Submission by the National Museum of Australia to National Museum of Australia Review of Exhibitions and Public Programs COVER IMAGE: Lever wool press 1831 Humble and Sons National Museum of Australia March 2003 Dr John Carroll Chairman National Museum of Australia Review of Exhibitions and Public Programs C/- NMA Review Secretariat Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts GPO Box 2154 CANBERRA ACT 2601 Dear Dr Carroll Submission to the National Museum of Australia Review of Exhibitions and Public Programs I am delighted to provide a submission to the National Museum of Australia Review of Exhibitions and Public Programs. This submission addresses the Review’s two terms of reference. In relation to the first term of reference it outlines the Museum’s role, the philosophy behind its exhibition and public programs and what it has actually done in these areas. In addressing the second term of reference it looks at the Museum’s future priorities and the continuing relevance of the National Museum of Australia Act 1980. Yours sincerely Dawn Casey Director iii iv CONTENTS Executive Summary 1 SECTION ONE — INTRODUCTION 3 Introduction 4 What is a museum? 4 What was the vision for the National Museum of Australia? 5 What is the Role of the National Museum of Australia? 8 SECTION TWO — TERM OF REFERENCE ONE 11 The philosophy behind exhibitions and programs 12 Relationship between exhibitions and public programs 12 Historical interpretation 12 Process 14 Collaboration 14 Planning exhibitions and programs 14 Exhibitions 15 First Australians: Gallery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 17 Horizons: The Peopling of Australia since 1788 18 Tangled Destinies: Land and People in Australia 19 Nation: Symbols of Australia 19 Eternity 21 Exhibition outcomes 21 Temporary exhibitions 22 School programs 24 Curriculum related programs for visiting school groups 24 Events and activities directed at school students 24 Publications to reach national school audiences 25 Web resources for schools 25 Public programs 27 Public lectures, forums, seminars, conferences, workshops and presentations 27 Programs for families and children 27 Programs for young people 27 Other programs 28 Compliance with role and functions under the Act 28 Developing and maintaining a national collection of historical material 28 Exhibiting, or making available for exhibition by others, historical material from the national historical collection or other historical material that the Museum holds 29 Exhibiting material, whether in written form or in any other form, that relates to Australia’s past, present and future 29 v Exhibiting, from time to time, by itself or in collaboration with others, in Australia or overseas, material relating to Australia or a foreign country 30 Conducting, arranging for or assisting in research into matters pertaining to Australia’s history 30 Disseminating information relating to Australia’s history, the Museum and its functions 30 Developing and implementing sponsorship, marketing and other commercial activities relating to the Museum’s functions. 32 Compliance with Government’s vision in approving funding for the development of the Museum 32 An institution combining the best contemporary techniques with new media technologies 33 A range of experiences of wide appeal 33 Permanent exhibitions and an active schedule of changing exhibitions including travelling exhibitions and blockbusters 34 Audiences beyond Canberra reached using information and communication technologies 35 Partnerships with state, regional and international cultural institutions 35 Use of the diversity of heritage collections existing throughout Australia 35 Opening exhibitions in the social history spaces were to celebrate the Centenary of Federation and the key themes of Australian society, to reflect on and celebrate our journey as a nation 36 Research facilities, and the collections were to be accessible to scholars, students and communities, for research and re-interpretation. 36 Museum staffing profile 36 SECTION THREE — TERM OF REFERENCE TWO 37 Future Priorities 38 Development of the National Historical Collection 38 Gallery Extension 39 Research program 41 Information and Communication Technologies 41 Strategic Planning 42 Building on Existing Strengths 42 Continuing relevance of the National Museum of Australia Act 1980 43 Background 43 Continuing relevance of the Act 44 SECTION FOUR — PERFORMANCE 45 How well has the National Museum performed? 46 Stewardship of the National Historical Collection 46 Innovation 46 Exhibitions and public programming (including schools programs) 47 Research facilities and collections 48 Commercial and marketing activities 48 Other indicators of performance 48 Endnotes 49 vi ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: List of partners and collaborators 52 Attachment 2: Temporary and travelling exhibitions 106 Attachment 3: School programs 108 Attachment 4: List of conferences, forums, seminars, and workshops — Mar 2001 – Feb 2003 112 Attachment 5: Public programs 120 Attachment 6: Collection Development Framework 2002–2007 123 Attachment 7: List of research highlights 132 Attachment 8: List of sponsors and donors 135 Attachment 9: List of multi-media and other new technology in exhibition galleries 137 Attachment 10: Institutional lenders of historical material to the Museum 138 Attachment 11: Exhibition Space 140 Attachment 12: Museum staffing profile 142 vii George Serras George Federation arch — Nation Gallery. viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The recognition of the need for a national museum to tell the history of Australia is as old as federation. State museums, even those with continent-embracing names, have never addressed the history of Australia and the people of Australia from the focus of the nation as a whole. It was not until the Pigott Report of 1975, however, that the need for a social history museum which would provide this national perspective on Australian histories and cultures and examine and celebrate what it means to be Australian was eventually formally articulated. The concept behind the National Museum of Australia (NMA) has remained constant since then. It has been expressed and repeated over the ensuing quarter of a century in a series of documents from the Pigott Report to the Prime Minister’s speech at the opening of the new, fully functioning museum on the Acton Peninsula in March 2001. This concept includes the principles that the Museum: • would be a social history museum; • would be a modern museum, using new technologies and display techniques; • would reach the widest possible Australian audience; • should not seek to imitate or duplicate the work of older museums; • should not shy from controversy and should stimulate debate; • would address in an integrated way the three themes, now articulated as Land, Nation, People; and • would give a special place to the history of Indigenous Australians and that this history should be neither tokenistic nor told from a European perspective. From its very start the NMA has been determined to translate that concept into practice. Its broad strategic goals and its planning and policies reflect this. The Museum was conceived as an institution which would attract a broad audience. It was to be contemporary and attractive and to play a significant role in the lifelong learning of Australians. The exhibitions and public programs have always sought to implement these ideas. They do not represent the voice of a single curator or writer. Rather, in all cases, they are the result of significant collaborations. Museum curators, researchers and other staff join with academic and other national and international experts to review the latest research and scholarship, to agree on themes for exhibitions and the messages to be communicated to visitors and to prepare programs to support them. The NMA undertakes audience testing to ensure that these messages can be appropriately conveyed to visitors. It ensures that its school programs are attractive to schools by emphasising the links between school curricula and the Museum’s collections, exhibitions and research. Public satisfaction with the Museum’s exhibitions and programs is extraordinarily high with approval ratings in the top decile for almost every activity and display. For school activities they are in the top quintile. Anecdotal evidence and informal feedback supports this formal evaluation. The NMA does not cover every aspect of Australia’s history. For example, the social history of scientific endeavours, the histories of the place of sport in Australian society and culture, of economic development and of organised labour are not currently well covered in exhibitions. This is partly because of space limitations and the consequent choices that have to be made about content. Because the NMA does not attempt to provide a single, continuous narrative of a single Australian history, but rather concentrates on themes and in engaging the visitor with questions and issues, this allows its exhibitions to evolve and encompass these, and other areas of Australian history and society, in various ways over time. 1 The need for and the concept of the NMA, as well as lobbying for the construction of a permanent home for the Museum, generated enormous community support, possibly unrivalled by any other Australian museum. This support has continued to grow in the period since the Museum opened to the public. The Museum has implemented very well the vision for it outlined consistently from the Pigott Report in 1975 up to the Prime