OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE AND CURTILAGE HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2008–2013

6. Zones
Part B – Management
88 Old Parliament House and Curtilage Heritage Management Plan 2008–2013
Movable Heritage Collections Zone
Rationale
The movable heritage at Old Parliament House comprises a collection of artefacts with strong mutual associations
between each other and to the building which together represent all the phases of the place’s development and its
occupants. The mutual associations of the individual pieces of the collection mean that their value is greater than the
sum of the parts. As a result they may be regarded as a suite of related items requiring management. The collection
embodies all of the heritage values at Old Parliament House and comprises an excellent representative sample in
the broader context of Australian twentieth century interior design and the fine and decorative arts. Individual items
embody some or all of those values in their own right.
Statement of intent
To conserve and augment the movable heritage collection, while using it to tell the story of Old Parliament House.
Objectives
1. To ensure that significant associations between the individual elements and sets of movable elements and spaces
are researched, maintained and enhanced. (Refer to Policy 1)
2. To restore elements of movable heritage to the context that interprets their heritage values. (Refer to Policy 4)
3. To facilitate appropriate display for public access for the purposes of telling the story of Old Parliament House and
the physical evolution of the collection without adversely impacting on its heritage values. (Refer to Policy 1)
4. To encourage the repatriation of objects that have been removed from the place. (Refer to Policy 1)
5. To develop the collection through appropriate acquisitions. (Refer to Policies 1 & 7)
6. To ensure that conservation, research and storage methods are of a standard appropriate to the heritage values.
(Refer to Policy 1)
7. To ensure that this zone is managed in accordance with the policies contained within the Heritage Management
Plan.
Figure 15:
John Smith Murdoch chair.
Drawing of the FB37 Easy Chair
Source: National Archives of Australia
Easy Chair with design number FB37
Source: Old Parliament House Collection