Laura Kellaway HAMILTON

Laura is based in the Waikato and is passionate about New Zealand’s heritage and helping communities to identify, protect and repair their special places. Laura has had a long involvement at community and planning level, with heritage work in the central North Island, identifying local and regional heritage. 

Laura has worked in heritage since the 1980s as Heritage consultant and architect; and undertaken projects in Auckland, Christchurch, Bay of Plenty and Waikato. Involved in voluntary work and am also a Rapid Building assessor Emergency Management MBIE.

Since 1989 Laura has been an ICOMOS member and an ICOMOS Board member since 2013;  current chair of the Education committee and Chair of Heritage at Risk committee.

Laura would love to see groups across the north and South Island wanting to hold talks or assist with webinars. She also thinks that heritage courses in New Zealand need more support, especially in the South Island.

Laura says that Heritage at Risk depends on a wide range of contacts to ensure a better ability to identify places at risk. She notes that is also needs a greater level of member and public interaction as we have gone from places to large areas and both coastal and climate based risks, along with ongoing demolition by neglect.