Cockatoo Island Audio Tours Highly Commended at 2026 National Trust Heritage Awards

The National Trust Heritage Awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the conservation, interpretation, and celebration of Australia's heritage. With entries drawn from across disciplines, recognition in the Education & Interpretation category is a meaningful affirmation of the work and the people who made it possible.

Thank you to the National Trust and to the judges for this recognition, gladly accepted by AOM's director Beata Kade and Nerida Campbell, Harbour Trust curator.

Discovering Cockatoo Island's layered history with the Harbour Trust team was enriching and genuinely fun. Audio tours, when done well, allow visitors to remain fully present in a heritage place while giving them the context that creates meaning and connection.

Thank you to the Harbour Trust team, whose curatorial expertise, collaboration, and vision shaped every layer of this project. Cockatoo Island holds an extraordinary multiplicity of stories, and their deep knowledge and generosity made it possible to interpret them with the care they deserve.

And to the Art of Multimedia team and our talented voice actors, whose creativity and skill brought Cockatoo Island's stories to life in ways that truly resonate with visitors - it is their work that visitors carry with them long after they leave the island.

Congratulations to all winners and highly commended recipients across every category. The breadth and quality of heritage practice recognised at the National Trust awards reflect the quiet, vital work being done across Australia to keep our shared stories alive and accessible.