Archaeology and conservation in 19th century Melbourne

Revealing the Hidden: Historical Archaeology and Conservation of Unique Artefacts from 19th Century Melbourne

This panel event draws on two recent conference papers:

• A Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes: Successful Collaboration and the Preservation of 19th Century Footwear from Deep Deposits below the Melbourne Rail Yard
• Sound as a Barrel: Historical Archaeological Conservation of a Unique Timber Barrel from Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.

The first paper examines deposits uncovered during a project, including more than 200 preserved nineteenth-century shoes from the former West Melbourne Swamp. It highlights the challenges of excavating and managing unstable artefacts and the importance of collaboration between archaeologists, conservators and regulators.

The second paper focuses on the excavation and conservation of a rare timber barrel from another recent development and infrastructure project, demonstrating how adaptive strategies can stabilise fragile objects while revealing historical evidence.

This event is aimed at researchers, historians, educators, archaeologists, heritage professionals and the wider community interested in Melbourne’s past. Many of our members are in the heritage/architecture/ archaeology sector and we want to expand our reach to them with this informative talk.

Dr Michelle Negus Cleary holds a PhD in Archaeology from the University of Sydney (awarded in 2015) and more than fifteen years of experience working with archaeological projects in Australia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the Republic of Georgia. She is the Technical Director at Dr Vincent Clark Archaeology & Heritage and has worked as an archaeologist, heritage advisor and spatial data specialist in Australian archaeology since 2010. 

Ramona Angelico specialises in the management of archaeological collections, the cataloguing of artefacts, and the analysis and interpretation of material culture. She has worked as a Historical Artefact Specialist at Dr Vincent Clark Archaeology & Heritage since 2019 and as Team Leader – Historical Artefacts since 2024.  

Jaimi Houston completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) majoring in Archaeology and Ancient Cultures at Monash University in 2021.  She has worked as an Archaeologist at Dr Vincent Clark Archaeology & Heritage since 2022 and as the Historical Artefact Assistant and Artefact Photographer since 2024.

Dr Holly Jones-Amin is an internationally recognised conservator specialising in low-fired archaeological pottery conservation and people‑centred approaches to material heritage. She has directed conservation archaeological projects across Syria, Georgia, Turkey and Australia, with additional work throughout the Pacific, Southeast Asia, Italy, and the Himalayas. She is a University of Melbourne lecturer.

Marica Mucic holds a Bachelor of Arts (La Trobe University) and a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation (University of Melbourne). A member of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM), she is an objects conservator specialising in archaeological artefacts as well as commemorative, memorial, and heritage works.

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