Commonwealth Coat of Arms Conservation at MoAD

The restoration work focused on much-needed repair to the building's fabric and the protection and preservation of the chamber for ongoing sustainable use.

Tradespeople worked on ceiling-high scaffolding, repairing cracks in the walls, replacing old render and installing double-glazed windows. During this work, we removed the Coat of Arms from the wall high above the Speaker's Chair for conservation.

A close up of a wooden coat of arms with a kangaroo and an emu on either side of a shield.

This Coat of Arms had been affixed for over 50 years and had dulled with age. When viewed from the floor of the chamber, it was easy to assume that it was made of metal, but when it was taken off the wall it was immediately apparent it had been finely carved from cedar. On the reverse was a maker's mark reading 'Otto Brothers M.C.M.LX.VIII', and it transpires that the beautiful and intricate carving was commissioned from Otto Brothers Woodcarvers and Sculptors of Sydney in 1968.

A detail close up of an ornate wooden coat of arms with 'Otto Brothers' carved into the wood.

MoAD's Heritage and Collections Officer Noel Lane dug through articles and files to learn more about this piece and its makers. He spoke with Laurens Otto, a member of the second generation of Otto Brothers Woodcarvers, who explained how his father and uncle created the Coat of Arms.

Laurens' father, Peta Otto, drew the outline of the Coat of Arms onto a single piece of timber from a drawing provided by the government. Peta undertook the initial hand drilling/cutting of the fretwork before his brother, Frank Otto, completed the carving. The brothers did not use any machines in their work, relying only on handmade manual chisels.

After a meticulous conservation treatment, the 1968 Coat of Arms was reinstated in the House of Representatives chamber, a crowning achievement for the conservation project.

What is the design of the Coat of Arms?

The design of the Coat of Arms the Otto brothers followed was strictly prescribed by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The  centre  shield supported by animal motifs, the kangaroo and the emu, includes the symbols of Australia's six states and territories. A seven-point Commonwealth Star sits above the shield. Six of the star's points represent the Australian states and the seventh point represents the territories. Australia's floral emblem, the golden wattle, frames the shield and fauna, and at the bottom is a scroll containing the word 'Australia'.