ANNUAL REPORT 03>04 MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS & SCIENCES INCORPORATING THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM & SYDNEY OBSERVATORY The Hon Bob Carr MP Premier, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Citizenship Parliament House Sydney NSW 2000 Dear Minister On behalf of the Board of Trustees and in accordance with the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 and the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, we submit for presentation to Parliament the annual report of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences for the year ending 30 June 2004. Yours sincerely Dr Nicholas G Pappas Dr Anne Summers AO President Deputy President ISSN 0312-6013 © Trustees of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences 2004. Compiled by Mark Daly, MAAS. Design and production by designplat4m 02 9299 0429 Print run: 600. External costs: $12,860 Available at www.powerhousemuseum.com Contemporary photography by MAAS photography staff: Sotha Bourn, Geoff Friend, Marinco Kojdanovski, Jean-Francois Lanzarone and Sue Stafford (unless otherwise credited). Photos from Garden Palace, Agricultural Hall and Technological Museum from Museum archives. Front cover images\ Clockwise from centre – Education group in plastics exhibition, Technological Museum c1934; Chair from Beirut to Baghdad; Korean drummer at the Powerhouse; Arabic calligraphy by Fatima Killeen for Beirut to Baghdad; BMX rider, extreme sports demonstration in Powerhouse courtyard. CONTENTS 02 MUSEUM HISTORY – THE FIRST 125 YEARS 03 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 03-04 04 PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD 05 DIRECTOR’S REPORT 06 MISSION & STRUCTURE 07 ORGANISATION CHART 08 PROGRESS AGAINST STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES 03-04 09 GOALS FOR 04-05 10 MUSEUM HONOURS 11 ACCESS ACHIEVEMENTS 11 EVALUATING OUR AUDIENCES & PROGRAMS 12 EXHIBITION PROGRAM 13 PUBLIC & EDUCATION PROGRAMS 14 SYDNEY OBSERVATORY 15 INDIGENOUS CULTURE 16 REGIONAL SERVICES 17 MIGRATION HERITAGE CENTRE 17 MUSEUM ONLINE 18 AMOL 19 PUBLICATIONS 19 BEHIND THE SCENES ACHIEVEMENTS 19 THE COLLECTION 20 COLLECTION LOANS 20 COLLECTION MANAGEMENT 20 CASTLE HILL STORAGE INITIATIVES 21 ORGANISATION CHANGE 22 STAFF DEVELOPMENT 22 RESEARCH GRANTS 22 CORPORATE SERVICES 22 HUMAN RESOURCES 23 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 23 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY 23 WASTE & ENERGY MANAGEMENT 24 RISK MANAGEMENT & INSURANCE 24 VOLUNTEER PROGRAM 24 SPONSORSHIP & PARTNERSHIPS 25 TRENDS 26 FINANCIAL REPORT 48 APPENDICES THANK YOU 01 THE FIRST 125 YEARS 1878 1947 A special Meeting of the Trustees of the Museum establishes plantation on land at Castle Australian Museum was convened to consider a Hill for research into Eucalyptus and Melaleuca proposal for establishment of a Technological essential oils. The site was first developed as a and Industrial Museum. A year later the State storage facility in the mid 1970s and in 2004 a Government allocated £500 to form major building program saw total storage area at 2 the Museum. Castle Hill increasing to 13,200 m . 1879-1880 1950 Sydney International Exhibition held in the By special dispensation of the Minister for purpose-built Garden Palace in Sydney’s Domain Education, we became known as the Museum of (now the Royal Botanic Gardens). The Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS). Government bought many of the key exhibits, giving over the southwest corner of the Garden 1953 Palace to establish the Technological, Industrial First guide lecturer appointed leading to and Sanitary Museum, the genesis of the establishment in 1970 of Education Service – Powerhouse Museum. forerunner of our current Education and Visitor Services Department. 1882 The Garden Palace burnt to the ground, 1979 destroying 10,000 exhibits that were being The Premier announces that the abandoned prepared for the new Museum. A temporary Ultimo Power House and Tram Depot will be the home was found for the Museum in the site for the museum redevelopment. Agricultural Hall in the Domain. 1981 1890 The former Tram Depot opens as ‘Stage 1’ of the Branch museums were founded at Bathurst new museum. (closed 1984), Goulburn (closed 1983), West Maitland (closed 1955), Newcastle (closed 1940) 1982 and Broken Hill 1901 (closed 1982). The first symbolic brick for the new Powerhouse Museum was laid, demolition began June 1982 1893 and reconstruction began in 1984. Sydney After being placed under the Minister for Public Observatory became a part of the Museum of Instruction, the newly renamed Technological Applied Arts and Sciences and, in addition to Museum moved to a dedicated building in Harris being a public observatory, becomes a museum Street, Ultimo, one of the first purpose-built of astronomy. Sydney Mint Museum opens as a technology museums in the world. branch of MAAS; transferred to Historic Houses Trust May 1997. 1896 Branch museum opened in Albury (closed 1983). 1984 Hyde Park Barracks Museum opens as a branch 1921 of MAAS; transferred to Historic Houses Trust A Museum Advisory Committee established with February 1990. members drawn from the State’s leading manufacturers, businesses, Sydney University 1988 and the Technical College. Official opening of the Powerhouse Museum. Museum wins Museum of the Year Award and 1945 Sir John Sulman Award for Architectural Merit. The Museum of Technology and Applied Science Act 1945 renamed the Museum and provided for 1997 a Board of Trustees to exercise control Launch of the Museum’s website. Transfer of and management. title for the Sydney Observatory from the Minister for Public Works to the Trustees of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. 2001 Regional Services Coordinator appointed. 2004-2005 th Celebration of 125 anniversary of genesis of the Museum. 1 234 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 03-04 In 2003-04 the Museum provided access to Sydney Observatory saw a rise of 20% in over 2.5 million visitors in person and on line. overall visitation with a heightened profile assisted by the programs and exhibitions The Museum’s public access included developed to tie in with the close pass of over 20 new exhibitions and displays at Mars to Earth and the Transit of Venus. the Powerhouse. The Museum’s interactive music website, The Museum’s Indigenous curators, in soundbyte.org, won the Australian Computer association with Museum Victoria, Society Eureka Prize for Information and developed Our place: Indigenous Australia Communications Technology Innovation. now, which opened in Athens on 30 June, as Australia’s gift to Greece for the Cultural The new storage facilities at Castle Hill, Olympiad of the 2004 Olympic Games. which will provide public access to the collection in storage, as well as improved Off site exhibitions and programs, including environmental conditions, were completed the Works wonders: stories about home in 42 weeks, six weeks ahead of the remedies exhibition developed in projected construction time and on budget. collaboration with regional communities, reached over 400,000. A new electronic Collection Management Information System, KE EMu, was developed and implemented. A website user evaluation preceded the launch of a newly designed website www.powerhousemuseum.com with a greater focus on user needs, particularly those of students and teachers. Website individual visitors increased by over 60% to more than 1.5 million. The Ellipse upgrade was completed and went live in September 2003, providing the Museum with an upgraded corporate services system and the necessary platform to expand its shared services capability. The Powerhouse co-published its first book internationally, Contemporary silver: made in Italy, with UK-based Lund Humphries. SINCE ITS INCEPTION THE MUSEUM’S OFFICIAL NAMES HA SANITARY MUSEUM (1880), THE TECHNOL VE BEEN - THE TECHNOL SCIENCE (1945) AND THE MUSEUM OF APPLIEDOGIC ARTS AND SCIENCES (1950). AL MUSEUM (1893), THE MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGICAL, INDUSTRIAL AND OGY AND APPLIED 1 War and Peace Ewer, one of two Wedgwood vessels repaired by Powerhouse conservators (see also p24) which were centrepieces at Sydney’s International Exhibition in 1879, Art Gallery of NSW collection - photo Nitsa Yioupros\ 2 Garden Palace, Macquarie St entrance\ 3 Interior of Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum, Agricultural Hall, Domain c1890\ 4 Exterior of Technological Museum early 1900s\ 5 View from Technological Museum towards Ultimo Powerhouse early 1900s\ 6 Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo 2004 56 02\03 PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD On the last day of this financial year, I was Since its inception at the Sydney International The Museum is always grateful to the privileged to stand in Athens alongside Exhibition of 1879, this Museum has incredible range of supporters, sponsors and the Australian Ambassador to Greece, collected, interpreted and exhibited an donors we are so fortunate to attract. Three the head of the Athens Cultural Olympiad, incredible range of subject areas covering of these, Jenny Kee, Linda Jackson and the Director of the Powerhouse and science, technology, design and history. Bill Bush, were recognised in 2003 by being colleagues from Museum Victoria, at the As we approach the celebration of 125 years made Life Fellows of the Museum. opening of Our place: Indigenous Australia of existence, we are justifiably proud, Ms Kee and Ms Jackson are well known as now at the new Benaki Cultural Centre. not only of our past achievements, but of exponents of unique Australian design in I was proud, as President of the Museum’s our present contribution to international fashion and Mr Bush, an American who has Board of Trustees and as an Australian culture and the future directions we have never visited the current Museum, has of Greek heritage, to have the opportunity mapped