Australian and Indian specialists in cultural preservation are meeting in New Delhi from 24-27 March to share expertise on protecting national treasures and to discuss the development of a national conservation charter.
The Australian High Commissioner to India, Ms Penny Wensley AO, was the guest of honour, at the inaugural session, which was chaired by Mr S.K. Misra, Vice-Chairman, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The four-day workshop was opened today by Mr Dhanendra Kumar, Secretary, Culture, Government of India.

“Cultural heritage preservation and management are of great value to India and Australia is pleased to share expertise in this area,” said the High Commissioner. The Australian Government is committed to work with India in heritage conservation, and it has assisted in funding the workshop through the Australia-India Council (AIC).

“I am particularly pleased that the workshop will look at developing a national conservation charter. Australia is proud of its own Burra Conservation Charter,which is a highly regarded document internationally and has been a model for charters elsewhere in the world.” said Ms Wensley.

The High Commissioner noted that Australia’s continuing commitment in this important area of bilateral cooperation is underlined by the strong Australian delegation at the workshop. The Australian participants include Mr Vinod Daniel,Chairman,AusHeritage, Professor Ken Taylor, Emeritus Professor of Landscape Architecture, as well as Mr Roger Beeston and Mr Bruce Pettman, two of Australia’s senior conservation architects.

“A successful program of collaborative development initiatives by INTACH and AusHeritage will not only strengthen our understanding and experience in developing cultural heritage management projects but will also help lay the foundations for a new economic base for a vital
growing international industry,” according to Mr Daniel. “Such workshops are important steps in exchanging information on conservation charters and enhance our understanding of our mutual roles within an international forum,” he added.

AusHeritage,the Australian industry network for cultural heritage services,has a history of strong cooperation with India on heritage conservation. Following the signing of an MOU with INTACH in 2002, AusHeritage organised a preservation workshop in 2003 in collaboration with INTACH and the National Museum Institute for Museology, Art History and Conservation.

The Australia India Council is a bilateral council established and supported by the Australian Government to promote relations at people-to-people and institutional levels. The first AIC supported workshop was organised by AusHeritage in 1998, when workshops were held in Delhi, Mumbaiand Chennai in collaboration with INTACH, the Archaeological Survey of India, universities and museums.