Oona Nicolson
Oona Nicolson is a heritage specialist with over 25 years' experience in the consulting sector, working predominantly in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Oona directs all cultural heritage operations nationally.
Oona's knowledge of various industries is broad and includes: property development (greenfield and inner urban), infrastructure projects (road, rail and pipelines), mining and quarrying and structure planning at both a micro and macro scale. Oona is regularly asked to present and facilitate at various forums in the different industry sectors.
Oona's skills include large scale project management, peer reviews, due diligence assessments, built heritage, archaeological survey and excavation for both Aboriginal and historical sites. Oona works with many Aboriginal communities across Australia in regard to heritage management.
Oona regularly appears before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), and other courts and independent panels as an expert witness in the areas of Aboriginal and historical heritage.
Key Skills
- Project management, peer reviews, due diligence assessments
- Archaeological survey, subsurface testing and salvage excavation
- Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal site identification
- Policy development for private enterprise
- Development of recommendations to mitigate the impact of development upon Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal historical heritage and stakeholder consultation
Professional Affiliations
- Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) - Member
- Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists (AACAI) - Full member and former National President
- Australian Institute of Company Directors - Member
- Banksia Foundation - Judge of annual Banksia Sustainability Awards: Indigenous and Caring for Country (2008-2019)
- Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association (VPELA) - Fellow and former Board member
- Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) - Member
- UDIA EnviroDevelopment - Professional accreditation (accredited August 2012)
Oona was a member of the Victorian Heritage Council for six years until 2016, and spent the last few years representing the archaeological industry on the Advisory Committee for the Review of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
She has established a good working relationship with Flinders University as an Industry Partner in relation to their Graduate Certificates and Diplomas in Archaeology.
