Our Story
Built by people who love
heritage
FossickHQ exists because the platforms available to heritage organisations were outdated, expensive, and built without the people who actually use them in mind.
The Problem We Saw
Incredible collections.
Invisible to the world.
Across Australia, there are thousands of historical societies, community museums, and heritage organisations sitting on extraordinary collections — tram tickets, mining records, family photographs, World War relics, hand-stitched quilts.
But the platforms available to them were built for large institutions with IT teams and six-figure budgets. Everyone else was stuck with spreadsheets, paper ledgers, or $15,000 enterprise software that took six months to set up.
We believed there had to be a better way — so we built it.
Community first
Designed for volunteers, not IT managers. If a committee member can use Facebook, they can use FossickHQ.
International standards
Built to SPECTRUM 5.0, Dublin Core, CIDOC CRM and ISAD(G) — so your data is yours and portable.
Affordable by design
A full Starter plan costs nothing. We only charge when you grow beyond 100 items or need more users.
Australian support
Real humans based in Australia. We understand local heritage, local funding bodies, and local needs.
The Team
Meet the co-founders
James Reade
Proud Dad to 3 boys. An experienced not-for-profit CEO leading some of Australia's most iconic heritage attractions and collections.
James spent years watching his organisations struggle with collection management — spending thousands on platforms that were slow, clunky, and designed for someone else entirely. He was frustrated. So he decided to build the platform he'd always wanted.
"Our volunteers are the lifeblood of heritage in this country. They deserve tools that respect their time and make their work easier — not software that defeats them before they've even started."
Pip Reade
Proud Mother to 3 boys — and wife to a CEO who doesn't quite know how to switch off. Pip has extensive experience as a management consultant, change manager and product developer at some of the world's largest companies.
She has guided transformations at a global scale and now brings that hard-won expertise to help FossickHQ users implement on a local level — with genuine care for the communities they serve.
"Big enterprise experience doesn't belong only to big enterprises. Community heritage organisations deserve the same quality of thinking — delivered in a way that actually works for them."
What We Stand For
Our commitments to you
Your data, always yours
Export everything, anytime. No lock-in. If you ever leave, you leave with your complete collection data.
Transparent pricing
No surprise invoices. No per-user gotchas. Every plan is published. What you see is what you pay.
Privacy by default
Your collection data stays in Australia. We never sell, share or train on your catalogue.
Built for volunteers
Designed with zero assumptions about technical knowledge. Real training and onboarding included.
Standards compliance
SPECTRUM 5.0 · Dublin Core · CIDOC CRM · ISAD(G) — your records meet international best practice.
Long-term stewardship
We are committed to this sector for the long haul. Heritage organisations need stable, trustworthy partners.
Ready to get started?
Join the growing community of heritage organisations across Australia using FossickHQ.