Capacity Building in the Time of COVID: The Case of HMAS Perth (I)
Dublin Core
Title
Capacity Building in the Time of COVID: The Case of HMAS Perth (I)
Description
The topic of this abstract best fits within Session 4, ‘Underwater Cultural Heritage of World War II in the AsiaPacific Region: Discoveries, Opportunities & Challenges’ because of the latter’s focus on World War II heritage
in the Asia-Pacific. The case study under consideration in this paper is that of HMAS Perth (I), an Australian
warship sunk in Indonesian waters in 1942. The focus of this paper is Australia’s maritime capacity building
initiative for the wreck of Perth (I), and the challenges and opportunities of advancing this project in the time of
COVID-19. While some projects lent themselves to being conducted online, many others were forced to reevaluate their feasibility entirely. This paper considers the changes wrought by COVID-19 on conventional
heritage capacity building and management models, and the extent to which these models still apply. As it
proposes, the limitations posed by the pandemic on capacity building projects created space for more inclusive
and enduring knowledge building approaches, which elevated local stakeholders and, arguably, contributed to
more sustainable outcomes in the long-term. At the same time, however, broader questions remain about the
uses of digital heritage in a connected world.
in the Asia-Pacific. The case study under consideration in this paper is that of HMAS Perth (I), an Australian
warship sunk in Indonesian waters in 1942. The focus of this paper is Australia’s maritime capacity building
initiative for the wreck of Perth (I), and the challenges and opportunities of advancing this project in the time of
COVID-19. While some projects lent themselves to being conducted online, many others were forced to reevaluate their feasibility entirely. This paper considers the changes wrought by COVID-19 on conventional
heritage capacity building and management models, and the extent to which these models still apply. As it
proposes, the limitations posed by the pandemic on capacity building projects created space for more inclusive
and enduring knowledge building approaches, which elevated local stakeholders and, arguably, contributed to
more sustainable outcomes in the long-term. At the same time, however, broader questions remain about the
uses of digital heritage in a connected world.
Creator
Natali Pearson
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Pearson, Natali. 2023. “Capacity Building in the Time of COVID-19: The case of HMAS Perth (I).” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Alexis Catsambis. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology.URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1900
Files
Citation
Natali Pearson, “Capacity Building in the Time of COVID: The Case of HMAS Perth (I),” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed December 8, 2025, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1900.