‘I Don’t Want Bullumwaal to be Forgotten’: How the Community Led the Conservation of a 1897 Stage Curtain in Bullumwaal (East Gippsland, Australia)

Abstract

Conservation practice increasingly seeks to include community participation. This article reflects on such a collaborative process, through the case study of the community-driven conservation of a stage curtain painted in 1897 for the Mechanics Hall of Bullumwaal, a remote township in the state of Victoria (Australia). From fundraising efforts and navigating grant applications to managing the conservation project, the challenges faced by the local community in order to conserve their curtain and keep it in situ are examined in light of current heritage preservation policies and practices. Close collaboration with the conservators and flexibility with all preconceived plans resulted in a successful negotiated outcome that respected both community values and ethics of preservation. Social events are now planned to advertise the curtain’s presence and attract people to the township. The conservation treatment also triggered more research by local historians, expanding knowledge about the place and its people and opening the Bullumwaal community to new connections with other parts of Victoria. This case illustrates the importance of living cultural heritage within a community and conservation’s contribution to strengthen identity, social cohesion and sense of place through the preservation process.