Sir Neil Cossons is the patron of the Dunedin Gasworks Museum. Sir Neil served as Chairman of English Heritage, the UK government’s principal adviser on the historic environment, until his retirement in 2007. From 1986 to 2000, he served as Director of the Science Museum, London, part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. Prior to that, he was the first Director of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, starting in 1971.

A pioneer in industrial archaeology, he has dedicated much of his life to the preservation and conservation of engineering and industrial heritage. He was awarded the President’s Medal by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1993, the Maitland Medal from the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2002, and is a Companion of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Today, Sir Neil is Chairman of the Council of the Royal College of Art, Britain's only post-graduate college of art and design - and advises internationally on heritage policy and management.