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Society Chairmen are invited, still continues. Patricia Robertson has since been awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to the community. She is now the ADFAS Patron, having previously served as founder Chairman of the fi rst Australian Society, Vice-President of the Association of ADFAS and then President. In recognition of this extraordinary contribution, the Patricia Robertson Fund was established in 2009 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Association of ADFAS in 1989. At Pat’s request, the Fund provides career development opportunities that benefi t conservation practice in Australia. The scope of the projects enabled by the terms of the fund continues to evolve. For instance, a young student, Emily Harris, has undertaken a series of work placements in the UK, while international conservators Martin Jürgens and Yvonne Shashoua have led professional conservation workshops in Melbourne and Sydney. Most recently, the fund facilitated workshops for conservators in the cutting-edge technology of Refl ectance Transformation Imaging. RTI is a computer-based photographic method that captures a subject’s surface shape and colour and enables the interactive re-lighting of the subject from any direction. From the perspective of the conservator, the enhancement functions of RTI reveal surface information that can’t be seen by examining the object. Whether on papyrus fragments, marble monuments or illuminated manuscripts, the changing interplay of light and shadow in the RTI image discloses fi ne details of the subject’s surface form, thus providing new insights and information. The RTI workshops were led by experts from Cultural Heritage Imaging (CHI) in San Francisco, and took place at the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at the University of Melbourne.Thanks to the resolve and hard work of Patricia Robertson and the legion of dedicated volunteers who have followed in her footsteps, there are currently over 6,300 ADFAS members in 37 Societies in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Enthusiastic teams of Church Recorders and researchers of Schools of Art or Mechanics’ Institutes (an integral part of early Australian society) document the social fabric of colonial, federation and contemporary Australia. Meanwhile, ADFAS Young Arts philanthropy continues to enrich the arts experiences of young people in local communities. In 2015, over $76,000 was directed towards Young Arts projects encompassing literature, music, photography, performing and fi ne arts media. In 2008, Pauline Hopkins (NADFAS Overseas Area Representative between 2001–2005) generously donated a 19th-century silver presentation cup to ADFAS to recognise the contributions that local ADFAS Societies make to Young Arts in their communities. This beautiful little trophy has subsequently been awarded to a Society funding a particularly innovative Young Arts programme in their local area. Following Pauline’s further generosity in 2014, the winning Society now receives the Pauline Hopkins Young Arts Award of $200 in addition to the Cup. This bursary is much appreciated and is re-invested in the Society’s future Young Arts projects.Recently, an enquiry about establishing a DFAS in New Caledonia was received by the ADFAS Executive, which sent at least one committee member in search of a map. It may be that for the moment, sadly, the islands of the South Pacifi c are beyond the reach of our team of Lecturers and co-ordinators; what seems certain, however, is that nurturing a connection with the arts in the daily lives of those around us is a mission of ever increasing growth, scope and fulfi lment. ¥ Australian Societies are always happy to welcome NADFAS members visiting their area. Find out more about ADFAS and its SocietiesÕ lecture programmes at www.adfas.org.au. ■Above: 13 year-old Mei Mei Tan from The Dance Centre, Peregian Springs, is the recipient of the 2016 ADFAS Noosa Young Arts ScholarshipRight: The Newcastle Youth Orchestra motivates emerging young performers and receives funding from ADFAS NewcastleAREA FOCUS www.nadfas.org.uk NADFAS REVIEW / WINTER 2016 65