David Helms
Senior Heritage Consultant
David Helms is a strategic planner and heritage advisor with over fifteen years' experience, David specialises in cultural heritage planning and management. He has worked in a variety of local and state government and private organisations in Melbourne, Sydney and regional Victoria. As a strategic and statutory planner who has also undertaken cultural heritage studies, David combines his knowledge of cultural significance with a clear understanding of how heritage studies may be most effectively translated into practical planning controls, policies and guidelines that are easy to understand and use.
Prior to joining Context he worked in a variety of local and state government and private organisations in Melbourne, Sydney and regional Victoria. Between 2002-2004 David was Heritage Planner at Hobsons Bay City Council and prepared the Hobsons Bay Heritage Study 2004, which included a review of the previous heritage studies prepared for the Council, as well as the preparation of a new Conservation Strategy for the city. This included transferring the study into the Local Heritage Places Database developed by Heritage Victoria and making it available on-line – the first local government in Victoria to achieve this.
Since joining Context in 2003, David has been involved in a variety of projects including the preparation of municipal and state-wide heritage studies (Darebin Heritage Studies 2007 and 2008, Latrobe City Heritage Study 2005, Baw Baw Shire Heritage Study 2007, Victorian Water Supply Heritage Study 2008, Cardinia Local Heritage Places Review, Murrindindi Shire Heritage Study 2007 and 2008 and Manningham Heritage Study Review 2006), thematic environmental histories (Victorian Water Supply Study, Victorian Heritage Themes, Stonnington Thematic Environmental History 2005, Casey Heritage Study 2004); heritage assessments and heritage impact statements (Regional Rail Link project for Latrobe and Bendigo Rail Lines), and heritage guidelines (Auburn Village Heritage Guidelines for the City of Boroondara 2005) and conservation management plans (Yan Yean Water Supply System CMP 2007, and Royal Exhibition Buildings and Carlton Gardens CMP).
He has prepared planning scheme amendments to implement the Casey Heritage Study and the Wellington Shire Heritage Study and appeared before the independent panels appointed to consider submissions to both of these amendments. He also is part of the team that provides heritage advisory services to the City of Knox and City of Casey.
David is especially proud of his role as project manager for the Yan Yean Water Supply System Conservation Management Plan, which was the inaugural winner of the Heritage category award at the 2007 Planning Institute of Australia Victorian Division Awards for Planning Excellence. The Yan Yean CMP provides ‘plain English’ policies and guidelines to assist Melbourne Water with conserving and managing the significant heritage values of the Yan Yean system and was described by the PIA award judges as providing a ‘model for other infrastructure managers’. Another one of David’s projects, the Stonnington Thematic Environmental History received a commendation in the Heritage Award category.
David has a particular interest in the assessment of places with cultural landscape values such as gardens or farmland. Outside of Context David is a keen gardener and has interests in twentieth century furniture, art and design. Originally from a dairy farm in South Gippsland, he now calls St Kilda home.
Qualifications and Professional Memberships
- Graduate Diploma – Heritage Planning & Management (RMIT, 1989)
- Bachelor of Applied Science – Urban & Regional Planning (RMIT, 1985)
- Member – Australian Garden History Society