HERITAGE NEW ENGLAND NORTH WEST CONFERENCE 2024

Arts North West is a proud member of Heritage NENW established in 2022. Heritage NENW aims to promote a vibrant and innovative heritage sector in the New England and North West regions of NSW through:

  • advocacy for the valuing and importance of heritage collections, sites, organisations and events;

  • supporting the promotion, development, preservation and effective management of heritage collections and activities in the region;

  • facilitating networking, collaboration and skill development between heritage organisations and individuals in the region;

  • promoting heritage tourism in the region;

  • developing and promoting heritage events to engage locals and tourists within the region (e.g. Heritage Festival, Lost Trades Fair, Regional Heritage Conference, Heritage Week, etc)

In 2024, Arts North West supported Heritage NENW to increase connectivity in this sector with their annual conference. The 2024 conference theme was The Future of Regional Heritage with a program that will explore the innovations and success stories of heritage organisations and activities around the region, as well as an opportunity to discuss the issues and challenges that we face.

The conference was held on Saturday 2nd March 2024, at NOVA, 122 Faulkner Street, Armidale. The conference was generously supported by Arts North West and the UNE Smart Region Incubator.

To find out more about Heritage New England North West here.

Heritage New England North West 2024 Gallery

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS FOR 2024:

Julie McCarthy is the Archives and Collections Advisor for the University of New England. She manages the UNE and Regional Archives at the Heritage Centre in Armidale. Prior to this she operated Papers Past, providing conservation and cultural heritage consultancy services to the region. She trained as a conservator, and has a background in libraries and archives. Julie is a professional member of the AICCM and a member of their Disaster Preparedness Committee.

Marie Hobson is a life-long resident of Gunnedah and is passionate about her town and its history. In 2023 she was recognised as the Tamworth electorate's Local Woman of the Year for her community service, and in January she was named Gunnedah's Citizen of the Year. She is President of the Gunnedah Historical Society and instrumental in the Water Tower Museum's mural project. She is also a mother of four and grandmother of 11 and loves to travel.

Martin Gibbs is Professor of Australian Archaeology at the University of New England. His current projects includes 'Landscapes of Production and Punishment’, looking at the history and archaeology of convict industry in Australia.

Dr Bronwyn Hopwood is Senior Lecturer in Roman History, and the Curator and Collections Manager of the Museum of Antiquities (UNEMA) at the University of New England. Her research interests include the politics and society of Republican and Augustan Rome, and the use of OBL, Significance, and 3D Technologies in museum pedagogy.

Jody Ekert is a queer community advocate and part time librarian who has developed an interest in the lives and advocacy of historical local LGBTQIA+ folk. Jody believes it’s important to recognise all parts of our local heritage, especially those that may have been silenced for stepping outside the cultural norms of the time.

James Arthur Warren aka "Thundercloud Repairian" is a multidisciplinary artist, poet, publisher, promoter and entrepreneur with a mission and purpose to nurture, promote and preserve Australian Poetry in all its forms. In March 2020, James reopened the Arcadia Theatre in Guyra as the Australian Poetry Hall of Fame. The APHOF now houses an Australian Poetry Library and archive of over 2.5k poetry books, with a portrait/info gallery of famous Australian poets.

Rob Taber is the current President of the New England Antique Machinery club and the chair of Jobs Australia Enterprises, also the Treasurer of SEIA (the Solar Installers Association of Australia) and over the last five years has been working with UNSW on a project to recycle polar panels.

Wayne Hoppe is the Treasurer of Heritage NENW. He is also the president of the Armidale Family History Group, vice president of the Armidale Historical Society and a Crown Land Trustee for the Museum of Education, Armidale. Wayne has been researching his family for 35 years and has extensive knowledge in techniques that assist in researching families and properties. In particular his working knowledge on Trove has allowed him to present on this topic numerous times.