Traditional Trades Events & Workshops

We regularly hosts traditional trades events in partnership with practitioners to share, strengthen and celebrate their skills and knowledge. These workshops are an initiative of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) to utilise our properties to demonstrate best conservation practice and create meaningful learning opportunities for trades, professionals and the general public.

Upcoming Events

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    20 July 2025

    Christmas in July at Labassa Mansion

    Experience the sights, sounds and tastes of a traditional mid-winter Christmas in the lavish surroundings of Labassa.

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    5 July - 20 July 2025

    Crime Busters – Forensic Investigators

    Calling all budding detectives! These school holidays, dive into the exciting world of forensic science at Old Melbourne Gaol and crack two of its most captivating mysteries.

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    18 July - 15 August 2025

    Royal Mail Hotel at Rippon Lea Estate

    This winter, Royal Mail Hotel brings its celebrated regional dining experience to Melbourne for a strictly limited series inside the grand ballroom of Rippon Lea Estate.

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Sign-up for Future Events

To receive information on future Traditional Trade events, sign-up for our e-Newsletter here.

Past Workshops

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Architectural Glazing and Glass Conservation

Led by Bruce Hutton, this workshop covered a history of glass and glazing, installation, decoration, maintenance and repair and also the application of linseed oil putty. The workshop also included a short house tour of Waller House.

Bruce Hutton founded Almond glass in 1994. He completed a Fine Arts Degree (Chisholm Institute of Technology) majoring in stained glass in 1988, he then went on to work in the industry both in Australia, England and South Africa. He completed a Postgraduate (Monash University) in 1996, focusing on the conservation and restoration techniques of stained glass.

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Repointing Mortar Joints Workshop

Outcomes included familiarity with lime, sand and aggregate selection processes, practical awareness of materials preparation and use including tool handling and heritage philosophy as to the extent of pointing intervention

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Timber and Sash Windows Workshop

This workshop covered an introduction to working with timber, a brief history of the sash window and an overview of the construction, installation and repair of sash windows. The session will ended with a Q and A with the instructor, Ian Goddard, who is a joiner with many years’ experience both in Australia and the United Kingdom where he did his training.

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Architectural Finishes Workshop

This two-day workshop covered a variety of areas relating to exterior finishes to heritage buildings, including architectural finishes investigation, understanding stucco, paint removal techniques, the conservation of stucco and re-finishing techniques. It was led by experts in the area, including Conservation specialist Donald Ellsmore and plasterer Ray Wiltshire.