Antony Perry
13 August 2018: It’s as grand in scale as it is eye-catching and best admired from afar, but students at the University of Canberra have experienced one of Australia’s most iconic pieces of art in a more intimate way than most.
Volunteers from the University’s Cultural Heritage Program spent last week cleaning and performing maintenance on the giant tapestry that hangs in the Great Hall at Parliament House.
Measuring almost 20 metres wide by nine metres high and weighing close to 400 kilograms, the tapestry is one of the largest in the world and cleaning it is no easy feat.
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Student volunteers from the University of Canberra helped to clean the famous tapestry in Parliament House's Great Hall for the first time since 2004. Photo: supplied
Tom O’Rourke is studying a heritage, museums and conservation degree at the University and was one of five students to participate in the project.
“I’ve seen the tapestry on display before, but to go behind the scenes and get so close to it was an incredibly rewarding experience,” Mr O’Rourke said. “It’s given me a new appreciation for the tapestry.
“This is the first large-scale project I’ve worked on, so it’s been fascinating applying the theory I’ve picked up in classes on a real-life piece of work.”
Before last week, the artwork, which is based on a painting by renowned Australian artist Arthur Boyd, had not been cleaned since 2004 when Parliament House staff used scissor lifts to vacuum the piece in situ.
This time the tapestry was taken down from the southern wall on which it hangs in the Great Hall for the cleaning to take place. It was last removed from its display position in 1999.
To document and assess the current condition of the artwork, an overlay image was used to mark any damage or signs of age. The images are kept on file and are compared over time to assess any changes.
Modified vacuums were used to remove dust and debris from both sides of the tapestry and samples from the filters in the vacuums will be analysed to help staff learn more about the condition of the work.
The project took five days to complete and involved students from the University, Parliament House staff and volunteers from local conservation organisation Art & Archival.
Alison Wain, a conservation lecturer at the University, said students often undertook practical work to complement their classroom learning but were rarely involved in large-scale projects such as this.
“It’s important for students to undertake practical work to gain a better understanding of what they’ll encounter when they enter the workforce,” Dr Wain said.
“The opportunity at Parliament House was unique in the sense that it exposed students to something entirely new - a large-scale project over the course of an entire week.
"They were part of a significant project from start to finish and they don't often get that while they're studying, so it really prepares them to hit the ground running when they leave university.”
