Book Review: Architectural Conservation in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands: National Experiences and Practice

This e book is the newest within the Time Honored Architectural Conservation Documentation sequence, which surveys architectural conservation historical past and follow in varied world areas. Earlier volumes have been: Architectural Conservation in Asia: Nationwide Experiences and Apply by John H. Stubbs and Robert G. Thompson (Routledge, 2017); Architectural Conservation in Europe and the Americas by John H. Stubbs and Emily G. Makaš (Wiley, 2011); and the foundational Time Honored: A World View of Architectural Conservation by John H. Stubbs (Wiley, 2009).

Richard A. Engelhardt (UNESCO Chair Professor of Heritage Administration) states within the Foreword that “excellent examples of cultural and pure heritage are of ‘common’ worth wherever on the planet they could be situated.” He notes that the authors have examined current traits in architectural heritage safety “by way of the lens of this international transformation in the direction of localization in heritage conservation follow;” and in addition acknowledges how difficult it was for them, given the cultural and historic range of this geographically huge area of the Pacific. From the authors’ Preface: “Whereas cultures evolve and rework, it’s in heritage that we discover our continuity and identification.”

“Whereas cultures evolve and rework, it’s in heritage that we discover our continuity and identification.”

Fifty-nine contributors (from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, USA and UK) have supplied: sub-chapters; and strategic essay inserts, which spotlight important historic and present occasions, episodes, characters, buildings and actions; and, additionally, the occasional heritage drawback. The e book’s textual content is structured in 4 components:

Half I is entitled ‘Introduction to Pacific Heritage Conservation’. It’s a scene-setting contextual evaluation of the general Pacific area: its geography, geologies and climates (together with present and predicted results of local weather change); histories, cultures and vernacular constructing practices; historic explorations of the Pacific and subsequent business, commerce and colonisation; and the cultural impacts of World Struggle 2. The introduction concludes with in depth consideration of the methods during which a heritage ‘conservation ethos’ has advanced within the Pacific area, together with the ICOMOS charters of Australia and New Zealand.

Half II and Half III collectively comprise seven chapters, every dedicated to a nation or prolonged island group within the Pacific area. Every chapter commences with a location-specific exposition of the broad contextual themes laid down within the Half I Introduction. Subsequent narratives are variably structured, in line with the priorities and particulars of every location. These are nicely illustrated, with architectural conservation examples (together with buildings of the Fashionable Motion) of preservation, restoration, reconstruction, adaptive re-use and the occasional relocation. Pacific Island heritage is multilayered, and there are applicable reminders that heritage conservation must take account of each cultural tangibles and ‘intangibles’. Every chapter (and Half I Introduction) concludes with an in depth record of endnotes and associated readings.

II.1. Australia. The introduction to this substantial chapter is titled ‘The Infinite Previous,’ alluding to the fact that indigenous Aboriginals have inhabited the continent for roughly 65,000 years. There is an interesting analysis of Aboriginal cultural heritage, noting its current acknowledgement as an ‘Indigenous Renaissance’.

Conservation by way of adaptive re-use is given in depth dialogue and reportage. This segues right into a critique of examples of up to date ‘façadism’ and ‘pastiche’ (grafting of historic motifs onto the ‘new’).

Concerning the preservation of modernist structure, there are quite a few examples mentioned and illustrated, with explicit consideration given to the work of Harry Seidler and that of the Griffins (Walter Burley and Marion Mahony). Pragmatics of conservation follow are illustrated in an essay insert about current upgrades on the Sydney Opera Home.

A substantive evaluation of the ICOMOS ‘Burra’ Constitution (first drafted in 1979) is accompanied by an essay insert, which highlights conceptual connections with Austrian artwork historian Alois Riegl’s subtle ‘worth based mostly’ conservation principle.

II.2. Aotearoa New Zealand. This chapter has a bicultural heritage assemble. The narrative commences with a top level view of pre-European Māori occupation and constructing follow.

Subsequent contributions embrace: evaluation of marae and wharenui typologies; conservation of Māori structure and institution of the Māori Heritage Council; and an interesting assertion on a ‘Kaupapa Māori’ method to architectural conservation. The ICOMOS New Zealand Constitution (2010), bicultural in its formation, is given in depth dialogue.

Creation of the Historic Locations Belief (now Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga) is highlighted as a legislative response to the unlucky demolition of Partington’s Mill in Auckland (1950). There are different examples of tragic demolitions and a bit about heritage outcomes after the Canterbury earthquakes. Examples are additionally included of great restoration initiatives, comparable to Christchurch City Corridor and Futuna Chapel, of adaptive re-use and of city interventions the place a brand new constructing has been sensitively built-in into the present city cloth. Architectural conservation training, and present programs and programmes, are given detailed consideration.

III.3. Hawai’i – Hawaiian Islands and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

III.4. Micronesia – Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati.

III.5. Melanesia – Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji.

III.6. South Pacific Polynesia – Tonga, Samoa, Niue, Cook dinner Islands, French Polynesia, Pitcairn, Rapa Nui.

Every island and island grouping is given particular person evaluation of its particular geography, prehistory and cultural traditions, early settlement and colonisation, conventional vernacular constructing follow and crafts. Heritage websites, present conservation follow and related challenges are mentioned, with episodes in particular person histories additionally highlighted.

III.7. Polar Areas of the Pacific (Aleutian Islands, north Pacific; Ross Sea area, Antarctica).

The Ross Sea area contains Ross Island, Scott Base and McMurdo Station – places with expedition huts and related artefacts. These historic websites, with heritage safety and administration below the Antarctic Treaty (1961) and the Antarctic Heritage Belief (New Zealand) (1987), are given detailed descriptions together with outlines of the conservation challenges in such a chilly local weather.

IV. Closing Feedback. The conclusion alludes to 2 ‘catastrophic’ historic influences on the shaping of Pacific Island cultures: colonisation and the WW2 Pacific Struggle. Nevertheless, it additionally encouragingly notes a “current Indigenous Renaissance” throughout the area. Architectural heritage conservation has an vital position to play: “to maintain our reminiscences and thus our identities, to remind us of who we’re, of the place we’ve come from, additionally to disclose losses of the previous and obliquely to warn us of what could lie forward”.

The e book’s finish matter features a Glossary of Area-Particular and Conservation Phrases, a basic Reference record of Architectural Conservation texts, Picture Credit and Index.

That is a powerful publication and the encyclopaedic content material of the 592 pages is nicely illustrated (in monochrome). However this isn’t a shiny image e book for the espresso desk. It has a well-planned, scholarly assemble, together with in depth endnoted reference citations and associated studying lists in every part. For instance, the Aotearoa New Zealand part of 107 pages has 570 endnotes and an inventory of 70 associated readings. Said by the authors within the Preface: “This e book is written for professionals, college students and all others concerned about cultural heritage administration within the Pacific area”. That is, certainly, a major ‘top-shelf’ analysis supply.

A pertinent concluding quote, from NZIA’s Heritage and Conservation Pointers (2010):“Our capability to reply to locations of heritage worth needs to be based mostly on an expert concern for these values, a superb understanding of the self-discipline of conservation, and the pursuit of a high quality, constructed atmosphere.”