Richard Heathcote

Richard Heathcote is currently Director of Benefaction at Carrick Hill historic house and garden in Adelaide, after holding the position of Director for several years. He previously managed, for a decade, Rippon Lea Estate, the National Trust’s flagship property in Melbourne. He is also National Chair of the Australian Garden History Society. He presented for ABC TV’s The New Eden – a six part series tracing the evolution of the Australian garden, and has broadcast and published on heritage buildings and gardens. The fine collection of British and Australian paintings at Carrick Hill has provided rich material for Richard to create exhibitions and associated publications, using his particular talent of making art accessible to everyone.

As a graduate of the prestigious Attingham Summer School for the Study of the English Country House, he has an extensive knowledge of architecture, collections and social history. Richard first joined ASA in 2006, as co-leader of ASA’s tour run in association with the National Trust of Victoria, entitled From Great Houses to Village Greens: the Making of the English Landscape.

Awarded a Churchill Fellowship, he was able to visit places in Canada and Britain looking at interpretation of heritage sites. Richard joined the prestigious 2011 Royal Collections Studies group that is granted permission to inspect the Queen’s collection at Windsor Castle and other royal palaces.