Melbourne Museum Museums Board of Victoria Scienceworks Immigration Museum Annual Report 2003/2004 Royal Exhibition Building Front Cover The Royal Exhibition Building light show for Museum Victoria’s 150th Anniversary Building on 150 years of excellence in collections, research and exhibitions Mother and child examine exhibit at Bugs Alive! Exhibition, Melbourne Museum 4 67 101 Introduction Research and Collections Financial Statements Profile of Museum Victoria Research Introduction President’s Message Australian Society and Technology Financial Statements Message from the CEO Indigenous Cultures Auditors Report A Year of Highlights Sciences Finance Review of Operations Awards Collection Management Disclosure Index The Year in Brief Conservation Fees and Charges Museum Victoria Celebrates 150 Years Production 21 79 118 Strategic Direction Corporate Activities Additional Information Exploring Victoria: Discovering the World Corporate Services Research Grants Performance Overview Marketing, Public Relations Research Supervision Future Priorities and Partnership Development Research Publications Information, Multimedia and Technology Lectures and Presentations Freedom of Information 35 89 Information Privacy Legislative Changes Review of Museum Operations People in Museum Victoria Merit and Equity Melbourne Museum: Exhibitions and Programs Corporate Governance Cultural Diversity Statement Immigration Museum: Exhibitions and Programs Organisational Structure National Competition Policy Scienceworks Museum: Exhibitions and Programs Executive Management Team Consultancies Education Programs Museum Victoria Supporters Building and Maintenance Compliance Commercial Operations Volunteers Whistleblowers Procedures Royal Exhibition Building Beyond our Museums Introduction Profile of Museum Victoria Museum Victoria is Australia’s largest public Melbourne Museum Moreland Annexe Research & Collections museum organisation. As the State museum Opened 21 October 2000 Opened 30 October 1996 • Research expertise in terrestrial and marine for Victoria, it is responsible for looking after Melbourne Museum stands adjacent to the Museum Victoria’s state-of-the-art off-site environments, earth science, science the State's collections, conducting research, historic Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton collection store houses the largest collection communication, Australian society and and as a multi-campus educational and cultural Gardens, forming the largest museum complex items and complements collection stores technology, and Indigenous cultures institution, providing cultural and science in the southern hemisphere. Melbourne at Melbourne Museum and Scienceworks. programs for the people of Victoria and visitors • Custody and preservation of the State’s Museum draws on the latest technology and from interstate and overseas. over 16 million-item heritage collection interpretation methods in showcasing Australian Services • Object and specimen identification Museum Victoria’s origins date back to society, Indigenous cultures, the human mind 1854 with the founding of the National Museum and body, science and technology and the Museum Victoria provides a wide range • Tertiary student supervision of Victoria and later, the establishment of the environment. Features include Bunjilaka the of services and products, including: • Student industry placement training Industrial and Technological Museum of Victoria Aboriginal Centre, the Children’s Gallery, the • DNA-based research and identifications Attractions (later known as the Science Museum of Victoria) Virtual Room, a living Forest Gallery, a discovery through the Molecular Biology Laboratory in 1870. By proclamation of the Museums centre and the IMAX theatre. • Exhibitions and public activity programs • Electronic and physical access Act 1983, these two institutions were • Touring exhibitions to collections and associated information amalgamated to form what is today known Immigration Museum for research purposes as Museum Victoria, governed by the Opened 12 November 1998 • Melbourne Planetarium Museums Board of Victoria. • IMAX theatre, Melbourne • Collection development and management The Immigration Museum is situated in the advice for other institutions Museum Victoria has a long history of research Old Customs House on Flinders Street, one Community • Loans of collection items to other institutions and collections and is custodian of Victoria’s vast of Melbourne’s finest 19th century buildings. natural science, Indigenous, social history and It is a contemporary social history museum • Museum Victoria membership program • Separate collection stores and viewing areas for sensitive Indigenous cultural material science and technology collections. The size that explores issues of immigration and cultural • Museum Victoria website: of these collections is in excess of 16 million diversity. The Museum features engaging and www.museum.vic.gov.au individual items. interactive exhibition galleries, a Discovery Education • Museum Victoria magazine Centre, Tribute Garden and a range of indoor • Primary, secondary, tertiary, adult and • Public lectures and forums Museums and outdoor recreation and activity spaces. pre-school education programs and resources • Outreach visits to schools and other groups Museum Victoria operates three dynamic • Professional development programs Scienceworks Museum museums and is custodian for the heritage-listed • A roving curator for Indigenous communities for teachers Opened 28 March 1992 Royal Exhibition Building (which recently achieved • Partnership with Victoria’s regional • Extensive online educational resources World Heritage status), Old Customs House and Located in the grounds of and incorporating and specialist museums for Victorian schools Spotswood Pumping Station. Museum Victoria the historic Spotswood Pumping Station, • Public information services on environmental, also operates a separate collections the science and technology museum features Indigenous, historical and scientific matters Commercial storage facility. modern interactive exhibition galleries, an • Community Access Programs for culturally outdoor arena, the Melbourne Planetarium • Car park facilities (Melbourne Museum) and linguistically diverse groups and the recently opened, Victoria University • Commercial venue hire, catering High Voltage Theatre. and retail outlets • Extensive photographic image library Museums Board of Victoria Annual Report 2003/2004 5 Our Vision Museum Victoria will contribute to our communities’ understanding of the world, and ensure that our inheritance is augmented and passed to future generations. We will reach out to an increasingly diverse audience through our collections and knowledge using innovative programs that engage and fascinate. Our Values Engagement in Life-long Learning We will not compromise on the following We value engagement with diverse audiences values in the attainment of our Vision. and communities in meaningful and relevant ways that contribute to life-long learning. Stewardship Central to achieving this, we aim to challenge, excite and involve our visitors. We value the collections as central to our objective of understanding our natural and cultural history. Social Responsibility As custodians, we aim to provide a positive legacy for future generations. We value and are committed to fairness and equity in all we do. We actively encourage Professional Integrity access and participation and embrace the principles of sustainability, social justice We value credibility and accuracy in all our and reconciliation. interactions, activities and programs. Through this we gain the respect and trust of others. Innovation We value ideas and promote open-minded enquiry. We are open to change and encourage bold and creative approaches in our programs and organisational processes. Introduction President’s Message . On behalf of the Museums Board of Victoria, I am delighted to present the 2003/04 Annual Report detailing Museum Victoria’ s operations and achievements over the last twelve months. Once again Museum Victoria has performed beyond expectations, with the reduced entrance fees enabling more people from Victoria and beyond to access the Museum’s venues and be educated and entertained by the collections. We are delighted that this year the State’s vast and priceless collection was explored by more visitors than ever before. In March 2004, Museum Victoria celebrated 150 years of collections, research and exhibitions, with celebrations continuing throughout the calendar year. This period of celebration provided us with a wonderful opportunity to increase the number of dynamic exhibitions at the Museum Victoria venues and demonstrate the breadth and richness of the collections in our care. Particular highlights included the opening of Bugs Alive!, which was conceived, designed and developed by Museum staff and has been a great success since its March opening, and Treasures, a series of exhibitions held across all three Museum Victoria venues showcasing some of the hidden treasures within the Museums’ storage collections. Museums Board of Victoria Annual Report 2003/2004 7 Portrait of the President of the Museums Board of Victoria, Mr Harold Mitchell, AO, alongside Harry Johns' Boxing truck Corporate and philanthropic support continued I would like to acknowledge the range of to be an essential foundation for the organisation. significant contributions made by individuals Ongoing appreciation is extended to our corporate who support Museum Victoria’s