Conservation

Penny Byrne is an objects conservator specialising in ceramics and built heritage conservation with over twenty years experience working in the cultural heritage sector in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Her conservation training was undertaken at West Dean College in the UK, which included an internship at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She also gained broad based experience in built heritage conservation and objects conservation in the UK, before returning to Australia in 1991.
https://www.westdean.org.uk/study/school-of-conservation
http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/c/conservation/

She has worked for many major Australian cultural institutions including The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Museum, Heritage Victoria and The State Library of Victoria.

She has extensive ceramic artefact conservation/restoration experience, and strong skills in project management, and client liaison. She also has extensive experience in art and heritage collection relocation.

She is a Heritage Victoria Registered Consultant.
https://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/

National Architecture Awards: National Commendation for Heritage 2019 - Penny was the tile and ceramic conservation consultant on the award winning Sacred Heart Building Conservation Project at the National Heritage listed Abbotsford Convent. 2019 National Architecture Awards - Commendation for Heritage

She is a Professional Member of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials and adheres to the AICCM Code of Practice and Code of Ethics. Penny's AICCM Professional Members information page

Clients include:

  • Abbotsford Convent Foundation - Heritage Encaustic and 1950's Tiles Conservation Projects
  • Monash University Museum of Art - Leonard French Dalle de Verre Glass Window Conservation Project, ceramics and glass conservation of collection objects, exhibitions installation conservator (Renne So, Linda Marrinon)
  • Shepparton Art Museum - Collection relocation consultant, conservation of ceramics in the SAM collection, exhibitions installation conservator for the John Perceval Angels exhibition.
  • Australian Centre for the Moving Image - Exhibition installation conservator, and conservation of multi-material objects
  • Melbourne Museum - Object Conservator, and Exhibition Collection Manager contracts
  • RMIT University - Capitol Theatre re-development - Heritage glass columns conservation project
  • Jewish Museum of Australia - Development of Conservation Management Plan, collection condition assessment
  • Private clients - conservation/restoration of ceramics, glass and related materials