National Cultural Heritage Committee

The National Cultural Heritage Committee is appointed by the Minister for the Arts under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 (the PMCH Act). The Committee advises the Minister in respect to the operation of the PMCH Act, the National Cultural Heritage Control List, and the National Cultural Heritage Account.

The Committee comprises:

  • four persons each representing a different collecting institution
  • a nominee of the Minister for Indigenous Affairs (being an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person)
  • a nominee and member of Universities Australia, and
  • four persons having experience relevant to the cultural heritage of Australia.

Members serve for terms of up to four years, and are eligible for reappointment.

Current members are:

Name Title
Dr Patrick Greene OBE (Chair) Chief Executive Officer, Museum Victoria
Prof Andrew Reeves Member Charles Darwin University Art Gallery and Collections Advisory Board
Ms Avril Quaill Artistic Director, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2011
Prof Janice Reid AM Vice Chancellor and University President, University of Western Sydney
Ms Kylie Winkworth Heritage Consultant
Ms Anne-Marie Schwirtlich Chief Executive Officer & State Librarian, State Library of Victoria
Professor Kenneth Polk Professor of Criminology, University of Melbourne
Mr Tim Sullivan Deputy CEO and Museums Director
Dr Suzanne Miller Director, South Australian Museum
Ms Margie West AM Emeritus Curator of Aboriginal Art and Material Culture at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

The Committee makes recommendations to the Minister on the granting of export permits for Australian protected objects and on applications for funding assistance from the National Cultural Heritage Account. Some permit applications are considered out of session.