Nerida Moredoundt’s extensive career spanned heritage, architecture and conservation, with a strong focus on the adaptive reuse of culturally significant places. In 2010, she established the heritage team at Element Advisory and as Principal Architect led major projects such as the WA Museum Boola Bardip while contributing to landmark developments including Brookfield Place and Raine Square.
World Heritage and cultural landscapes
Nerida’s influence extended well beyond individual projects. She played a key role in the inscription of the Australian Convict Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010, including Fremantle Prison. Through this work, Nerida contributed to recognising these places as the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and colonial development. Their inscription acknowledges their outstanding universal value in illustrating a defining stage in human history and the global evolution of systems of punishment.
She also led development of the Rottnest Island/Wadjemup Cultural Landscape Management Plan, applying the World Heritage Cultural Landscapes framework in Western Australia for the first time. Drawing on oral, documentary and physical evidence, the plan presents a layered narrative of the island, recognising the long-standing relationships between people and place.
Mentoring and professional contribution
Nerida was deeply committed to mentoring and sharing her knowledge. She was a sessional academic at Curtin University and a visiting expert at the University of Notre Dame and was a generous mentor to colleagues across the sector. Her support for others had a lasting impact on both emerging and established professionals.
Throughout her career, Nerida was an active member of key professional organisations, including Australia ICOMOS, and was a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects. She contributed to the Institute’s National Heritage Taskforce and the WA Heritage Committee for Development and served on several design review panels.
Contribution to the Heritage Council
Nerida made a lasting contribution to the Heritage Council of Western Australia. First appointed in December 2010, she served as the inaugural Deputy Chair under the Heritage Act 2018 and as Chair in 2023. Her leadership was marked by professionalism, generosity and a steadfast commitment to achieving strong heritage outcomes.
Recognition and Reflections from the Council
In 2024, Nerida was recognised with a WA Heritage Award for Professional Contribution. Although unwell, she chose to attend and accept the award in person, reflecting her deep commitment to the sector.
Heritage Council members, past and present, who worked alongside Nerida for more than a decade, reflected on her enduring impact. Present Chair Darren Foster said on their behalf:
“Nerida was a deeply respected colleague and a generous mentor who gave so much to heritage in Western Australia. She brought insight, care and quiet determination to the work of the Council, and her contribution over many years has left a lasting mark on the sector and on all of us who had the privilege to work with her.”
Legacy
Nerida’s legacy endures in the places she helped conserve, the people she supported, and the strong foundation she helped build for heritage practice in Western Australia.
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