Heritage Festival- Extreme Housekeeping: Behind the Scenes of Conservation

Learn How Conservators Protect and Transform Community History.

Join us for Extreme Housekeeping: Behind the Scenes of Conservation! As part of the Australian Heritage Festival 2026, enjoy exclusive access to items from the Georges River Libraries and Hurstville Museum & Gallery collections and discover the behind-the-scenes conservation work that keeps them safe.

Featuring items from our collection conservation and rehousing project, expect red rot books, iron gall ink letters, insect-eaten covers, crumbling pages and fading ink, alongside the humble tools we use to slow the damage down.

About the Event:

The evening begins at 6:30pm where our expert staff will share the stories behind local treasures that are quietly changing with time, and the conservation work that keeps them safe.

Then the exclusive main event begins. For this night only, original collection items and conservation tools will be set out for up close viewing, with a selection available to touch, giving you rare access to objects that are usually kept safely out of reach.

This event is for curious minds aged 10+ and adults, and takes place in the foyer of Clive James Library, Kogarah. The exhibition runs for the duration of the festival, but original items will appear for one night only.

Free but bookings are essential. Places are limited to please book to reserve your place.