Turning up the heat on pests at Woodford Academy
The National Trust (NSW) is turning up the heat on Woodford Academy using conservation techniques that have been applied for various purposes throughout the world - but never to an entire heritage property in this country. During the summer months of 2019, this innovative practice will be underway at one of the Blue Mountains' most treasured buildings.
We will share the results of this treatment at the following Woodford Academy events.
Symposium: Turning up the Heat on Pests
Friday, 15 February 9am to 4pm
Speakers include –
- Alex Roach, Modified Atmospheres
- Peter Sarkey and Simon de Montemas, from Precision Pest Control
- Dr. Clive Lucas, conservation architect and National Trust of Australia NSW Board member
- Rebecca Pinchin, Collections Manager, National Trust of Australia (NSW).
Cost:
$200 Full symposium fee (book and pay by 12th February 2019)
$180 Early bird symposium fee (book and pay in full before 31st January 2019)
$80 Student/ concession fee (book and pay by 12th February 2019)
*Symposium includes speakers, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea*
Turning up the Heat on Pests – Open Day
Saturday, 16 February 1pm to 2pm
Join National Trust Collections Manager Rebecca Pinchin and Alex Roach from ‘’Modified Atmospheres’ to discover more about the fascinating conservation work being undertaken by the National Trust, the challenges of heritage management, the Woodford Academy’s catalogue of historic ‘pests’ and this innovative conservation treatment.
Museum Entry & Talk:
- Adults $10
- Seniors/ Students (5-15yrs) $8
- Family $25
- Child under 5 free
Optional guided tour included with Museum entry.
Please contact woodfordacademy@gmail.com for more information.
Dust – An exhibition about insects, collections and care
Saturday, 16 February 10am to 4pm
Dust is an artist run project exploring the processes of collection care underway at the Blue Mountains oldest colonial building, the Woodford Academy.
Dust brings together artists and museum professionals to explore the processes of collection care underway at the Blue Mountains oldest colonial buildings, the Woodford Academy. In an Australian first, the Academy buildings will be progressively wrapped and left to ‘cook’ over the coming summer, eradicating the infestation of insects that have taken up residence in the building and its collections.
Dust engages with the idea of collection care while at the same time examining the lives and activities of insects. Just like we do, insects seek the right conditions to thrive and grow; that they may nest in our precious memory-objects and spaces is of no consequence to them. Dust highlights the materiality of insect bodies, museum objects and heritage environments and gives expression to the productive and destructive forces inherent to human-insect relationships.
Visual artists Erica Seccombe, Ingeborg Hansen, Freedom Wilson and writer, performer and all-round ‘creatrix’ Cat Jones join Sydney University Museum’s Julie Taylor, Madeleine Snedden, Rachel Lawrence, Christopher Jones and Stuart Humphreys to present a suite of vibrant and fascinating audio and visual works that showcase the good, the bad and the ugly of the insect world.
Developed by local Blue Mountains artist Jacqueline Spedding in conversation with Elizabeth Burgess from the Woodford Academy, Dust celebrates the work of Spedding’s fellow artists and museum colleagues who have backgrounds in art and science, and collection care.
This innovative conservation project at Woodford Academy has been supported by our generous donors through our appeal for Urgent Property Repairs – which also contributed to much-needed conservation work at Miss Traill’s House in Bathurst. The National Trust (NSW) thanks all our donors for their generous and ongoing support through our appeals program.
