Download - Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery

Queen 

Victoria 

Museum 

and Art 

Gallery 

Annual Report 

2009–10 

Proudly owned and operated by 

1

To the Minister for the Arts 

The Mayor and Aldermen of the Launceston City Council are pleased to submit, 

in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993, the Annual Report of the 

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery for the year ended June 2010. 

Robert Dobrzynski 

GENERAL MANAGER 

Launceston City Council 

Contents 

About the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery 2 

Introduction 3 

Museum Highlights 4 

The Collections 6 

Outreach 9 

Education 11 

Information Services 13 

Exhibitions 14 

Museum Publications 16 

Corporate Support and Special Purpose Grants 17 

Volunteers 20 

Staff 21 

Museum Statistics 23 

Appendices 

1. Freedom of information 24 

2. Acquisition code and policy 24 

3. Museum acquisitions 27 

4. Special purpose operating statement 28 

5. Special events and highlights 29 

2

About the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery 

QVMAG Mission Statement 

Our Mission is to be a leader in the intellectual and creative 

development of Launceston and the State by increasing our 

enjoyment and understanding of our natural and cultural 

heritage. 

Location 

QVMAG is located at the Inveresk Precinct 

2 Invermay Road, Launceston 

Admission 

Admission to the QVMAG is free. 

Entry fees are charged for some exhibitions. 

Opening Hours 

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery at Inveresk 

Open 10 am – 5 pm daily 

All venues closed Christmas Day and Good Friday 

Contact Details 

PO Box 403, Launceston, Tasmania 7250 

Telephone (03) 6323 3777 

Facsimile (03) 6323 3776 

History Branch 

Telephone (03) 6323 3726 

www.qvmag.tas.gov.au 

3

Introduction 

This year saw considerable progress made in the redevelopment 

of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery with the focus 

being the redefinition of the Museum’s two distinctive sites of 

Royal Park and Inveresk. 

At Inveresk the QVMAG has an extensive array of heritage 

buildings which were historically part of the Launceston Railway 

Workshops, once Tasmania’s largest industrial enterprise. This 

award-winning site has significant industrial heritage values, 

which the Museum has already gone some way to interpreting, 

and a number of galleries architecturally designed to house 

museum and art exhibitions. The decision was made in 2007 

to concentrate the Museum’s History, Natural Sciences and 

Physical Sciences collections and any related exhibitions at this 

site, while the 19th century Royal Park building will become a 

dedicated art gallery. 

The Museum’s Royal Park site was purpose-built for the QVMAG 

in 1891 and throughout the 20th century underwent a series 

of changes which covered many of the original architectural 

features. The decision by Launceston City Council to restore the 

features of the building while creating environmentally controlled 

contemporary gallery spaces, was insightful. This refurbished 

building will give residents of Launceston and the broader 

community much greater access to the wonderful collections held 

in the QVMAG’s Fine and Decorative Art and Design collections. 

The community commitment to this redevelopment was further 

strengthened through the State Government’s ongoing support in 

granting an additional $997 000 for major roof works—essential 

to ensure the internal work is not compromised. 

Due to the extensive nature of the building refurbishment and the 

impact of this on the site as a whole, it was necessary to relocate 

a major proportion of the collections housed at Royal Park into 

alternative buildings. QVMAG staff co-ordinated the packing and 

movement of thousands of highly significant objects and works 

of art and, on 15 March 2010, the site was handed over to the 

appointed builders, Vos Construction and Joinery Pty Ltd. 

Major work at Inveresk also continued throughout the year with 

the fit-out of a temporary exhibitions gallery and new collections 

store at the western end of the historic Stone Building. These 

important additions to the Museum’s infrastructure at Inveresk 

were again generously supported by the Launceston City Council 

and the State Government. 

Despite the enormous amount of work transforming both 

sites, we have maintained an active exhibition schedule with 

associated public programs. Amongst notable exhibitions during 

2009–10 were the premiere of Robert Dowling: Tasmanian Son 

of Empire, Menagerie (an exhibition of Australian Indigenous 

sculpture), and Beneath the Tamar: more than silt (underwater 

photography by David Maynard). 

Again we acknowledge the considerable ongoing support to the 

Museum of Launceston City Council and the State Government 

of Tasmania. QVMAG is a major public investment in Tasmanian 

natural, social and cultural life. We were ably assisted in 

our work through the Plomley Foundation and Archer Trust. 

Individual donors again gave generously and we thank them 

for their continuing support of the Museum’s collections and 

programs. We also received tremendous community support 

through the Friends of the QVMAG, the Launceston Museum 

and Art Gallery Foundation and our team of volunteers. 

Last, but by no means least, the staff are recognised for their 

hard work and dedication. In a year of significant change, it is a 

credit to them that we were able to maintain all our services and 

public programs. With their help the foundation has been set for 

an exciting 2010–11. 

Rod Sweetnam 

Acting Director 

4 

Michelle O’Byrne, Minister for Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts and Minister for Sport 

and Recreation, with Launceston’s Mayor, Albert Van Zetten and the Honourable David Bartlett 

inspecting progress on the temporary exhibition gallery at Inveresk.

Museum Highlights 

Activities 

• The Launceston Planetarium reopened to the public at 

Inveresk on 12 October 2009, in the International Year of 

Astronomy, after having closed at Royal Park in February 

2008. It was re-built using its existing fibreglass dome 

and seating, but with new projection equipment and newly 

developed shows. The reopened planetarium averaged over 

1000 visitors per month to 30 June 2010. 

• The QVMAG staff were involved in the de-mounting of 

exhibitions, preparing, packing and moving the Museum’s 

collections and offices, and generally readying the Royal 

Park site to be handed over to the building contractors 

charged with the construction work. This process involved 

all Museum staff to some extent and presented many 

challenges due to the limited access available to many areas 

of the 19th century building. 

• New appointments were made to the two vacant curatorial 

positions in Visual Arts & Design—Damien Quilliam to 

the position of Curator of Contemporary Australian Art 

(post-1980) and Laura Back to the position of Curator of 

Australian and International Decorative Arts and Design. 

These appointments give the Museum a full complement of 

the Visual Arts & Design team who will be responsible for 

developing the exhibitions for the Royal Park project. 

• In March 2010 the Royal Park refurbishment project’s 

construction team, Vos Construction & Joinery Pty Ltd, took 

control of the site. This marked a critical point in the project’s 

development. By June 2010 significant progress had been 

made with major stages of the internal demolition completed 

and new spaces beginning to emerge from behind years of 

changes to the building’s fabric and functional layout. The 

project, funded by the Launceston City Council and the 

Tasmanian State Government, is one of the largest in the 

Museum’s history. 

• Robert Dowling: Tasmanian Son of Empire, a touring exhibition 

from the National Gallery of Australia was launched at the 

QVMAG on 6 March 2010. This was the first retrospective 

exhibition of 19th century Launceston artist Robert 

Dowling. It brought together works from private and public 

collections across Australia as well as works from the British 

Museum. The QVMAG contributed 18 of its own works 

to the exhibition which will travel extensively throughout 

Australia. The Museum’s Curator of 19th century Australian 

Art, Yvonne Adkins, contributed to the preparation 

of the exhibition through her extensive research and 

documentation of the works held in the Museum’s collection 

by this important colonial artist. 

• A number of QVMAG staff worked in close collaboration 

with David Maynard and Dr Troy Gaston, from the Australian 

Maritime College Centre for Marine Conservation, to present 

their exhibition Beneath the Tamar: more than silt. This 

stunning exhibition presented underwater photographs and 

video capturing the remarkable and little-known biodiversity 

of the Tamar River. The images were contextualised through 

vivid explanatory passages and locality maps. During its ten 

week showing the exhibition attracted over 21 000 visitors, 

including more than 1300 pre-booked school students. 

• In June the Museum’s newly developed temporary exhibition 

gallery was completed and ready for the installation 

of its first major travelling exhibition. Planning for this 

gallery began over a decade ago with final funding for the 

project being granted by the Tasmanian Government in 

2009. Having a high standard gallery dedicated to touring 

exhibitions allows the Museum to develop a much richer 

exhibition program and greater flexibility in forward planning. 

• The redefining of Inveresk includes the installation of 

Tasmanian Connections in the former art gallery space, due 

to open at the end of 2010. This multi-disciplinary exhibition 

will show off the Museum’s diversity with extensive displays 

of objects from the Museum’s natural sciences, transport, 

Beattie and Sydney Cove collections. 

Guests attending the official re-opening of the Launceston Planetarium at Inveresk 

5

Acquisitions 

The past 12 months have seen a range of acquisitions and 

donations enter the Museum’s collections. It is important to 

acknowledge the continuing commitment from the Launceston 

Museum and Art Gallery Foundation and the Friends of the 

QVMAG who have funded the acquisition of a number of 

significant items—their continued support is invaluable. Individual 

donors have also supported the Museum this year with a number 

of important donations and we thank them for their generosity. 

Some highlights of the year in acquisitions have been: 

• The photograph Tree Felling, Gray Bros: Adventure Bay Sawmill 

by John Watt Beattie (1859–1930) has been acquired for the 

History collection. From 1879 Beattie photographed the bush 

and Tasmanian landscapes. This photograph further extends 

our visual record of timber cutting in Tasmania in the late 

19th century. This acquisition was supported by the Friends 

of the QVMAG. 

• In 2006–07 the Friends ran a fundraising campaign in 

association with the annual renewal of memberships to seek 

donations towards the acquisition of Tasmanian wilderness 

photographs. This year the fourth in a series of acquisitions 

was made for the Museum’s Tasmanian Wilderness 

Photography Collection. Four images by Rob Blakers were 

added to the collection which also includes works by Peter 

Dombrovskis, Olegas Truchanas and Jim England. 

• The landscape of northern Tasmania is interpreted in a 

painting by Tasmanian artist, Patrick Grieve. Titled View 

from Jack’s Farm (2010), the painting was acquired through 

the Launceston Museum and Art Gallery Foundation with 

the assistance of the Friends of the QVMAG. Grieve’s work 

explores and reacts to the agricultural landscape of the north 

and north-west coast of Tasmania. His work is influenced by 

the dominant aspects of the weather, with skyscapes playing 

an integral part of his investigation of the landscape. 

• Khia, Eden and Caroline (2008) are three contemporary photo 

collages by David Rosetzky that have entered the collection 

with the support of the Launceston Museum and Art Gallery 

Foundation. Rosetsky works in a range of media, however his 

work concentrates predominantly in video and photographic 

formats with a focus on various aspects of portraiture. He has 

achieved high recognition, both nationally and internationally 

for his stylised and technically skilled works. 

• The Museum was particularly fortunate this year to receive, 

through the generosity of two donors, works by John 

Brack—one of Australia’s most significant post-war artists. 

The first series of works, donated by Professor and Mrs 

Arthur Clark under the Cultural Gifts Program, comprises 

seven preparatory drawings, dated 1969, of the figure for the 

Portrait of Sir Lindesay Clark and a letter from the artist to the 

sitter. The Portrait of Sir Lindesay Clark is held in the collection 

of the Museum. The second significant donation, from Ms 

Lyn Frolich, comprised 15 original lithographs of nudes by 

John Brack in an unbound folio that was published by Lyre 

Bird Press in 1982. 

• Queenie, a basket named in honour of renowned Tasmanian 

Aboriginal shell necklace artist, Dulcie Greeno, was made by 

internationally acclaimed contemporary fibre artist Yvonne 

Koolmatrie. A member of the Ngarrindjeri nation of the 

Riverland region north-west of Adelaide, South Australia, 

Yvonne Koolmatrie has been one of the Ngarrindjeri weavers 

instrumental in reviving an indigenous cultural tradition that 

was in danger of collapsing. Queenie was made in Launceston 

in 2004 during a fibre residency and basket-making workshop 

held at the Museum and conducted by Yvonne Koolmatrie. 

Donated by Lola Greeno, this basket has been displayed 

nationally with the touring exhibition Woven Forms— 

contemporary basket making in Australia organised by Object. 

• Woodcarving is a strength of the early 20th century 

Australian Arts and Crafts Movement and nowhere more so 

than in Tasmania. Ellen Nora Payne was one of Tasmania’s 

premier woodcarvers who took her first lessons in carving 

from Robert Prenzel in Melbourne in 1891. She went on to 

study at the School of Art, Goldsmiths College, University of 

London, graduating in woodcarving, design and associated 

crafts. She also attended the Kensington School of Art 

before returning to Tasmania in 1906. Over a period of 40 

years she carved 34 dower chests for relations and friends. 

She undertook numerous commissions from churches, 

schools and other organizations. This year the Museum 

acquired a walnut dower chest carved by Ellen Nora Payne 

inscribed ‘TO PHILLIP BURGOYNE HUDSON IN MEMORY 

OF ALAN FIELD PAYNE & OF A FRIENDSHIP FORMED ON 

THE BATTLEFIELDS OF FRANCE 1917–1925’. Alan Field was 

Ellen and Charles’ youngest son. Phillip Burgoyne Hudson 

was one of Melbourne’s premier architects. Richly carved 

with Renaissance-influenced motifs, this dower chest is an 

excellent example of Ellen Nora Payne’s distinctive work and 

a fitting acquisition to be supported from the Toni and Peter 

Bessant Fund. 

Detail: Tree felling, Gray Bros: Adventure Bay Sawmill. Photograph by John Watt Beattie. 

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The Collections 

The Museum serves as a major centre for the collection, 

conservation and exhibition of Tasmania’s natural, historical 

and cultural heritage. It collects, researches and disseminates 

information in four major areas: Arts, Humanities, Natural 

Sciences and Physical Sciences. 

Arts 

Includes paintings, works on paper and sculpture from all 

periods, the historical Australian and international decorative 

arts collections, and the contemporary Australian craft and 

design collections. 

Provides information to a wide variety of individuals and 

organisations as well as undertaking research with particular 

emphasis on Tasmanian historical and contemporary art, 

Tasmanian historical decorative arts and contemporary 

Australian craft and design. 

Natural Sciences 

Includes the collections of Botany, Geology and Zoology, with 

collections mainly of Tasmanian origin but also including 

material from mainland Australia and overseas. 

Provides information to a number of government agencies, 

research workers, community groups and the general public as 

well as undertaking research in the taxonomy of invertebrate 

fossils in Tasmania and the taxonomy and ecology of Tasmanian 

flora and fauna. 

Physical Sciences 

Includes the Launceston Planetarium, which incorporates both 

the Planetarium theatre and the solar telescope facility. 

Provides information on astronomical matters and contributes to 

international research programs. 

Humanities 

Includes the collections of Tasmanian documents, photographs 

and ephemera that are primarily concerned with the northern 

region of the State, as well as the collections of material culture 

of Tasmania since European settlement, incorporating the 

ethnography, technology and archaeology collections. 

Provides information to a wide variety of research workers, 

organisations and individuals, as well as undertaking research, 

with a particular emphasis on Tasmanian photography, and 

industrial and social history. An important area of activity is the 

development of the Oral History Collection. 

‘First trial run of trams in Launceston, Tasmania, 28 July 1911’, one of 6000 historical images 

uploaded to the Museum’s searchable online database. 

7

Collection Management 

• The development of a new off-site, secure, climatecontrolled 

storage area for the fine art and natural sciences 

collections was necessitated by the construction work 

planned for Royal Park. A temporary storage area was also 

needed for the Museum’s History Collection, previously 

kept in the large attic space of the Royal Park building. 

Appropriate sites were located and necessary work 

completed by January 2010, by which time collection 

movement had been planned. The logistical challenge of 

removing tens of thousands of objects and artworks held 

in the Museum’s collection was enormous. This project 

required skilled planning and preparation and saw Museum 

staff working with external contractors to complete the task 

in time that the largely empty building could be handed over 

to the construction team. 

• One hundred and twenty-three books were added to Libraries 

Australia’s national bibliographic database. Through this 

database other libraries and researchers are able to get 

information online as to which titles are held in the QVMAG 

Library. 

• Work continued on an inventory and cataloguing update of 

the Rare Book collection. 

• Through a volunteer project records for the Map Collection 

continued to be entered into the Museum’s FilemakerPro 

database. 

• All remaining library material was removed from the Royal 

Park site. 

• Ten metal bird egg cabinets were purchased for the 

Museum’s Natural Sciences store and the egg collection 

rehoused. 

• An audit was conducted on all Natural History’s freezer 

units, with a total of 250 specimens re-bagged, relabelled 

and documented. 

• A significant amount of Launceston City Council archives, 

dating from 1956 onwards, were transferred to the 

Tasmanian Archives & Heritage Office (TAHO) in Hobart. 

All duplicated or irrelevant material was disposed of through 

Council’s Records disposal system, using TAHO criteria. 

• Scanned and uploaded 6000 registered images from the 

QVMAG collection to the newly redeveloped website. An 

additional 4000 images were scanned by Scobie Archive for 

upload. 

• Re-organisation of space continued in the Plant shop, with 

further floor cleaning and sealing completed. 

• 5496 additions were made to the Museum’s collection 

databases during the year, bringing the total number of 

entries to 279 496. 

Collection Research 

• Work continued on the preparation of Bea Maddock’s 

Catalogue Raisonne. 

• All members of the Museum’s Visual Arts and Design 

staff continued their research into their respective areas of 

expertise in preparation for the development of exhibitions 

to be installed in the re-furbished Royal Park building. 

• Valuable research is gathered through collaborations with 

other institutions and by providing assistance to visiting 

researchers. This year assistance or information was given to: 

Jennifer Martin, Virginia Institute of Marine Science 

and Visiting Research Fellow at the Australian Museum 

studying ontology and phylogeny of lampridiform 

(ribbon) fishes; 

Katrina Stewart, DPIPWE, taking skin biopsies from 42 

amphibians, of several species, for chytrid analysis; 

Jane Melville, Senior Curator of Terrestrial Vertebrates, 

Museum Victoria, collection information on Pardalote 

species skin material; 

Ken Simpson, Bird Observers Club of Australia, 

information on Eudyptes sclateri specimen. 

• Lisa-ann Gershwin continued her research into jellyfish and, 

in conjunction with the CSIRO, named a new species. 

• A significant number of staff members from the Museum’s 

History, Library and Natural Sciences sections continued 

their research for the upcoming exhibition Tasmanian 

Connections. This exhibition has been under development 

for two years and will include topics such as: dinosaurs, the 

history of transport in Tasmania, the geology and fauna of 

the island, the Sydney Cove—Australia’s oldest merchant 

8 

Museum technical officer, Shirley Leeming digitising photos for the online database 

Two young girls at Waratah, Tasmania, c. 1910, one of 6000 historical images uploaded to the 

Museum’s searchable online database.

shipwreck and the Museum’s Beattie Collection – an eclectic 

mix of 19th century Tasmanian objects relating to topics 

which include whaling, bushranging, convicts and colonial 

life. This exhibition is due to open later in the year and will 

mark a major point in the redefining of Inveresk to be the 

focus of the Museum’s History and Science collections. 

Collection Conservation 

The Museum’s Conservation section is divided into three 

areas: Objects, Paintings and Paper and Textiles. Each area 

is responsible for a component of preventative conservation 

including environmental monitoring, light monitoring and 

integrated pest management. 

The conservator’s task is to stabilise the condition of items in the 

Museum’s collections, slowing down the natural deterioration 

processes. This is done through treatments of varying complexity, 

and through preventive conservation measures. The conservation 

approach to each item varies depending on factors such as its 

physical nature, its cultural significance and artistic intent. 

The services provided by this department include: 

• conservation treatments; 

• advice for the effective display and storage of collection items; 

• installation/de-installation; 

• OHS issues relating to works in the collection; 

• preparation of works for travel for national and international 

exhibitions; 

• condition reporting; 

• relocation of collection items; 

• disaster planning and risk assessment; 

• a conservation outreach service which involves providing 

advice to a wide range of organisations and individuals 

throughout Tasmania. 

During 2009–10 the Conservation section was involved in a 

number of projects. Of particular importance was the relocation 

of the Fine Art Collection into temporary storage. Both Painting 

and Paper conservators, with assistance from the Visual Arts 

and Design Curators, prepared the collection for removal. Some 

minor conservation treatments were needed prior to the move. 

Having planned the layout and storage of the new store, the 

Conservation section supervised experienced art handlers and 

removalists throughout the move. Conservation also assisted in 

the preparation and packing of the Ceramics Collection. 

Another major project was preparing works for the exhibition 

Robert Dowling: Tasmanian Son of Empire. The key to Dowling’s 

painting Aborigines of Tasmania was conserved by the Paper 

Conservator. The key was in poor condition mainly due to its age 

and to the auxiliary support it had been placed on. The extensive 

treatment included backing removal, washing and lining. 

Surprisingly, during washing, a piece of the key was removed to 

reveal previously hidden indigenous names of the Aborigines 

depicted in the artwork . 

All areas of Conservation were heavily involved in the 

preparation of the upcoming permanent exhibition Tasmanian 

Connections. Over 100 collection items required some extent of 

conservation treatment. Items ranged from small cap badges 

through to a 1930s caravan. 

Paper Conservator Marika Kocsis treating the key to Aborigines of Tasmania by Robert Dowling 

Museum Conservation staff, Marika Kocsis and Jocelyn Evans, preparing objects for the exhibition 

Tasmanian Connections. 

9

Outreach 

Community Support 

The QVMAG continues to enjoy successful partnerships 

with a number of community organisations. Through these 

collaborations Museum patrons enjoy access to an enriched 

program of activities in and around the Museum precinct. 

These groups include: 

The Royal Society of Tasmania 

Musica North 

The Launceston Historical Society 

The Friends of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery 

TAFE Tasmania 

University of Tasmania 

Arts at Work 

Herpetological Society of Tasmania 

Choose Employment 

Arts Tasmania 

• Museum staff regularly travel throughout the local area, 

around the State and even interstate to talk to interested 

community groups on a variety of topics. This year talks have 

been given to 36 groups involving over 2200 attendances. 

Topics range from general talks about the Museum’s current 

redevelopment plans to lectures about individual staff 

members’ specialist subjects. 

• A large number of public enquiries are answered by Museum 

staff throughout each year. These range from general 

questions about Museum collections to identification of 

specimens and some which can only be answered after 

detailed research. This year the staff responded to over 

8000 enquiries. 

• Arts Tasmania’s Roving Curator program continued to use 

the QVMAG as a base from which to work. This outreach 

program offers advice to small museums and collections and 

is an initiative of the Tasmanian Government. 

• The Planetarium has continued to be a major source of 

astronomical information to the public and the media. 

It provides, for example, sunrise and sunset data to 

newspapers and television stations. During the year, 

Planetarium staff continued to deal with astronomical 

enquiries, including rising and setting times of the Sun and 

the Moon for legal investigations; requests for computations 

from people and organisations doing research; and general 

public enquiries about the night sky. 

• The QVMAG’s outreach program supports the maintenance 

of Noticing Nature exhibits displayed at the Scottsdale Eco 

Centre. These displays are updated regularly by Natural 

Sciences staff. 

Outward Loans 

The significance of the Museum’s collections is recognised 

nationally. Many requests are received from other institutions 

each year to borrow items from the collections for exhibition or 

research. The Museum acknowledges this as an opportunity to 

provide improved access to its collections for a much broader 

audience and tries to accommodate these requests whenever 

possible. Items which have been on extended loan during the 

last year include: 

• Copper samovar – Governor’s Residence, Norfolk Island 

• Collection of domestic objects – National Trust of Australia 

(Tas) Franklin House, Launceston 

• ‘A’ Class locomotive – Don River Railway, Devonport 

• Heard Island blubber press – Antarctic and Southern Ocean 

exhibition, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart 

• Sydney Cove beer bottle – Numismatics exhibition, 

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart 

• Exhibition of archaeological Chinese tin mining site material 

from Sir Garnet Creek – St Helens History Room 

10 

Detail of Aborigines of Tasmania, 1859, oil on canvas by Robert Dowling, one of 18 QVMAG works 

loaned for the exhibition Robert Dowling: Tasmanian Son of Empire.

• Selection of historical plates detailing community donors of 

funds and equipment – Launceston General Hospital 

• Selection of 19th century furniture provenanced to the Ford 

Family of Highfield, Stanley – Highfield Historic House, 

Stanley 

• Selection of archaeological material from Wybalenna – 

Ningenneh Tunapry exhibition, Tasmanian Museum and Art 

Gallery, Hobart 

• Six Regency inlaid chairs (early 19th century) and a dropside 

table (early 19th century) – National Trust of Australia (Tas), 

Franklin House, Launceston 

• John Coburn, Canticle 1966, a tapestry – Tasmanian Wool 

Centre, Ross 

• Four individual designs from the Modernage Fabrics textiles 

exhibition that were designed by Jack Carrington-Smith, 

Russell Drysdale, Jean Bellette and Alice Danciger and 

produced by Silk and Textiles, Hobart in 1947 – Claudio 

Alscorso Foundation 

• 32 registered lots of Pseudotyrranochthonius and 2 

registered lots of Chelifer cancroides – Dept. of Terrestrial 

Zoology, Western Australian Museum 

• Vombatus femur, Zygomaturus tasmanicum partial femur, 

Palorchestes mandible fragment, Macropus giganteus 

tibia, Palorchestes femur shaft, Zygomaturus tasmanicum 

2 tusk fragments – School of Earth & Environmental 

Sciences,University of Wollongong 

• Ross Female Factory archaeological artefacts – Arts 

Tasmania 

• Cascades Female Factory artefacts – Dept. of Primary 

Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment 

The following artworks were also loaned to the exhibition Robert 

Dowling: Tasmanian Son of Empire: 

Adye Douglas c. 1850 

watercolour on ivory 

Mrs Eleanor Douglas c. 1850 

watercolour on glass 

Master Archibald Douglas c. 1850 

watercolour on glass 

Miss Ada Douglas c. 1850 

watercolour on ivory 

Mr WP Weston c. 1852 

oil on canvas 

Master Harry Downing 1853 

oil on cardboard 

Miss Emily Downing 1853 


Master Ernest Downing 1853 


Master Albert Downing 1853 


Self–portrait 1859 

oil on canvas 

Aborigines of Tasmania 1859 

oil on canvas 

Key to the Aborigines of Tasmania 1859 

ink on paper 

HJ Betjemann & Son (Photographer) 

Breakfasting out 1859 

photograph 

Queen Victoria 1862 

oil on canvas 

Sketch for The Baptism of Christ 1863 

oil on canvas 

Robert Dowling (artist), Leopold Lowenstam (engraver) 

Origin of Sunday schools, Hare Lane, Gloucester, 1780 1880 

steel engraving on paper 

Shylock & Jessica 1882 

watercolour and bodycolour on paper on board 

A merchant in Algiers 1882 

watercolour and bodycolour on paper on board 

Queen Victoria, 1862, oil on canvas by Robert Dowling, one of 

18 QVMAG works loaned for the exhibition Robert Dowling: 

Tasmanian Son of Empire. 

Jack Carington Smith, designer, born Launceston, Tasmania 

1908, died Hobart 1972, Tasmanian Bush, 1947, furnishing 

fabric, screenprint on cotton 

Jean Bellette, designer, born Hobart, Tasmania 1908, died 

Palma, Majorca 1991, Myths and Legends, 1947, furnishing 

fabric, screenprint on cotton 

11

Education 

The Museum’s Education Section is responsible for the provision 

of educational programs to encourage learning opportunities 

and enjoyment of our natural and cultural heritage. 

Highlights 

• ScientificA - Science Week 2009 

The museum’s education section coordinated and presented a 

range of activities for National Science Week in August 2009. 

The rich program was made possible through additional funds 

from the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and 

Research. 

Over eight days of engaging science-based activities started 

with a Sunday Science Free for All—a family activity day at 

QVMAG at Inveresk which featured science-based activity 

stations throughout the site. The week continued with a 

full program including Scinema – a Science Film Festival 

which showed every day in the Museum’s Nuala O’Flaherty 

Auditorium, MadLab—hands-on electronics workshops 

presented by Adam Selinger, Young Tassie Scientists, stargazing 

with Launceston Planetarium staff, Hands-on, Minds-on 

workshops conducted by staff and students from the University 

of Tasmania’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology 

and special Playgroup sessions. 

Over 1100 people attended activities during Science Week 

with many more listening in to a series of five-minute science 

experiments broadcast on ABC Northern Tasmania’s breakfast 

show throughout the week. 

• The Elaine and Jim Wolfensohn Gift 

The QVMAG was proud to take part in an outreach program 

coordinated by the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) 

Travelling Exhibitions section. The Elaine and Jim Wolfensohn 

Gift involves lending suitcase kits containing works of art to 

schools and community groups across Australia. The QVMAG 

arranged and led workshops at eight northern Tasmanian 

schools using the Blue Case, which explores the relationships 

between technology and art. The workshops allow a hands-on 

learning experience for children of all ages with museum-quality 

works of art. 

• Partnerships 

In association with the exhibition Beneath the Tamar: more than 

silt, co-curator David Maynard made himself and his students 

available to the Education Section of the QVMAG to conduct 

tours for school groups and the general public. In addition, David 

Maynard, Dr Troy Gaston and their colleagues gave a student 

symposium at the Museum about the Tamar Estuary, its life and 

its uses. 

Valuable partnerships were developed between the Museum’s 

Education Section and the Australian Maritime College’s 

Centre for Marine Conservation through this exhibition and its 

associated public and education programs. The two curators 

were subsequently awarded the 2010 Vice-Chancellors 

Award for Outstanding Community Engagement for Creative 

Partnerships with the Community. 

ArtStart 

The popularity of ArtStart, a series of exhibitions featuring 

the work of northern Tasmanian primary school students, has 

continued. The participation of a large number of schools and 

a consistently large number of children and parents attending 

exhibition openings make this program the success that it is. 

ArtStart is shown in the Terry Woodward Art Gallery and is only 

possible because of the generous help received from the ArtStart 

Committee, who volunteer their time to work with the Museum’s 

Education Officer to undertake the selection and mounting of 

works for the exhibition. 

12 

Museum Guide’s worked with school groups in Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture, 

a touring exhibition from Object Gallery and Australian Museum.

Themes this year were: Ideas and Emotions, Home and Away, 

Step Up and Animal Fun. 

Step Up was a collaborative project with QVMAG’s Education 

Officer and Launceston City Council’s Youth Development 

Officer working with upper primary and early secondary 

classes. The students used postcards as an art-based exchange 

of thoughts and questions between a grade 6 class and their 

‘feeder’ school’s grade 7. The grade 7 class would respond using 

the same format and a ‘mini’ pen-pal relationship developed. 

ArtRage 2009 

The always anticipated ArtRage was again a great success in 

2009. The exhibition was officially opened in the John Lees 

Atrium on 19 December 2009 by Michelle O’Byrne, the Minister 

for Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts, and Minister for 

Sport and Recreation. A huge audience of 198 from all areas 

of the State attended the opening which featured work from 

80 students and 20 secondary schools across Tasmania. The 

exhibition toured to the Tasmanian School of Art in Hobart and 

the Burnie Regional Art Gallery. 

The Examiner’s Choice for 2009 was awarded to Katherine 

Goudsouzian from St Marys College in Hobart. Her work, a 

series of digital inkjet colour photographs, was entitled Piece by 

Fractured Piece. 

Playgroup 

Playgroup engages young children and their carers while 

introducing them to Museum exhibitions and collections. Due 

to popular demand and increasingly long waiting lists public 

Playgroups were held twice a month with extra sessions through 

school holidays and a number of additional sessions for booked 

community groups. These groups have come from local schools 

and playgroups and from as far away as Campbell Town. 

Themes covered this year were: Reptiles, What a Face, Stomping 

Dinosaurs, Follow the Shape, Animal Menagerie, Busy Bees and 

fluttering flying friends, Hop, skip and jump and Museum ABC 

Vatika Dilger 

Rosny College 

Untitled 

digital prints 

Work from ArtRage 2009 

Melissa Reardon 

Hobart College 

Untitled 

digital photographs 

Work from ArtRage 2009 

13

Information Services 

The QVMAG is committed to improving public access and 

interactivity with its wonderful collections. As a means of 

providing a higher level of online access work began on 

redeveloping the QVMAG website. During the year the site was 

completely re-designed with a new look and greater functionality 

to allow access to collections online. The new website went live 

on 8 June 2010 with the responsibility of its maintenance and 

updating remaining with the Museum’s Library section. 

One new feature of the site is the ability to search the Museum’s 

photographic database of around 30 000 records. Alongside 

this a program to digitise the photographic collection has been 

underway and around 6000 images are also online. Images will 

continue to be added as they become digitised. 

The series Summary Guide to the Community History Series 

can now also be viewed or downloaded as a single document 

or searched online. The Community History Series contains 

personal, organisational, and business records relating to 

Launceston and northern Tasmania. More than 100 collection 

guides are now available. 

Planned additions to the new site include a range of out-ofprint 

publications available for free download. This includes, 

for example, research reports relating to the Launceston and 

Tasmania’s industrial, cultural and architectural heritage. 

Other titles relate to Tasmania’s aboriginal heritage, surveys 

of Tasmanian plants and identification guides for Tasmanian 

mammals. Many of the research papers in the Records series 

which are no longer in print will also be available. 

Features of the previous site have also been kept and continue to 

be updated. These include Martin George’s astronomical articles 

which are added to the site each week and the Zoological Project 

Localities and QVMAG Type Specimen pages which are maintained 

and updated by Research Associate Dr Robert Mesibov. 

14

Exhibitions 

Exhibitions, both Museum-generated (*) and those from other 

institutions, enable the Museum to provide access to the 

collections, present ideas and stimulate interest in Australia’s 

natural and cultural heritage. 

Inveresk 

Permanent 

• Strings across time – Tasmanian Aboriginal Shell Necklaces * 

• Aspects of Tasmanian Art * 

• Pacific Encounters * 

• Blacksmith Shop * 

• Transforming the Island: Railways in Tasmania * 

• The Great Dying * 

• Phenomena Factory * 

• Replay>>Sporting Life in Tasmania 

• Heritage Trail * including: 

• Fenton’s Stables – The Railway Institute 

• Weighbridge 

• Signal Box 

• Signwriters Shop 

Temporary and Visiting 

Earth Quest 

A touring exhibition from Questacon - the National Science and 

Technology Centre, Canberra 

John Lees Atrium 

until 26 July 2009 

Archipelago* 

John Lees Atrium QVMAG at Inveresk 

15 August – 15 November 2009 

ArtRage 2009* 

John Lees Atrium QVMAG at Inveresk 

19 December 2009 – 11 April 2010 

Robert Dowling: Tasmanian Son of Empire 

A National Gallery of Australia touring exhibition 

6 March – 25 April 2010 

Beneath the Tamar: more than silt 

A QVMAG and Australian Maritime College exhibition 

John Lees Atrium 

1 May – 11 July 2010 

Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture 

An Object Gallery and Australian Museum touring exhibition 

Art Gallery, QVMAG at Inveresk 

15 May – 27 June 2010 

Artstart* 

Ideas and Emotions 

until 6 August 2009 

Home and Away 

28 August – 15 October 2009 

Step Up 

6 November 2009 – 29 April 2010 

Animal Fun 

21 May – 5 August 2010 

The Launceston Planetarium* 

Dawn of the Space Age 

What Happened to Pluto? 

15

Exhibits 

• Noticing Nature* 

• Hide and Seek 

8 June – 30 November 2009 

• Bees and Wasps 

From 5 December 2009 

• Friends Selection* 

• Tasmanian Mountain Harp by Garry Greenwood 

until 21 July 2009 

• Earthly Treasures - the Cunningham Collection 

24 July – 3 September 2009 

• Mr Glover’s Antipodean Garden, 2007 

oil on canvas by Robyn McKinnon 

4 September – 5 October 2009 

• Photograph Album: Expedition to Port Davey 1910 

4 October 2009 – 28 February 2010 

• Model of Dvinia 

Until 4 June 2010 

• Rob Blakers Wilderness Photography: 

Snow on Highland Forest 2, Walls of Jerusalem 

5 June – 22 July 2010 

• Guides Choice of the Month* 

• The sound floats away - memorial to Roger Barker, 

Macquarie Island expeditioner, 1981 by George Davis 

24 February – 22 March 2010 

• Tuetonic Solemnity 1976 by Anton Holzner 

23 June – 26 July 2010 

Guests attending the official opening of Beneath the Tamar: more than silt 

16

Museum Publications 

Papers and Articles 

Gershwin, L & Zeidler, W 2010, ‘Csiromedusa medeopolis: 

a remarkable Tasmanian medusa (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: 

Narcomedusae) comprising a new family, genus and species’, 

Zootaxa, no. 2439 pp. 24–34. 

Mesibov, R 2010, ‘The millipede genus Tasmaniosoma Verhoeff, 

1936 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae) from Tasmania, 

Australia, with descriptions of 18 new species’, ZooKeys, no. 41 

pp. 31–80. 

Mesibov, R 2009, ‘New and little-used morphological characters 

in Polydesmida (Diplopoda)’, Soil Organisms, vol. 81 no. 3, pp. 

531-542. 

Mesibov, R 2009, ‘The weather’s different today — but what 

does ‘different’ mean?’ Tasmanian Naturalist no.131pp. 17–24. 

Quilliam, Damien 2009, exhibition catalogue essay, Ross Byers - 

Bundanon Drawings. 

Monthly articles by Martin George entitled ‘The Southern Sky’ 

appear in Astronomy Magazine, a popular USA-based publication. 

Weekly articles entitled ‘Space’ have continued to appear in 

the Sunday Tasmanian newspaper, and subsequently on the 

Museum’s website. 

Daily sunrise, sunset, moon phase and planet information 

appears in the Mercury, the Examiner, and the Advocate. 

Dysmicodesmus jeekeli, an endemic millipede from the north-west of the island. It has a very small 

geographical range, grows to about 9 mm long and was only first discovered in 1989. 

It was scientifically described and named in 2010 by QVMAG Research Associate Bob Mesibov. 

17

Corporate Support and Special Purpose Grants 

Beyond the ongoing funding received from the Launceston City 

Council and the State Government grant received through Arts 

Tasmania, the Museum has continued to attract substantial levels 

of sponsorship and grant aid toward a variety of projects. 

Grants 

• The Plomley Foundation 

• The Philip Archer Trust 

• Australia Council 

• Gordon Darling Foundation 

• Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research 

Sponsors 

Further support, in both cash and kind, was received from: 

• Tasmanian Department of Parks and Wildlife 

• National Historic Shipwrecks Program 

• Rio Tinto Alcan 

• Southern Cross 

• Ricoh 

Support Groups 

Friends of the QVMAG 

The Friends of the Museum assist and promote the Queen Victoria 

Museum and Art Gallery and provide funds vital to the enrichment 

of the collections and the development of the Museum’s potential 

as a resource for the community. 

The management of the Friends is undertaken by the Friends 

Committee: 

President 

David Henshaw 

Vice-President 

Stuart Williams 

Hon. Secretary & Public Officer Sandra Campbell 

Hon. Treasurer 

Judy Morrall 

Committee Members: 

Margaret Murray 

Victoria Nicholls 

Catherine Pearce 

Jennifer Taylor 

Ros Watson 

Ex Officio 

Patrick Filmer-Sankey 

QVMAG Director 

While activities at the Museum were concentrated on preparation 

for the redevelopment of the Inveresk and Royal Park sites, the 

QVMAG Friends brought two long-term projects to fruition. 

In 2003 the giant Sequoia sempervirens (Californian Redwood) 

in the grounds of the QVMAG at Royal Park was found to be 

riddled with an incurable fungal disease and had to be removed. 

The QVMAG Friends undertook to have the timber milled, racked 

and air dried, with a view to making use of the timber for the 

future benefit of the Launceston community. This year the Friends 

commissioned Launceston fine furniture maker, Peter Collenette, 

to design and build from the timber a demountable ChristmasTree 

for the foyer of the QVMAG at Inveresk. The result was the 

centrepiece of the popular annual Friends Christmas Party—one 

of the happy highlights of the Friends’ year, with 140 members, 

volunteers and staff attending. 

The project to add an oral history of former Museum Director, 

Chris Tassell, to the Museum’s collections was also finalised when 

three and a half hours of interviews and the 38-page transcript 

were presented to the Museum by oral historian, Jill Cassidy. 

Guests attending the official opening of Robert Dowling: Tasmanian Son of Empire. 

18

To support the redevelopment project at Inveresk the QVMAG 

Friends allocated funds of $100 000 to the Tasmanian Connections 

exhibition under construction. 

The contribution of the QVMAG Friends to the Museum continued 

to be highlighted in the Friends Selection foyer display. Over the 

year six acquisitions made by the Friends were shown. 

During this year ten Morning Coffee Lectures were organised 

by the QVMAG Friends with support from volunteers and the 

Museum’s History Department. These lectures add to the 

Museum’s oral history collection and to the understanding of this 

community 

A special Digital Photographic Workshop, conducted by 

Launceston photographer, Philip Kuruvita, was also organised for 

members of the QVMAG Friends. 

An ‘After Work Drinks Party’ was added to the Friends social 

calendar in September 2009 which enabled members to meet 

new and longer serving staff. Its success led to a second event 

being held in May 2010 which previewed the new touring gallery at 

Inveresk and promoted the upcoming exhibition Game On 2 visiting 

Launceston from the Barbican in London. 

The membership of the QVMAG Friends remained stable for 

the year at 597 involving 1206 individuals with a growth in new 

family memberships involving children. Significant new growth 

in membership is not anticipated until the redevelopment of the 

Museum’s two new sites is completed. 

Launceston Museum and Art Gallery Foundation 

The Launceston Museum and Art Gallery Foundation (formerly 

the Launceston Art Foundation) was established in March 1985 

to ensure that the best traditions of Australian art and Tasmanian 

cultural heritage were accessible to the Tasmanian community. 

In 1998 a Trust was established to accept tax deductible donations 

on behalf of the Foundation. 

The Foundation is administered by a Committee of Management 

Chairman 

Sandra Campbell 

Vice-Chairman 

Dr Keith Adkins 

Treasurer 

Leigh Myers 

Secretary & Public Officer 


General Committee Members Anne Holyman 

Beatrice Chapman 

Supported by Foundation members David Henshaw 

Colin Kent 

Lynne Stacpoole 

Patron 

Kenneth von Bibra 

As noted in last year’s report, the Launceston Museum and Art 

Gallery Foundation was successfully relaunched with a special 

event on 3 July 2009 featuring guest speaker Ron Radford, 

Director of the National Gallery of Australia. Since then the 

energies of the Foundation have focused on a review of fundraising 

strategies and the further development of the Fine and Decorative 

Arts and Design collections in readiness for the re-opening of the 

Royal Park site. 

To this end the Foundation acquired for the Museum’s Fine Art 

collections: 

• View from Jack’s Farm, 2010, a large painting in oil on linen 

by Tasmanian artist, Patrick Grieve. This purchase has 

been generously funded through the donation of funds 

by the QVMAG Friends in 2008–09 for the acquisition of 

contemporary Tasmanian works. 

• Three photo collages; Caroline, 2008, Khia, 2008 and Eden, 

2008 by Victorian artist David Rosetzky which make a 

significant addition to the Museum’s contemporary portraiture 

collection. 

The support of the QVMAG Friends, through the Foundation, 

for the development of the Museum’s collection of Tasmanian 

Wilderness Photography concluded this year with the acquisition 

of four cibachrome prints by Rob Blakers: 

West Coast Range 4 

Giant Myrtle NE Highland 

Snow on highland forest 2—Walls of Jerusalem 

Bay of Fires, NE Tasmania 

The Foundation pursued opportunities for the acquisition of a 

major work on which to base a fundraising appeal but no action 

was taken due to the continuing unstable global financial situation. 

Rob Blakers photographer 

Bay of Fires NE Tasmania 

Rob Blakers photographer 

Giant Myrtle NE Highland 

19

The Foundation has, however, allocated funds to commission a 

three-dimensional work by Tasmanian artist, Michael McWilliams, 

with the intention of initiating a fundraising campaign for this work 

once a design has been agreed upon. 

The continued generous support of Emeritus Professor Coleman 

O’Flaherty for the LMAGF and Nuala O’Flaherty Auditorium 

program at the QVMAG at Inveresk through the O’Flaherty Fund is 

also noted and greatly appreciated. 

The Management Committee determined this year that it was 

timely to undertake a review of the Foundation’s Constitution and 

Deeds of Trust and is now working to ensure that these documents 

reflect the needs and operation of the LMAGF into the future. 

Plomley Foundation 

This Foundation was established in 1984 through the generosity 

of the noted historian Mr NJB (Brian) Plomley, with the express 

intention of encouraging research into Tasmania’s natural and 

cultural heritage. The Foundation has had a profound impact upon 

the Museum’s research, collection management and acquisition 

capabilities. 

In 2009–10 the following projects were supported: 

• digitisation of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery’s 

Oral History Collection; 

• two joint research projects with the University of Tasmania’s 

Community Place and Heritage Research Unit, which will 

result in the publication of A Forgotten Society: A History of the 

Aboriginal Peoples of Southern Tasmania and research into the 

correspondence of Adolphus Schayer. 

Progress inside Royal Park 

20

Volunteers 

Volunteers are an integral part of the Museum and provide support 

in many areas. The volunteer program continued during 2009–10 

and helped the Museum achieve many objectives which would not 

otherwise be possible. 

Projects vary from researching and cataloguing collections, to 

supporting Museum staff in the promotion of Friends activities, 

assisting with School Holiday Programs and conservation work, to 

the Museum’s Gallery Guides, who conduct public talks and tours. 

A volunteer project of particular note this year resulted in the 

installation of four new modules in the Museum’s interactive 

science exhibition Phenomena Factory. The exhibits were designed 

and built by a team of volunteers working in collaboration with 

QVMAG exhibitions staff and included hand and pedal generators, 

a pulley system and a laser gun which measures ball speed. 

On all projects this year 67 Museum volunteers have provided 470 

days work. 

Conservation 

Sue Allright, Olive Bull, Peg Pedley 

Education 

Emma Allen, Joanna Brown, Betty Clayton, Trish Clemons, Suzanne 

Creese, Karolyn Davidson, Christine Hannan, Louise Jolly, Margie 

Stackhouse, Rebecca Stewart, Sue Stevenson, Pat Traill, Shirley 

Watson, Nan Woodward 

Exhibitions 

Nick Cummings, Wen Nermut, Henk van Tienen 

Friends Services 

Shirley Anthony, Jenny Barker, Judie Gardner, Coralie Griffiths, 

Brenda Harrison, Gill Ireland, Joan Jacks, Helen Jones, Mi Suk 

Lee, Pixie Lowe, Maureen Mann, Vera Manton, Margot Martin, 

Margaret Mullins, Audrey Partridge, Alan Peacock, Helen Scott 

Young, Jan Vincent, Beverley White, Elizabeth Weeks 

Gallery Guides 

Trish Alexander, Barbara Bullard, Rosemary Butler, Lyn Henshaw, 

Tricia Roberts, Annie Robinson, Janet Tomlinson, Pat Traill, Ros 

Watson, Shirley Watson 

History 

Jenny Barker, Wendy Devlin, Esme Jones-Dye, Ann Power, Paul 

Richards, Monissa Whiteley 

Library 

Anne Lucadou-Wells 


Jeff Campbell, Peter Duckworth, Doug Ewington, Helen Fisher, 

Colin Hingston, Leslie Hingston, Helen Jones, Win Kershaw, 

Margaret Patterson, Craig Reid, Jane Taylor 

Physical Sciences 

Karenne Barnes, Peter Brake, Peter Daalder, Martin Harvey. 

Visual Art and Design 

Barbara Valentine 

Friends Services volunteers with Museum Friends Coordinator Kaye Dowling (fifth from right). 

21

Staff 

* Denotes part-time staff 

Director 

Patrick Filmer-Sankey, BSc 

Planetarium and Space Sciences Manager (until 

April 2010) 

Acting Manager, History, Science, Education and 

Information Technology (from April 2010) 

Martin George, BSc (Hons) 

Collection and Information Services Manager 

(until July 2009) 

Manager, Royal Park Refurbishment and Visual 

Arts and Design (from July 2009) 

Glenda King, DipFA 

Visitor Programs and Services Manager 

Paul Bishop, BFA, DipT (until January 2010) 

Acting Manager, Visitor Operations 

Janet Keeling, PostGradCertManagement (from 

June 2010) 

Acting Manager, Exhibitions 

Andrew Johnson, BA(Industrial Design) (from 

June 2010) 

Administration 

Friends and LMAGF Coordinator 

Kaye Dowling, BSc 

Marketing Officer 

Belinda King 

Friends and LMAGF Administration Assistant 

Mi Suk Lee* 

Research Officer 

Ann Teesdale* 

Administration Officer 

Karan Williams 

Conservation 

Curator of Conservation (Objects) 

Linda Clark, BSc, BA 

Curator of Conservation (Paper) 

Marika Kocsis, AssDipAppSci(Hort), 

BAppSc(Hort), MA(Cons. Cultural Material) 

Curator of Conservation (Paintings) 

Jocelyn Evans, BAppSc(Cons. Cultural Material) 

BA(Music) 

Education 

Education Administrative Officer 

Lauren Dean, BFA* 

Education Officer 

Tammy Edmunds, B.Ed* 

Outreach Program Officer 

Ros Jordan* 

Playgroup Co-ordinator 

Daphne Mitchell, Dip.Ed* 

Education Officer 

Helene Weeding, MFAD, B.Ed, Dip.ATE, Ass 

DipFA, TTC* 

Exhibitions 

Exhibition Officer 

Jeff Burgess, BA (VA)* 

Graphic Artist 

Jane Guy, AssDipGraphicDesign* 

Exhibitions Coordinator 

Andrew Johnson, BA(Industrial Design) 

(until June 2010) 

Photographer 

John Leeming 

Photographic Assistant 

Shirley Leeming* 


Roy Mathers 


Tony Mitchell* 

Exhibition Coordinator 

Alisanne Ramsden 

Graphic Artist Coordinator 

Renee Singline, DipGraphicDesign 


Philippa Steele, BFA(Hons), DipGraphicDesign 


Louise Thrush, BFA (Hons), DipGraphicDesign 

History 

Curator of History 

Jon Addison, BA (Hons), MA 

Collection Manager 

Louise James, DipEd* 

Technical Officer 

Shirley Leeming* 

Reference Officer 

Ross Smith 

Project Officer 

Barbara Valentine, ALA* 

Information Services 

Information Technology Officer 

Chris Arkless, BA, AssocDipBusiness 

(Computing)* 

Information Technology Officer 

Mark Gordon, BAppComp, GradDipSci (Hons)* 

Library 

Library Coordinator 

Kaye Dimmack, CertLibtechStud, ALIATec (CP), 

GradCertMusStud 


Curator of Natural Sciences 

Lisa-ann Gershwin, BSc (Hons), PhD 

Research Officer, Zoology 

Tammy Gordon, BSc* 


Judy Rainbird, CertTaxid* 


Craig Reid, BSc (Hons)* 

22 

Museum staff and contractors involved in moving the Launceston Planetarium dome to its new 

home at Inveresk.

Collection Officer, Geology 

Annette Vains* 

Physical Science 

Planetarium Assistant 

Chris Arkless, BA, AssocDipBusiness 

(Computing)* 

Curator of Physical Sciences 

Martin George, BSc (Hons) (until April 2010) 

Visitor Programs and Services 

Site Operations 

Wayne Chatwin 

Administration Officer 

Lauren Dean, BFA* 

Museum Shop Officer 

Christine Gleeson 

Visitor Services Co-ordinator 

Janet Keeling, PostGradCertManagement (until 

June 2010) 

Visitor Services Co-ordinator 

Craig Williams, BSc 

Visitor Services Staff 

Ashley Bird* 

Linda Bryan* 

William (Bill) Evans, BFA, GradDipFA, BPA 

(Music)* 

Annie Fischer* 

Ros Jordan* 

Matthew Loone, BA (Hons), Cert 2 Tourism* 

Sandra Maxwell, BA* 

Heather McInnes, DipArtCraftDesign* 

Rebecca Nilsson BCA* 

Jai Paterson, DipMusStud, MA (Sydney)* 

Emma Pennicott, BA (Hons) BTeach* 

Judy Rainbird, CertTaxid* 

Julieanne Richards, BA, DipEd, 

GradCert(MusStud)* 

Wendy Roberts B.A, DipEd, BEnvD* 

Alison Rush, BCA* 

Cinnamon Whatley, DipSocSci* 

Stephen Wright* 

Visual Art and Design 

Curator, 19th Century Australian Art 

Yvonne Adkins, BA (VA), GradDipFA* 

Curator, Australian Art 1900-1980 

Bridget Arkless, BA, GradDipMusStud* 

Curator, Australian and International Decorative 

Arts and Design 

Laura Back, BA, GradDipMusStud, MA (from 24 

August 2009) 

Curator, Contemporary Australian Art (post 

1980) 

Damien Quilliam BA, BCA (Hons) (from 20 July 

2009) 

Arts Education Projects Officer 

Paul Bishop, BFA, DipT (from 22 March 2010)* 

Associates 

Honorary Research Associate 

Ralph Bottril, Mineralogist 


Jill Cassidy, BA (Hons), DipEd 


Mark Davis 


Professor Nigel Forteath, 

Curator Emeritus / Hon Research Associate 

Bob Green AM, Hon DSc 

Research Associate and Curatorial Specialist 

Bob Mesibov, BA, PhD* 


Professor Andrew Osborn 


Chris Tassell, AM, BSc (Hons), MSc 

Staff Community Activities 

Jon Addison 

Committee Member, Launceston Historical 

Society; Member, Cultural Heritage Practioners 

Group of Tasmania, Museums Australia, Joint 

Tasmanian Archives Consultative Forum 

Yvonne Adkins 

Member, Musica North Chamber Music 

Committee 

Linda Clark 

Cultural Heritage Practioners Group of Tasmania; 

Australian Institute for the Conservation of 

Cultural Material (Tasmania) 

Kaye Dimmack 

Treasurer, Museums Australia (Tas) 


Member, Council of Australian Museum 

Directors; Member, Tasmanian Cultural 

Collections Sector; Member, Fox Eradication 

Taskforce; Member, Council of Heads of 

Australian Fauna Collections 

Martin George 

Member, Astronomical Society of Tasmania 

Incorporated; Member, Astronomical Society of 

Australia; Member, Education Subcommittee, 

Astronomical Society of Australia; Fellow 

and Past President, International Planetarium 

Society; Member, Australian Planetarium 

Society; Member, International Astronomical 

Union 

Jane Guy 

President, Tasmanian Herpetological Society; 

Executive Committee, Reptile Rescue Inc. 

Glenda King 

Member, Management Committee, Return of 

Indigenous Cultural Property, Department of 

Communications, Information Technology and 

the Arts; Member, Acquisitions Committee, 

Launceston Design Centre 

Damien Quilliam 

Secretary, Contemporary Art Services Tasmania; 

Board of Directors, Deputy Chair, Academy 

Gallery Board, University of Tasmania 

Renee Singline 

Member, Australian Graphic Design Association 

23

Museum Statistics 

Museum Statistics 2008–09 2009–10 

Total Museum attendances 104 755 100 167 

Website visits 1 625 357 1 475 847 

Outreach activities 1025 2281 

Touring exhibitions unknown unknown 

Animal loan program 993 821 

Planetarium closed 8594 

Education 16 542 11 809 

Public enquiries 9940 8749 

No. of exhibitions / displays mounted 9 7 

No. of exhibitions toured 2 2 

No. of visiting exhibitions mounted 6 2 

No. of public programs 137 173 

No. of donations 62 19 

No. of items added to collection databases 4656 4230 

No. of volunteers 77 67 

No. of volunteer days 552 470 

24

Appendices 

Appendix 1 

Freedom of Information 

The Tasmanian Freedom of Information Act 1991 applied to all local 

government sectors in Tasmania from 1 January 1994. The position authorised 

to make decisions under the Act, relevant to Museum Records, is the Curator, 

History. No requests for access were received during the year 2008–09. 

Appendix 2 

Acquisition Code and Policy 

The Acquisition Code requires that both the Code and Policy be reviewed 

every two years. The revised Code and Policy as adopted by the Launceston 

City Council 21 February 2005 are set out below. 

Acquisition Code 

1. Museums and art galleries have a very distinctive role in collecting, 

preserving, researching and communicating to the wide community, 

students and scholars original evidence of our natural and cultural 

heritage. 

2. The origins of the collections of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art 

Gallery date back to the middle of the nineteenth century. Since that 

time, they have developed as an important component of Tasmania’s 

and Australia’s natural and cultural heritage. 

3. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery will make acquisitions 

consistent with the Museum’s mission, which is: 

To be a leader in the intellectual and creative development of 

Launceston and the State by increasing our enjoyment and 

understanding of our natural and cultural heritage. 

4. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery’s collections are made 

for the following purposes: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

To be an archival record of: 

• the artistic heritage of the people of Tasmania 

• the material culture of the peoples who now and 

previously inhabited Tasmania and adjacent lands 

• the living and past faunas and floras of Tasmania and 

adjacent lands and seas 

• the minerals and rocks which make up Tasmania 

To be a source of material for researching the fields of art, decorative 

arts and crafts, Tasmanian history, archaeology, ethnography, 

geology, zoology and botany. 

To be a source of materials and ideas for educational programs, 

particularly exhibitions. 

5. The Launceston City Council, as owner of the Queen Victoria 

Museum and Art Gallery, will adopt and publish a written statement 

of its acquisition policy in respect of works of art and museum 

specimens. This policy shall be reviewed at least once every two 

years. Acquisition outside the stated policy shall only be made in 

exceptional circumstances. 

6. The Council supports the principles of the UNESCO Convention on 

the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export 

and transfer of ownership of Cultural Property, 1970, acceded to by 

Australia in 1990. 

7. The Council will not acquire, whether by purchase, gift, bequest or 

exchange any work of art or object unless the responsible officer is 

satisfied that the Museum can acquire a valid title to the specimen 

in question, and that, in particular, it has not been acquired in, 

or exported from, its country of origin (and/or any intermediate 

country in which it may have been legally owned) in violation of that 

country’s laws. 

8. So far as biological and geological material is concerned, the Council 

will not acquire by any direct or indirect means any specimen that 

has been collected, sold or otherwise transferred in contravention 

of any national or international wildlife protection or natural history 

conservation law or treaty of Australia or any other country, except 

with the express consent of an appropriate outside authority. 

9. If appropriate and feasible, the same tests as are outlined in 

paragraphs 5 and 6 above will be applied in determining whether to 

accept loans for exhibitions or other purposes. 

10. The Council recognises the need for cooperation and consultation 

between museums and art galleries with similar or overlapping 

interests and collecting policies, and will seek to consult with such 

institutions both on specific acquisitions where a conflict of interest 

is thought possible, and, more generally, on defining areas of 

specialisation. 

Acquisition policy 

1.0 Introduction 

1.1 The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery has a special 

responsibility to preserve and exhibit material evidence of the natural 

and cultural history of Tasmania. The Museum’s collecting policy 

recognises this as its primary responsibility. However, in some limited 

areas a better understanding of Tasmania’s natural and cultural 

heritage will be provided by the acquisition of material from beyond 

the State. For this reason as well as for historic reasons, the Museum 

already has significant collections of material from beyond Tasmania. 

Such areas are very closely defined in the Acquisition Policy. 

1.2 In developing its collections, the Museum will: 

• reflect the cultural diversity of Tasmania 

• reflect the histories and experiences of Tasmanian 

culture within a national and international framework 

• seek to research, document and maintain the 

collections to the highest standards resources permit 

• seek to make the collections accessible through 

exhibitions, loans, publications and on-line collection access. 

1.3 The suitability of all objects proposed for acquisition will be assessed 

against stated selection criteria as appropriate for each collection 

area. In acquiring objects for its collection, the Museum shall 

consider items for which it can adequately care and store and which 

are not beyond recognisably achievable conservation requirements. 

25

1.4 The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery recognises the 

need to describe the significance of the objects in its collection 

using a consistent and widely accepted methodology. As part 

of the acquisition process, each object entering the collection of 

the Museum will be considered in terms of its historic, aesthetic, 

scientific and social values to determine how its meaning is 

understood by people and by communities. The Statement of 

Significance will consider: 

• historic significance 

• aesthetic significance 

• scientific, research or technical significance 

• social or spiritual significance 

In addition, significance will also be determined by considering: 

• provenance 

• representativeness 

• rarity 

• condition, completeness, intactness 

• interpretative potential 

1.5 Deaccessioning Policy 

The Museum’s policies and procedures for deaccessioning objects 

from the collection are outlined in a separate policy document 

entitled: Deaccessioning Policy. 

2.0 Collections 

The Museum’s collections are managed in eight collecting areas: 

• Natural Sciences 

• Fine Arts 

• Decorative Arts and Design 

• Tasmanian History 

• Comparative Cultural 

• Community History 

• Architectural and Engineering Drawings 

• Rare Books 

2.1 Natural Sciences 

Natural sciences within the Museum cover five distinct areas, each with 

their own collection goals and spheres of specialisation. These are: 

2.1a Zoology 

Comprehensive collections of Tasmanian vertebrate and 

invertebrate fauna with specialist research collections from 

the remainder of Australia and beyond in molluscs, spiders 

and mammalian ectoparasites. 

2.1b Botany 

Comprehensive collections of Tasmanian plants, including 

significant historical holdings. 

2.1c Geology 

Mineral and rock collections from throughout Tasmania 

with important comparative material from interstate and 

overseas. 

2.1d Palaeontology 

A significant collection of fossils from Tasmania and 

important vertebrate fossil material from elsewhere in and 

beyond Australia. 

2.1e Astronomy 

Meteorite and tektite material (as part of the Geology 

collections). 

Subject to nature conservation interests, the Museum will continue to collect 

all kinds of evidence of Tasmanian geology, flora and fauna for display, study, 

reference and educational purposes. It is expected that the primary source 

of such material will be controlled and properly documented field collecting 

by Government Agencies, Museum staff and research associates. However, 

acquisition (by purchase if necessary) of important private or historic 

collections of Tasmanian natural science material of all kinds (including 

records) is of great importance. 

Individual specimens or collections of material from elsewhere in Australia 

will be acquired for education, exhibitions and research where they enable a 

better understanding of Tasmania’s natural history. 

2.2 Fine Arts 

The fine art collection has three principal components, each of which 

has its own distinct collection policy. These components are: 

2.2a Tasmanian Colonial Art 

This collection documents the artistic heritage of Tasmania 

through paintings, works on paper and sculpture. In this 

context, ‘Tasmanian’ is considered to include work by 

Tasmanian artists regardless of the subject of the painting and 

work depicting Tasmanian subjects by any artist. 

2.2b Modern and Contemporary Australian Art 

This collection documents the history of Australia’s 

postcolonial art of aesthetic value through paintings, works on 

paper, sculpture and multi-media. Particular emphasis will be 

placed on the achievements of Tasmanian artists. 

The Museum has a small but significant collection of 

International paintings and works on paper. This collection will 

be maintained. 

2.2c Frames 

Frames are collected either in their own right or in association 

with the item inside the frame. For the most part, frames are 

not collected in their own right but are generally associated 

with the item they surround. 

2.3 Decorative Arts and Design 

The Decorative Arts and Design collection has four principal 

components, each of which has its own distinct collection policy. 

These components are: 

2.3a Contemporary Craft and Design 

This collection aims to document and promote understanding 

of the evolution of contemporary craft and design in Australia 

since 1945 in all media. Particular emphasis will be placed on 

the achievements of Tasmanian practitioners. The importance 

of this collection is emphasised by the fact that it is the 

principal such collection in Tasmania. 

Emphasis will be given to collecting objects, which illustrate in 

an exemplary way innovation in design, construction, and use 

of materials and technologies. 

2.3b Tasmanian Decorative Arts 

This collection is a special component of the Museum’s 

history collection and documents the material cultural 

26

heritage of Tasmania with particular reference to ceramics, 

furniture and woodwork, textiles and costumes with 

significant aesthetic value. 

2.3c Australian Decorative Arts 

This collection documents the evolution of Australian 

decorative arts, particularly through ceramics and textiles 

with significant aesthetic and cultural value. The collection 

focuses primarily on objects designed and made in 

Australia pre 1945. 

2.3d International Decorative Arts 

This collection documents in particular the development 

and evolution of British, European and Asian decorative 

arts through ceramics, textiles and costumes of significant 

aesthetic value. Consideration will be given to the work of 

international practitioners post-1945 where their work has 

had a critical and identified influence and/or impact on the 

development of Tasmanian and/or national craft and design. 

2.4 Tasmanian History Collection 

This collection documents the material cultural heritage of the 

Tasmanian community with particular reference to threatened ways 

of life and the northern region of the State. 

2.5 Comparative Cultural Collection 

This collection consists of cultural material from communities and 

societies from beyond Tasmania and provides a resource for the 

Museum’s education and exhibition programs. 

2.6 Community History Collection 

The Community History collections document the cultural heritage 

of the Tasmanian community and reflect the island’s diverse and 

changing ways of life with particular reference to the northern region 

of the State. 

2.6a Photographs 

This collection is a comprehensive visual record of 

Tasmania from the 1840s and includes all photographic 

formats from daguerreotypes onwards. A small 

component of film and video supports the visual record. 

2.6b Manuscripts 

This collection has two principal components: manuscripts 

collected as single items and collections of textual records 

created or acquired by an individual, family or organization. 

It also includes a comprehensive collection of 20th 

century Tasmanian ephemera. 

2.6c Oral History 

This unique collection consists of recorded interviews, which 

document the achievements of Tasmanians in the 20th 

century, and beyond. 

It also includes a small component of recorded music. 

2.7 Architectural and Engineering Drawings Collection 

This collection documents the built and engineering heritage of 

Tasmania through drawings and specifications. 

2.8 Rare Book Collection 

This collection includes books with specific historical or cultural value, 

books of aesthetic importance or with a significant provenance. 

27

Appendix 3 

Major Acquisitions for 2009–10 

Purchases 

History 

Tree Felling, Gray Bros: Adventure Bay Sawmill, JW Beattie Photograph 

Handmade duck punt used for recreational duck hunting 

Visual Arts and Design 

David Rosetzky 

Caroline, 2008 

Chromogenic (type C) photographic collage 

Purchased through the Launceston Museum and Art Gallery Foundation 


Khia, 2008 




Eden, 2008 



Patrick Grieve 

View from Jack’s Farm, 2010 

oil on canvas 


with the assistance of the Friends of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art 


Ellen Nora Payne 

Dower Chest, c. 1925 

Walnut 

Purchased with funds from the Toni and Peter Bessant Fund 

Visual Arts and Design 

Yvonne Koolmatrie 

Queenie, 2004 

mat grass 

Donated by Lola Greeno 

John Brack 

Seven preparatory sketches of the figure for the Portrait of Sir Lindesay Clark, 

1969 and correspondence from the artist to Sir Lindesay Clark. 

pencil on paper (4), black chalk on paper (1), pencil and black chalk on paper (2) 

Preparatory sketch of the figure for the Portrait of Sir Lindesay Clark, 1969 

pencil on paper 





Detailed sketch of the head for the Portrait of Sir Lindesay Clark, 1969 


Study of clasped hands for the Portrait of Sir Lindesay Clark, 1969 

black chalk on paper 

Three drawings for the Portrait of Sir Lindesay Clark, 1969 

pencil and black chalk on paper 

Full length study for the Portrait of Sir Lindesay Clark, 1969 

pencil and black chalk on paper 

Letter from the artist John Brack to the sitter Sir Lindesay Clark dated 13 April 1969 

ink on paper 

Donated by Professor and Mrs Arthur Clark under the Cultural Gifts Program, 

2010 

John Brack 

John Brack: Nudes, 1982 

Fifteen original lithographs, unbound folio, published by Lyre Bird Press 

Donated by Lyn Frolich, 2010 

Donations 

History 

Handmade fishing rod made from the aerial of a WWII tank, 

Mr Roger Lette 

Post-1966 clockwork Taxi Meter 

Mr Stephen Larrisey 

Library 

Book - Strong’s book of designs, 1917 

Judy McDougall 

Architectural drawing 

Book - Electricity Supply Works, Launceston, 1896 

Christopher Green 

Natural Science 

Quantity of fox scat material 

Fox Task Force, DPIPWE 

28

Appendix 4 

Special Purpose Operating Statement 

This special purpose statement of revenue and expenses is prepared from the accounts of the Launceston City Council and should be read in conjunction with 

the audited financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2010. 

The accounts of the Launceston City Council are prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and the Local Government Act 1993. Under the 

Accounting Standards it is a requirement that grants are recognised as revenue in the year in which they are received or when the Council obtains control over 

the assets comprising the contributions, but the related expenditure can occur in a later period. 

LAUNCESTON CITY COUNCIL’s QUEEN VICTORIA MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 

SPECIAL PURPOSE STATEMENT OF REVENUE AND EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2010 

2010 2009 

$ $ 

TRADING ACTIVITIES NET SURPLUS 81,102 43,324 

GRANTS & DONATIONS 

State Government Grant 1,208,800 1,188,600 

Funded Projects Net Surplus/(Deficit) (2,253) 1,906 

Plomley Foundation Net Surplus/(Deficit) 33,935 (8,428) 

Other Bequests Net Surplus/(Deficit) 8,126 

GRANTS & DONATIONS NET SURPLUS 1,248,608 1,182,078 

OTHER OPERATIONAL REVENUE 3,766 3,647 

TOTAL REVENUE EXPENSES 1,333,476 1,229,049 

Operating Activities 4,112,004 3,706,285 

Internal Service Charges 227,877 252,331 

Depreciation 597,555 608,335 

TOTAL EXPENSES 4,937,436 4,566,951 

LCC CONTRIBUTION 3,603,960 3,337,902 

29

Appendix 5 

Attendance to the following special events 

totalled 6791 

JULY 

Wed 1 July 

Art Classes for Children 

Sun 4 July 

Photographic Workshop with Philip Kuruvita, 

photographer 

Mon 6 July 

Royal Society Lecture Series: Developments 

in Astronomy with Martin George, Manager, 

Launceston Planetarium 

Wed 8 July 


Thurs 9 July 

Building Collections for Launceston: The Role of the 

Art Foundation with Ron Radford AM, Director of 

the National Gallery of Australia 

Wed 15 July 

Museum Playgroup ABC at the Museum 


Wed 22 July 

Guides Choice: Whaling, Lady’s Bay, Tasmania by 

William Duke with Gallery Guide, Patricia Roberts 

Morning Coffee Lecture: Edward M Pedley, 

Surveyor 

Playgroup ABC at the Museum 


Sun 26 July 

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of the new 

exhibitions to be installed at the QVMAG at 

Inveresk:, for QVMAG Friends members 

Wed 29 July 


AUGUST 

Mon 3 Aug 

Royal Society Lecture Series: Marine Education in 

a Changing Environment with Prof. Chad Hewitt, 

Director, Centre for Marine Conservation and 

Resource Sustainability at the Australian Maritime 

College 

Wed 5 Aug 


Wed 12 Aug 


Fri 14 Aug 

Official Opening: Philip Wolfhagen’s Archipelago by 

Robyn Archer AO 

Wed 19 Aug 


Museum Playgroup: Up, Up in the Sky 

Guides Choice: Pickling at the Women’s Institute 

c. 1943 by Kenneth Rowntree with Gallery Guide, 

Barbara Bullard 

Thurs 20 Aug 

National Science Week – Star Gazing 

Sun 22 August 

National Science Week – Family Day 

Wed 26 Aug 

Morning Coffee Lecture: Anne O’Byrne 

Fri 28 Aug 

ArtStart: Home and Away Official Opening by 

Louise James, History Collections Manager, 

QVMAG 

Sun 30 Aug 

Prologues for Playwrights: presented by Theatre 

North 

SEPTEMBER 

Mon 7 Sept 

Royal Society Lecture Series: Robert FitzRoy and the 

Beagle with Mr Peter Stevenson, President of the 

Royal Society of Tasmania 

Mon 7 – Fri 19 Sept 

QVMAG School Holiday Activities: 12 sessions 

Wed 16 Sept 

Museum Playgroup: Stompin with Dinosaurs 

Wed 23 Sept 

Guides Choice: Me the Gardener 1964 by John 

Olsen with Gallery Guide, Lyn Henshaw 

Morning Coffee Lecture: Alec Purves 

Wed 30 Sept 

AGM QVMAG Friends and talk by Robyn 

McKinnon, artist 

OCTOBER 

Mon 5 Oct 

Royal Society Lecture Series: Fox Eradication 

in Tasmania - Its Problems and Issues with 

Nick Mooney, Section Head, Monitoring and 

Management, Wildlife Management Branch 

Sun 11 Oct 

Launceston Planetarium at the QVMAG at 

Inveresk: - Friends Preview 

Mon 12 Oct 

Official Opening: Launceston Planetarium at the 

QVMAG at Inveresk, by the Mayor of Launceston, 

Ald. Albert van Zetten 

Wed 21 Oct 

Museum Playgroup: What a Face! 

Wed 22 Oct 

Galilieo’s Legacy – a talk by David Malin, 

Astrophotographer 

Wed 28 Oct 

Guides Choice: Gloves 1976 and Mirror ten 1976 by 

Bea Maddock with Gallery Guide, Annie Robinson 

Morning Coffee Lecture: Mr Kenneth von Bibra 

NOVEMBER 

Fri 6 Nov 

ArtStart: Step Up official opening by Wendy 

Newton, Youth Development Officer LCC 

Mon 9 Nov 

Royal Society Lecture Series: Dr William Ross Pugh: 

Innovative Anaesthetist and Natural Scientist by Dr 

John Paull, Consultant Anaesthetist (Retired) 

Wed 18 Nov 

Museum Playgroup: Reptiles – the cold blooded 

animals 

Wed 25 Nov 

Guides Choice: Our Ships are Safe in Convoy by John 

Nash with Trish Alexander 

Morning Coffee Lecture: David Foster, World 

Champion Axeman 

DECEMBER 

Thurs 3 Dec 

Friends Christms Party 

Sun 19 Dec 

Official Opening ArtRage 2009 by Michelle 

O’Byrne, Minister for Environment, Parks, 

Heritage and the Arts, and Minister for Sport and 

Recreation 

JANUARY 

Mon 11 – Fri 22 January 

School Holiday Activities: 13 sessions 

FEBRUARY 

Wed 17 Feb 

Museum Playgroup: Busy Bees and Fluttering Flying 

Friends 

Thurs 18 Feb 

Royal Society Lecture, Joseph Hooker: Plant 

Collector, Explorer and Unsung Hero of Evolution by 

Dr Peter Donaldson: 

Wed 24 Feb 

Guides Choice: The sound floats away - memorial to 

Roger Barker, Macquarie Island expeditioner, 1981 by 

George Davis with Gallery Guide, Janet Tomlinson 

Morning Coffee Lecture with Robin Holyman 

MARCH 

Mon 1 March 

Royal Society Lecture: Julian Wolfhagen, President 

Beekeepers Association of Tasmania 

Fri 5 March 

Official Opening: NGA Touring Exhibition: Robert 

30

Dowling: Tasmanian Son of Empire by Dr Ron 

Radford AM, Director of the National Gallery of 

Australia 

Sun 7 March - Sun 25 April 

Guided tours of Robert Dowling: Tasmanian Son 

of Empire with the Museum Gallery Guides - 28 

presenations 

Wed 17 March 

Museum Playgroup: Odd One Out 

Wed 24 March 

Museum Playgroup: Odd One Out 

Guides Choice: Shylock and Jessica c. 1882 by 

Robert Dowling with with Gallery Guide, 

Lyn Henshaw 

Morning Coffee Lecture Beatrice Chapman 

APRIL 

Mon 12 April 

Royal Society Lecture: Recent development of the 

codeine poppy with Dr Tony Fist, Agricultural 

Research Dept, Tasmanian Alkaloids 

Wed 14 April 

Museum Playgroup: Up and Down, In and Out 

Wed 21 April 

Museum Playgroup: Up and Down, In and Out 

Wed 28 April 

Guides Choice: The Baptism of Christ 1863 by 

Robert Dowling with Gallery Guide, Barbara 

Bullard 

Morning Coffee Lecture: Maggie Bartkevicius 

Fri 30 April 

Official Opening: Beneath the Tamar: more than silt 

by Patrick Filmer-Sankey, Director QVMAG 

MAY 

Mon 3 May 

Royal Society Lecture and AGM speaker Mr Patrick 

Filmer-Sankey 

Fri 14 May 

Menagerie official opening by Jodie Campbell, MP 

15 May - 27 June 

Guided Tours: Menagerie with the Museum Gallery 

Guides. 13 presentations 

Wed 19 May 

Museum Playgroup: Animal Menagerie 

Thurs 20 May 

Friends After Works Drinks Party: Introducing the 

Touring Gallery at Inveresk 

Fri 21 May 

Official opening of ArtStart Animal Fun by 

Catherine Wolfhagen, Acting Director Academy 


Wed 26 May 

Museum Playgroup: Animal Menagerie 

Guides Choice Hella 2009 by Vicki West with 

Gallery Guide, Shirley Watson 

Morning Coffee Lecture: Michael Leslie 

Launceston Tramway Society 

JUNE 


June School Holiday Program: 15 sessions 


Little Big Shots - Film Program: 28 sessions 

Mon 7 June 

Royal Society Lecture: New Irrigation Schemes 

for Tasmania? by John Lord Chairman,Tasmanian 

Irrigation Development Board Pty Ltd 

Wed 16 June 

Museum Playgroup: Under the Water 

Sun 20 June 

Beneath the Tamar: more than silt - a talk by David 

Maynard, Lecturer, Australian Maritime College 

Wed 23 June 

Guides Choice: Tutonic Solemnity 1976 by Anton 

Holzner with Gallery Guide, Trish Alexander 

Morning Coffee Lecture: Melissa Carlton, Manager 

Launceston Aquatic and Paralympian 

31

32 

Highlights

Cover: Interior of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery c. 1899 

33

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