Tiaki Objects Conservation

Only a few days left to go - see you all at Tūhonohono in Napier 💃

Next week I'll be heading to Tūhonohono i nga Taonga ā-iwi 2026 to present alongside iwi and hapū.

This kaupapa has been shaped through collaboration - bringing together technical conservation work with cultural knowledge, tikanga, and the voices of those connected to the taonga.

My role has been to support the technical side of work - creating a foundation that aligns with conservation practice - while the kōrero sits with iwi and hapū, where it belongs.

Really looking forward to being part of this space, reconnecting, and listening.

I'll also be part of a public panel discussion on Friday evening - Taonga Koiora: Living Practice - sharing whakaaro around Indigenous approaches and community-led practice.
If you're around, come through.


📸 Onepoto Bay, Wharekāhika, Te Tairāwhiti

Tūhonohono i ngā Taonga ā-Iwi 2026 | Te Papa Join us in Taradale, Napier from 8 - 10 April 2026 for Tūhonohono i ngā Taonga ā-Iwi 2026.

✨ 10 YEARS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE ✨

This month marks 10 years since I took a deep breath, threw caution to the wind, and backed myself.

On 15 February 2016, I had my ABN ready to go, registered my business name, “activated” my website, and sent an email out to my network saying: I’m doing this.

Those were the humble beginnings of Tiaki Objects Conservation.

Ten years on, I’m incredibly grateful to be working as a conservator in private practice across Australia and Aotearoa, partnering with iwi, hapū, community groups, museums, galleries, and cultural organisations to care for taonga and collections in ways that honour people, place, and practice.

At Tiaki Objects Conservation, our work is guided by connection, respect, and shared knowledge. We work alongside communities, not just on collections, creating space for community-led care, cultural authority, and meaningful collaboration.

I couldn’t have reached this milestone without the strength and unwavering support of my whānau - especially my husband, who has backed me, lifted me up, and encouraged me when doubt set in. The absolute backbone of all the mahi that happens.

To everyone who has trusted me with your collections, your stories, and your taonga - thank you. It is a privilege I never take lightly.

Here’s to the past decade… and to what comes next. 🤍

Caring for taonga, together.
Conservation through connection.
Honouring people, place, and practice.

Over the years, our private clients are among those we value most. Kanohi-ki-te-kanohi - face to face - matters. It’s where trust is built, stories are shared, and care begins.
many treasured taonga have come into our care, from heirloom toys and sabre-tooth (Smilodon) skulls, to feather and shell money, painted turtle shells, kākahu, siapo, and even a “lyrebird” - we care for people’s most treasured taonga. Not just the objects themselves, but the stories, memories, and connections they carry.
Preservation isn’t only about materials - it’s about safeguarding personal history.
Caring for taonga held in families and communities is a privilege and preserving your memories matters.

As communities across Victoria face the ongoing impacts of bushfires, our thoughts are with everyone affected - families, volunteers, and the local organisations working to protect people, places, and histories under incredibly difficult conditions.

At Tiaki Objects Conservation, our work in disaster preparedness is grounded in community care. Over the years, we’ve delivered hands-on salvage and recovery training with AMaGA, supported historical societies and small heritage organisations across the Greater Bendigo Shire, and worked with institutions such as the Racing Museum of Victoria - alongside many others.
Disaster preparedness isn’t about anticipating the worst. It’s about ensuring communities are supported, informed, and not alone when the emergency has passed - knowing what can be salvaged, how to stabilise damaged cultural materials, and how to take the first steps toward recovery.

To everyone responding right now: we see you. Caring for cultural material is part of caring for community - and recovery is possible, one careful step at a time.