Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials

The Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (ICCM) formed in 1973. At that stage it was anticipated the ICCM would at some point merge with the International Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC), but the ICCM became an incorporated Australian Association in 1978. The AICCM Bulletin was first published 1975, out of the Australian National University (ANU). A Code of Ethics and Code of Practice were first proposed in 1982 and adopted in 1987. In 1987 the ICCM also formally changed its name to the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM). For many years based in Canberra, ACT, since 2004 the AICCM has maintained a web-based Secretariat service and online member services.[1]

Throughout its history, the AICCM has maintained close ties to tertiary conservation training programs in Australia, including the various conservation courses at the University of Canberra and the Grimwade Centre at the University of Melbourne.[2]

The AICCM has seven state and territory divisions (Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia & Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia) and 12 active special interest groups (Book & Paper, Conservation Framers, Conservation Science, Electron, Emerging Conservators, Exhibition Conservation, Gilded Objects, Objects, Paintings, PHOTON, Preventive Conservation, and Textiles).

The Bulletin is the AICCM's peer-reviewed journal.[3] Since 2015 it has been produced in partnership with academic publishers Taylor and Francis. The National Newsletter is currently published five times per year, in electronic form only. The AICCM has also produced preprints of papers presented at national conferences and special interest group meetings.

The AICCM contributed to a number of publications aimed at assisting small museums and galleries, and funded by the now defunct Heritage Collections Council (HCC): reCollections (2000),[4] Be Prepared (2000),[5] and Guidelines for Environmental Control of Cultural Institutions (2002).[6]

AICCM has a voluntary professional membership category. Professional members can use the post-nominal letters PMAICCM (Professional Member, Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials).

• Conservation-restoration of cultural heritage
• Cultural heritage
• List of dates in the history of conservation and restoration
• Conservation associations and professional organisations

Official website