short case study

Meet Alex, Kat, Carolyn, Sabrina and Charlotte from our Heritage Interpretation Team.

The team have extensive experience developing tailored interpretation plans that enable the stories of heritage places to be creatively explored through a range of digital and physical media. They also frequently collaborate with designers, architects and artists to deliver visually and physically engaging results.

Carolyn and her team have put together a range of online case studies at the link below that showcase some of their recent work.

Discover how we can help with your next project

We’re excited to welcome Sabrina Roesner to Artefact who has joined our Interpretation team as a Senior Heritage Consultant.

Sabrina has more than 15 years’ experience in the Australian arts, cultural and heritage sector, working on numerous exhibitions, public art strategies and commissions, engagement programs, and interpretive projects – both in the physical and digital realm.

Her previous roles included Artistic Programs Manager at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, Strategic Project Officer, Heritage & City Planning at Blue Mountains City Council, and Visual Arts & Programming Coordinator at Brisbane Powerhouse.

In 2021 Sabrina received the Alan Sisley Memorial Fellowship for her research and contribution to environmental sustainability stewardship within the NSW gallery and museum sector.

You can read more about Sabrina here

Today we honour the extraordinary life of one of Australia’s greatest Aboriginal leaders - Lowitja O’Donoghue (1 August 1932 – 4 February 2024).

Lowitja was a nurse, an equal rights campaigner, an Australian of the Year, chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, honorary doctorate holder and a fighter who dedicated her life achieving better outcomes for her people.

The Artefact team acknowledge this inspirational woman and are saddened by her passing. We send our respects to her family.

_{Image: Lowitja O’Donoghue at the launch of the Lowitja Institute in 2010. Photo by the Lowitja Institute.}

For the past few years we’ve been running a program at Artefact that employs Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have consultation and engagement skills, but not necessarily experience or qualifications in archaeology or heritage.

Our vision is that Aboriginal heritage management should be primarily undertaken by First Nations people.

We call these positions - Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officers (ACHOs) – and so far the Program has generally been a success and is constantly evolving as we learn and listen.

The blog ‘Handing it Back’ co-authored by Artefact Managing Director Dr Sandra Wallace and Heritage Consultant Dr Michael Lever presents our learnings on the ACHO program and our views on some of the shortfalls of the current heritage framework that governs the management of Aboriginal heritage assessments.

‘Handing it Back’ was originally presented at last year’s NSW Aboriginal Archaeology Future Forum held at the Australian Museum and has been repurposed here in written form. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Read the full article here

Artefact is proud to offer its support to the upcoming Dhuluny Conference in mid-August 2024.

The conference is part of commemorations marking 200 Years of Wiradyuri Resistance from 1824 to 2024. On the 14th of August 1824, Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane declared martial law in the region - the first use in NSW of martial law against Aboriginal people.

“As one of the co-organisers of this important event, I’d encourage you to mark this in your diary. What happened in Bathurst on 14 August 1824 led to an unprecedented escalation of violence in Australian Frontier War history. The consequences to Wiradyuri people in particular in the Bathurst region were widespread and devastating, and it is critical that we reflect on these shared histories that have been too often and for too long ignored,’ says Dr Stephen Gapps (Artefact historian, Dhuluny Conference co-organiser and Adjunct Lecturer at Charles Sturt University).

Dhuluny is a Wiradyuri word that means ‘truth and that which is direct’. A series of community events from the 14th to 17th of August will focus on truth-telling and the legacies of the events of 1824.

The Dhuluny Conference (hosted by Charles Sturt University) is currently seeking expressions of interest from those interested in presenting at the event – including artists, dancers, storytellers, military lawyers, legal historians, interdisciplinary academics, and research students. 

Discover more

Meet archaeologist Matthew Finlayson who recently joined Artefact’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Team as a Senior Heritage Consultant.

Originally from Queensland, Matt spent the first three years of his career working in Coffs Harbour (Garlambirla). He’s also been fortunate enough to work on academic and commercial excavations in Cyprus, Scotland and Tasmania.

Matt's ‘artefact’ is the tail feather of a Glossy Black-Cockatoo (biliirrgan) which was gifted to him by a Gumbaynggirr Elder and Knowledge holder of the Coffs Coast region in 2020. “I view my artefact as a tangible reminder of the connections we are able to make with Aboriginal communities through our profession.”

Matt and the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage team are here to help with expert advice, fieldwork and community consultation.

Congratulations to Lily Hackett who has recently been promoted to the position of Heritage Consultant. 

Lily started with Artefact 18 months ago in a graduate role and is a much-valued member of Artefact's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Team. 

As well as her skills in artefact analysis, excavation and field surveys, Lily brings extensive skills in traditional and digital drawing, and archaeological illustration.

You can read more about Lily here

At Artefact we’d prefer to celebrate Australia on a different day than the 26^th January because we acknowledge that this is a day of mourning for many First Nations people.

We allow our team the option of working on the Australia Day public holiday and choosing an alternative day to take off in lieu. We did this last year and we will continue to do so in support of the ‘change it ourselves’ movement and in solidarity with First Nations people.

As we know, the 26th of January was chosen as the date of Australia Day because it was the day the first of the British ships arrived in Warrane (Sydney Cove). As such, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people this date represents the beginning of their dispossession. The loss of their culture and the hardships of their ancestors are closely tied to the 26th of January.

“We strongly believe Australia can do better in terms of how we celebrate who we are. Because of its history, the 26^th of January is not inclusive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and therefore should not be our national day of celebration,” says Artefact’s Managing Director Dr Sandra Wallace. “We call on likeminded companies and individuals to push for a new date to celebrate and we urge the National Australia Day Council to do the same”.

Introducing Martin Edmunds who has recently been appointed as Artefact’s General Manager.

Martin joins us following a variety of senior management roles throughout Australia, the UK and the Middle East. He’s affiliated with the CEO Institute of Australia and is a committee member with the NSW Facilities Management Association.

As General Manager, Martin will work closely with Artefact’s Director of Projects Anita Yousif on strategic growth, operations and industry engagement.

“It’s great to have someone of Martin’s calibre join the team as we move into the next phase of the company’s development,” says Artefact’s Managing Director Dr Sandra Wallace.

Learn more about Martin here

Artefact is proud to be an official supporter of the Indigenous Art Code.

“I am really pleased that Artefact has made the decision to become a member of the Indigenous Art Code. It is vital that Indigenous artists are treated fairly in a commercial context and are provided with the opportunity to be the ones who represent and profit from their culture,” says Dr Samantha Higgs, Team Leader – Country and Culture.

Artefact frequently works with Indigenous artists to develop public artworks as key features in new developments from targeted urban developments to large scale infrastructure projects. We aim to ensure that the intangible significance of a site is reflected in a range of ways, including through artworks developed in consultation with key knowledge holders.

We also are surrounded by Indigenous art in our own Pyrmont offices. Two years ago we commissioned artists Maddison Gibbs (Barkindji) and Jason Wing (Biripi) to create the works: ‘Pirrama’ and ‘Be the Change’. The murals reflect our core values and honour the Country (Pirrama) where we work together as a team in Sydney.

You can read about the Indigenous Art Code here

_{Photo courtesy of Maddison Gibbs.} 

The Artefact team is taking some time out to relax with family and friends over the festive season.

Our office will be closed from Saturday 23 December 2023 and will re-open on Monday 8 January 2024.

For unexpected finds and urgent project enquires during this time please contact Jayden van Beek on 0488 041 326.

For new client enquiries please contact Managing Director Sandra Wallace on Sandra.Wallace@artefact.net.au

In the meantime, we wish you a peaceful holiday break and look forward to working with you in 2024.

_{Photo by Kate Trifo.}

Thankyou to all the wonderful clients, staff, contractors, stakeholders and Community who worked with us to make 2023 Artefact's biggest year yet.

We opened an office in the Hunter, welcomed new team members, launched a range of new services including Connecting with Country Reports, Cultural Values Assessments, Environmental Assessments and Industrial Heritage.

We worked on over 300 projects, and made a big impact on the environment - changing our name from Artefact Heritage Services to Artefact Heritage and Environment.

But we couldn’t have done it without all our wonderful clients and stakeholders. Thank you for trusting us with your projects.

Along the way we engaged with the industry, worked with Community, and got behind a dozen causes.

We looked after each other. Got married!, and made time to let our hair down.

Thankyou to the team for making it all happen. Artefact look forward to working with you in 2024.

Watch our 2023 Year in Review Video

Artefact congratulates Emeritus Professor John Maynard for receiving the 2023 Annual History Citation.

Each year the History Council of New South Wales presents the Citation to an eminent historian to honour a lifetime of service to history.

The Council said John Maynard is “one of Australia’s first Indigenous professors of History, a renowned mentor and advocate for Indigenous people, and a prolific and engaging public speaker. He forged new pathways into universities for Indigenous people and communicated evidence of the strength and survival of First Nations to the wider Indigenous and non-Indigenous public.”

John has been a leading voice at the University of Newcastle where he has worked for almost 28 years. During this time he played a significant role in re-shaping First Nations narratives of the area.

The team at Artefact have been honoured to work closely with John on a variety of projects in the Newcastle area.

Click here for more details and all the other Annual History Award winners

_{Image: John Maynard (right) with Artefact’s in-house historian and History Council President Dr Stephen Gapps. Photo by TWH Photography, courtesy of History Council of NSW.}

Last week we were honoured to work with representatives of the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation, Didge Ngunawal Clan, and the Butucarbin Aboriginal Corporation as well as team members from Orion Group and WEM Civil to respectfully rebury an assemblage of Aboriginal artefacts found in the Kemps Creek area of a new industrial development in Western Sydney.

Dominic Wilkins from the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation offered a Welcome to Country and worked with Teagen Pittman from Butucarbin Aboriginal Corporation to return the artefacts to their place of rest.

Learn more

_{Image: Dominic Wilkins and Teagen Pittman covering the artefact assemblage with small handfuls of earth in accordance with cultural sensitivities and wishes of the Registered Aboriginal Parties.}

Last night Artefact’s Country and Culture team attended a special event celebrating 5 years of Connecting with Country and the State Design Review Panel.

One of Artefact’s first Connecting with Country projects - 11 Gibbons St Redfern - was profiled at the event and heralded as a flagship project by Government Architect NSW. The project was a groundbreaking social housing development by St George Community Housing. Completed in 2020, 45% of the building’s units are now occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Artefact’s interpretation lead, Carolyn MacLulich, worked with well-known Aboriginal artist the late Joe Hurst and Boomalli Aboriginal Artist Cooperative to develop designs that related to locally significant landscape features and stories that were then integrated within the building design – in terrazzo floor patterns, wall features, designs on the soffits that were illuminated at night, as well as landscaping and paving graphics in the rooftop garden.

Read short case study

_{Image: Flowing Joe Hurst designs on the soffits of the building.}

A few years ago Artefact’s historical archaeology team conducted excavation works on the State Heritage registered Argyle Street Railway Substation as it underwent power supply upgrades.

The team found an assemblage of over 2,000 artefacts dating from the mid-1800s through to the 1920s when construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge commenced.

Read short case study

_{Image: Artefact Technical Executive Josh Symons (left) with archaeologist Richard Spencer on site at Sydney's Argyle Street Railway Substation.}

It’s not every day that we get to mix leisure and heritage work but that’s what happened a few years ago preparing a Thematic Heritage Study of Northern Sydney's golf courses.

The report was used by Transport for NSW to help inform future projects in the area.

“Golf courses are important reserves of urban amenity for their social, environmental and heritage values. Artefact was pleased to have prepared this comprehensive Study so that the contextual heritage significance of these important resources can be understood and inform future infrastructure and development proposals on Sydney’s North Shore,’ says Scott MacArthur, Principal, Built Environment - Artefact. 

Read short case study

_{Image: Bayview Gold Course, Hole 2.} 

It was an honour working with representatives of the Darug people and local Traditional Knowledge Holders on the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 project for Transport for NSW.

Artefact prepared a Cultural Values Assessment which helped guide the planning and development of the 10-kilometre, two-way light rail track with 14 stops, as well as bridges, interchanges and active transport links.

Here you'll find a short case study that outlines the approach taken by our Country and Culture team.

“With any major new infrastructure project, it’s important to understand Aboriginal views about the broader cultural and environmental context of the location involved. In our experience, engaging with Traditional Knowledge Holders typically leads to better project outcomes." says Dr Elizabeth Bonshek, Senior Heritage Consultant – Artefact.

Read short case study

_{Image: Artist's impression of the Parramatta Light Rail green track in Cumberland. Courtesy of Transport for NSW.} 

Please join us in welcoming Cole Perry to Artefact as an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officer.

Cole is a Biripi/Worimi man who will play a key role in helping the team deliver Connecting with Country reports and Cultural Values Assessments.

"I am passionate about my career in cultural heritage management and keen to work with industry, land councils, knowledge holders, developers and government to help tell the stories of First Nations people. My goal is to utilise my cultural knowledge to support the development of my people and society in a positive way."

Cole works in Artefact's Country and Culture team. 

Learn more about Cole here

This October we got our pink and blue on for a good cause - breast awareness and understanding prostate cancer.

Our Pink & Blue Morning Tea featured a selection of treats with a splash of pink and blue. 

Some of the team even dressed up for the occasion (pictured here).

Who do you think wore it better – Clinton (who leads our Environmental Assessments Division) or HollyMae (in our Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Team)?

Discover the facts below. 

Breast Awareness

Understanding Prostate Cancer

Our Built Environment team have put together this neat little case study about their work on 36 Hickson Road in Millers Point.

The site was the former Maritime Services Board Stores and where AGL began distributing gas to Sydney in 1841. The building now serves as stunning corporate offices rich with history and character.

As Artefact's Senior Associate Sarah-Jane Zammit says. “36 Hickson Road is a highly significant piece of our industrial heritage in Sydney, and a window to the past. Working on this project ensures that the custodians adequately maintain and protect the historic fabric and significance of the building into the future.”

Read about how we helped.

_{Image courtesy of Dexus.} 

The team at Artefact wish to acknowledge the difficult time right now for many of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and colleagues.

To those in Community, those on Country, those knowledge holders and artists we work with regularly and to our Aboriginal staff members we offer our support.

Please know that we will walk with you into the future as you justifiably seek better recognition and better outcomes for your people.

Dr Sandra Wallace and all of us at Artefact.

_{Image: A hand axe being returned to country and received by a member of the Peak Hill Local Aboriginal Land Council. The axe was found during the construction of the Inland Rail. Photo courtesy of ARTC Inland Rail.}

At Artefact we love seeing the careers of our dedicated staff members take off.

That’s why we’re happy to announce the promotion of Stephanie Moore to Team Leader of Historical Archaeology.

“I lead a team who think outside the box and adapt to changing project demands – which means no two days are the same. It’s a role that requires logic and reason, but also creativity, to interpret the past for a future audience. It’s an honour to share the stories we uncover, whether tragic, triumphant, or tantalising. I’m grateful to work with such a talented group of professionals.”

Steph is a natural leader and an incredibly dedicated archaeologist. She also has a love for industrial heritage – particularly railway infrastructure.

Outside of Artefact Steph holds the position of Secretary of the National Scientific Committee on Industrial Heritage (ICOMOS/TICCIH) and is a General Member of the National Trust Industrial Heritage Committee.

Congratulations Steph from everyone here at Artefact.

Here's a lovely news story about some of our recently completed Heritage Interpretation work. 

Artefact worked with DesignInc and Transport for NSW to develop a Heritage Interpretation Plan and Statement of Heritage Impact for Denistone Train Station north-west of Sydney.

The station was upgraded as part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Plan providing a better experience for public transport customers by delivering accessible, modern, secure and integrated transport infrastructure where it is needed most.

Artefact’s Interpretation Plan resulted in the inclusion of 3 interpretive panels outlining the unique history of the station, and the heritage of the Wallumedegall people of the area. Our work also included the patterning of the overhead walkway inspired by remnant blue gum forest of the area, and the reinstatement of the art deco front facade entrance feature to the station.

“It was really exciting to work on the heritage redevelopment of Denistone Station. Constructed in 1937, the station is has retained many of its original elements in a largely unmodified form,” says Carolyn MacLulich, Artefact’s Head of Interpretation. “The project not only allowed for modern and accessible access points but passengers can now also learn about the unique history of the area through the story-telling elements we developed.”

Watch news story

Read a short case study about our work on the project

_{Credit: Video courtesy and copyright of Channel 7 News.} 

Artefact recently completed a Heritage Item Review for Hornsby Shire Council where the team assessed local buildings, structures, landscape, and sites and provided recommendations for their inclusion or removal from key heritage registers.

We reviewed over 260 locations and prepared 80 inventory sheets for places which met the threshold for local heritage listing to assist Council manage the heritage resources of these assets into the future.

According to project lead Sarah-Jane Zammit “The Hornsby Shire is a treasure trove of heritage sites, some dating back to the mid-1800s and associations with convicts and the first settlers in the area. There are some wonderful examples of built heritage, particularly dating from the inter-war period of the 1920s and 1930s which is strongly linked to the development of the railway in the area. This development expanded the connectivity of the northern suburbs and spurred a plethora of subdivisions. It was a rewarding experience to capture, and document these places, and provide recommendations for their protection into the future.”

Read a short case study about our work on the project

_{Image: Mowll Village Group on Castle Hill Road constructed in the early 20th Century is an aesthetically significant late Federation Arts and Craft Style mansion, which likely the grandest house of its period in the area. The property also contains an original gate house, four farm buildings, wrought iron front gates and fence as well as elements of the original garden including the fountain and driveway.}

Introducing Jordan Wilson-Aarsen who joins Artefact’s Built Environment team.

As part of the team Jordan works on conservation management plans, heritage impact assessments, building condition and dilapidation reports, and adaptive reuse advice.

With qualifications in materials conservation, anthropology, ancient history and biomolecular science Jordan has a wide variety of skills. His most recent role was as a fine art conservator specialising in Australian and Asia Pacific artworks. 

“I love preserving pieces of history, big and small, so that the next generations can see where cultures from around the world developed," he says.

Discover more

We've recently strengthened our presence in the Hunter Region with the establishment of a Newcastle office and the appointment of an experienced Heritage Consultant.

Kristen Tola joins Artefact as a Heritage Consultant providing extra capacity and bringing with her considerable skills in Aboriginal and historical archaeology as well as heritage management and interpretation. Kristen is well established in the area having provided input into the recently drafted Newcastle City Council Newcastle Heritage Strategy 2020-2030 and spearheading State Heritage Register nominations for historical buildings in Newcastle.

Kristen teams up with Artefact Technical Director Jenny Winnett who has been working on major heritage projects in the Hunter Valley over the past 6 years.

Read about our office opening here

_{Image: Kristen Tola, Dr Sandra Wallce and Jenny Winnett at Customs House Newcastle.} 

To better understand the motivations and passions of some our long-standing archaeologists, historians and heritage practitioners we sometimes put them on the spot and ask them five questions.

Here we profile Dr Michael Lever who's been with Artefact for the past 7 years working as a Heritage Consultant in our Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Team.

Michael's an archaeologist who's developed a reputation for his spirited and sometimes unconventional views of the heritage sector.

In this short Q&A he talks about lessons learnt, starting out, the future, and what enlivened him on that 'dig in Dapto'.
 
Read full article here

_{Image: Michael holding the Loftus Lane street sign during archaeological excavation works in the Sydney CBD.}

Artefact was proud to be a Sapphire Patron of ICOMOS GA 2023 and Scientific Symposium this week and looks forward to participating in the next General Assembly in 2026.

Our sponsorship supported a session on Historic Urban Contexts & Industrial Heritage: Case Studies in Resilence, chaired by Anita Yousif (Artefact Director of Projects, ASHA President and ICOMOS Ambassador), which included presentations from around the world on a range of issues related to the conservation of buildings and challenges associated with the preservation and interpretation of industrial heritage sites.

It was also an honour to support Indigenous heritage professionals from outside of NSW to cover their ICOMOS GA registration and travel costs.

Carolyn MacLulich (Artefact Principal and Head of Interpretation and ICOMOS Ambassador) was a member of the grant selection committee. 17 grants were made available to Indigenous colleagues working in a wide range of heritage areas, including several to people from remote communities.

Thanks to the ICOMOS organising committee and ICOMOS Australia for producing such a fabulous series of heritage events this week and bringing together over 1,500 heritage professionals from all around the world.

_{Image - Anita Yousif (Artefact Director of Projects, ASHA President, ICOMOS Ambassador) and Carolyn MacLulich (Artefact Principal and Head of Interpretation, ICOMOS Indigenous Grants committee, ICOMOS Ambassador).}

Wishing everyone a productive and engaging ICOMOS GA 2023.

10 Artefact staff members will attend ICOMOS over the next week as speakers, session chairs, ambassadors, delegates and tour guides.

Look out for HollyMae, Monika, Carolyn, Pedro and Katherine (pictured here from left to right) as well as the rest of the team already on-site.

We look forward to seeing our friends, colleagues and international guests at the various ICOMOS GA events.

Delegates & Speakers (General Assembly) 31 Aug – 9 Sep

Anita Yousif
Session Chair - Historic Urban Contexts & Industrial Heritage
Session Chair - ASHA-ICAHM Workshop
Introduction - Evolving Practice, Evolving Roles & Responsibilities
ICOMOS Ambassador

Carolyn MacLulich
ICOMOS Ambassador
Indigenous Grants Committee Member

Dr Bronwyn Hanna
Speaker - An Oral History of the Burra Charter

Dr Iain Stuart
Australian Representative – The ICOMOS TICCIH National Scientific Committee Meeting on Industrial Heritage

Delegates (The Youth Forum) 1 – 3 Sep

Katherine Chalmers
Kieran Murray
Monika Sakal

Tour Guides (The Greater Blue Mountains Day Trip) 6 - 7 Sep

HollyMae Steane Price
Katrina Stankowski
Pedro Silva

Congratulations to Anita Yousif on her recent promotion to Director of Projects at Artefact.

This means Anita will now lead a team of over 30 heritage consultants in the expert delivery of all projects we undertake.

Anita has had an impressive career so far with 30 years’ experience in archaeology and heritage management. She’s worked on major projects in Australia and overseas and we’re really happy to have Anita oversee and quality control our current slate of projects.

“As a solutions-focused person I believe open and honest communication always leads to the best project outcomes. Client satisfaction is my number one concern and I pride myself on having a flexible approach that can deal with unexpected changes in projects. I’m very excited to be at Artefact working with such a talented, passionate and dedicated team of professionals,” says Anita.

Anita is also the President of the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology (ASHA) and will represent Artefact at the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) General Assembly and Scientific Symposium next week in Sydney.

Learn more about Anita

Artefact is proud to support the NSW Aboriginal Archaeology Future Forum 2023.

This one-day event will be held on Friday 15 September 2023 at The Australian Museum on Gadigal Country in Sydney.

The forum on First Nations archaeology has a focus on community and Country, bringing community aspirations regarding archaeological research to the fore.

We encourage those from the Aboriginal community, archaeological consultants, heritage managers and researchers to attend.

The Artefact team forward to seeing you there.

Tickets are free and available here

_{Photo of Barkindji Country courtesy of Dr Amy Way.}

Artefact congratulates our clients Arcadis Australia Pacific and Transport for NSW for gaining approval to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge Northern Access Cycleway.

Construction of the project means over 2,000 cyclists a day will soon avoid having to carry their bikes up and down the 55 steps that connect with Bradfield Park at Milsons Point. The existing stairs at Burton Street will be retained to uphold the historical significance and preserve the heritage fabric of the bridge and will continue to be available for pedestrians.

Artefact contributed to the cycleway project providing an Archaeological Assessment and Built Heritage Assessment which were key components of the approval process.

“Any project that looks to change elements of a structure as iconic as the Sydney Harbour Bridge comes with a unique set of challenges,” says Artefact Managing Director Dr Sandra Wallace. “The work we carried out was complex and involved and was undertaken over many years. I’m happy the project offers an architectural solution which highlights the cultural values of the place.”

Artefact has a long and proud history working on the State Heritage Register listed Sydney Harbour Bridge across many heritage projects.


Read more about our work on the project here. 

_{Artist's impression courtesy of Transport for NSW.}

In exciting news we’re happy to announce the establishment of an office in Newcastle.

Artefact Principal and Excavation Director Jenny Winnett has been working on heritage projects in the Hunter Region over the past 6 years. It’s now time for us to strengthen our physical presence in the area with a local office to better service the needs of our clients.

You can now find Jenny and her team at:

Steel River Eco Estate
Unit 71, 8 Spit Island Close, MAYFIELD WEST NSW 2304

The Newcastle office is in addition to Artefact’s head office in Pyrmont Sydney.

We look forward to sharing more Artefact news from the Newcastle area in coming months.

Artefact is proud to now offer our clients Cultural Values Assessments.

Led by in-house anthropologist Dr Elizabeth Bonshek, we can provide assessments that capture the views and awareness of a group of people’s relationship with certain places or areas. This is particularly important when considering Indigenous people’s connection to Country and place.

“Cultural Values Assessments capture intangible values that archaeological methodology can’t address which we think allows for better decision making and consultation on projects. The assessment process can be useful where archaeological excavation and interactions on site can’t occur. This might be due to issues with access such as site contamination or other reasons,” says Dr Elizabeth Bonshek.

Liz and the team look forward to discussing how we can help on your next project. 

Discover more

Join Artefact’s Tony Barham who’ll present at the upcoming Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists evening talk.

As our in-house expert on geomorphology Tony has developed a new process for capturing and presenting stratigraphy data from test and salvage excavations to clients.

His talk, ‘Re-thinking Geoarchaeological Deposit Models for Australian Conditions’, looks at meshing regolith landscapes with site stratigraphy as heritage archives. The key aim is to portray the sites in the context of landscape history and past environments, Using examples from recent archaeological digs Tony will unpack his approach and demonstrate how it is being realised in practice.

Also speaking is Jakub Czastka who’ll discuss the application of coring and augering techniques to decide whether to did or not to dig.

The event is on Thurs 17 August at The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre in Sydney from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.


Click here for all the details

Artefact’s excavation director and industrial heritage expert Dr Iain Stuart was recently in Japan visiting the sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.

Iain was part of a panel of international experts, led by Sir Neil Cossons, that helped make the case for the sites to be listed on the UNESCO World Heritage register.

The nomination process took 16 years and the support from the Government of Japan, 19 local municipalities, owners of the working sites, and the local communities that hold component parts of the nomination. 


Learn more about Artefact's industrial heritage work

_{Image - Dr Iain Stuart with Ms Koko Kato, Managing Director of Industrial Heritage Information Centre (www.ihic.jp) after having a tour the Centre.} 

Artefact’s Historian Dr Stephen Gapps appeared recently on the Inner West Icons podcast with his 4-year-old English Staffy Shadie.

In a wide-ranging discussion with presenter Bernie Hobbs Stephen explores the role of dogs and dingoes in early colonial Australia.

He touches on the use of dogs in warfare, as protectors, sources of warmth and why Petersham was originally called the Kangaroo Grounds.

 
Listen to the podcast here.

Meet Monika Sakal who started at Artefact a few weeks ago as a Heritage Consultant. 

Monika has a background in architecture, urban planning, and cultural heritage management. She is a graduate of the University of Sydney and member of ICOMOS and the National Trust of Australia (NSW).

Monika's ‘artefact ‘is a convict arrow brick from Parramatta made in the early 1800s and her favourite quote is by 19th C Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard - “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

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Artefact congratulates our Built Environment Team for gaining prequalification status on the NSW Public Works Built Heritage Conservation panel.

This allows us to potentially work on some of NSW’s most crucial projects including hospitals, dams, water treatment plants and high schools.

The team - led by experienced conservation architect Scott MacArthur – are here to discuss your project needs.

Click here for more information about our Built Environment service offering. 

_{Image: Artefact's Built Environment Team. From left to right - Scott MacArthur (Principal), Bronwyn Hanna (Senior Associate), Rachel Bikim (Heritage Consultant) and Jordan Wilson-Aarsen (Heritage Consultant).}  

This year we celebrate NAIDOC week with students studying Aboriginal Cultural Arts at TAFE NSW.

For 15 years artist and teacher Warwick Keen has been delivering Aboriginal Cultural Art Programs with TAFE NSW in Nowra.

Artefact had the pleasure of working with Warwick and his students to create concept artworks to potentially feature on interpretative panels on the new Nowra Bridge. As part of the process Bidgigal elder Uncle Sonny Simms and the Djiriba Waagura group accompanied students on a site visit to the area and discussed ways to bring local stories to life through art.

Student Anne-Mariee McIntosh, a Wiradjuri woman, said she was proud to be part of a group telling stories that are important to local Aboriginal people and the wider community. “These works are going to be there forever, hopefully, so it’s amazing to be learning about the history of the area and being able to impart that knowledge through art to our children and their children,” she said.

We look forward to seeing how these beautiful cultural expressions might be incorporated as part of Transport for NSW’s Nowra Bridge project.

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_{Image: TAFE student Jenayah Ingrey with her artwork. Photo by Adam Wright, courtesy of TAFE NSW.}

In partnership with our friends at IPWEA NSW & ACT (the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia) Artefact’s Alex Gaffikin is presenting an online heritage training course.

The course offers valuable insights into the world of heritage consulting and how their work impacts construction and public works projects. Participants will learn how to minimize delays caused by heritage considerations, ensuring smooth project execution.

Training will be conducted across two 3-hour sessions - 9am–12pm Tuesday 24 October and 9am–12pm Wednesday 25 October 2023.

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_{Image: Courtesy of IPWEA}  

This year Project Director Anita Yousif and Principal Carolyn MacLulich and will represent Artefact at ICOMOS GA 2023 – the International Council on Monuments and Sites General Assembly.

We invite you to come and meet Anita and Carolyn where they’ll join 1,000 other delegates to discuss heritage changes taking place in the world around the themes of resilience, responsibility, rights and relationships. They are both GA2023 Ambassadors – so if you’re interested in attending and would like more information about what to expect then please reach out to us and we’ll put you in contact with Anita and Carolyn.

Artefact is also proud to be a Corporate Partner of ICOMOS providing travel bursaries for Indigenous Australians to attend.

We look forward to seeing you in early September at the International Convention Centre Sydney.

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Today, on World Environment Day, we’re happy to launch environmental awareness training.

The course has been designed by our in-house environmental consultant Clinton Jurd – who has over 20 years practical experience in the sector. Clinton has a background in environmental education in his past roles at Penrith City and Sutherland Shire Councils. Before Artefact he was the Environmental Specialist at Endeavour Energy.

“We’re finding there’s a real hunger from our clients for introductory information about environmental protection legislation,” says Clinton. “Company Directors are seeing value in their staff knowing the basics of environmental protection and responsibility and we’re keen to support them. As a business passionate about heritage and the environment, we’re really excited to offer this new service.”

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As we head toward the referendum on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament later this year, it is worth considering the long history of how governments have tried and failed to authentically listen to First Nations people.

Artefact’s Historian Dr Stephen Gapps and Lynda-June Coe have authored a fascinating article in The Conversation that charts historical ‘moments of support’ to recognise First Nations people.

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_{Image credit - Benjamin Duterrau, The Conciliation 1840, oil on canvas. Purchased by the Friends of TMAG and the Board of Trustees, 1945. Collection: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, AG79.}

Ever wondered what little mysteries you’ll find behind the fireplace and beneath the floorboards of 140-year-old buildings in Redfern?

Artefact’s Historical Archaeology Team recently completed work at 90-102 Regent Street in Sydney. The Victorian-era buildings were purchased by Wee Hur Capital and have been repurposed by Richard Crookes Constructions into modern student accommodation as part of a State Significant Development.

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In the lead-up to the referendum later this year on whether we should change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Artefact's Managing Director Dr Sandra Wallace has made a statement about our company position. 

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_{Graphic device courtesy of voice.gov.au}

We recently finished work for John Holland on a Heritage Interpretation Plan for the new state-of-the art Sydney Football Stadium at Moore Park. 

Our challenge was to bring local heritage, sporting histories and Aboriginal histories together on the one site in a way that made sense to visitors.

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Artefact congratulates all winners and finalists in the 2023 National Trust Heritage Awards.

To celebrate the occasion, we joined our industry colleagues for the award ceremony at Doltone House on Fri 12 May.

See shortlist 

_{The Artefact team from left to right are Katrina Stankowski, Josh Symons, Bronwyn Hanna, Stephanie Moore, Scott MacArthur, Iain Stuart and Stephen Gapps.}

Artefact is proud to support ICOMOS GA 2023 – the International Council on Monuments and Sites General Assembly. 

As a Sapphire Patron, Artefact has made money available to assist Indigenous Australians from outside NSW attend the event in Sydney from the 31st August to the 9th September 2023.  

“We’re delighted to help with travel bursaries so that Indigenous Australians can gain access to leading heritage professionals from around the world and hope these participants might use the platform to share their own narrative and give delegates an insight into Aboriginal culture and storytelling," says Dr Sandra Wallace, Artefact's Managing Director.

The Artefact team look forward to meeting the successful bursary participants at the event and learning about their work in the field of culture heritage.

APPLY before 12 May

_{Image: International Convention Centre Sydney. Image courtesy of Sydney.com}

The Moorebank Intermodal Precinct is a major infrastructure project comprising of 850,000m2 of modern warehousing and freight management facilities.

Artefact was contracted to develop a salvage strategy to manage Aboriginal stone artefacts and scarred trees identified within the project area. Our work was required to address the conditions of state significant development approval.

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_{Image: Shazda Brown from the Tharawal Local Aboriginal Land Council preparing to place stone artefacts in the burial pit. Photo courtesy of LOGOS Property.}

As part of an $8.7m upgrade Artefact was engaged to develop a Heritage Study of Good and Bridge streets and the surrounding area.

City of Parramatta Council wanted to offer residents, workers and visitors improved public spaces and amenity in the Sydney suburb of Granville.

Our work was embraced by Council and was used as the basis for a plan for a heritage street upgrade. The history of Good Street and its role in the development of Granville provided a rich and diverse source of stories that could be told through heritage interpretation.

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Artefact has recently invested in a range of new high-tech field equipment and in-house expertise as we build capacity and efficiencies for our clients.

Included in the kit are a Polaris Offroad UTV; a Trimble Datalogger with DGPS Antenna; a portable 13,000L water tank with high-pressure pump and a new range of smaller archaeological dig tools. The new equipment is all contained in a customised Artefact trailer with offroad capability.

Our new hardware comes on the back of a slew of new hires.

Tony Barham brings geomorphology skills in-house as Artefact's new Principal in Aboriginal Heritage. And Bengi Selvi-Lamb joins the team as Senior Heritage Consultant with expertise in stone tool analysis. 

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Artefact's Michael Lever provides a thought-provoking article in the latest edition of Buried History - the journal of the Australian Institute of Archaeology.

His article explores existing understandings of the relationship between European settler Peter Beveridge and local Aboriginal people through a critical reading of documentary resources.

How much of Beveridge’s claims regarding Aboriginal people or his knowledge about their lifestyles should be accepted without careful scrutiny?

Read article in full

_{Image: Peter Beveridge circa 1865. Courtesy of La Trobe Picture collection, State Library of Victoria H10173.}

Limited tickets are now on sale for the 2023 Sydney Historical Archaeology Practitioners Workshop on Friday 26 May in Sydney.

Presented in association with National Archaeology Week, this is your chance to hear directly from students, academics and heritage professionals working in the field.

Network with peers and learn about the latest research, new discoveries and sites that have recently been excavated.

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Team Leader Clinton Jurd has broadened his formal qualifications, meaning we can help more organisations improve their environmental performance and reduce environmental risk. 

His Environmental Management Systems Lead Auditor certification now allows for a more integrated approach in helping our clients satisfy the independent audit requirements of SSD and SSI projects. 

With Clinton now a JAS-ANZ approved Environmental Management System Lead Auditor our in-house environmental management skills have been significantly expanded.

"We're looking forward to working with our clients to assist them with environmental protection and to realise the associated cost saving benefits of having Artefact as an audit partner," says Clinton. 

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“International Women’s Day is an important time to reflect and to acknowledge the amazing women of Artefact, the heritage industry and beyond.

Throughout my life I’ve witnessed the challenges we face as women – misogyny, unpaid childcare, balancing household and professional commitments, as well as struggles about body image, confidence and speaking out that come from expectations ingrained in us by society from childhood.

Respect especially to our First Nations women who live all of this on top of racial discrimination.

Acknowledgement is the core of change and I’m immensely proud to lead this team of talented female professionals in making Artefact an agent of change for women.”

Dr Sandra Wallace
(Founder & Managing Director)

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Artefact is lending its support for Trove – the online collections database managed by the National Library of Australia.

Artefact has signed a Parliament of Australia e-petition as well as writing to the Federal Minister for the Arts Tony Burke MP asking that Trove maintain Government funding into the future.

Principal Dr Iain Stuart spoke with ABC Radio's James Valentine recently about the value of Trove for small to medium heritage consultancy firms like Artefact.

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Woollahra development projects may now require Aboriginal Heritage Impact Assessment.

Artefact's team of professionals can help provide a Due Diligence report, and Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report (ACHAR) to complete your DA. We have carried out recent projects in the Woollahra LGA including Rose Bay, Watsons Bay, Double Bay and Bellevue Hill.

Reports are prepared by our qualified Aboriginal heritage consultants on staff. 

How we can help

The theme of the 2023 Sydney Historical Archaeology Practitioners workshop is ‘Something New’, and we want to know, what is your ‘something new’? Presentations and papers are being sought for this workshop from students, academics and heritage professionals from both government and heritage consultancies who want the wider
archaeological community to know what new research they have been doing, what new results they have, or what new sites have they been excavating.

Details of submissions and conference date

Artefact are excited to announce that we are now offering Environmental Assessment and Planning services to compliment out multidisciplined heritage and interpretation team. This move will support our growth trajectory and ability to provide a holistic environmental management service to our valued clients.

Clinton Jurd will be leading our Environmental Assessment and Planning team. He has over 20 years of experience in the industry and will bring with him technical expertise, industry contacts and a values driven approach.

With our new environmental impact assessment, management and planning service, Artefact now offers a broader range of environmental services. We will efficiently guide clients through the environmental, planning, assessment, and approvals process, whatever the project.

Artefact Heritage Consultant Michael Lever will be presenting a session at this year's NSW Aboriginal Archaeology Future Forum 2022 on Friday 26 August. Michael's talk is entitled Kosher, Halal and NSW Aboriginal heritage legislation. 

Artefact Heritage is a sponsor of the event, which provide an opportunity to share knowledge; showcase current projects and achievements; and discuss aspirations for the future of archaeological conservation, research and heritage management. The event will include presentations from individuals and panel discussions on a range of areas important to community archaeology.