STATE LIBRARY OF NSW FOUNDATION BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION 2018–19 ANNUAL REPORT STATE LIBRARY OF NSW FOUNDATION BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION 2018–19 ANNUAL REPORT Contents Celebrating 30 Years! Foldout Executive Reports 1 Governance 4 Foundation Board Members 2018–19 4 Foundation Trustees 2018–19 7 New Galleries and Learning Centre 8 Children’s Library 2019 Annual Appeal 10 Building & Conserving Our Collection 12 Exhibitions 16 Learning 18 Awards 20 Fellowships 24 Friends 28 Bequests & Library Circle 30 Foundation Members & Donors 32 Board Report 37 Trustees’ Declaration & Audited Financial Statements 44 TIMELINE CELEBRATING 30 YEARS! A RICH AND SUSTAINED RECORD OF SUPPORT FROM 1989 1990s 1998 Waterhouse family papers 1996 1995–96 (1782—1819) and George and 1995 Purchase of a letter from 1998 Sarah Bass papers acquired, Exhibition Journeys through Landscapes: Acquisition of the First Fleet naturalist and explorer Jean Garling bequest, which providing critical information Conrad Martens (1801–1878) Life & Art journal of American/British George Caley to has supported conservation on the early settlement and VIEW OF TREVALLYN, 1837, BY CONRAD MARTENS sailor Jacob Nagle Sir Joseph Banks, 1795 projects for over 20 years exploration of NSW 2010s 2009–11 Holtermann photographic collection digitised — 2010 2010 2010–11 3500 wet plate negatives, 2010–13 Yearly program Far Out! Treasures Australian Religious History Navigation chart of the Indian 1872–75 Macarthur family papers to the Bush established to bring Fellowship established, supporting Ocean from 1677 acquired — (1789–1930) conserved BO HOLTERMANN (2ND FROM LEFT), RICHARD ORMSBY original material to regional and research into Australian religious produced for the Dutch East India KERR (CENTRE) AND BEYERS (2ND FROM RIGHT), WITH REEF GOLD FROM STAR OF HOPE MINE, C 1870–1875 remote NSW schools history of any faith Company by Joan Blaeu II JOHN MACARTHUR, C 1850S 2013–16 Wentworth family papers 2015 conserved, including 2014 Biennial Coral Thomas 2015 the correspondence of Rose de Freycinet journal and letters acquired, 2014–19 Fellowship established, Macquarie family papers prominent colonial documenting her epic voyage around the world, Centenary of World War I Commemorative Program, encouraging deep and conserved, containing figures D’Arcy Wentworth 1817–20 featuring the exhibition Life Interrupted: Personal focused research into Governor Macquarie’s and son William Charles Diaries from World War I and digitisation of 180,000 Australian culture, history manuscripts, journals, diaries INTERIOR OF A TIMORESE HOUSE, KUPANG, HAND-COLOURED ENGRAVING Wentworth FROM LOUIS DE FREYCINET VOYAGE AUTOUR DU MONDE … 1825 pages from the World War I collections and society and letterbooks, 1787–1844 2000s 2001 2004–10 2002–12 atmitchell.com, followed by ‘Crewing for Flinders’ project Nelson Meers Heritage Collection Discover Collections, enabled funded the conservation and presented a major changing digitisation, digital collection 2005–17 2008 digitisation of the Flinders archive exhibition of iconic collection management and interactive Manuscripts, maps and artworks David Scott Mitchell Fellowship and supported the successful items and supported digitisation online access to 35 collections related to ‘Voyages of Discovery’ and Merewether Scholarship travelling exhibition Matthew for online access of national importance digitised and interpreted online established, encouraging Flinders: The Ultimate Voyage Australian history research using TERRA AUSTRALIS INCOGNITA, 1597–1651, AUSTRALASIAN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, 1911–14, FROM ‘A JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS’, 1794, PORTRAIT OF MATTHEW FLINDERS, C 1800 BY HENDRICK HONDIUS PHOTO BY FRANK HURLEY BY SYDNEY PARKINSON the Mitchell Library collections 2011 2011 Captain James Wallis album, 2011 2012 Tal Dai-ichi Life Derby Collection c 1818, acquired — containing Max Dupain and Associates Exhibition Lewin: Wild Art acquired, comprising 745 natural major views of Sydney and commercial archive acquired featured the work of Australia’s history watercolours from the Newcastle, natural history — 155,000 negatives and 2500 first professional artist, 1790s, displayed in the 2014 sketches and named portraits prints by Dupain, a record of John William Lewin (1770–1819) 2012 Artist Colony exhibition of the Awabakal people of the Sydney’s built environment from Amaze Gallery established, the Library’s first MALE AND FEMALE RED KANGAROO IN A LIVERPOOL BLACK SWAN (CYGNUS ATRATUS), 1790S Newcastle region 1946 to 1992 PLAINS LANDSCAPE, C 1819, ATTRIBUTED TO JW LEWIN new gallery since 1929 2018–19 Landmark acquisitions • the earliest printed illustration and description of the Southern Cross constellation by 16th century 2017 Italian adventurer Andrea Corsali, c 1516 Online exhibition and illustrated • the only known copy of the first ‘memorial’ book on one of the most by Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernández 2016 important 19th century natural 2018 de Quirós to the King of Spain on sighting Biennial Mona Brand Award for history artists: Painting by Transformation of the Mitchell building ‘Terra Australis’, 1607 women stage and screen writers Numbers: The Life and Art with the Michael Crouch Family Galleries • Sir Arthur Streeton’s 1894 panoramic view established of Ferdinand Bauer and the John B Fairfax Learning Centre of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline EXECUTIVE REPORTS X 2018–19 Annual Report STATE LIBRARY OF NSW FOUNDATION State Librarian’s Introduction I write this at the end of one of the most successful Machiavelli was completely wrong. years in our Foundation’s history. The Library Fortunately for us, those who love our is exceptionally fortunate in having a great many Library know he was wrong. generous friends; you can learn something of what Our benefactors give us the means to they have done for us over the past year in this participate more fully in our own culture and booklet. It’s no overstatement to suggest that the to gain a better sense of who we are and where transformation currently underway would not we are from. Thanks to them, if we choose to even have begun without them. accept the challenge, we can make sure we Generosity on the scale we are talking about — don’t end up losing touch with our own history and I am thinking as much of the number of our (and by extension our future). TS Eliot wrote benefactors as the amounts they have individually an epitaph for such characters: been able to give — is not without risk. Here were decent godless people No less an authority than Machiavelli certainly Their only monument the asphalt road thought so. ‘There is nothing so self-defeating,’ And a thousand lost golf balls. he observed, ‘as generosity. In the act of practising This annual report is more than a collection it, you lose the ability to be generous, and you of financial accounts. It offers an important end up either poor and despised, or, in seeking opportunity for us to thank our supporters, to escape the poverty which inevitably results prove Machiavelli wrong, and reflect on dozens from generosity, you become greedy and despised.’ of risks which have turned out to be worth taking. It is perfectly sensible, he continues, to give If you are not already a supporter of the away something that does not belong to you — Foundation, I encourage you to consider governments do it all the time. But giving away joining it in its vital work. what is your own, argued Machiavelli, is risky in the extreme. DR JOHN VALLANCE STATE LIBRARIAN OPPOSITE: IN THE PAINTINGS FROM THE COLLECTION EXHIBITION, PHOTO BY JOY LAI STATE LIBRARY OF NSW FOUNDATION 2018–19 Annual Report 1 Co-Chairs’ Report As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the The new galleries were made possible State Library of NSW Foundation we acknowledge through the generous support of the late the strong tradition of benefaction from donors, Michael Crouch AC and Shanny Crouch, with sponsors, Friends of the Library and volunteers. support from the Nelson Meers Foundation and The Library is fortunate to have so many loyal the estate of the late Ruby Faris. We were also donors who support our acquisitions, exhibitions, proud to be contributing donors. fellowships, educational outreach programs and Philanthropic support has also transformed literary initiatives. the way the Library delivers education programs After a fundraising record for the Library last to children. We were delighted with the year, it is gratifying to see philanthropic support completion of the new learning centre, continuing. Total income (including investments) generously supported by John B Fairfax AO, was $5,560,000 compared with $10,674,000 last which gives school groups an unprecedented year. Income from donations, partnerships and opportunity to learn from and engage with our bequests (excluding investment income) was unique collection materials. $4,313,000 compared with $9,624,000 in 2018. Our Annual Appeal raised $480,000 to Importantly, the Foundation maintained its establish a new Children’s Library, furthering our contribution towards key Library projects by commitment to young audiences. This dedicated giving $7,510,000 compared with $7,545,000 area in the Macquarie Street building will bring in 2017–18. our rich children’s literature collection out of The value of the Foundation’s total assets this the stacks and onto public shelves, accessible year was $18,748,000 compared with $21,447,000 to children and their families. last year and the annual rate of return this year One of the most important areas of support on our investments through NSW Treasury this year has been the nearly $500,000 funding Corporation (TCorp) was 6.38% compared towards purchasing three extraordinary with last year’s 5.07%. acquisitions: the earliest printed illustration and It has been a great pleasure to work with our description of the Southern Cross by 16th century State Librarian, Dr John Vallance, and President Italian adventurer Andrea Corsali, c 1516; the only of the Library Council, the Hon George Souris, to known copy of the first ‘memorial’ by Portuguese support their new vision for the Library.