ICOM Australia bursaries to attend ICOM NATHIST in Adelaide – November 2026

ICOM Australia is offering bursaries to current ICOM members to attend the ICOM NATHIST 2026 Annual Conference that is being held from 9–11 November 2026 in Adelaide, Australia, jointly hosted by the South Australian Museum and the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia.

The bursaries to attend the conference will support the development of museum students and early career museum professionals resident in Australia.

ICOM Australia has allocated up to $3,000 ex GST in funding to apportion in funding for eligible members travel, accommodation and conference fees.  Applicants can apply for the cost of conference fees at $400 per person and any necessary interstate travel costs up to a maximum of $1,000 per application.

Proposals for funding are invited from museum studies students and early career professionals who have completed or are about to complete three or more years study, in museum theory or practice.

Applicants should be under the age of 35 and have had at least two and half years’ study in a higher education institution focusing in a related area or have worked for an equivalent amount of time in an Australian museum or gallery.

For more information and to apply for a bursary:  ICOM Australia NATHIST Bursary Form 2026 final

All applications must be submitted to ICOM Australia by 30 August 2026.

2026 ICOM Australia Awards

Nominations for the 2026 ICOM Australia Awards will open shortly. The ICOM Australia Awards acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding contributions made by individuals and institutions in Australia that have strengthened international relations and enriched the cultural landscape of museum and galleries.

The awards will be presented during the AMaGA conference in November 2026 in Canberra.We encourage all ICOM members to start thinkng about nominating an individual or institution that is making a difference on an international scale.

The ICOM awards were presented at the ICOM Australia AGM in Sydney on 10 October 2025. The ICOM Australia Awards acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding contributions made by individuals and Institutions in Australia that have strengthened international relations and enriched the cultural landscape of museum and galleries. Australian museums and galleries play a vital role in enhancing the cultural, social and intellectual lives of all Australians and contribute to well-informed, tolerant, and cohesive communities. International collaboration and the sharing of ideas and expertise are integral to furthering these endeavours.

2025 Institutional winner

National Gallery of Victoria for its Adaptive Climate Control Strategy

2025 Individual winner

Nici Cumpston OAM for her international advocacy work in representing, promoting and championing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations arts across Australia and internationally. Most recently she was appointed Director of the Kluge-Ruhe Art Collection at the University of Virginia.

ICOM Australia Institution Award recipient NGV, Associate Director of Conservation, Michael Varcoe-Cocks with  ICOM Australia Chair Jessica Bridgfoot

The ICOM Australia Travel Fellowship – 2025

The Committee was delighted to receive three excellent submissions for the ICOM travel fellowship which is in its third year. We are very pleased to announce that Finn Carey is the successful candidate for the 2025 Fellowship.

He is currently completing a Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Deakin University with his academic work focused on the role of memory, power, and postcolonial legacies in history. He has worked across museums, archives, and cultural organisations in both community and institutional settings including the ANZ Banking Museum, the Hawthorn Football Club Museum, the Burke Museum, assisted Cancer Council Victoria in organising and interpreting its heritage archive, and supported conservation and visitor experience at Como House (National Trust of Victoria) and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Finn also has experience at the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages.

He plans to undertake a research-focused study tour of two institutions in Northern Ireland: the Museum of Free Derry and the Ulster Museum. His project will examine how museums in post-conflict societies represent violence, trauma, and contested memory—while recognising that, in places like Northern Ireland, the legacies of conflict are ongoing. Finn will produce a formal report to ICOM Australia, a presentation at the 2026 AGM, and a publishable reflective piece for ICOM or related networks. We look forward to his report in November.