QVMAG FRIENDS - Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
QVMAG FRIENDS - Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
QVMAG FRIENDS - Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
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<strong>QVMAG</strong> <strong>FRIENDS</strong><br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> newsletter May 2012<br />
Risking artists<br />
Damien Quilliam, Curator of Contemporary Australian <strong>Art</strong>, <strong>QVMAG</strong>.<br />
On Friday 13 July 2012 the <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
will be opening a new contemporary<br />
exhibition at the Royal Park <strong>Art</strong><br />
<strong>Gallery</strong> titled R!SK. This exhibition<br />
is a joint partnership between the<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> <strong>and</strong> CAST (Contemporary<br />
<strong>Art</strong> Spaces Tasmania) <strong>and</strong> will be<br />
a state wide survey show of early<br />
career artists .<br />
The art works in this exhibition will<br />
be from a range of media <strong>and</strong><br />
influences <strong>and</strong> will include the work<br />
of some of the leading emerging <strong>and</strong><br />
mid career artists working in the state.<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Curator of Contemporary<br />
Australian <strong>Art</strong>, Damien Quilliam<br />
said ‘there is a real strength in the<br />
Tasmanian art scene reflected by<br />
the number of young artists that are<br />
currently being represented in major<br />
national awards <strong>and</strong> exhibitions.<br />
‘The exhibition will also grow the<br />
reputation of the <strong>QVMAG</strong> as a<br />
place for current, cutting edge<br />
contemporary practice.<br />
‘It is my hope that R!SK will allow<br />
people to engage with different areas<br />
of current arts practice <strong>and</strong> that the<br />
show will highlight the strong field<br />
of young artists currently working<br />
in Tasmania.’<br />
R!SK will open Friday 13 July at the<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong>, Royal Park <strong>and</strong><br />
will be open until January 2013.<br />
May to July exhibitions<br />
<strong>Museum</strong> at Inveresk<br />
Hooked on Books<br />
Australian children’s book<br />
illustrations from the collection<br />
of Albert Ullin OAM.<br />
Presented by Ozlink Entertainment<br />
Until 17 June 2012<br />
The Convict Stain:<br />
Vice, Virtue & John West<br />
Presented by <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
Ongoing<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Friends Contact<br />
PO Box 2076, LAUNCESTON TAS 7250<br />
T 03 6323 3706 F 03 6323 3776<br />
E Friends@qvmag.tas.gov.au<br />
<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> at Royal Park<br />
Ancestral Power <strong>and</strong> the Aesthetic:<br />
Arnhem L<strong>and</strong> paintings <strong>and</strong> objects<br />
from the Donald Thomson Collection<br />
A <strong>Museum</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> Touring<br />
Exhibition, presented in association<br />
with the Ian Potter <strong>Museum</strong> of <strong>Art</strong>,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the University of Melbourne.<br />
Until 24 June 2012<br />
<strong>Art</strong>Start: Special Places<br />
<strong>Art</strong>work by primary school students<br />
in northern Tasmania.<br />
24 May to 16 August 2012<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Friends Committee<br />
President Stuart Williams<br />
Secretary <strong>Victoria</strong> Nicholls<br />
Treasurer Judy Morrall<br />
The views expressed in this publication may not necessarily reflect the views of the <strong>QVMAG</strong>.<br />
R!SK<br />
Contemporary art exhibition<br />
Presented by <strong>QVMAG</strong> <strong>and</strong> CAST<br />
14 July to January 2013<br />
Robert Baines: Metal<br />
Robert Baines’ exceptional craft skills<br />
<strong>and</strong> extraordinary body of work are<br />
being honoured with this Object<br />
<strong>Gallery</strong> touring exhibition.<br />
Presented by Object <strong>Gallery</strong><br />
4 August to 14 October 2012<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Friends Committee Members<br />
Julian Burgess, Nicholas Cummings, Maureen<br />
Mann, Catherine Pearce <strong>and</strong> Patricia Traill<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Friends Editor: Kaye Dowling<br />
E Kaye.dowling@qvmag.tas.gov.au<br />
T 03 6323 3706<br />
There is more than just a simple story<br />
in the new exhibition The Convict<br />
Stain: Vice, Virtue & John West now<br />
on show at the <strong>QVMAG</strong> <strong>Museum</strong><br />
at Inveresk.<br />
Work on the exhibition by <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
staff, including the exhibition’s<br />
curator Jon Addison, turned up an<br />
interesting piece of evidence that<br />
gave new importance to one of the<br />
objects on display.<br />
‘We hold four Cessation of<br />
Transportation medals - two silver<br />
<strong>and</strong> two bronze. Nine thous<strong>and</strong> of<br />
the silver-coloured medals were<br />
given to the children of Tasmania<br />
to commemorate the Cessation of<br />
Transportation, however only 100<br />
bronze medals were struck,’ Jon said.<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Object Conservator, Charlotte Walker <strong>and</strong> John West exhibition Curator, Jon Addison, featured with the rare find.<br />
New importance for old object<br />
‘These were issued to key members<br />
of the committees involved in the<br />
campaign <strong>and</strong> we wondered if one<br />
of the medals originally belonged to<br />
John West himself.’<br />
Two of the key objects in the<br />
exhibition - the portraits by Myra<br />
Felton of John <strong>and</strong> Narcissa West,<br />
were moved from the Royal Park<br />
<strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong> store to Inveresk.<br />
‘Yvonne Adkins, our curator of 19th<br />
Century Australian <strong>Art</strong>, sent with the<br />
works a letter from the donor of the<br />
paintings <strong>and</strong> asked whether we had<br />
seen it. History staff had not seen this<br />
letter, as it had been filed with the<br />
records for the paintings in 1951. It<br />
was from the museum’s director,<br />
Mr Thomson, to Miss H Alex<strong>and</strong>er.<br />
‘The letter stated: “Would you<br />
thank your father very much for<br />
his generosity in giving the Anti-<br />
Transportation Medal which<br />
belonged to your gr<strong>and</strong>father,<br />
the Rev John West, to this<br />
museum”,’ Jon explained.<br />
The pieces clicked into place. The<br />
Bronze medal chosen for display<br />
had indeed belonged to West, <strong>and</strong><br />
another collection item gained new<br />
significance.<br />
The Convict Stain: Vice, Virtue & John<br />
West exhibition is open from 10am<br />
to 5pm daily (except Good Friday<br />
<strong>and</strong> Christmas Day) at the <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
<strong>Museum</strong>, Inveresk. Admission is free.
QView<br />
Anyone for a BBQ?<br />
Over the last few months we have<br />
really ramped up the number<br />
of events <strong>and</strong> programs at both<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> sites.<br />
In March we produced a new three<br />
monthly brochure entitled <strong>Art</strong> Events.<br />
Featured are our free Curator’s<br />
lunchtime talks (held alternate<br />
Tuesdays), Conversations About <strong>Art</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> Guides Choice talks.<br />
In addition there are feature<br />
exhibition talks by visiting curators,<br />
our regular guided tours, Family Fun<br />
Days <strong>and</strong> new exhibition openings.<br />
It was great to host the talk by<br />
Dr David Hansen on the colonial<br />
l<strong>and</strong>scape artist John Glover in early<br />
March. On 20 April we agreed to<br />
co-host a very special piano recital<br />
by the young Launceston pianist Ben<br />
Austin. It was a memorable night for<br />
those Friends who attended.<br />
<strong>Art</strong>Rage 2011 is now on tour to<br />
Hobart <strong>and</strong> Burnie <strong>and</strong> Ancestral<br />
Power <strong>and</strong> the Aesthetic: Arnhem L<strong>and</strong><br />
paintings <strong>and</strong> objects from the Donald<br />
Thomson Collection was opened by<br />
respected Aboriginal Elder, Patsy<br />
Cameron, on 30 March in its place.<br />
I would like to thank <strong>Museum</strong><br />
<strong>Victoria</strong> for their support to this<br />
wonderful exhibition.<br />
I hope you enjoy being part of all this<br />
activity <strong>and</strong> please tell your friends<br />
about the events as we would love to<br />
see more people joining the <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
Friends.<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong>’s Louise James (seated) <strong>and</strong> Leila Frohmader, co-ordinator of the recent Ben Austin piano recital.<br />
A gr<strong>and</strong> piano returns<br />
A Collard & Collard boudoir gr<strong>and</strong><br />
piano circa 1897, which belonged<br />
to the Tasmanian composer Mary<br />
Bowden <strong>and</strong> has remained in the<br />
family until now, is in place in<br />
<strong>Gallery</strong> 2, Royal Park. The piano was<br />
donated by Mary’s gr<strong>and</strong>daughter<br />
Shirley.<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> History Collections<br />
Officer, Louise James, said ‘It is now<br />
part of the <strong>QVMAG</strong> collection <strong>and</strong><br />
will be played on special occasions.<br />
‘Mary <strong>and</strong> her husb<strong>and</strong> Alfred<br />
were performers, music teachers,<br />
composers <strong>and</strong> critics for almost<br />
40 years in Tasmania.<br />
‘In a nice twist the actual music<br />
rooms where Mary played, was<br />
on the corner of Wellington <strong>and</strong><br />
Paterson Streets, so the piano after<br />
a diversion interstate has literally<br />
moved across the road.’<br />
Mary Bowden studied music from<br />
a young age under her father,<br />
Alfred Dentith, in Hobart. She was<br />
to become a music teacher <strong>and</strong><br />
composer with notable success in<br />
both fields.<br />
‘Her compositions for the piano<br />
were published locally, interstate<br />
<strong>and</strong> overseas <strong>and</strong> she was still<br />
receiving royalties from her works<br />
at the time of her death,’ Louise said.<br />
‘Newspaper articles of the time<br />
list one of her career highlights as<br />
being a letter of congratulations<br />
from Dame Melba who visited<br />
Launceston in 1924 <strong>and</strong> played over<br />
two of Mary’s compositions.’<br />
Mary was also a music teacher for<br />
45 years <strong>and</strong> held in high regard in<br />
Launceston.<br />
The piano can be played by<br />
appointment. Please contact our<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Bookings Officer,<br />
Mariella Vallesi on 03 6323 3798.<br />
BBQ This Sunday, BYO, 2011, by<br />
Sydney artist Joan Ross, is one<br />
of the latest acquisitions for the<br />
Contemporary <strong>Art</strong> Collection. The<br />
five minute digital video collages<br />
together many images from the<br />
works of early colonial artist Joseph<br />
Lycett in a very quirky but thought<br />
provoking way.<br />
Joan’s work deals with the story<br />
of Australian post-colonialism<br />
<strong>and</strong> the ongoing issues around the<br />
European invasion/settlement of<br />
Detail of BBQ This Sunday, BYO, 2011, by Joan Ross.<br />
Australia. Her work draws influence<br />
from the early paintings of Joseph<br />
Lycett <strong>and</strong> his representation of the<br />
Aboriginal people. Ross says in her<br />
artist statement that “...as a child I<br />
was fascinated by the fact that the<br />
important colonial painter Joseph<br />
Lycett was a forger. In a sense I am<br />
continuing his tradition of taking<br />
something <strong>and</strong> forging something<br />
new out of it”.<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Curator of Contemporary<br />
Australian <strong>Art</strong>, Damien Quilliam said<br />
‘Joan is an artist whose work I have<br />
been looking at since meeting her<br />
at the Melbourne <strong>Art</strong> Fair in 2010.<br />
I believe her work is an important<br />
addition to the <strong>QVMAG</strong> collection<br />
<strong>and</strong> most importantly to the area of<br />
video <strong>and</strong> new media work.’<br />
The work was purchased with the<br />
generous support of the <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
<strong>Art</strong>s Foundation. You can see it,<br />
together with the original volume of<br />
Lycett’s drawings, at the <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong><br />
at Royal Park until 1 July 2012.<br />
Richard Mulvaney<br />
Director, <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
Historic space for hire<br />
Egyptian Banana Seller acquired<br />
<strong>Gallery</strong> 2, one of the ten galleries<br />
within the refurbished 120-yearold<br />
building at Royal Park, is now a<br />
general purpose space to hire. The<br />
space can provide a unique backdrop<br />
to a wedding, corporate function,<br />
promotional or fundraising event.<br />
The gallery will feature a <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
history exhibition <strong>and</strong> A to Z of the<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> collection which highlights<br />
the diversity <strong>and</strong> richness of what<br />
has been collected during <strong>QVMAG</strong>’s<br />
120 years at Royal Park <strong>and</strong> ten years<br />
at Inveresk.<br />
Our specialist events team can assist<br />
with pre-planning <strong>and</strong> coordination<br />
of the event itself. For information<br />
regarding venue hire please contact<br />
Anna Wilkins on 03 6323 3744.<br />
One of Robert Dowling’s finest<br />
watercolour paintings has recently<br />
been acquired by the <strong>QVMAG</strong>,<br />
with funds provided by the Turner<br />
Ralph Bequest.<br />
Dowling was the first colonial artist<br />
to be trained professionally in<br />
Engl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> was the younger son of<br />
the Reverend Henry Dowling who<br />
migrated to Tasmania with his family<br />
in 1834, settling in Launceston.<br />
With money subscribed by the<br />
citizens of Launceston, Dowling<br />
travelled to Engl<strong>and</strong> in 1857 <strong>and</strong><br />
enrolled in Leigh’s Academy. He gifted<br />
<strong>and</strong> sent numerous works back to<br />
Tasmania; these included the iconic<br />
work Aborigines of Tasmania 1859 that<br />
is now on show at Royal Park.<br />
Dowling travelled <strong>and</strong> visited Cairo<br />
around 1872-73. The people <strong>and</strong> the<br />
colours of the l<strong>and</strong> influenced <strong>and</strong><br />
inspired Dowling <strong>and</strong> he produced<br />
a collection of oriental pictures that<br />
were considered some of the finest at<br />
the time. Among these is the portrait,<br />
Egyptian Banana Seller, compelling for<br />
its richness of colour, the sensitive<br />
portrayal of the subject <strong>and</strong> careful<br />
but assured depiction of her costume.
E S P E C I A L LY F O R T H E K I D S<br />
M e m b e r P r o f i l e<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Friends member, Catherine Pearce featured in the new John West exhibition at <strong>QVMAG</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>.<br />
Spiders, stars <strong>and</strong> penny farthings<br />
Catherine Pearce’s relationship with the<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> goes back to her childhood.<br />
‘Visiting the old museum as a child<br />
of nine or ten <strong>and</strong> seeing the Joss<br />
House, aka the Guan-Di Temple,<br />
was a most exotic <strong>and</strong> intriguing<br />
experience, especially for a child<br />
brought up at Winkleigh.<br />
‘I would have given anything to play<br />
with those puppets!’<br />
Catherine became a <strong>QVMAG</strong> Friend<br />
when the Inveresk site opened in 2001.<br />
‘I welcomed the opportunity to<br />
learn about what goes on behind<br />
the scenes, <strong>and</strong> to contribute to the<br />
activities of the Friends group.’<br />
She said <strong>QVMAG</strong> Friends helped to<br />
link the museum to the community,<br />
ensuring it remained a vital <strong>and</strong><br />
relevant organisation. Since<br />
joining the Friends Committee in<br />
2010 Catherine has been active<br />
in encouraging new members to<br />
join <strong>and</strong> organising events such as<br />
special members’ tours <strong>and</strong> the new<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> Book Discussion Group.<br />
Catherine said some of her favourite<br />
things at <strong>QVMAG</strong> were the newly<br />
acquired Thomas Bock portrait, Jane<br />
Campbell <strong>and</strong> Her Mother, Michael<br />
McWilliams’ <strong>Victoria</strong>’s Cabinet of<br />
Curiosities <strong>and</strong> the fabulous exhibition<br />
The Convict Stain: Vice, Virtue & John<br />
West on display at the <strong>Museum</strong>.<br />
‘I love the blue <strong>and</strong> white ceramics<br />
exhibition. I was able to attend a<br />
fascinating curator’s talk about it by<br />
Rosalie Kelly in my lunch break recently.’<br />
She believes <strong>QVMAG</strong> plays an<br />
important role in the community,<br />
educating, entertaining <strong>and</strong> inspiring<br />
both young <strong>and</strong> old.<br />
‘It preserves important information<br />
<strong>and</strong> collections of all kinds of things<br />
for future generations to use <strong>and</strong><br />
enjoy. In Launceston it is regarded<br />
as the fount of all knowledge on<br />
everything from spiders <strong>and</strong> stars to<br />
penny farthing bicycles. Where would<br />
we be without it?’<br />
Capturing our catchment to coast<br />
The <strong>QVMAG</strong> has launched a<br />
photographic competition for<br />
Tasmanian students in Year 7 to 12. A<br />
partnership between the Australian<br />
Maritime College/ University of<br />
Tasmania, NRM North, Northern<br />
Tasmania Camera Club <strong>and</strong> <strong>QVMAG</strong>,<br />
the Catchment to Coast student<br />
photographic competition will<br />
allow students the opportunity to<br />
represent the benefits of a healthy<br />
catchment as well as identifying<br />
pressures we place on the system.<br />
To support the competition, <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> partner organisations will also<br />
be running a one-day field trip<br />
on 18 May 2012 for class groups<br />
from across the state in Year 9<br />
to 12. Students will be given the<br />
opportunity to follow a waterway<br />
down out of a catchment to the<br />
intertidal zone - visiting a working<br />
farm, nature reserve, <strong>and</strong> urban<br />
green zone <strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong>s of national<br />
significance. Along the way they<br />
Reading between the lines<br />
The <strong>QVMAG</strong> launched a three<br />
month children’s activity series with<br />
book exploration <strong>and</strong> activities. The<br />
Read with us series will wrap up in<br />
May with a Story time <strong>and</strong> activities<br />
session on Sunday 13 May <strong>and</strong> 27<br />
May at 2pm for children aged 4 to<br />
Fun for all the family<br />
L to R (front): James McKee, NRM North; previous winners Nicholas Pearce <strong>and</strong> Bailey Groves; Sara Casey,<br />
AMC/UTAS. L to R (back) David Maynard, <strong>QVMAG</strong>; Rod Oliver, Northern Tasmania Camera Club.<br />
will be given opportunity to take<br />
photographs with representatives<br />
from the Northern Tasmania Camera<br />
Club on h<strong>and</strong> to help improve their<br />
photographic technique.<br />
10 years with their carers, parents<br />
or gr<strong>and</strong>parents. An admission fee<br />
applies.<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> <strong>Museum</strong> Education<br />
Officer, Tammy Edmunds said ‘We<br />
are excited to run this series which<br />
promotes the idea of children<br />
The winners <strong>and</strong> runners up in each<br />
competition category will have<br />
their work exhibited at the <strong>QVMAG</strong><br />
<strong>Museum</strong> in September 2012.<br />
learning to read <strong>and</strong> provides a<br />
source of inspiration for those who<br />
are already keen readers.’<br />
For more information please call<br />
03 6323 3798.<br />
Tiger tales retold<br />
The first <strong>QVMAG</strong> Friends Book<br />
Discussion Group proved to be both<br />
enjoyable <strong>and</strong> thought provoking.<br />
The book under discussion was Julia<br />
Leigh’s novel The Hunter about the<br />
quest for the last Tasmanian tiger.<br />
A special presentation on the<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> collection of Thylacine<br />
remains by <strong>QVMAG</strong> Natural Sciences<br />
Collection Officer, Tammy Gordon<br />
provided a fascinating glimpse behind<br />
the scenes.<br />
The next meeting will be held at 2pm<br />
on Sunday 24 June at Inveresk. The<br />
book to be discussed is Ab<strong>and</strong>oned<br />
Women by Lucy Frost, an evocative<br />
account of a group of Scottish<br />
convicts exiled to Van Diemen’s<br />
L<strong>and</strong>. A feature of the afternoon will<br />
be a brief talk by a member of the<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> History department on its<br />
convict collections. Admission for<br />
Members is $5 <strong>and</strong> Guests $10.<br />
To join in next time, simply read the<br />
book <strong>and</strong> RSVP on 03 6323 3798 or<br />
email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au.<br />
Kids <strong>and</strong> their parents were treated<br />
to a wonderful time at the first Family<br />
Fun Day at the <strong>QVMAG</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Gallery</strong>,<br />
Royal Park.<br />
At 11am <strong>Gallery</strong> Guides Shirley<br />
Watson <strong>and</strong> Jill MacPherson<br />
explored patterns <strong>and</strong> storytelling<br />
in the special children’s tour of bark<br />
paintings from the Donald Thompson<br />
collection in the exhibition Ancestral<br />
Power <strong>and</strong> the Aesthetic.<br />
From 11.30am to 1.30pm it was<br />
h<strong>and</strong>s-on art activities in the<br />
Creativity Centre where Jacqui<br />
Adkins encouraged everyone to try<br />
painting <strong>and</strong> collage to contribute to<br />
a giant decorative snake.<br />
Colourful felt animals from giraffes<br />
to dogs drew visitors to the<br />
demonstration of needle felting by<br />
Darren Smith from West Tamar<br />
<strong>Art</strong> Group <strong>and</strong> in her Guide’s<br />
Choice presentation Lyn Henshaw<br />
concentrated on the wealth of<br />
painted details from brush-tailed<br />
possums to pug dogs included by<br />
Michael McWilliams on his Cabinet<br />
of Curiosities.<br />
Family Fun Days are now a regular<br />
event on the third Sunday of the<br />
month starting at 11am. Admission<br />
is free.
Volunteering <strong>QVMAG</strong>-style<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong> volunteer, Emily Gleeson featured with Ross Smith, History Research Officer.<br />
Emily Gleeson’s first experience of<br />
working at the <strong>QVMAG</strong> was as a<br />
student from Star of the Sea Catholic<br />
College through work experience. It<br />
impressed her so much that she has<br />
continued as a volunteer ever since.<br />
‘I definitely think you should promote<br />
youth involvement at the <strong>QVMAG</strong>,<br />
I love being here <strong>and</strong> have a ball<br />
every time,’ says Emily.<br />
Recognising her talent for engaging<br />
children with the wonders of the<br />
<strong>Museum</strong>, Education Officer, Tammy<br />
Edmunds, grabbed the chance to<br />
involve her.<br />
We need you at <strong>QVMAG</strong>!<br />
‘I wish there were more young people<br />
like Emily, who are happy to give back<br />
to the community <strong>and</strong> be involved in<br />
something different,’ says Tammy.<br />
Now at Newstead College, Emily helps<br />
out with regular activities including<br />
the school holiday activities at the<br />
<strong>Museum</strong> <strong>and</strong> the National Science<br />
Week program in August. Emily is<br />
the brains behind the development<br />
of an event on Saturday 2 June<br />
where children can spend a night<br />
at the <strong>Museum</strong>.<br />
‘Emily gets a buzz from working<br />
with kids at the <strong>Museum</strong> as they<br />
are so enthusiastic about everything,’<br />
says Tammy.<br />
Her willingness to pitch in <strong>and</strong> help<br />
out wherever needed makes her an<br />
ideal volunteer for other areas of the<br />
<strong>Museum</strong>. She also works behind the<br />
scenes with Ross Smith caring for the<br />
history collections.<br />
‘Her ability to grasp the degree of<br />
care required is wonderful,’ says<br />
Ross. ‘We can trust her to work<br />
safely with our collections.’<br />
Have you skills with making art or crafts? Do you have experience with or enjoy working with children?<br />
You could assist the Education team with School Holiday Activities <strong>and</strong> Family Fun Days.<br />
Have you a general underst<strong>and</strong>ing of taxonomy/systematics?<br />
Are you able to h<strong>and</strong>le fragile objects with care?<br />
You could assist the Natural ScienceS staff with sorting <strong>and</strong> caring for the<br />
zoology or botany collections.<br />
Do you have basic sewing skills?<br />
You could assist the Conservation staff to make padded coat hangers <strong>and</strong> dust covers<br />
for the long-term preservation of textiles in the history collection.<br />
Have you basic computer skills? Have you basic financial management skills?<br />
You could assist the Community Engagement team to support the <strong>QVMAG</strong> Friends<br />
<strong>and</strong> Volunteer Programs at the <strong>QVMAG</strong>.<br />
Please email volunteers@qvmag.tas.gov.au or call 03 6323 3706<br />
All things natural<br />
David Maynard is keen to make the<br />
<strong>QVMAG</strong>’s extensive natural sciences<br />
collections more accessible to the<br />
general public.<br />
‘<strong>QVMAG</strong> has an important<br />
natural sciences collection <strong>and</strong> the<br />
community needs to be able to see,<br />
enjoy <strong>and</strong> learn from it. The historic<br />
nature of the collection makes it<br />
an important regional <strong>and</strong> national<br />
asset,’ says David.<br />
The former Australian Maritime<br />
College lecturer brings plenty of<br />
practical experience to his new<br />
position as <strong>QVMAG</strong> Curator of<br />
Natural Sciences. At the AMC<br />
he taught Fisheries, specifically<br />
responsible fishing practices <strong>and</strong><br />
developing new fishing gears. This<br />
A recent acquisition<br />
Birds egg collecting was a hobby of<br />
the past that is now providing an<br />
important reference material for<br />
museums. <strong>QVMAG</strong> Natural Sciences<br />
recently accepted a significant<br />
addition to its existing egg collection,<br />
thanks to a donation by the family of<br />
the late Mr JB Nield.<br />
David Maynard brings plenty of practical experience to his new role at the <strong>QVMAG</strong>.<br />
provided David with the opportunity<br />
to go to sea often, <strong>and</strong> over the years<br />
he has developed an appreciation<br />
of the marine biodiversity around<br />
northern Tasmania’s waters.<br />
‘During our research training fishing<br />
operations there was never a shortage<br />
of fish, sharks <strong>and</strong> invertebrates coming<br />
onboard. Once I had identified <strong>and</strong><br />
photographed the larger, more<br />
obvious animals I moved on to the<br />
smaller creatures that washed out of<br />
the nets onto the deck. These went<br />
unnoticed by the other academics<br />
<strong>and</strong> students. This is where the<br />
challenge lies for me - there are so<br />
many invertebrates that are unknown<br />
or rarely seen,’ David explains.<br />
David’s underst<strong>and</strong>ing of marine <strong>and</strong><br />
The collection consists of<br />
approximately 1,000 eggs in about<br />
300 clutch lots, many with written<br />
information about the nests.<br />
While many of them were collected<br />
by Mr Nield in the 1970s from the<br />
Furneaux Isl<strong>and</strong>s, the collection also<br />
includes clutches collected in the<br />
coastal biodiversity, particularly in<br />
the Tamar River estuary, southern<br />
Bass Strait <strong>and</strong> around the Bass Strait<br />
isl<strong>and</strong>s, adds a new element to the<br />
natural sciences team at <strong>QVMAG</strong>.<br />
‘There is so much to learn about the<br />
biodiversity here in our backyard, <strong>and</strong><br />
introducing the community to it is<br />
as important as cataloguing it.<br />
‘I will be working with the natural<br />
sciences team to develop community<br />
engagement opportunities,<br />
collaborative research with the<br />
University of Tasmania <strong>and</strong><br />
encourage postgraduate students<br />
<strong>and</strong> visiting scientists to access the<br />
unique collection <strong>QVMAG</strong> holds in<br />
its care.’<br />
1880s <strong>and</strong> 1890s. The collection<br />
provides a unique record of early<br />
breeding records, as well as an<br />
insight into the historic egg<br />
collecting activities in Tasmania.