Research Areas
The Western Australian Museum is one of the State's premier centres of excellence in the areas of natural sciences, anthropology, archaeology and history.
Museum scientists and curators work in the fields of aquatic zoology, archaeology and anthropology, conservation, earth and planetary sciences, history, maritime archaeology, maritime history and terrestrial zoology.
Our staff have specialist, often internationally regarded expertise in their areas and work extensively with other museums and universities both nationally and overseas.
Museum staff carry out extensive research and field work and have produced some of the State's most exciting scientific finds including: the Gogo fish; ancient megafauna such as Thylacoleo carnifex; new species of frogs, reptiles and spiders; and an abundance of new marine species along the vast WA coastline.
Materials Conservation
The Western Australian Museum has a vital role as a custodian of the State’s collections of scientific and cultural heritage. One of the Materials Conservation department's primary functions is to ensure that these collections are permanently preserved for reference, research and exhibition.
The conservation and preservation of the Museum’s collection is accomplished through the use of preventive and remedial conservation techniques in accordance with international and national standards of best practice.
- Maggie Myers - performing textiles conservation
- Photo by Isa Loo
- Image copyright of WA Museum
By minimising the rates of deterioration for artefacts and specimens in the WAM collections (preventive conservation), the extent of interventive conservation treatments is reduced. This philosophy helps us retain and maintain the integrity and original condition of the collection artefacts and specimens in the Museum’s care.
The Materials Conservation department also possesses a research division in its overall structure. Traditionally, the research division has been primarily focused on applied maritime archaeological conservation, however, all research has direct benefits to artefacts in the Museum’s collections. Knowledge derived from these research projects leads to the development of improved treatments and increased care and preservation of the Museum’s collections. Direct collaboration between the conservation scientists and the conservators is one of the key strengths of the Materials Conservation department, allowing problems to be tackled and resolved very effectively.
The Materials Conservation department provides services for Museum staff who study the objects and specimens, visitors to the museum, external researchers, government, private clients, conservation students and professionals.
Materials Conservations - online exhibitions:
collections
Care of the WA Museum Collections
Materials Conservation
The primary role of the Materials Conservation department is to ensure the longevity and perpetuity of the Western Australian Museum collections for research, reference and exhibition.
Some...
Department Web Pages
Materials Conservation - peer-reviewed publications
Materials Conservation
2009-2010
Fors, Y. and Richards, V. (2010). The effects of the ammonia neutralising treatment on marine archaeological Vasa wood, Studies in Conservation...
Materials Conservation Blog
Materials Conservation
The Materials Conversation department keeps a blog of its recent conversation activities. Includes our major restorative work on the HMAS Ovens at the Western Australian Museum - Maritime.
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materials conservation Highlights
Storage of 19th century bonnets - case study description
One of the most important aspects of a conservator’s job is preventive conservation, which uses passive (non-invasive) strategies to minimise the physical and chemical deterioration of objects in our collection. One of these...
- Storage of 19th century bonnets - collapsed storage container
- Photo from WA Museum
- Image copyright of WA Museum
Storage of 19th century bonnets - images
This case study section focuses on the preservation of 19th century bonnets, as described in "Storage of 19th century bonnets - case study description". This particular image shows the bonnet mount's construction.
- Maggie Myers constructing the bonnet mount
- Photo by Isa Loo
- Image copyright of WA Museum
Storage of 19th century bonnets - images
This case study section focuses on the preservation of 19th century bonnets, as described in "Storage of 19th century bonnets - case study description". This particular image shows mount's construction.
- Maggie Myers constructing the bonnet mount
- Photo by Isa Loo
- Image copyright of WA Museum