Pioneering collections conservation in the Asia-Pacific 1978–1998 A job well done

Abstract

Colin Pearson was an internationalist. From his debuts as a metals scientist into a long and fruitful career in the field of conservation of cultural materials, he used his expertise internationally and made a significant contribution to the establishment of materials conservation in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. His role in the creation of the UNESCO Regional Conservation Centre in Canberra, to assist with the development of conservation in Southeast Asia and in the Pacific, and the assessment visits that he carried in partnership with UNESCO and ICCROM, were essential. Respecting and fostering local agency, long before this became part of the official heritage discourse, Colin and his institutional partners believed in building and nurturing relationships. This resulted in an international professional network, built through publications and numerous workshops delivered across Asia and the Pacific, with many of the students and colleagues becoming key actors in the regional conservation developments programs. It led to the establishment of regional centres that are today able to collaborate in further conservation training and projects. This article recounts Colin’s contribution to the first two decades of the Asian Pacific program and reflects on his vision for sustainable conservation centres throughout the region.