Part Two: Performance Reports Part Tw0: Performance Reports 21

20 national museum of australia annual report 07–08 Part two: Performance reports part tw0: performance reports 21 History Although it is one of Australia’s newest cultural institutions, the National Museum of Australia was almost 100 years in the making. Over the course of the twentieth century, proposals for a national museum were intermittent, interrupted by wars and financial crises and stifled by government inaction. A national inquiry in 1975 (the ‘Pigott Report’) finally resulted in the creation of the Museum in 1980 with the passing of the National Museum of Australia Act. Collecting officially began with significant collections inherited from Australian Government collections including the Australian Institute of Anatomy. A location was identified at Yarramundi Reach, Canberra. In December 1996 the building of the Museum was announced as the key Centenary of Federation project, and Acton Peninsula was chosen as the site, with funding confirmed in 1997. The National Museum of Australia opened on 11 March 2001. It is home to the National Historical Collection and is one of the nation’s major cultural institutions. The Museum’s exhibitions, collections, programs and research focus on three interrelated themes, specified in the National Museum of Australia Act 1980. They are: • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture • Australia’s history and society since 1788 • the interaction of people with the environment. These areas define the Museum’s intellectual and conceptual framework, which is articulated to the public through the themes of land, nation and people. Andrew Lindsay, curator Rowan Henderson, Hilarie Lindsay and valuer Simon Storey view items at the Lindsay’s of Leichhardt Toy Factory in Leichhardt, Sydney. 22 national museum of australia annual report 07–08 Guiding performance: Outcome achievements Achievement of the Museum’s outcome is assessed Legislation, PBS and by PBS performance indicators and targets that focus on the continuing development of the the Strategic Plan collections through: • appropriate acquisitions • people’s ability to access and learn about the The Museum’s performance is guided by a set collections of legislative, public sector and organisational • the quality of the experience and learning for visitors requirements. The National Museum of Australia • the number of people who visit the Museum. Act 1980 charges the Museum with the function of These measures are also seen in relation to the developing, preserving and exhibiting historical efficacy with which the Museum manages resources material of the Australian nation. It also specifies and budgets. This year the Museum continued to that the Museum should conduct and disseminate meet all targets specified for the delivery of its PBS research and information about Australian history outcome, as the tables below indicate. (see ‘Functions and powers of the National Museum of Australia’ in Appendix 2, p. 128.) Performance summary, measured against PBS These functions determine all aspects of the Museum’s performance. The government’s performance targets, relevance of acquisitions specified in the annual Portfolio Budget Statement (PBS), Proportion of acquisitions actual: 100% are achieved through work defined in two output groups, acquired in accordance with of acquisitions which together lead to the outcome that: Collection Development acquired in Framework accordance Australians have access to the National target: 100% with Collection Development Museum’s collections and public programs Framework to encourage awareness and understanding of Australia’s history and culture. accessibility of collections and programs Access to the Museum’s actual: 2,529,782 For the Australian public, the Museum’s vision statement collections, exhibitions, visitors, users of captures the essence of the organisation’s role: programs and web programs and target: 1,150,000 unique web visits A recognised world-class museum exploring Australia’s past, illuminating the present, the extent to which awareness and imagining the future. understanding of australia’s history and culture is increased At the operational level, the National Museum of Proportion of visitors and actual: 81% of Australia’s Strategic Plan and annual business users who indicated the visitors surveyed priorities outline the organisation’s strategic goals Museum’s exhibitions confirmed they had and guide the activities of all Museum business units. and public programs learned something contributed to a new or new about Australian The key priorities, outlined in the Strategic Plan for different awareness or history or culture 2007–10, were to: perspective on Australia’s during their visit to • enhance exhibitions, programs and services history or culture the Museum • develop the National Historical Collection and target: 75% improve collections storage • strengthen research and scholarship capability Financial summary, measured against PBS • enhance the Museum’s national and international profile Total price of outputs: Actual price of outputs: • develop staff, business practices and infrastructure. $48.759m $47.979m The reports that follow provide quantitative measurement of the Museum’s performance against Departmental Actual appropriations: the PBS, and qualitative discussion of its achievements appropriations: $40.952m $40.764m as a cultural institution and in relation to the Strategic Plan. A synopsis of achievements against these Revenue from other Actual revenue from measures is also included in the ‘Executive summary’ sources: $7.807m other sources: $7.386m of this report in Part One, pp. 8–19. part tw0: performance reports 23 Output group 1.1 Developing the collection The National Historical Collection was originally Collection made up of objects transferred to the Museum by the Australian Government following the Museum’s development and establishment in 1980. Until then, most of these objects had been held by the former Australian management Institute of Anatomy, the former Institute of Aboriginal Studies and the University of Sydney, as well as some government departments and agencies. The National Museum of Australia seeks to build Since 1980 the Museum has acquired objects through and care for a broad-based collection that provides donations and purchase. The Museum’s Collections a material record of Australian history. The National Development Plan guides its acquisition practice, as Historical Collection is the Museum’s core collection, measured by the PBS performance indicators. Further and consists of the most historically and culturally developing the collections in line with this plan was significant objects acquired by the Museum. There an identified business priority for 2007–08. are more than 200,000 items in the collection. The This year was extremely productive for the Museum’s other collections include the Archival collections development program, implemented by Collection, comprising documents, photographs, curatorial teams. The Museum spent a total of $2.762 and sound and vision recordings associated with million on acquisitions for the National Historical material in the National Historical Collection, and the Collection, including $1.064 million from a special Education Collection, comprising materials to support acquisitions fund provided by the Australian Museum programs and activities. Government, and secured many compelling artefacts As has been the case each year since its opening in for the collection. Some of the important objects that 2001, the Museum met or exceeded Output group 1.1 the Museum acquired through purchase or gift this measures this year. year included: • a headdress and two bark paintings by Dick Roughsey Performance summary, measured against PBS (Goobalathaldin) (1924–85), a renowned Lardil artist performance indicators achievements and author from Mornington Island, Queensland • Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s 1971 Federation Cup quality trophy, a junior tennis trophy awarded to her by the 100% of National actual: 100% Historical Collection Victor A Edwards Tennis School, and a tennis dress acquisitions are and jacket designed by Ted Tinling that was worn consistent with by Goolagong Cawley in competitions in 1972 acquisitions policy • a collection of 36 rare books, pamphlets and papers on Australian Aboriginal history and heritage, 75% of the National actual: 75% Historical Collection including a copy of South Australia Illustrated packed or stored at, by George French Angas, published in 1847 or above, appropriate • Banks’ Florilegium, Set no. 5/100, comprising 743 museum standards botanical line engravings, after the watercolours drawn from nature by Sydney Parkinson, recording quantity the plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and 1000 conservation actual: 2289 Dr Daniel Carl Solander when they accompanied treatments conservation treatments Captain James Cook on his first voyage across the Pacific between 1768 and 1771 price • a collection of 44 central Australian Aboriginal $12.22m actual: $7.628m artefacts, collected by the late Professor TGH (Ted) ($61.10 per ($38.14 per Strehlow during 40 years of research in central collection item) collection item) Australia. The collection includes ornaments made from various marsupial tails, nose bones decorated with the feathers of red-tailed black cockatoos, weapons and wooden implements • an eighteenth-century French neo-classical bust of Captain James Cook attributed to the circle of Augustin Pajou 24 national museum of australia annual report 07–08 Eighteenth-century French neo-classical

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