Annual Report 2001-2002 - Western Australian Museum - The ...

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Western Australian Museum–Geraldton
COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT
The Western Australian Museum–Geraldton has responsibility for managing its local collection.
There are more than 500 items on display in the Shipwrecks Gallery. Members of the local
public also bring in items from their private collections from time to time, to complement the
local content of travelling exhibitions and as part of locally developed exhibitions. These objects
are sent, when necessary, to the Materials Conservation Department to ensure their good
condition.
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
Over the year, staff have been busy developing exhibitions for the new Western Australian
Museum–Geraldton, while also ensuring that core services were available to visitors.
A team of anthropologists liaised with the local Aboriginal community to generate information
on various facets of Aboriginal culture. Two exhibitions on Aboriginal cultures were developed
with the help of the local community.
The Marra Aboriginal Corporation leased the Museum’s Aboriginal Gallery, in a joint venture
designed to build stronger ties with the local Aboriginal community and to enhance the visitor
experience. Geraldton is the only museum in Australia where Aboriginal people are present to
display their art and craft.
Curators from the Museum have been working closely with the Exhibition and Design Department
to develop exhibitions for the Mid West Gallery.
Progress was made on the Batavia Longboat Replica project, of which the Western Australian
Museum–Geraldton is among the major sponsors. The Central West College of TAFE was given
funding by the Training Department of Western Australia to run a 40-week course in wooden
boat building. Plans were drawn up locally on the basis of available historical information. The
11.1 metre long boat is being built at the sheds on wharf number 1, sponsored by the Geraldton
Port Authority, with completion expected by November 2002. An incorporated committee,
consisting of local community members, will oversee the completion and subsequent use of
the boat.
The Museum’s annual Clem Burns Heritage Award competition received 45 entries from three
schools: Geraldton Grammar, Shark Bay Primary and Mount Tarcoola Primary School.
The Museum, in partnership with Questacon and the Central West College of TAFE, saw the
visit of Questacon Science Circus to Geraldton. To cement the partnership, a group of local
TAFE students prepared a film on shipwreck stories by interviewing local identities.
KNOWLEDGE COMMUNICATION
Exhibitions and Events
The hallmark of the year was the opening of three major exhibitions. On 13 August the Hon. Dr
Geoff Gallop, Premier of Western Australia, opened the Shipwrecks Gallery and the Hon. Sheila
McHale, Minister for Culture and the Arts, opened the travelling exhibition Kemet Deshret: Black
Land, Red Land—a Glimpse of Ancient Egypt. In November the Premier opened the HMAS
Sydney exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary of Australia’s biggest maritime tragedy and to
coincide with the dedication of the HMAS Sydney Memorial. The exhibition has been a very
popular and emotional one, attracting many interstate visitors.
While the focus was on exhibitions for the new Museum, a number of travelling exhibitions were
hosted:
• Aboriginal Sporting Heroes, jointly hosted with the National Aboriginal and Islander
Observance Committee, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and the Department of Sports
and Recreation
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 2001–2002