TWENTY FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT of the HISTORY TRUST of SOUTH AUSTRALIA for the YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2004 HISTORY TRUST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT for the year ended 30 June 2004 HISTORY TRUST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Torrens Parade Ground, Victoria Drive, Adelaide SA 5000 GPO Box 1836, Adelaide SA 5001 DX 464 Adelaide Phone: +61 8 8203 9888 Fax: +61 8 8203 9883 (General) +61 8 8203 9889 (Executive) Website: www.history.sa.gov.au Email: [email protected] 1 CONTENTS Background .............................................................. 3 Organisational Chart .................................................. 4 Chairperson's Report .................................................. 5 Chief Executive's Report ............................................. 6 The Year’s Highlights in Summary ............................... 10 Review of Objectives 2003–2004 ............................... 11 Major Objectives 2004–2005 ..................................... 12 Marketing and Sponsorship ........................................ 13 Community History Unit ............................................ 19 Migration Museum ................................................... 23 National Motor Museum ............................................ 27 South Australian Maritime Museum ............................ 31 Business Services ..................................................... 35 Appendices ............................................................. 43 1 Board of Trustees ............................................... 44 2 Management personnel ....................................... 44 3 Staff as at 30 June 2004 ..................................... 45 4 Advisory Committees .......................................... 46 National Motor Museum Development Committee South Australian Maritime Museum Development Committee 5 Honorary Consultants / Valuers............................. 46 6 Migration Museum Foundation Committee members 46 7 Volunteer Services ......................................... 47-48 8 Key Performance Indicators 2003–2004 ................ 49 9 Museums Accreditation and Grants Program ...... 50-52 Accredited museums at 30 June 2004 Registered museums at 30 June 2004 Allocation of grants 10 South Australian History Fund .......................... 53-54 (formerly Community History Fund) Publications Projects 11 Publications ....................................................... 55 12 Unpublished Conference Papers ............................ 55 13 Grants obtained ................................................. 56 Community History Unit Migration Museum National Motor Museum South Australian Maritime Museum 14 Exhibition Program ........................................ 57-59 Community Access Temporary Exhibitions – In-house New Permanent Exhibitions Touring Exhibitions – Incoming Touring Exhibitions – Outgoing Events / Audience Development 15 Financial Statement for the year ended 30 June 2004 ........ 60 2 BACKGROUND Our Vision • providing policy advice to the Minister for Our vision is to promote the value, the Arts on issues of relevance to South understanding and enjoyment of history. Australia’s history and material culture. These responsibilities are realised through Our Mission the following programs: Our mission is to encourage and work with • managing three museums and a changing the people of South Australia to: exhibitions gallery which interpret aspects • better understand our rich and distinctive of South Australia’s history: history; and the Migration Museum – which preserves • enhance our sense of identity and and interprets the history of migration belonging by making history a living and to and settlement in South Australia; exciting element in the life of the State. the National Motor Museum – which manages and interprets a collection representing Australia’s motoring Who We Are history; The History Trust of South Australia is a the South Australian Maritime Museum statutory authority reporting to Parliament – which preserves a collection of through the Minister for the Arts. It was maritime heritage objects and interprets established in 1981 under the History Trust the maritime history of South Australia; of South Australia Act (1981, 1995) to the History Trust Exhibition Gallery – encourage the research and public which presents exhibitions reflecting presentation of South Australian history and aspects of the history of South Australia to safeguard South Australia’s material and the city of Adelaide. heritage. The Trust’s central administration • providing advice and assistance to South is located at the Torrens Parade Ground in Australia’s 200 community history museums central Adelaide, but its main public face is and 150 historical societies, as well as the presented by three history museums — the many individuals who research South Migration Museum, National Motor Museum Australian history, through the Community and the South Australian Maritime Museum History Unit. The Unit also administers two and in addition by the History Trust Gallery grants programs – the Museums at the Parade Ground. The Trust also manages Accreditation and Grants Program (for an important community history program to community museums) and the South assist community museums and historical Australian History Fund (for South researchers. The History Trust’s Board of Australian history publications and eight trustees reports to the Minister for the projects); Arts. • managing the State Historical Collection; • promoting South Australian history and the activities of the History Trust’s What We Do museums. Under the History Trust of South Australia Act (1981, 1995) the Trust is responsible for the following: • researching and interpreting South Australia’s history; • presenting and exhibiting South Australia’s material history; • managing museums of its own and assisting the State’s community museums; • encouraging and assisting the work of South Australia’s historians and historical societies; 3 ORGANISATIONAL CHART History Trust of South Australia as at 30 June 2004 Premier and Minister for the Arts The Hon Mike Rann, MP Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts The Hon John Hill, MP Board of Trustees Chairman Phillip Broderick Trustees Fiona Adler (from September 2003) Margaret Allen Robert Chapman Ian Davey (to 30 June 2004) Sue Filby John Fotheringham Minerva Nasser–Eddine Chief Executive Margaret Anderson Director A/ Manager Director Manager Business Manager Migration Museum National Motor SA Maritime Marketing Manager Community & Deputy Director Museum Museum History Unit History Trust of SA Vivienne Szekeres Kym Hulme Kevin Jones Doreen Bate Donna Tims Kate Walsh 4 CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT The Hon John Hill, MP Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts Dear Minister I am pleased to present the 24th Annual met quarterly. We were sad to farewell long- Report of the History Trust of South Australia serving Board member Prof Ian Davey at the for the year ended 30 June 2004. end of June. Prof Davey has served the maximum allowable term on the Board – nine This past year has seen the History Trust years – and has made a notable contribution move from strength to strength. Excellent to the development of the History Trust during attendances at the Trust’s three museums that time. His contribution has been highly have seen visitor numbers increase valued and he will be sorely missed. substantially. Both the Migration Museum and the South Australian Maritime Museum had Despite very considerable cost pressures, I particularly successful years, with near record can report that the Trust managed to achieve attendances at both museums. In addition a balanced budget during the year. This the History Trust’s Directorate moved to new reflected very stringent management of premises in the Torrens Parade Ground in building costs in particular. However this January, allowing the development of a new cannot continue indefinitely. The Board is of exhibition gallery. the strong opinion that investment in the core business of the Trust is now an immediate Two major new initiatives for the year were necessity. Once again the Trust raised a the introduction of SA History Week, a significant proportion of its income from weeklong program of events and activities external sources – some 29 per cent. We held in the last week of May, and the opening believe that this is a notable achievement, of the Trust’s new exhibition gallery at the but ultimately is unsustainable. Torrens Parade Ground. History Week was particularly successful and will become part In conclusion I express my thanks to my of the History Trust’s annual program. A large fellow Board members and to the staff of the number of community groups participated in History Trust. Their energy and commitment History Week, confirming the significant is the key to the continuing success of contribution that volunteer groups make to the organisation. The Board would also like the preservation and interpretation of the to extend its thanks to you for your State’s history. continuing support. The History Trust Board met regularly during Phillip Broderick the year, while the Finance sub–committee Chair 5 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT This past year has been one of the most innovation, but it cannot maintain that successful in the history of this small reputation with permanent exhibitions that organisation. Visitor numbers to our museums effectively end the immigration story in the increased by 13 per cent overall, to a very mid–1980s. The same general point is true competitive total of 303