East Coast Heritage & Archaeology

10/08/2026

Cold morning up at Mount Royal National Park — 6°C, wind cutting through the forest — but the location more than made up for it. Beautiful country, part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area.

Verified this stone artefact along the way — a great reminder of just how long people have been moving through this landscape.

The Road and access is closed at the moment. We'll be back once access reopens to fully checkout this national park and the walks.

📍 Mount Royal National Park, NSW
❄️ 6°C, blustery — worth every second

01/06/2026

What a great day to be flying to Sydney. Looking forward to meeting new people and being a guest speaker / trainer at a couple of reconciliation week events.

10/04/2026

We saw a gap — so we built something better.
Through our work across cultural heritage, land management and archaeology, we kept seeing the same challenge:
there was a shortage of practical, high‑quality training grounded in real field experience and delivered with cultural integrity.
That’s why we established ECHAM Training.
ECHAM Training was created to deliver accredited, industry‑relevant training designed by practitioners who understand what competence looks like on the ground — not just on paper. The focus is on practical skills, cultural respect and job‑ready outcomes that support better practice across the heritage and land management sector.
This is an investment in people, Country and the future of the profession.

👉 Learn more:

10/04/2026

What an amazing find!

Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered rare papyrus scrolls — and the "valuable" items are yielding remarkable insights.

25/03/2026

🏛️ Does your team know what to do if they find an Aboriginal object on site?

Under NSW law it doesn't matter whether anyone knew it was there — harming an Aboriginal object without following the right process is a criminal offence, and the penalties are serious.

The good news is there's a clear legal pathway that protects you and your workers. It's called the Due Diligence Code of Practice — and it works, but only if your people actually know how to follow it.
We've just published a plain-English guide to what project managers, site supervisors, and HSE teams need to know before breaking ground — including the five steps of the due diligence process, stop-work obligations, and how to recognise Aboriginal objects in the field.

If you work in construction, land management, farming, or environmental consulting in NSW, this one's for you. Link in the comments. 👇
📞 Got questions about training for your team? Call Tim on 0432 621 131.

05/03/2026

Developing near a heritage listed area? Here's what you need to know.
Heritage obligations can catch landowners and developers off guard — especially when a property sits within or near a conservation zone, heritage precinct, or historically significant landscape.
A Preliminary Archaeological Assessment (PAA) gives you clarity before works begin. It identifies what's present, what's protected, and what approvals or further studies may be required — saving you time, cost, and compliance headaches down the track.
At East Coast Heritage & Archaeology, we prepare PAAs for:
✔ Heritage listed properties and conservation precincts
✔ Coastal, riparian, and culturally sensitive landscapes
✔ Land adjacent to known archaeological sites
✔ Urban infill and subdivision in historically significant areas
With over 30 years of combined experience across NSW, our team knows what heritage authorities expect — and how to get your project moving in the right direction.
📩 Send us a message or visit www.echa.com.au to find out more.

16/02/2026

🔍 What's a Due Diligence Assessment?
Got a development project in NSW? Before you start digging, you need to know if there's Aboriginal cultural heritage on your site.
A Due Diligence Assessment is a desktop review that checks historical records, heritage databases, and landscape features to work out if Aboriginal objects or places might be present – and what your obligations are under the NPW Act.
Why it matters:
Skip this step and you could face serious delays, penalties, or worse – damage to irreplaceable cultural sites.
Why choose ECHA?
We're Aboriginal-owned and operated with experience across NSW. We get the cultural significance AND the compliance requirements, so you can move forward with confidence.
We'll give you clear advice on whether you need further assessment and what your next steps are.
📞 Get in touch for a no-obligation quote
🌐 www.echa.com.au
Servicing Hunter Valley | Mid North Coast | Northern Rivers | Greater Sydney

02/02/2026

Drones are changing the way heritage surveys get done in NSW — and here's how.
At ECHA, our drone surveys aren't just aerial photography. They're producing accurate maps, 3D models, and detailed landscape records that make our heritage assessments faster, stronger, and more thorough for the projects we work on across the state.
We've written up exactly how it works, why it matters, and what it means for developers and planners working in NSW right now.
👇 Give it a read and let us know what you think. https://echa.com.au/how-echa-uses-drones-in-field-surveys-and-what-it-means-for-you/