Cheralyn Lim
PhD
Conservation
Cheralyn is a non-Indigenous Australian conservator and researcher of Chinese descent. As a conservator, she has worked with collections including the National Library of Australia (Canberra), Warmun Art Centre (Warmun) and the Australian War Memorial (Canberra). Her research focus is the preservation of community collections. This includes cultural material held within, and owned by, remotely located Indigenous communities. She holds a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation from the Grimwade Centre, University of Melbourne. She also received a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting) from the Victorian College of the Arts.
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Thesis
Interrogating capability-building practices, tools and programs in collection care within remote Indigenous art centres
This research is part of overarching ARC Industry Laureate Fellowship (ILF) project ‘Safe Keeping: Effecting Solutions for Risks to Remote Indigenous Heritage’ (2025-2030). This is led by Professor Robyn Sloggett, Director of the Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation.
The ILF project builds on a 2016-2017 study conducted by the Arnhem, Northern and Kimberley Artists Aboriginal Corporation. Twenty-nine Indigenous art and cultural centres were surveyed on their collection needs, culminating in ‘Safe Keeping: A Report on the Care and Management of Art Centre-based Community Collections’.
This PhD research responds to one of three critical areas affecting the centres’ capacity to realise the value and potential of their collections. Specifically, the need for improved collection care and management training, as well as job pathways for Indigenous arts workers.
Research interests
- Cultural materials conservation
- Community collections
- Indigenous collections stewardship
- Paper conservation