MONUMENTS AND MEMORIES

“re-assessing colonial imperialism” 

This will be the forth Jim Kerr address, following the inaugural address in 2015 which was given by Joan Domicelj AM. Jim Kerr's legacy has been summarised by Joan Domicelj as follows:

Jim Kerr’s gift was to articulate with great clarity how the care of special places might be achieved. He disseminated his ideas widely for discussion and tested them on real, culturally vital sites around Australia. He would then again update his policy document, the Conservation Plan. This series of memorial addresses pays respect to his legacy by perpetuating an open enquiry into the understanding of place and the constant review of progress.

The event is generously sponsored by the Sydney Opera House and the Heritage Council of NSW.

It will take place in the Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House. It will conclude at approximately 7.30pm.

There are no refreshments included for this event and this is reflected in the pricing. Refreshments can be purchased before or after the event at one of the many venues in and around the Sydney Opera House.

COST
* Australia ICOMOS and NT members: $30
* Non-members: $40 
* Full-time students, unemployed & individuals under 30 yrs: $20

Abstract

Public monuments and memorials have been a vital form of commemoration that have shaped our collective memory and understanding of history for generations. Monuments have been erected by governments and institutions, private citizens through public subscriptions, and by individuals. They function to reinforce power and privilege, shaping public narratives. Memorials help people to remember, but at the same time they also assist in the art of forgetting.

The meaning and social values of monuments are never static. Monuments take on layers of meaning through interpretation, cultural practices, re-inscribing and protest. The broadening of historiography in the late 20th century has allowed many groups of people to challenge the dominant colonial imperial narratives and to add other voices to the historical dialogue.

Speaker Biography  

Dr Lisa Murray is currently the City Historian, overseeing a diverse program at the City of Sydney Council encompassing community, civic and urban history. With over 15 years of experience in the field of public history, Lisa is passionate about making history accessible to the public. Lisa is the award winning author of planning histories and a regular contributor to debates around public history, including being a speaker at TEDxSydney in 2013.

Her most recent books are Sydney Cemeteries: A Field Guide (NewSouth Publishing, 2016), which won a National Trust Heritage Award, and Our City: 175 Years in 175 Objects, an expansive catalogue which accompanied an anniversary exhibition at Sydney Town Hall in 2017.

Lisa is currently writing a history of Australian Cemeteries, to be published by the National Library of Australia. Other research interests include history in the digital age; sensory urbanism; history and creative practice; landscapes and memory; the Dictionary of Sydney; Sydney music; and Sydney cookery books.

The MC for the Event

Laura Matarese is the Planning and Heritage Policy Officer at the Sydney Opera House. Prior to joining the House, she was a heritage consultant in Australia (2007-2014) and most recently worked at the Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, in the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative on the Eames House, Salk Institute and education and training projects (2014-2018). Laura was awarded a US/ICOMOS internship at the Presidio Trust, San Francisco (2013). She holds a master’s degree in heritage conservation from the University of Sydney and is a member of ICOMOS' International Scientific Committee for Twentieth Century Heritage.

Tour of Sydney Opera House, 3.45pm

An optional short tour of the Sydney Opera House will take place before the the James Kerr Memorial Address. Please note that places for this tour are limited. There are only 25 places on the tour available (allocated on those who book first for this option). Participants meet at the Stage Door of the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday 18 April at 3.45pm for a 4pm start. The tour will deliver you back to the Utzon Room by 5.30pm for the 6pm start of the Jim Kerr Address. You must be attending the Jim Kerr Address to go on this free tour.