MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES ANNUAL REPORT 2019–20 The Hon Don Harwin, MLC Special Minister of State Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Vice-President of the Executive Council, and Trustee of the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund 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 2020. Yours sincerely Professor Barney Glover AO FTSE FRSN Lisa Havilah President Chief Executive Cover: Powerhouse Parramatta Image by Moreau Kusunoki and Genton ISSN: 2209-8836 © Trustees of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences 2020 The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences is an Executive Agency of and principally funded by the NSW State Government. CONTENTS 2 Acknowledgment of Country 3 Charter 4 President Foreword 5 Chief Executive Foreword 6 Strategic Direction 6 Powerhouse Program 6 Powerhouse Parramatta 6 Powerhouse Ultimo 6 Museums Discovery Centre, Castle Hill 6 Collection Relocation and Digitisation Project 7 Sydney Observatory 7 Visitation 7 Onsite Audiences 7 Offsite and Digital Audiences 8 Powerhouse Program Highlights 8 Exhibitions 9 Touring 9 Public Programs 11 Western Sydney and Regional NSW 11 Education and Digital Learning 13 Indigenous Engagement 14 Collection 14 Acquisition Highlights 16 Archives 16 Collection Partnerships 17 Collaboration and Research 19 People 20 Covid-19 Management 20 Governance 23 FINANCE 61 APPENDICES 62 Board of Trustees 64 Principal Officers 64 Loans 65 Acquisitions 85 Partners 85 Publications 86 Volunteers 88 Staffing Numbers 89 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statistics 90 Senior Executive 91 Overseas Travel 91 Legislative Changes 91 Major Works Statement 91 Digital Information Security Attestation Statement 91 Guarantee of Service and Consumer Response 92 Public Interest Disclosure Reporting as required by Public Interest Disclosure Act 1994 92 Privacy Reviews under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 92 Public Access to Information 93 GIPA reporting as required by the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 97 Budget Estimates 97 Consultants 98 Payment of Accounts 99 Contact Information ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land and gives respect to the Elders — past and present — and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Museum recognises and shares the value and importance of preserving, revitalising and strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and achievements. Central to achieving the Museum’s vision for reconciliation is the exploration and fulfilment of a range of mutually beneficial opportunities in partnership with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander cultures and networks, allowing the activities of the Museum to be linked to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as a fundamental human right. 2 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Annual Report 2019–20 CHARTER The Museum was established following the 1879 Sydney International Exhibition which was its genesis. The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (the Museum) was established under the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Act 1945 (MAAS Act). Aspects of the Museum’s management and governance are also covered under the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Regulation 2018. At 30 June 2020 the Museum was responsible for the Powerhouse Museum, the Sydney Observatory, and the Museums Discovery Centre, Castle Hill. The Museum’s Act requires it to effectively minister to the needs and demands of the community in any or all branches of applied science and art and the development of industry by: — the display of selected objects arranged to illustrate the industrial advance of civilisation and the development of inventions and manufactures, — the promotion of craftsmanship and artistic taste by illustrating the history and development of the applied arts, — lectures, broadcasts, films, publications and other educational means, — scientific research, or — any other means necessary or desirable for the development of the natural resources and manufacturing industries of New South Wales. Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Annual Report 2019–20 3 PRESIDENT FOREWORD I am pleased to present the Powerhouse Museum’s Annual The Museum progressed the planning process to expand Report for 2019-20. the Museums Discovery Centre in Castle Hill during 2019-20. The expansion will create a new state-of-the-art Over the past five years I have been honoured to lead the building that will allow spaces for the storage, care, Museum through its greatest period of transformation in its research and viewing of the Powerhouse Collection, as 140-year history. The Powerhouse Program will renew the well as flexible spaces for education and public programs, Museum will ensure the Powerhouse increases public access workshops, talks and events. to its significant collections while remaining relevant and engaged with the changing communities of Greater Sydney In October 2019, the Powerhouse Collection Relocation and NSW. and Digitisation Project was launched by the Minister for the Arts, The Hon Don Harwin. This project will see The Trust and Museum have long advocated that the 330,000 items in the Museum’s collection digitised, Museum is a single organisation, inclusive of its collection, greatly increasing access to the collection for both local, across the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo, the historic national and international audiences. Sydney Observatory in Millers Point and the Museums Discovery Centre in Castle Hill; and the new flagship I would like to acknowledge the Trustees for their Powerhouse Parramatta. The Government’s announcement ongoing commitment and leadership and thank them in July 2020 has realised this vision and will result in the all for their support. In 2019-20 we farewelled Trust community being able to experience more of our globally- members: Tim Ebbeck, Darren Steinberg, Dr Alex Birrell, renowned collection. and Lisa Chung AM. They brought a wealth of experience from their respective fields and I thank them for their This visionary investment by the NSW Government to service and expertise. We welcomed Suzie Laundy and establish two world-class museums in Parramatta and Ultimo Peter Poulet who joined the Powerhouse Museum as will ensure the Powerhouse will create a generational legacy Trustees in January 2020. and ensure that this institution will be forever embedded into the contemporary identity of our great city and State. On behalf of the Trust, I would like to commend the Museum’s Chief Executive, Lisa Havilah, for her Significant achievements have been made in the Powerhouse transformational leadership of our institution. Importantly, Program this year with the architectural partnership of I acknowledge the dedicated museum staff for their Moreau Kusunoki and Genton selected to design Powerhouse professionalism and ongoing achievements. Parramatta following a global design competition. Planning for the new flagship Museum has powered ahead with the Professor Barney Glover AO Environmental Impact Statement for Powerhouse Parramatta President placed on public exhibition and extensive consultation conducted with local communities and key stakeholders. 4 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Annual Report 2019–20 CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOREWORD It has been a privilege to lead the Museum during this The Museum continued to grow its collection in 2019-20 remarkable time of growth and renewal. The NSW and established commissions for artists to create new Government’s 4 July announcement expands our institution works for the collection through the Willoughby Bequest to create two world-class Museums – the renewal of Ultimo 2020 Commissioning Program. We continued to increase and the creation of our flagship Museum in Parramatta. public access to the collection through the Powerhouse Program’s digitisation project which has seen a 33% Powerhouse Parramatta will be Australia’s leading increase in page views of the Museum’s online collection. Museum for science, technology and engineering. It will be a landmark institution that will transform The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-20 resulted in access to arts and culture for the people of Western the temporary closure of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Sydney, and the wider NSW community. Our renewal Observatory and Museums Discovery Centre this year to program for Powerhouse Ultimo gives us an opportunity protect the health and safety of staff, volunteers and our to reimagine our extraordinary Museum within the visitors. I was proud to witness the resilience of our staff growing Pyrmont precinct. during this period with many transitioning to providing our audiences with digital programs or refocusing their work This year the Powerhouse focused on the creation and towards the care and digitisation of the collection. The presentation of Museum-produced exhibitions. These Museum has continued to find solutions to providing access have included Apollo 11, Linear and Jenny Kee and to the collection and exhibitions upon re-opening. We look Linda Jackson: Step Into Paradise.