Heritage conservation consultant and immediate past Chair of the ACT Heritage Council, Duncan Marshall, has been named the inaugural winner of the Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal.

Taking home $25,000, Marshall won the prize ahead of three other nominees – architect Howard Tanner, previously of Tanner Kibble Denton Architects, architect and historian Graham Lupp, as well as CEO of the National Trust of Australia (WA), Thomas Perrigo.

“All four nominees have made an outstanding contribution to protecting, promoting and enhancing Australia’s heritage. The judges found the selection process incredibly challenging and all nominees must be commended for the work they do,” says Mayor of Bathurst, Councillor Gary Rush.

“Duncan Marshall, as inaugural winner of the Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal, reflects the values of the award.

“He has been described by his peers as a supreme professional, a forward thinker, who has made a significant and lasting contribution to heritage conservation, principles and practice through hundreds of projects and publications over 30 years.

“As a leading heritage conservation consultant he has written hundreds of publications and speeches and delivered projects locally, nationally and internationally on World Heritage, conservation principles and practice, heritage identification and assessment, conservation planning and moveable cultural heritage.

“As Chair of the ACT Heritage Council he has gone above and beyond the expectations for a voluntary role. Duncan is a worthy winner of the inaugural Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal.”

Marshall is a registered architect in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and has worked with a wide range of clients, including the Department of Defence, CSIRO, Old Parliament House, Parks Victoria, and UNESCO.

He is also a significant contributor to Australia’s State of the Environment Reports, and an Associated Fellow of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), assisting the organisation with regional training in World Heritage matters for several years.  

The Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal was created by Australia’s oldest inland European settlement, Bathurst, which is celebrating its bicentenary year in 2015. Funded by Bathurst Regional Council, the award aims to recognise the protection, enhancement and promotion of Australia’s heritage, and help raise awareness about the value of celebrating and acknowledging the people, place, and events that have shaped Australia.

“Many local communities focus on local issues. It is heart-warming and humbling that a local community should care about national heritage,” says Marshall.