
Heritage Conservation & Restoration Melbourne
Lancaster Painters Australia are registered for heritage in Victoria and a member of the National Trust. We are committed to the conservation, restoration, reconstruction and beautification of heritage buildings, houses and Churches in Melbourne and Greater Melbourne. As masters of the trade, we have been consistent in providing painting methods that are reproduced using the same paint methods and materials employed after which painting methods began to dominate the industry. Our work is based on exhaustive and continuous research into methods, materials, techniques and styles. Each job is individually hand painted by skilled artisans without compromises in quality, historical accuracy or consistency. We are to reproduce the traditional paint finishes, decorative finishes, artwork and designs pertaining to the style, character and look of the original period look by analysing original paint scrapings and documentary evidence. Lancaster Painters Australia heritage conservation Melbourne portfolio boasts the Auld Reekie National Trust house and more.
What is Heritage Conservation Melbourne?
Conservation-restoration, also referred to as conservation, is a profession devoted to the preservation of cultural heritage for the future. Heritage conservation Melbourne activities include examination, documentation, treatment and preventative care.
The aim of Heritage Conservation is to ensure that the cultural significance of heritage places is retained for future generations to enjoy. In order to achieve this goal, Australia adopted a charter in 1979, outlining the general principles and philosophy behind heritage conservation. Known as “The Burra Charter”, it now forms the backbone of the management of historic places across Australia and also in many other countries around the world.
The Burra Charter
The Burra Charter identifies three levels of repair for heritage structures. They are:
Preservation – Maintaining a structure in its existing state and preventing further deterioration.
Restoration – Returning a structure to a known earlier state by the repair of existing fabric without the introduction of new materials.
Reconstruction – Returning a structure to a known earlier state by the introduction of new material into any remaining fabric.
Heritage Skills Training
Not only do we conform to the Burra Charter, but we are also very passionate about retaining the heritage skills required in order to conform to the principles of the Burra Charter. In February 2013, Master Heritage Painter Gary Lancaster, director of Lancaster Painters Australia, ran a workshop of heritage specialist painting skills for the graduate architects of the University of Melbourne. Gary is passionate about retaining traditional heritage skills for future generations to enjoy. Without the training of skills and supply of the historic tools used by past masters, such finishes are becoming a dying art and need to be retained by future generations. See more about traditional heritage skills and our traditional Melbourne heritage painting services.