MUSEUMS BOARD OF VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2015 –16 MUSEUM VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2015–16 i DECLARATION OF THE RESPONSIBLE BODY In accordance with the Financial Management Act 1994, I am pleased to present the Report of Operations for the Museums Board of Victoria for the year ending 30 June 2016. Professor Margaret Gardner AO President Museums Board of Victoria 30 June 2016 This annual report has been produced in accordance with FRD30C Standard Requirements for the Design and Production of Annual Reports, in order to minimise our impact on the environment. Further information about Museum Victoria’s activities and our achievements for 2015–16 can be found at museumvictoria.com.au. FRONT COVER Wood St Kindergarten Outreach Program Photographer Rodney Start THIS PAGE Test Lab Winter School Holiday Progam, Scienceworks Photographer Rodney Start ISSN 1835-369X MUSEUM VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2015–16 ii CONTENTS Declaration of the Responsible Body ii President and Chief Executive Officer Messages 2 Profile of Museum Victoria 3 The Year in Brief 4 Purpose and Vision 6 Strategic Directions 7 Strategic Direction 1: Deepening Connections 8 Strategic Direction 2: Investing in Knowledge, Expertise and Collections 10 Strategic Direction 3: Digital Transformation 12 Strategic Direction 4: Organisational Resilience 13 Strategic Direction 5: Building Victoria’s Cultural Capital 14 Future Priorities 15 Corporate Governance 16 Our Workplace 18 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 21 Auditor-General’s Report 55 STATUTORY REPORTS 57 Disclosure Index 64 MUSEUM VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2015–16 1 PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER MESSAGES PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S MESSAGE Melbourne Museum not only thrilled audiences this The 2015–16 year was one in which Museum year, but also extended its national and international Victoria’s commitment to innovation in audience reach with the world premiere of Jurassic World: The development was recognised and awarded. The Exhibition. Brought to life with animatronic dinosaurs Autism Friendly Museum project won the 2015 created by Melbourne’s Creature Technology Victorian Museums Award for resources developed Company, this exhibition has proved to be a major in conjunction with Amaze and community groups attraction for visitors of all ages, exceeding all that enhance access to our museums for visitors expected visitor numbers. Demonstrating the eternal with Autism. A collaboration with Princes Hill Primary appeal of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family School won an Australasia Museums and Galleries delighted audiences at Scienceworks and contributed National Award for a learning enquiry project, with to visitation of more than 500,000 at this museum students creating pop-up museums and exploring for the year. the role of museums in society. Delivery of the museum’s permanent exhibitions Another example of our innovation is the Ian Potter relies on the quality and depth of its collections. The Australian Wildlife BioBank, opened at Melbourne four-year Interim Collection Storage Project, funded Museum. This facility provides Australia’s first by the Victorian Government, was successfully animal equivalent of a national seed bank, in being a completed in 2015–16, addressing Museum Victoria’s repository for wildlife tissue samples. The project will most urgent storage issues. Critically, collections have be supported by an early-career researcher fellowship, been removed from the Royal Exhibition Building funded by the Ian Potter Foundation. basement, freeing that space for enhancement of the World Heritage–listed building. Museum Victoria will Construction of the new Pauline Gandel Children’s continue to work with Creative Victoria on solutions Gallery began in January 2016. The new gallery, which for other collection storage issues. is scheduled to open in December, is the result of extensive consultation with prospective audiences Museum Victoria’s research program is clearly of and education sector stakeholders. It will be dedicated international quality. This year it recorded a number to fostering learning and creativity in children aged up of achievements, including being named as a partner to five years. on eight new competitive Australian Research Council Linkage Grant projects, the publication of a paper In April, the Minister for Creative Industries, Martin about seafloor diversity in leading science journal Foley MP, released Creative State, the new Victorian Nature, and the discoveries of two new rat genera creative industries strategy. Museum Victoria is in Indonesia and a rare 6.3-metre Basking Shark. already contributing to a number of its goals in The museum has also expanded its links with the areas of support for economic development, museums in China, as well as supporting innovation and positioning Melbourne as a global museums in the Pacific region. cultural destination. It is with sadness that I come to the end of my final I would like to acknowledge the significant term as Board President. It has been a wonderful contribution of the outgoing President of our Board, opportunity to contribute to this remarkable Professor Margaret Gardner AO. She has provided and diverse organisation, as it has expanded its strong leadership to the Museums Board of Victoria exhibitions, audiences, digital reach, research and throughout her eight-year term. I look forward to education. I am confident that Museum Victoria will continuing this great work with our new President, continue to grow and evolve under the new President, Dr Rufus Black. Dr Rufus Black. I would like to thank my Board The achievements of Museum Victoria throughout colleagues for their support, and the executive and the year are due to the efforts of the Board, staff, staff for their expertise and their passion for delivering volunteers and supporters. I would like to thank inspiring experiences for the people of Victoria. everyone for their contribution to the impressive results we have experienced over the last 12 months. Professor Margaret Gardner AO Dr J. Patrick Greene OBE President, Museums Board of Victoria Chief Executive Officer 2 MUSEUM VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2015–16 PROFILE OF MUSEUM VICTORIA Museum Victoria is Australasia’s largest public IMMIGRATION MUSEUM museum organisation. As the state museum for Victoria, we are responsible for looking after the Opened November 1998 State Collection, delivering educational and The Immigration Museum is one of the world’s entertaining exhibitions for the public, conducting leading social history museums, and is situated in research, and providing cultural and science the historic Old Customs House on Flinders Street. programs for the people of Victoria and visitors It is a living cultural centre that engages visitors with from interstate and overseas. the history and experiences of immigration and cultural diversity that have contributed to Museum Victoria dates back to 1854, with the shaping modern Australia. founding of the National Museum of Victoria, and then, in 1870, the Industrial and Technological SCIENCEWORKS Museum of Victoria (later known as the Science Opened March 1992 Museum of Victoria). By proclamation of the Located in the grounds of and incorporating the Museums Act 1983 (Vic.), these two institutions historic Spotswood Pumping Station, Scienceworks is were amalgamated to form what is today known an extremely popular science and technology museum as Museum Victoria, governed by the Museums that features modern interactive exhibition galleries, Board of Victoria. the Melbourne Planetarium and the Lightning Room. Museum Victoria undertakes high-quality research into historical and contemporary issues in the fields MELBOURNE MUSEUM of science, history and technology, and Indigenous Opened October 2000 cultures. Our research is based on an internationally The iconic Melbourne Museum stands adjacent significant collection of nearly 17 million items and to the historic Royal Exhibition Building, in Carlton is carried out by expert curators. Museum Victoria Gardens. Melbourne Museum incorporates the operates three museums, a collection storage facility Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre and showcases and a non-collection facility, and is custodian for the Australian social history, Indigenous cultures, the World Heritage–listed Royal Exhibition Building. human mind and body, science and technology, and the environment. Museum Victoria also operates the IMAX Theatre at Melbourne Museum. ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING Constructed 1879–80 Museum Victoria custodianship since 1996 Located in Carlton Gardens alongside Melbourne Museum, the Royal Exhibition Building was built for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition and it continues to host exhibitions and other events. The building and gardens were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage register in July 2004. MORELAND ANNEXE Opened October 1996 Museum Victoria’s off-site collection storage facility, the Moreland Annexe, houses the largest of the collection items. It complements the collection stores at Melbourne Museum and Scienceworks. SIMCOCK AVENUE STORE Opened November 2007 Museum Victoria operates the Simcock Avenue Store, a non-collection store, on behalf of a number of creative industries agencies. It is adjacent to Scienceworks. MUSEUM VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2015–16 3 THE YEAR IN BRIEF KEY INDICATORS 2015–16 2014–15 2013–14 2012–13 2011–12 Collection Stored to Industry Standard 75% 75% 77% 75% 77% Visitors Satisfied with Visit Overall 99% 92% 94% 93% 89% Students Participating in Education Programs 287,460 281,095