Restoration honours National Gallery Art School WWI students
Almost lost to history, an honour board recognising National Gallery Art School students who served in the First World War has been expertly restored by the Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Materials Conservation.
The National Gallery Art School operated from 1867 to 1973, when it became one of the foundational institutions for the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA).
Students featured on the historic board include the 1933 Archibald Prize winner, Charles Wheeler, who painted prominent journalist for The Age, Ambrose Pratt, and James McDonald, Director of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) from 1936 to 1941.
Many of the students on the board continued to be successful artists after the war, including Napier Waller, whose mosaic work can still be seen on Collins Street and in the Australian War Memorial.
Marica Mucic, a conservator at the Robert Cripps Institute, said the conservator team’s goal was to preserve the historical integrity of the honour board while addressing surface issues in the least invasive way possible.
“We weren’t aiming to make the Honour Board look brand new. Rather, we aimed to respectfully preserve its historical character while addressing the signs of modern surface damage and deterioration,” she said.
The restoration involved addressing minor paint losses, carefully cleaning surface accretions and dust, and installing a new hanging system while leaving the previous hanging system undisturbed.
The restoration process began in July 2025, and the restored honour board was reinstalled at the VCA in early 2026.
“It is not just about maintaining an object—it's about keeping alive the memories, sacrifices, and stories that shape our shared history,” Marica said.
Emeritus Professor Jon Cattapan, VCA Director from 2017 to 2020, said he took particular care in ensuring the honour board was placed in a suitable location in the Elisabeth Murdoch Building.
“When the board was discovered in a rubbish skip earmarked for destruction during the demolishment phase to make way for what is now Linear Park, I determined that it should have a new home,” he said.
“I am so pleased that this important piece of VCA history is now properly appreciated and refurbished.”
The VCA successfully secured a Veteran’s Grant for the restoration of the honour board from the Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour grant program. Established by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing in Victoria, the Veteran’s Grant aims to commemorate veterans and preserve war memorials, honours rolls and avenues of honour.
Based in the Faculty of Arts, the Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Materials Conservation is Australia’s leading centre for research innovation and education relating to the conservation and preservation of cultural materials.
Find out more about the history of the honour board and of the students on the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum website.