Our conservation staff

The conservation staff at Grimwade Conservation Services comprises a team of qualified and experienced conservators dedicated to the preservation and treatment of a wide range of cultural materials. Grimwade Conservation Services staff are required to be members of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials and abide by the AICCM code of ethics and code of practice.

Senior management

Cripps Foundation Chair in Cultural Materials Conservation and Director, Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation - Professor Robyn Sloggett AM, PhD, Ass DipMatCons, BA (Hons), PMAICCM

Robyn leads the conservation teaching and research programs at the University of Melbourne through the Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation. These programs include responsibility for the conservation of the cultural collections of the University of Melbourne, the provision of large research projects, as well as delivery of the only comprehensive post-graduate conservation professional program in the Australasia-Pacific region.

Transition Manager, Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation - Penny Tripp BEd(VisArt), PGDipArts(ArtCur)

Penny is responsible for the establishment of the new Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation in 2025-2026, as well as the strategic and commercial operations of Grimwade Conservation Services. She is an engagement specialist with over twenty years of experience in the major event, tourism and creative industries and brings to the team senior executive experience in strategy, project management, operations, customer engagement, digital solutions, marketing, and commercial growth.

Vanessa Kowalski

Head of Conservation - Vanessa Kowalski BAppSc (CultMatCons), BCA, PMAICCM

Vanessa is the Head of Conservation at Grimwade Conservation Services. She has over 20 years experience in the delivery of special projects and paintings conservation, with specialist expertise in the conservation of contemporary artworks and Australian Indigenous paintings. Vanessa has worked with Indigenous Art Centres across central and northern Australia, public collections across South-East Asia, and contemporary art collections in New York (Museum of Modern Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum). Vanessa manages a large team of specialist conservators and also undertakes materials research for art attribution and heritage architecture projects.

Specialist conservators

Team Leader, Painting Conservation - Cushla Hill BAppSc (CultMatCons), PMAICCM

Cushla has worked within various Australasian National Institutions and has extensive experience in private conservation consultancy. Her conservation and research interests include the materials and techniques of early twentieth century Australian artist.

Assistant Conservator Paintings - Rachel Davis BA (Hons), MCulMatCons

Rachel joined Grimwade Conservation Services as Assistant Conservator in 2025, having previously been with the team in a graduate role. She completed her conservation training at the University of Melbourne, specialising in paintings. She has worked in collections and conservation roles in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, in both small and large institutions and has been able to engage directly with artists, clients, and curators in many of these positions.

Maddy Faser

Assistant Conservator Paintings - Madelyn Fraser MC-CULMC, BFA

Madelyn Fraser specialises in the conservation of paintings and frames, with experience across private conservation studios in Victoria and New South Wales. Prior to joining GCS, Maddy worked in the United Kingdom as a Paintings and Frames Conservator and as a Fresco Conservation Assistant in southern Italy. Her practice encompasses the treatment and preservation of historic and contemporary artworks, with particular expertise in infrared imaging and technical photographic documentation for conservation and condition assessment.

Jordi Casasayas

Frame Conservator - Jordi Casasayas BFA

Jordi specialises in Frame Conservation and the rehousing of paintings and mounting works on paper. Jordi also designs and constructs custom-made mounting and housing systems for a range of objects and materials such as bark paintings, scrolls and parchments, as well as custom-makes storage boxes, folders and display systems.

Katy Glen

Team Leader, Paper Conservation - Katy Glen BAppSc (CultMatCons), BA (Hons), PMAICCM

Katy joined Grimwade Conservation Services in 2003. Her areas of specialisation include the conservation treatment of nineteenth-century photography and the preservation of digital prints. Katy has furthered her professional development by attending conferences and courses both in Australia and internationally.

Paper and Books Principal Conservator - Peter Mitchelson MC-CULMC, PGDip (Hons), GDip, DipEd, PMAICCM

Peter has been Conservator of Paper and Books at Grimwade Conservation Services since 2014 having previously worked at Artlab in South Australia and the National Library of Australia in Canberra. He has additional arts industry experience in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Principal Conservator, Textiles - Dr Reyhane Mirabootalebi PhD, MC-CULMC, BSc

Reyhane is an objects and textiles conservator. She has a PhD in Preservation Studies from the University of Delaware, USA (2021) and an M.A. in Cultural Materials Conservation from the University of Melbourne, Australia (2011). She has broad experience relating to conservation and preservation of cultural heritage, and worked with several national and international institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, the Oriental Institute Chicago University at the National Museum of Kabul Afghanistan, the Heritage Conservation Centre Singapore, and the National Museum of Australia. Her research interest focuses on Middle Eastern textile traditions, women weavers, and the politics of carpets making in Iranian societies.

Noni Zachri

Paper and Photographs Conservator - Noni Zachri MC-CULMC, BA (Hons), PMAICCM

Noni has worked in the conservation of paper and photographic materials since 2010. Joining the Grimwade Centre in 2012, she provides conservation advice and services for both University collections and external clients. In addition, Noni has a strong background in preventive conservation, focusing on risk management, environmental monitoring and disaster preparedness and has delivered many workshops on collection care and handling, disaster preparedness and recovery.

Dr Elizabeth Gralton

Graduate Book and Paper Conservator – Elizabeth Gralton PhD, MCulMatCons, BA(Hons)

Elizabeth took up her graduate position at Grimwade Conservation Services in 2025, having previously held a post-graduate conservation fellowship at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. She has also worked as a conservation technician at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. She is a graduate of the University of Melbourne’s conservation program, where she specialised in paper conservation. Elizabeth’s PhD in history, completed prior to embarking on her current career, continues to inform and provide perspective on her conservation practice.

Nicholas Flood

Team Leader, Object Conservation - Nicholas Flood, MBA, MCMC, BA, BSc

Since 2009, Nick has worked across Australasia in the conservation sector, developing expertise in metals and sculpture conservation, protective coatings, maritime and industrial archaeology, conservation imaging, heritage management and project management. He holds formal qualifications in materials conservation, chemistry and project management, and has extensive experience leading medium to large scale conservation projects.

Dr Evan Tindal

Principal Conservator Objects - Dr Evan Tindal PhD, MC-CULMC, BA

Evan is an objects conservator whose broad expertise encompasses archaeological materials, outdoor sculpture, built heritage and emerging technologies. He managed the conservation lab for the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research before joining GCS on a range of post-excavation projects in 2014, where his remit has since expanded to include the conservation of fine art sculptural works and elements of heritage architecture. Evan obtained his PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2019, undertaking research on 3D printed materials (their conservation and their merits for use in conservation practice) and his interest in the emerging technology has seen it employed within his own practice. He maintains a strong interest in traditional and heritage methods of fabrication, and frequently seeks to collaborate with practitioners in these areas to deliver conservation outcomes in thoughtful and innovative ways.

Marica Mucic

Conservator Objects and Archaeology - Marica Mucic MC-CULMC, BA (Hons)

Marica specialises in the conservation of three-dimensional objects. She is passionate about the preservation of cultural heritage and the conservation of archaeological materials. Marica is also interested in ancient Near Eastern archaeology and has worked on a range of historical archaeological assemblages across Victoria.

Ellie Bernard

Assistant Conservator Objects - Ellie Bernard MC-CULMC, BFA

Ellie joined Grimwade Conservation Services in early 2022 after returning to Melbourne from Darwin. Formerly a conservator at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Ellie has broad conservation experience working with a wide range of material types. She has a strong background in collection management, exhibitions and conservation treatment. She was trained at the University of Melbourne and has worked as an objects conservator in both Australia and the UK.

Caro Pattle

Administrative Assistant - Caro Pattle BText, BFA, BA

Caro manages administration, finance, procurement and OHS for the team as well as assisting with conservation and collection management duties. She is a recent addition to Grimwade Conservation Services following 20 years working in audience engagement and data coordination in the arts sector, most recently at the NGV and MONA. Caro holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Textiles.