Shaun Canning acted for me in connection with a proposed redevelopment of a quarry adjoining a declared Aboriginal place, including appearing as a witness in a Land & Environment Court appeal relating to that proposal. Shaun’s advice, expert report and conduct in the witness box as an expert witness was…
Stuart Dixon-Smith, National Head of Real Estate, King & Wood Mallesons, Sydney

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Matt Chamberlain

Senior Heritage Advisor and General Manager

Matt has over 22 years experience, specialising in Victorian Indigenous archaeology and cultural heritage management. He holds a bachelors degree majoring in History and Archaeology, with honours in Archaeology (LaTrobe University 2001).

Matt’s experience includes work at Aboriginal Victoria (now First Peoples – State Relations), where he was a heritage project officer for the Gippsland and Northeast Victoria regions. He was also the senior archaeologist for Parks Victoria’s flood recovery program, which focussed on heritage place identification and protection works following floods across Victoria in 2010-2011, with significant projects in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, Wilsons Promontory National Park and along the Murray River at Mulcra and Walpolla Islands and Barmah National Park.

Matt also worked for one of Victoria’s busiest Registered Aboriginal Parties; the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation - traditional owners of the Melbourne area - for four years. Matt managed the Corporation’s cultural heritage unit for three years from the beginning of 2020 to the end of 2022, overseeing significant expansion of that unit during the major challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, and was closely involved in heritage assessment, Elder consultation and CHMP evaluation of some of Victoria’s largest development and Infrastructure projects during that time. Matt also played a part in several cultural heritage research projects directed by Wurundjeri Corporation.

In addition, Matt has over 15 years experience as a private heritage consultant, including extensive involvement in and supervision of a wide variety of field survey, testing and salvage programs, Traditional Owner and stakeholder consultation, and preparation of well over 300 archaeological reports or Cultural Heritage Management Plans. A significant proportion of these have been in regional growth areas around Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat.

Matt is a fully qualified ‘heritage advisor’ meeting all the requirements of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.