Did you know there is a committee that oversees the external movement of all Australian cultural heritage items?
Professor Martin Gibbs from UNE Archaeology is the new Chair of the National Cultural Heritage Committee, but has been part of the committee since 2019.Working with the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act (1986), the NCHC is tasked with making sure items important to the cultural heritage of Australia are not sent overseas – permanently or for loan – without proper consideration and controls.
In this Q&A, Professor Gibbs shares what the day-to-day work of the committee looks like.
Who makes up the committee?
The committee is a 10-member panel with experts at the top of their field, with skills that cover the spectrum of movable items that are brought to the committee’s attention, such as art, archaeology and historic objects.The majority of the committee members have quite senior positions in Australian art galleries and museums, although there are several academics, including two newly appointed Indigenous scholars whose backgrounds are in art and material culture. We are also assisted by a much larger group of Expert Examiners we call on to provide specialist advice.
What does the committee do?
One of our key roles is to make recommendations to the Minister for Arts as to whether export of items with cultural heritage value can happen. The discussions are often fascinating as we have to deal with not just the value of objects but also their cultural significance and a range of other legal and ethical considerations.
For some reason [one of the] most common heritage items for export are steam engines – which always strikes me as a little odd – but we may see items as diverse as meteorites or militaria.
Although not dealt with directly by the NCHC, we also work with the International team who try to prevent heritage items from other countries being imported illegally into Australia. They work in collaboration with Interpol and other international law enforcement agencies, so their reports can be a fascinating view into the world of illegal antiquities trade, and repatriation on a global scale.
Another thing the committee does is manage the National Cultural Heritage Account. This is a not huge sum that allows us to give money to Australian cultural institutions for the purchase of significant cultural items – either to ensure they don’t leave the country, or for return to Australia.
What kind of items does the committee deal with?
The most common items we see overseas loan applications for are works of art by Aboriginal artists. With advice from experts we consider a range of issues including how they fit in the arc of an artist’s outputs, whether they are part of a larger series that shouldn’t be broken up, or even if items may have spiritual significance such that they shouldn’t be leaving the country without agreement of the communities they originated from.
For some reason the other most common heritage items for export are steam engines – which always strikes me as a little odd – but we may see items as diverse as meteorites or militaria.
What has been a highlight?
Through the National Cultural Heritage Committee Account funds we have helped some wonderful pieces return to Australia. My favourite is the ‘History of Australia Billiard Table’ carved in 1883-85 by Benjamin Hulbert, a Sydney-based billiard table manufacturer. The exquisite high-relief carvings covering the legs and sides of the table record scenes such as the Burke and Wills expedition, gold mining and, surprisingly for the period, colonial conflict.
We were able to make sure this amazing item returned from the UK and is now in the National Museum of Australia.
