Annual Report-2000-2001 - Western Australian Museum - The ...

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Western Australian Museum Annual Report 2000–2001
I am pleased to table in Parliament the 2000–2001 Annual Report of the Western Australian Museum.
With the election of the new Labor Government this year, it has been a great pleasure for me to assume
responsibility for the Culture and the Arts portfolio, and all of its agencies. There can be no doubting the vital
importance of these agencies in supporting and contributing to the knowledge base and well-being of our
society.
I have been impressed with the breadth of functions of the Western Australian Museum and the dedication
of its staff. The Museum is one of the State’s oldest research institutions and continues a fine tradition of
scholarship relating to the environment, biodiversity, culture and history. This scholarship underpins its public
programs that are delivered across this enormous State.
The opening of Western Australia: Land and People was just one of the achievements of the Museum this
past year. The Maritime Museum development in Fremantle progresses well and the new Museum in Geraldton
is already a landmark for that city.
As Minister, I appreciate how wide is the definition of ‘Culture and the Arts’. The Museum is as much an
institution of science as it is of the arts, and it is this cross-disciplinary nature that uniquely places the Museum
to explore societal issues in a multidisciplinary way.
I look forward to working with the Trustees and staff of the Museum in getting Western Australian Museum
products widely distributed across the State and available to, and used by, all Western Australians.
SHEILA MCHALE MLA
Minister for Culture and the Arts
A Message from the Minister