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

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60 Western Australian Museum– Kalgoorlie-Boulder COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT The ongoing task of management of the collection focussed on four major activities this year. The tasks included the transfer of the information from the original card index and provenance files to a purposive computer database, a review of the Hainault collection, the expansion of the state’s gold collection in the vault and the initiation of master planning for the Museum’s precinct. The ongoing task to move collection information from the card index to a computer database progressed well and provided a way to review the collection. Some artefacts were stored in the Museum’s facility at Willeton, Perth, before the building of the Red Shed for collection storage in Kalgoorlie. Following the recent purchase of the facility in Perth at Kenwick, these artefacts will be returned to Kalgoorlie for storage during collection transfer from Willeton to Kenwick. It is important to record the work of Tex (Bill) Moore in curating the Kalgoorlie-Boulder collection and Mrs Amanda Lovitt for inputting the information into the database. Information technology has been substantially upgraded by the installation of a wireless bridge to connect computers within the collection storage area to the Museum server. The Museum obtained ownership in 1976 of a substantial collection of artefacts that reflect the mining heritage of the Golden Mile. The Museum purchased objects from the Hainault Tourist Mine and immediately loaned the items back to the mine. However, on the development of the Super Pit in the 1980s, the artefacts were moved to the Hannans North Mine, where another tourist mine was developed. The Hannans North Tourist Mine developed into the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame, which now has custody of the Hainault collection. Currently, the collection is being reviewed to determine which artefacts the Museum will keep or deaccession. The Western Australian State Gold Collection on display in the vault will be expanded following the striking of an agreement with the Geological Survey of Western Australia. The nuggets on display include about 50% of the state’s gold collection and GSWA requested a photographic inventory of the nuggets on display in the vault prior to the transfer of the remainder stored in Perth. The images were forwarded in February and GSWA advised that the remainder will be transferred to Kalgoorlie. However, their display will be delayed until a new exhibition design is developed for the vault. Finally, the Advisory Committee initiated master planning and in late June held a marathon meeting that focussed on planning of the Museum’s precinct. The committee decided to focus on extending the main building to Egan Street and the inclusion of the corridor of the old railway land. KNOWLEDGE GENERATION Regional Manager Dr Terry McClafferty provided a number of talks and presentations, locally, nationally and overseas. In July 2002, he spoke to the Goldfields Naturalist Club about the role of interpretation, specifically the theory behind Freeman Tilden’s work. In March, he was invited by the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (USA) to present a workshop on the effective use of museums by school students to the National Science Teachers Association (USA) at their annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA. In May, Dr McClafferty was invited to present a workshop about the evaluation of educational programs at venues such as museums, zoos and aquariums at a conference hosted by Scitech Discovery Centre, Perth. The Minister for Culture and the Arts, the Hon. Sheila McHale, officially opened the Ethnobotanic Garden on Saturday 17 May. At the opening, the Minister announced that the Museum will recruit through the Community Development Employment Program an Indigenous trainee who will assist in the maintenance of the garden, provide interpretation to visitors and complete research about the usage of plants by the Aboriginal people of the Goldfields. The trainee will WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 2002–2003
61 Western Australian Museum– Kalgoorlie-Boulder complete horticultural studies through TAFE at Curtin University of Technology–Kalgoorlie. In parallel with the development of the garden was creation a database to provide information about the usage of plants. The information will be available as a booklet for visitors to use in the garden and accessible online through the Museum’s website. KNOWLEDGE COMMUNICATION The Education Officers at Western Australian Museum–Kalgoorlie-Boulder had another busy year with in-term school visits rising by 8% to 3,114 students and attendance at the school holiday programs rising by 4% to 1,279 children. The school visits and holiday programs have been a combined effort by the entire staff at the Museum and would not have succeeded without close co-operation from all staff. The July school holiday program was titled Spaced–Out-Back and focussed on our solar system. Spaced–Out-Back attempted to inspire children about space as well as to educate them about planet earth’s location within the galaxy. Many popular films are set in outer space and children generally enjoy this topic. The aim of the program was to educate children and their families with some fun yet factual activities based on our solar system and beyond. On 31 July 2002, Prospecting Workshops commenced at the museum. These workshops were inspired, supported and sponsored by the Amalgamated Prospectors and Leaseholders Association of WA Inc. (APLA). The workshops gave students hands-on experience of dry panning, dryblowing, gold panning and metal detecting. In October, the theme for the school holiday program was Outback Voices. The inspiration and focus for this program was an exhibition by Nalda Searles entitled Language of the Land— Learning Ngaanyatjarra. The exhibition included a collection of 160 pictorial representations of Indigenous words, as well as a large, mixed media piece made jointly with local artist Mary McLean. Although the latter work was too large to be accommodated in the exhibition space, 156 pieces of the exhibition were displayed. A tape of the correct pronunciation of the Indigenous words played continuously throughout the exhibition. Outback Voices attempted to increase awareness of Indigenous languages, and specifically the bilingual nature of the Goldfields region, among all museum visitors. The Christmas school holidays saw the return of the extremely successful The Great Rettop Yrrah. The program was titled The Great Rettop Yrrah Returns and immersed families once again in the Wamkapowie School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The theme of these holiday programs was chosen to catch the attention of the large portion of the community that has been swept up by the ‘wizardry phenomenon’ (obvious recently through the huge popular response to The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter movies). A special exhibition was installed at the Museum in January to coincide with the centenary of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme and the celebrations at Mt Charlotte Water Reservoir on 24 January. The exhibition presents C. Y. O’Connor’s engineering masterpiece of the water pipeline from Mundaring to Kalgoorlie. Wet and Wild was the theme for the April school holiday program. The aim of this program was to introduce and emphasise the need for water and its value as a resource. Participants were shown how water was obtained before the Perth–Kalgoorlie pipeline was built and the value of the pipeline to the region. The program also introduced the participants to Australian megafauna, in particular the Thylacoleo. Utilising the Thylacoleo skull on display at the Museum, participants were introduced to the Western Australian Museum’s efforts to explore the limestone caves on the Nullarbor Plain. WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 2002–2003
Page 3 and 4:
Western Australian Museum Annual Re
Page 5 and 6:
contents 5 Public Access 6 Letter t
Page 7 and 8:
7 Letter to the Minister The Hon Sh
Page 9 and 10: PART 1 Introduction 9 Premier Geoff
Page 11 and 12: 11 The Museum’s Vision, Mission,
Page 13 and 14: 13 Executive Director’s Review Th
Page 15 and 16: 15 Executive Director’s Review th
Page 17 and 18: 17 Museum Outreach Services The Per
Page 19 and 20: Corporate Costs 1.3% Organisational
Page 21 and 22: 21 Trustees, Boards and Committees
Page 23 and 24: 23 Western Australian Museum Founda
Page 25 and 26: 25 Western Australian Museum Founda
Page 27 and 28: 27 Friends of the Western Australia
Page 29 and 30: 29 Friends of the Western Australia
Page 31 and 32: Science and Culture 31 Rachel O'She
Page 33 and 34: 33 Western Australian Museum- Scien
Page 43 and 44: Western Australian Maritime Museum
Page 45 and 46: 45 Western Australian Maritime Muse
Page 53 and 54: Regional Sites 53 Terry McClafferty
Page 55 and 56: 55 Western Australian Museum-Albany
Page 57 and 58: 57 Western Australian Museum-Gerald
Page 59: 59 Western Australian Museum-Gerald
Page 63 and 64: Visitor Services 63 Young visitors
Page 65 and 66: 65 Visitor Services • Our Backyar
Page 67 and 68: 67 Visitor Services of the Museum
Page 69 and 70: 69 Visitor Services in WA was depic
Page 71 and 72: Museum Services 71 Conservator Ulli
Page 73 and 74: 73 Museum Services to finalise the
Page 75 and 76: Corporate and Commercial Developmen
Page 77 and 78: 77 Corporate and Commercial Develop
Page 83 and 84: PART 3 Compliance Requirements 83 W
Page 85 and 86: 85 Accounts and Financial Statement
Page 87 and 88: Accounts and Financial Statements S
Page 89 and 90: Accounts and Financial Statements N
Page 91 and 92: Accounts and Financial Statements 1
Page 103 and 104: Outcomes, Outputs and Performance I
Page 105 and 106: 105 Outcomes, Outputs and Performan
Page 107 and 108: 107 Outcomes, Outputs and Performan
Page 109 and 110: Appendices 109 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN M
Page 111 and 112:
appendix B Volunteers The Trustees
Page 113 and 114:
appendix C Staff List Maritime Arch
Page 115 and 116:
appendix C Administration Assistant
Page 117 and 118:
appendix D P. Berry • Member, Cou
Page 119 and 120:
appendix D • Member, committee fo
Page 121 and 122:
appendix F RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS 12
Page 123 and 124:
appendix F 123 Publications List Ma
Page 125 and 126:
appendix F 125 Publications List Mo
Page 127:
appendix F 127 Publications List Sl
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