Antarctic Heritage & Conservation summit | Australian Antarctic Festival 2026
Description
Bringing together heritage management professionals from the Australian Antarctic Division, the Mawson's Huts Foundation, the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust and the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust, the Antarctic Heritage & Conservation Summit explores the challenges and opportunities of preserving Antarctica's historic places for future generations.
Through a series of presentations and audience Q&A, representatives will examine current conservation projects, emerging research, international collaboration, and the management of some of the world's most remote and fragile heritage sites across Antarctica and the subantarctic region.
A must-attend event for anyone passionate about cultural heritage, conservation, Antarctic history and polar exploration.
Event Details
📅 Friday 21 August 2026
🕝 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
📍 Aurora Lecture Theatre, IMAS, Hobart
💻 Online attendance available
Free event. Registration is essential. Nibbles and drinks will be provided.
Presented as part of the Australian Antarctic Festival 2026.
Lineup
Lara Colrain | CEO Mawson’s Huts Foundation
Lara Colrain is CEO of the Mawson’s Huts Foundation, where she leads the conservation and interpretation of Australia’s Antarctic heritage. She also serves as Archives Officer for the Archdiocese of Hobart and Curator of the Channel Museum. A heritage professional with qualifications in ancient history, geology, archaeology and cultural heritage, Lara recently completed a Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Deakin University, where her research explored the use of virtual reality in Antarctic heritage interpretation. She is passionate about connecting people with heritage through conservation, education and innovative public interpretation.
Dr. Rebecca Hingley | Australian Antarctic Division (AAD)
Dr. Rebecca Hingley is an honorary associate at IMAS with a research background in Political Geography and Heritage Studies. Her thesis focused on the geopolitics of cultural heritage management in Antarctica with an aim to expose how and why the governance of Antarctic heritage concerns more than the preservation and conservation of historic remains, and what effects these alternative agendas have on multilateral relations. Following the completion of her thesis, Rebecca worked for a not-for-profit championing Australia’s Antarctic heritage, and she now works for the Australian Antarctic Division in protected area management.
Camilla Nichol | Chief Executive, United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust
Camilla Nichol is the Chief Executive of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, a UK-based not-for-profit which conserves six heritage sites on the Antarctic Peninsula and the wreck of Shackleton’s ship Endurance. The focus of UKAHT is to inspire current and future generations with the extraordinary stories of human endeavour in Antarctica so that they might take responsibility for the future care of this incredible continent. She studied Geology at the University of Edinburgh followed by Museum Studies at the University of Leicester. She has had a varied career across the museums and heritage sector working for organisations including universities, local government and charities. She also serves on several advisory boards in the heritage and Antarctic sector including: the advisory board of the Scott Polar Research Institute, the Heritage Advisory panel for the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the Antarctic Placenames Committee, the Committee for the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions. She is both an Associate of the Museums Association and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Association.
Francesca Eathorne | Executive Director Antarctic Heritage Trust
Francesca is the Executive Director of Antarctic Heritage Trust, a New Zealand charity with a mission to conserve, share and encourage the spirit of exploration. In addition to caring for the first Antarctic explorers’ expedition bases, the Trust connects young people with the spirit of exploration and encourages them to go out and explore the world. Francesca is passionate about sharing the Trust’s stories. She has been responsible for creating a connected and global online audience for the Trust and leading the creation of fully immersive virtual reality experiences of the Antarctic explorer bases to share with the world. Francesca has a background in business management and communications across commercial and non-for-profit sectors.
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