New Head of GML Heritage, Melbourne

In the new role, Edwina will be leading and strengthening our experienced team of heritage consultants including landscape and gardens specialists, architects, archaeologists, and historians.

Edwina Jans is an archaeologist, curator, and museums and cultural heritage expert. She has led multidisciplinary teams for over 20 years across major heritage management, conservation, digital, interpretation and community engagement projects.

Edwina has held executive roles in national and state cultural institutions and government agencies, specialising in policy development, heritage planning, and communication. She has led the development and delivery of many creative and innovative engagement experiences for heritage places and collections.

“I am thrilled to be joining the GML team in Melbourne. My approach to cultural heritage management is about putting people and values at the centre of decision making and recognising that there is not just one story being told. When we get that balance right, we create sustainable cultural heritage places that are loved and used by community today, and in the future.”

“Edwina is an outstanding heritage professional and a great fit for GML. She is a strategic thinker and strong creative communicator, who has actively contributed to shaping heritage thinking and framing new conversations about heritage through policy, planning, management, and community engagement,” said GML CEO Sharon Veale.

Welcome Edwina!

Biography

Edwina Jans, CF, M.ICOMOS

Edwina Jans is an archaeologist, curator, and museums and cultural heritage expert who has led multidisciplinary teams for over 20 years to undertake major heritage management, conservation, digital, interpretation and community engagement projects.

Edwina holds degrees in archaeology and museum studies and has held executive roles in national and state cultural institutions and government agencies, specialising in policy development, heritage planning, communication and creating innovative engagement experiences for heritage places and collections.

She is a Churchill Fellow and has been recognised for her work through numerous awards including from the Australian Institute of Architects, National Trust, Australian Museums and Galleries Association and the Australian Public Service.

Edwina is a co-founder and Creative Director of Canberra Modern, an award-winning events-based organisation founded to celebrate the extraordinary modernist spirit and design legacy of Canberra.  She is also a member of the Alastair Swayn Foundation Grants Committee, that provide grants that promote the advancement of architecture and design through research, education and exhibition.

As an International Member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Edwina is currently on the Executive Committee for the ICOMOS General Assembly and Scientific Symposium to be held in Sydney in August-September 2023.