Old Parliament House (OPH) is a nationally significant heritage building located in Canberra's parliamentary zone. The building was home to the Federal Parliament from 1927 to 1988, making it an important part of Australia's democratic traditions.
Today, OPH is home to the Museum of Australian Democracy , an enriching institution that informs the public of Australia's constitutional, political and social history.
ICS have been involved in conserving both interior and exterior elements of OPH for many years. We were recently commissioned to conserve the two painted coat of arms’ (one British, one Australian) that sit atop the front façade of the building.
Condition
Both coat of arms’ were last treated in the early 1990's. Since then, their paint and gilding had deteriorated considerably. After many years of exposure to the elements, significant amounts of dust, dirt, pollution and bird droppings had accumulated on both structures, accelerating their deterioration.
Treatment
Overview ICS has had a long and major association with the conservation of the huts and contents of the sites from the Heroic Era of Antarctic Exploration (1899-1916). Beginning with Carsten Borchgrevink's first winter in 1899 at Cape Adare and finishing with Shackleton's second expedition in 1917, there were five expeditions in total, with Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton...
On Remembrance Day in 1926 this unique Honour Roll was first unveiled in the Rocky Hill War Memorial tower at Goulburn. Measuring a sizeable 4.8m x 3m, it is made of four Carrara marble panels with local sandstone surrounds and...
Overview The Futurist Room is one of several themed ‘character lounges’ in Sydney’s State Theatre. It was designed by Henry E. White in the 1920s and presents an intriguing Jazz Age vision of the future. Murals on each wall depict angular panels in soft pastel colours bordered with gold leaf in the Art Deco style. Condition By the end of...
