Musing May 2011

02Editorial / 04Remembering David Dolan Professor of Cultural Heritage / 08Scotland’s Reminiscence Project / 10Fremantle Prison Western’s Australia’s First Cultural Site to Receive World Heritage listing / 13Old Court House Law Museum Operated By The Law Society Of Western Australia / 14A United Voice for Arts and Culture in Western Australia / 16The Library of Nearly Lost Moments/ 19Lionel Logue and The Maj Connection / 20City of Perth Heritage Days Public Forum/ 22Memory / 23Photographic Management Workshop

ADVANCING MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND CULTURAL CENTRES

May Lotterywest Cultural Interpretation Heritage Grant Workshop, Wanneroo Library and Cultural Centre, 10am - 12pm, Rosemary Fitzgerald

June Annual General Meeting/Christmas in June Sundowner, Venue to be confirmedMuseum Australia (WA)

June Closing date, Articles and advertisements Musing: Theme: Presence, Winter edition

14-18 November National Conference Museum Australia (WA), State Theatre, PerthAll welcome

July From Bunyip to BeautifulWetlands Touring ExhibitionMoves to Subiaco Museum

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[MUSING]MUSEUMS AUSTR ALIA . WESTERN AUSTR ALIA

[memory]

AUTUMN 2011~

Important Dates: Please refer to the website: www.museumswa.com.au or call 9427 2770 for more information

May Heritage Council/Museums Australia WA Masterclass, Graphics and Design, King St Arts CentreRikki Clarke and Claire Savage

2515- 22 May Museum WeekWide variety of activitiesStatewide

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July Closing Date, Cultural Heritage Interpretation GrantsLotterywest

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[MUSING] [AUTUMN 11][-2]

New members The Committee, members and staff of Museums Australia (WA) would like to welcome the following new members: Individual Members: Edward Cooper, Anna Crane., Melanie Callow Institutional Members: The Great Beyond Explorer’s Hall of Fame, The York Society, Northam History Forum

Musing The Board, the Publications Committee and staff of Museums Australia (WA) welcome you to the first edition of Musing for 2011. As you will see, this edition is themed “Memory” and we have been able to source some fantastic articles based on this theme. Our next edition, deadline June 15, will focus on “Presence”, whilst the third edition, which will be published in time for the National Conference, will explore the concept of ‘Frontier”We urge you to send us your stories or let us know about your successes, your gains and your celebrations and we can assist you to share them with the state and with the nation.

Advertising Museums Australia (WA) is offering a range of packages for potential advertisers in the Musing newsletter. Rates are:¼ page ad (portrait)$120 each edition or $240 for 3 editions (members price)¼ page ad (portrait)$150 each edition or $300 for 3 editions (non member price)½ page ad $220 each edition or $440 for 3 editions (members price)½ page ad $250 each editionor $500 for 3 editions (non members price)Full page ad $370 each edition or $740 for 3 editions (members price)Full page ad $400 each editionor $800 for 3 editions (non members price)Alternatively, you can insert your fliers in Musing for the cost of:$120 for non-members & $90 for members.

[EDITORIAL]

Musing Dates Next year, we will continue with three regular editions of Musing, with publication dates being:April 30: Deadline March 15July 30: Deadline June 15October 30: Deadline Sept 15

Copyright All images in this edition of Musing are copyright Museums Australia (WA) except where specifically noted.

Membership As at March 31, 2011, Museums Australia (WA) had 284 members. Of these 137 are institutional members and 147 are individual members, all enjoying the many benefits of being a member of Museums Australia and the WA state branch.

Memory is such an important part of our lives, and yet, it can be a fickle thing. Anyone who has ever stood in the middle of a room rack-ing their brains to remember why they entered that room or found the butter in the linen cupboard can vouch for that!And yet, we rely on our memory to get us through the day and through our lives. The plethora of films, television shows and books written on or about people who have lost their memories highlight just how devastating this can be. And yet, too our memories can be distorted by time as well, as anyone who has revisited their childhood haunts will testify. In this edition of Musing , we have devoted our articles to exploring this phenomenon and how it impacts on our museum and gallery sector. I would like to thank the many contributors for their thoughtful and perceptive stories that will give rise to further consideration of this aspect in our work and interpretation. This year, Museum Week has the theme of “Museums and Memory” and will run from 15-23 May. Museum Australia (WA) urges you to take advantage of the promotional opportunities offered by this event.

Anne Chapple - Editor

[MUSING] [AUTUMN 11] [-3]

On behalf of Museums Australia and Interpretation Australia we welcome you to join us for the 15th Museums Australia National Conference combined with the 19th IAA National Symposium, to be held in Perth from the 14th to the 18th of November. Frontiers are created by, and in turn create, our natural, built and social environments; they reveal much about who we are and who we want to be. Frontiers generate new experiences and ways of doing things. What do we do when we reach a frontier? Where are we headed? What have we left behind? What if we find ourselves in-between frontiers? Join us in ‘exploring the possibilities’ of culture, arts, heritage, environment, recreation and tourism and the diverse ways in which they define our position and place; in engaging with the past, where we are right now and into the future.

Save the date 14th - 18th November

atthefrontier.com.au

Museums Australia & Interpretation Australia National Conference

At the FrontierExploring the Possibilities


Taken in a wine cave in Saumur, the Loire Valley in France with students on a trip with the UNESCO” Sharing our Heritages” scholarship. Photo acknowledgement: Catherine Czerw: Art Matters

REMEMbERING DAvID DOLANPROFESSOR OFCULTURAL HERITAGE

David Dolan energised his work by moving between academia and the worlds of museums and heritage sites. This rich mix gave him an unparalleled set of friends and colleagues in museums and heritage and enhanced his teaching. His devotion to his students was rare in an increasingly corporatised university environment and he drew on his vast network of friends and colleagues to match former students to those perfect work opportunities. Many of us found our interesting jobs because of David’s direct intervention.


He is remembered with enormous affection by everyone; his most outstanding characteristic was his great kindness. He had that rare gift for making anyone he spoke to feel special. After his death, in Perth on 7 December 2010, many people remarked that they had always felt that they were particularly special to him, but that now they realised that there were many people who felt the same way; making people feel special was simply part of David’s everyday kindness and deep interest in all with whom he came in contact.His generous attitude to work and people can probably best be conveyed by recalling his own comment: “The job will get done, and done well, as long as we don’t fuss over who gets the credit”.

He was born in Renmark, South Australia and grew up there and in Adelaide where his life long love of fine art was formed. At Adelaide University he researched the art criticism of Walter Pater for his Masters. Then in the mid 1980s having studied Art and literature and worked in Art schools, curatorial roles and as a government advisor, David embarked upon another variation of his academic path. It was during his time at Lanyon Homestead in Canberra, that he commenced his Doctorate at the University of Wollongong. The 1992 PhD was on the history and philosophy of science studying the work of astronomer Percival Lowell and his hypotheses about life on Mars Before taking up his most important academic position, as foundation Professor of Cultural Heritage at Curtin University in 1995, he had lectured at the South Australian School of Art and Sydney University. At Curtin, his art, history and museum expertise were focused on establishing the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage offering undergraduate and post-graduate courses and research supervision.

Many institutions were enhanced by David’s creativity and results-driven approach. His passion for the broad heritage and museum field is evident in the number of places he advised or worked for. He was the Fine Arts Adviser in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet 1980-83, Curator of Lanyon Homestead near Canberra 1983-86, Director of the Nolan Gallery 1987-89 and the Senior Curator and then Manager of Collection Development and Research at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney 1989-1995.

As a Director, he served on the boards of AusHeritage 1995-97, the Australian Miners and Prospectors Hall of Fame 1997-2001, and the Australian Council of National Trusts 2001-2007. He was also an Expert Adviser to the National Museum of Australia 1999, and a consultant to Te Papa in Wellington, NZ.

David worked also at the committee and council level, contributing to Museums Australia (WA), the Maritime Archaeology Advisory Committee of the WA Museum, Friends of the Art Gallery of WA (President 2007-9), Chair of the WA Heritage Tourism Reference Group 2005-06, the Heritage Council of WA, National Trust of Australia (WA) (Chairman 2001-2007), Council of the Art Gallery Society of NSW 1982-83, the Arts Grants Advisory Committee (South Australia) 1978-1980 and the Friends of the Art Gallery of South Australia 1978-1980.

One of the positions David most valued was his trusteeship of Fairbridge Farm School in Pinjarra, WA, one of the Kingsley Fairbridge Farm Schools established as homes for orphans in the early twentieth century. David was devoted to the WA

I can only repeat what many have already said: that knowing David has been an incredible privilege; although I seem to recall he had a thing about the superfluous use of adjectives. This probably says something about the man. What ever my involvement with arts and cultural heritage since leaving Curtin University I felt that there was always at least one person batting for me. David was the perfect mentor, and not a bad human equivalent of Google for all things to do with Australian art history and heritage. David’s natural empathy and sharp intellect gave him the edge in attuning to the foibles of his fellow human beings and why conversations with David were such a pleasure and always easy. He will certainly be missed.Rosemary Fitzgerald, one of David’s former students

David was always approachable for advice about my studies encouraging me to keep on reaching higher, offered a friendly ear for advice, passionate for the culture and the arts and was a mentor to all of his students. Peter Stevenson

David was a mentor for his students during their studies and well beyond. With David’s encouragement and support I applied for my first job after University, working at Port Arthur Historic Site in Tasmania; delivered my first conference paper; and participated in an international student exchange to Europe. These have all been memorable and rewarding experiences for which I am ever grateful. David’s dedication to heritage will continue to be an inspiration to me. Leigh O’Brien, Curator, Western Australian Museum

I first met David Dolan in 2006 when I was successful in my application for the Indigenous Curatorial Internship at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. David was integral in developing the program and influencing the need for the program to include further tertiary education, something that has proved to be essential in providing greater opportunities for my future employment. During my time in that position I studied the Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Heritage Studies at Curtin University where David was one of my lecturers. He was an inspirational speaker and provided me with mentorship and guidance throughout my internship. I found the internship to be a turning point in my life, as it was through the mentoring I received at the Art Gallery and through people such as David that I grew personally, professionally and academically. Through the program I obtained skills that now provide a foundation for my confidence and ability to grow and face challenges that an employer throws at me.Thankyou David you will always be remembered. You have helped me and I’m sure many other people in so many ways. Ways that at first thought may have just been part of your job but has left a lasting impression on the world. May you rest in peace.Chad Creighton

“DAVID’S NATURAL EMPATHY AND SHARP INTELLECT GAVE HIM THE EDGE IN ATTUNING TO THE FOIBLES OF HIS FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS AND WHY CONVERSATIONS WITH DAVID WERE SUCH A PLEASURE AND ALWAYS EASY.”


Fairbridge finding in its history a place that had cared for children properly, a rare find in the context of the unravelling of many other appalling histories of institutional child abuse. He held his 50th birthday at this cherished heritage site and this was the place of his memorial service in February. David had the perfect life partner in his wife, Christine Lewis, a heritage professional who has also worked widely in Australia. Together they wrote The Fairbridge Chapel: Sir Herbert Baker’s Labour of Love (API Network, 2004), a contextualising study of the work of the great architect and his far flung achievements, in the case of Fairbridge Chapel, one that Baker was never to see. This was an irony that David appreciated, particularly as he regarded the chapel as one of Baker’s greatest works.

Christine and David travelled indefatigably and during the years in which David’s health became an increasing burden they seemed to travel even more. In mid 2009, for example, when he received a particularly dispiriting health report they responded robustly by

David Dolan seen relaxing at a Museums Australia (WA) function in 2008. David is accompanied in this photo by his wife, Christine and Head Curator at Fremantle Prison, Sandy Murray

HIS GENEROUS ATTITUDE TO WORK AND PEOPLE CAN PROBABLY BEST BE CONVEYED BY RECALLING HIS OWN COMMENT: “THE JOB WILL GET

DONE, AND DONE WELL, AS LONG AS WE DON’T FUSS OVER WHO GETS THE CREDIT”.

immediately booking a trip to Egypt before attending a book launch. The book contained one of David’s numerous writings. Throughout his illness he continued to write - chapters, articles, lectures, book and exhibition reviews.

David’s older daughter, Janey Dolan, from his first marriage to Liz Ponury, has followed her father into the cultural heritage business working in the museum and heritage worlds. His other daughter, Jerusha is a lawyer working in Adelaide.

David continued his work as the Professor of Cultural Heritage throughout his illness and, although officially retired in November, attended a university meeting the day before his passing. I was still working on his last wishes given at that meeting when I heard the sad news.

Jennifer Harris, Head of Cultural Heritage Curtin University Western Australia


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SCOTLAND’S REMINISCENCE PROjECTToday in Scotland there are approximately 72,500 people with dementia and that number is expected to rise significantly to 127,000 by 2031. It is a sobering thought that Hampden Park, Scotland’s national football stadium, does not have enough seats to accommodate everyone in Scotland with dementia. Indeed the stadium, with a capacity of just over 52,000, would fall short by 20,000. It is because of such alarming figures that, back in 2009, the Scottish Football Museum set up a pilot project aimed at providing therapeutic intervention through reminiscence sessions.

Hibernian FC and Scotland legend Lawrie Reilly launches the project’s outreach operations at Hampden Park in June 2009.

Photograph: Courtesy Scottish Football Museum


The idea to create what would initially become known as the Scottish Football Reminiscence Project was first muted by a football historian at a meeting of the Scottish Football Heritage Network in 2008. This network had been set up by the Scottish Football Museum to act as a heritage forum for football clubs across Scotland. In one of the meetings, Michael White of Falkirk Football Club, spoke of his work in supporting people with dementia in his local community through reminiscence sessions. He suggested that the wider football community in Scotland could work together to create a reminiscence programme on a larger scale.The museum under the direction of its chairman, Robert Craig, took on the responsibility of setting up and managing a pilot scheme. A number of partners were involved within the project, including Alzheimer Scotland, who acted as consultants, and Glasgow Caledonian University, who agreed to evaluate the therapeutic benefits of the reminiscence work. Three football clubs along with the museum acted as hubs in four areas of Scotland, linking up with local care homes and day care centres.Hundreds of paper and photographic artefacts from the collections of the museum and the football clubs were digitised and uploaded onto a password protected website. These images varied from old match programmes and action shots from games to photographs of football related objects held within the museum’s collection. Staff from the Scottish Football Museum and volunteers from the football clubs then linked up with selected care homes and day care centres in four areas across Scotland. Images were accessed from the website, printed off and put into reminiscence packs, which could be tailored to meet the diverse football interests of the participating men.The funding for the project was provided by Museums Galleries Scotland whilst the other partners helped to keep costs down to a minimum by offering their services ‘in-kind’. The enthusiasm and generosity of individuals and organisations would be a major strength in the success of the pilot scheme. Indeed many of the early partners have remained committed to the project even after the completion of the pilot phase in March 2010. Although the reminiscence sessions were open to men and women, it was found that a majority of the participants, perhaps unsurprisingly, were male. This in fact was an important breakthrough for the project as Alzheimer Scotland were concerned that existing reminiscence activities tended to appeal more to women and that there was difficulty in getting men to engage. The project therefore served to ‘fill a gap’ within the existing range of therapeutic interventions. Glasgow Caledonian University evaluated the therapeutic benefits of the reminiscence sessions and published their findings in March 2010. The report provided evidence that the therapy could temporarily alleviate the condition of participants, improving their ability to communicate and increasing their confidence. The therapy also led to a short term improvement in behavioural patterns which not only benefited the participants, but provided some respite for their carers. The importance of the work can be summed up by one carer involved in the study, who commented: “I drive here with this sad person with dementia and take home my husband.”Such was the overwhelming success of the pilot scheme that in March 2010 Alzheimer Scotland (Scotland’s leading specialist dementia charity) announced their intention to establish a national programme. The project is now managed by the charity with the museum working closely as a senior partner, and is known as the Alzheimer Scotland Football Reminiscence Project. Alzheimer Scotland is currently engaged in recruiting hundreds of volunteers across Scotland who will provide reminiscence sessions on a one to one and group basis. The current challenge is to secure the significant levels of funding required for the project to be rolled

out across Scotland. As interest in the project increases tens of thousands of images will need to be digitised and made available for those delivering the reminiscence sessions.Such challenges are being met head on and it is clear that the project is here to stay. As interest in the work increases new partnerships are being formed. Perhaps the most unlikely partnership of late has been between the football museum and members of Scotland’s quilting community. One quilter in particular, Ann Hill, has been involved in a separate project making memory or ‘myndin’ quilts for people with dementia. Within this project Ann met with people with dementia and their families and carers. She worked with them to make quilts containing images which could act as memory triggers. The quilts were therefore personalised for each individual and acted as a source of comfort.Ann became involved in the football reminiscence project, creating quilts with images of famous footballers from bygone years. Her colourful collection of memory quilts are currently being displayed in a special exhibition within the Scottish Football Museum. The exhibition was officially opened by Fiona Hyslop MSP, Scotland’s Culture Minister and will run until the end of July 2011.For further information on the Alzheimer Scotland Football Reminiscence Project please contact Martin Rothero, (Alzheimer Scotland Development Consultant) - [email protected].

Richard McBrearty, Curator Scottish Football Museum

Robert Craig OBE, Chair of the Scottish Football Museum, speaks during the press conference at the end of the successful pilot scheme in March 2010. The conference was

called to announce the findings of the evaluation conducted by Glasgow Caledonian University; Members of the South Ayrshire Football Reminiscence Group with the

Scottish Junior FA Cup early in 2010. Photographs: Courtesy Scottish Football Museum


FREMANTLE PRISON WESTERN’S AUSTRALIA’S FIRST CULTURAL SITE TO RECEIvE WORLD HERITAGE LISTINGWhen the English novelist Anthony Trollope visited Fremantle in 1872 he drily observed, ‘Fremantle has certainly no natural beauties to recommend it. It is a hot, white ugly town, with a very large prison, a lunatic asylum, and a hospital for ancient and worn-out convicts...’ 1 Indeed the Prison was built by these convicts, wearing them out in the process as its buildings spread over an immense 6.5 hectares. Trollope could not have envisaged that this remote site was destined to become a maximum-security gaol for almost 140 years. It was the last convict prison established in Australia.

Fremantle Prison Gatehouse c1900 Black and white photograph, Fremantle Prison Collection


Today Fremantle Prison is one of the most intact convict sites in the world. A six metre high limestone perimeter wall surrounds the complex which includes the Main Cell Block, the Anglican Chapel, four association wards, gate house, yards and refractory cells, service buildings, a hospital and workshops. In recognition of its historic significance, the Prison has been entered into heritage registers at State and national levels. The Prison was listed on the National Heritage list in 2005, the 14th site in Australia and the first in Western Australia.

Fremantle Prison’s fundamental mission is to preserve the heritage values of the Fremantle Prison Precinct through conservation and community engagement. The memory of the convicts who built the prison and much of the colony’s early infrastructure is embedded in the site, its buildings and in the stories told; both on site and externally through the Prison’s website and education and public programs.

The Convict Establishment (renamed Fremantle Prison in 1867) was constructed between 1852 and 1859 by British convict labour and opened in 1855. It was the longest operating convict built prison in Australia and features the largest and most intact convict built cell range in the Southern hemisphere. The Prison was decommissioned in 1991 and has become a significant attraction for both global tourists and local visitors since opening to the public as a heritage site in 1992.

World Heritage listingOur cultural and natural heritage are irreplaceable sources of life

and inspiration. Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Places as unique and diverse as the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Wall of China constitute our world’s heritage. What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.2

The World Heritage List is administered by the World Heritage Committee on

behalf of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted by UNESCO in 1972.3

Since that initial treaty World Heritage listings have grown to 911 sites: 704 cultural, 180 natural and 27 with both cultural and natural significance, such as Kakadu National Park and Machu Picchu. Australia has 18 World Heritage properties including two natural sites in Western Australia; Purnululu National Park and Shark Bay. However there are only three World Heritage cultural sites in the country, namely the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in Melbourne and most recently the Australian Convict Sites.

The Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Nomination was approved on 1 August 2010. The nomination process for the Australian Convict Sites Property for World Heritage Listing lasted for 15 years and is a story in itself. The sites were selected after extensive consultation with state and territory officials and heritage experts both in Australia and overseas. The final group listing of 11 historic convict sites represent the global phenomenon of forced migration and its association with global developments in the punishment of crime and reform

of criminal offenders during the modern era. The selected sites are the pre-eminent examples of Australia’s rich convict history with more than 3,000 convict sites remaining around Australia representing different aspects of the story of convictism. The term ‘convictism’ relates to the forced migration of convicts to penal colonies.

The Australian Convict Sites are nominated on the World Heritage List under the UNESCO criteria (iv) and (vi) for their outstanding universal significance as: an exceptional example of the forced migration of convicts – an important stage of human history. This meets criterion iv, ‘to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history’; and a significant example of global ideas and developments associated with the punishment and reform of the criminal elements of humanity during the Age of Enlightenment and the modern era. This meets criterion vi, ‘to be directly or tangibly

associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance’.

The 11 sites in the serial listing are: Fremantle Prison (Western Australia); Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (Norfolk Island); Old Government House and Domain (NSW); Hyde Park Barracks (NSW); Brickendon–Woolmers Estates (Tasmania); Darlington Probation Station (Tasmania); Old Great North Road (NSW); Cascades Female Factory (Tasmania); Port Arthur Historic Site (Tasmania); Coal

Mines Historic Site (Tasmania) and Cockatoo Island Convict Site (NSW). These sites range from intact structures to historical ruins to archaeological remains. Together they tell the unique story of the exile of convicts from one side of the world to another and their critical role in developing the economy and social and cultural life of a new nation.

Transportation to a new colonyTransportation of criminal offenders to penal colonies dates from the early 17th century. With the end of transportation to America in 1775, Britain had to find a new way to deal with its large population of criminals. There was overwhelming pressure on the British Government to resume transportation, to a new destination, or to establish a new national penitentiary system. As a result, Britain commenced transportation to Australia in 1787 and established a new colony of NSW. Other penal colonies were established in Van Diemen’s Land (now known as Tasmania) and the Swan River Colony. 4

THE MEMORY OF THE CONVICTS WHO BUILT THE PRISON AND MUCH OF THE COLONY’S EARLY INFRASTRUCTURE IS EMBEDDED IN THE SITE, ITS BUILDINGS AND IN THE STORIES TOLD; BOTH ON

SITE AND ExTERNALLY THROUGH THE PRISON’S WEBSITE AND EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS.


British transportation to Australia was the world’s first conscious attempt to build a new society on the labour of convicted prisoners. Over 160,000 convicts were transported from England, Ireland and the British colonies to Australia between 1788 and 1868. Some 9,720 British male convicts travelled to the Swan River Colony (now known as Perth) between 1850 and 1868.

Between 1845 and 1847, settlers had lobbied the British Government to send convicts to the Swan River Colony. They saw this as the preferable solution to save the struggling colony, arguing that the convicts would provide much needed cheap labour to build roads, bridges, jetties and other infrastructure necessary to service the population. Their request was successful and timely; as previously noted Britain was searching for a new dumping ground for its prisoners.

Convict ancestryThe World Heritage Australian Convict Sites are among the thousands the British Empire established in Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries. They housed tens of thousands of men, women and children condemned to transportation to the convict colonies. Each of the convict sites had a specific purpose, in terms both of punitive imprisonment and of rehabilitation through forced labour to help build the colony. For example Fremantle Prison was used as a convict barracks and prison for male convicts between 1855 and 1886. Overall the Australian Convict Sites property presents the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts.5

For many years Australians considered it shameful to have convict ancestry, however that has shifted greatly. With each new Australian generation there is increasing appeal in tracing family genealogy, especially from convict origins. Fremantle Prison officially acknowledges this through its annual Descendants Day program when descendants of convicts, as well as pensioner guards and warders, are honoured, thus keeping the memory of these people alive. The Prison recognises the contribution that the system of convict transportation made to the early development of the colony and its rich legacy in Western Australia’s cultural and built heritage.

The Prison is truly a heritage success story; staff have maintained its integrity as an intact site and made it accessible to the public. Visitors relish the fact that it is an authentic site with scant alteration since its convict days. Fremantle Prison is not a set of ruins, but a unique property that has been in constant use since it opened 156 years ago. Mr Trollope’s prediction of 1872, ‘I do believe that the prison in Fremantle will become all but useless’ 6 has clearly not been fulfilled.

Sandra Murray, Head CuratorFremantle Prison

1. Trollope, Anthony (1873) edited by Edwards, P D and Joyce, R B. (1967) Australia, University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Qld. p. 36. 2. World Heritage website http://whc.unesco.org/en/about/ 22.3.11 3. ibid 4. Australian Convict Sites brochure, Australian Federal Government, NSW Government, Tasmanian Government, Government of Western Australia, Norfolk Island 2009, p. 1. 5. World Heritage website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1306 22.3.11 6. Trollope, Anthony (1873) edited by Edwards, P D and Joyce, R B. (1967) Australia, University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Qld. p. 585

Interior of Main Cell Block showing four levels of 3 Division 2009

Courtesy Fremantle Prison

Reconstructed convict cell of 1850-60 era Courtesy Fremantle Prison


OLD COURT HOUSE LAW MUSEUM OPERATED by THE LAW SOCIETy OF WESTERN AUSTRALIAPERTH’S FIRST COURT HOUSE AND THE EARLIEST BODY OF LAW ENFORCERS WERE MAKESHIFT. FOR SEVEN YEARS COURT WAS HELD IN A SMALL CHURCH KNOWN AS THE ‘RUSH CHURCH’, NEAR THE CORNER OF HAY AND IRWIN STREETS. FOLLOWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SWAN RIVER COLONY, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR STIRLING WAS THE SOLE ARBITRATOR ON CIVIL RIGHTS AND LEGAL MATTERS, ALTHOUGH HE WAS EAGER FOR APPROVAL TO FORMALLY ESTABLISH A LEGAL SYSTEM.

The exterior view of the beautiful Old Courthouse Museum. Copyright and Courtesy Michal Lewis

An old jury barrel Courtesy Old Courthouse Law Museum

In the meantime, Stirling appointed eight magistrates and 14 constables to help him deal particularly with servants “whose habits were of the loosest description”1, aware that he had no official authority to do so. Without approval from the Home Government, Stirling also called for tenders for a purpose-built court house. Colonial Engineer Henry Willey Reveley designed the Perth Court House and it opened in January 1837. That court house still stands, a simple yet elegant Georgian building hidden behind trees in Stirling Gardens in the city and home to one of the few law museums in the world.In November 2009 the Law Society of Western Australia received an Interpretation of Cultural Heritage Grant from LotteryWest towards an Interpretation and Design Plan for the Old Court House Law Museum. Dr Brian Shepherd and a team of consultants met with stakeholders and developed the Plan, identifying and recommending themes and interpretation approaches to be adopted throughout the building.In 2010 the plan was completed and in the same year the museum received further LotteryWest funding to begin the staged implementation of the Interpretation and Design Plan. An Interpretation of Cultural Heritage Grant was received to be used towards the production of an audio tour of the Old Court House for a historical interpretation of the law and legal issues in Western Australia including the impact of British Law on Aboriginal people.Latitude Creative Services are developing an imaginative and lively audio tour for the Old Court House Law Museum. The tour will introduce visitors to the development of the Stirling Gardens and the Justice Precinct, and highlight the significance and changes in use of the space and built fabric over time with particular emphasis on the Old Court House and the significance of its location.The audio tour will reflect on the architecture as well as the many uses of the Old Court House including church, school, concert hall, meeting place and Arbitration Court. While the audio tour will assist visitors to develop an understanding of and response to the location and changing values in the place, it will also aim to challenge beliefs about law, in particular the impact of British law on Aborigines. Interviewees’ comments and sounds will be woven through the production to form an integrated narrative comprising insightful and contrasting views about the meaning of the place from a range of perspectives. The tour will be delivered in selectable chapters and run for approximately 12 minutes. The research phase of the audio tour project is now underway and it is anticipated that the production will be complete by July 2011.

Sarah Toohey, Curator, Old Court House Law Museum


A United Voice for Arts and Culture in Western Australia

On 26th October 2010 I stood before a crowd of arts and cultural leaders, business people, artists, a smattering of government folk, and the Minister for Arts and Culture. It was the AGM of the WA Arts Federation and I was presenting the 2010 Financial Report, my last official act as Treasurer. As I finished and asked for my report to be accepted, I looked around the room. It was one of those moments that we know will be important in the future, but difficult to appreciate at the time. The event marked the official launch of the WA Chamber of Arts and Culture, the state’s new representative arts body providing an independent and cohesive voice for the sector. The Chamber is the first of its kind in Australia, and, I like to think, reflects the WA’s entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving.

The path to the launch of the Chamber was long, and circuitous and not always easy, but as lobby and advocacy groups grow and respond to their environment, so the Chamber evolved from the co-operation and collaboration of several groups working towards a common goal.

The resources boom of several years ago had highlighted fundamental community and economic imbalances including shortages of workers, the emergence of a two-speed economy, and a recognition of the need for Perth to become a more liveable city.

The Chamber evolved from the WA Arts Federation and the WA Cultural Chairs group, an informal group of cultural board members, many of them influential business people, convened through ABAF i. The Arts Federation was essentially a peak body for the sector enabling arts organisations to come together to discuss common problems and to present a united face to government in particular. I am proud of the fact that Museums Australia WA was one of the founding members in 2006 along with Artsource, the Film and Television Institute, Country Arts WA, WA Music and several others.

The Federation espoused several basic principles that I am pleased have been continued on to the Chamber. One of these is equal representation; from the smallest community arts organisation to the largest state company, all organisations and individuals are treated equally, pay the same membership, and have the same voting power.

Another important factor in the evolution of the Chamber was a key piece of research undertaken in 2008 by the Committee for Perthii, and supported by Lotterywest, and with input from the Federation & ABAF, amongst others. “A Cultural Compact for WA: a 10 year Challenge – Phase 1 Perth”, was the outcome. This research

Jane King, AGM October 2010; New Board members: Jude Van Der Merwe, Artsource; Sam Walsh, Rio Tinto; Helen Cook, KPMG, AGM

October 2010, images © and with permission of Dave Higgins

was important for two reasons. Firstly, it was arguably the first piece of solid research on the value of arts and culture in making Perth a more liveable city. Secondly, and equally as important, the process of consultation involved several large scale forums where hundreds of participants from arts and cultural organisations, individual artists, members of the public, business people, state and local government, city and regional people, were all able to voice their views and concerns.

The side-effects of this process were the new connections made and the realisation that a strong arts and cultural sector was important for the whole community. The desire for Perth and WA to have a world class arts and culture sector to match our growing reputation as an economic powerhouse gained traction.

At this time, the relationship between the Federation and the Cultural Chairs group was developing and the Federation President was invited to join the Cultural Chairs. This laid the ground work for the many and lengthy conversations, proposals, suggestions, and ideas as to what was the common vision for a strong, thriving and dynamic cultural sector. Once it was agreed that our future was better together than separate, things moved quickly; some constitutional changes, a general meeting, and the agonising over a suitable name, and we were on our way to officially launching the Chamber of Arts and Culture WA.

My own involvement has grown over the past four years, firstly with the Federation as a representative of Museums Australia, then as a board member, and in more recent years as treasurer. At the AGM in October I was honoured to be elected to the inaugural board of the Chamber, one of seven elected positions, which together with the five appointed positions makes up the 12 person board. I have the great fortune to take up this position with a group of fellow arts leaders and artists for whom I have an enormous amount of admiration and respect and from whom I


A photo of Lionel Logue and his wife; finer detail of some of the programs held by His Majesty’s regarding Lionel Logue

have learned so much. My colleagues also include high profile business and community leaders led by Mr Sam Walsh, the CEO of Rio Tinto, Mr John Langoulant, Oakajee Port and Rail, Ms Janet Holmes a Court, Prof Margaret Seares, and Ms Helen Cook, KPMG.

The first few months of operation have involved a lot of groundwork including establishing a secretariat. We now have several working groups who are collating information on a range of issues, particularly cultural infrastructure concerns, and there are plans for a comprehensive member survey. We have maintained the wide involvement of both cultural chairs and general managers by establishing two distinct committees that meet regularly and are open to all members. Importantly, the Chamber has had several high level discussions with government. The Chamber is committed to working with partner organisation such as the Committee for Perth and ABAF to realise our vision for arts and culture in WA.

Needless to say there is an expectation that the Chamber will make a difference! It is a big challenge, but one which I think we are equal to - there is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come. For further information and membership: Chamber website: www.cacwa.org.auJane King

Lionel Logue and The Maj Connection In October 2010, blithely oblivious to the fact that The King’s Speech was about to invade cinemas worldwide, I devoted time to planning a small display dedicated to an amateur actor and voice teacher called Lionel Logue. His activities were well known to me. For over twenty years he had scored a mention whenever I hosted one of my Grand Historic Tours of His Majesty`s Theatre. In that (now) venerable venue Logue had worked as both performer and producer, even stage manager, in the plays and musical comedies of long ago. And tucked away in our burgeoning archives I had the programmes to prove it!

Early in December, with the film`s advance publicity becoming increasingly feverish, I placed the programmes and relevant clippings in a showcase for all to see, then took my Mum off to Sydney for Christmas. When I returned The King’s Speech had hit town and the name Lionel Logue was on everybody’s lips.

That was my cue to expand the original display by surrounding it with memorabilia from Nicholson`s Music Shop in Barrack Street. It was an apt expansion. From a studio on the first floor of that building Logue taught elocution, voice production, stage deportment and dramatic arts to the would-be thespians of Edwardian Perth. I also saluted Guy Pearce`s fine contribution to the film by including a photograph of Edward the Prince of Wales leaving His Majesty`s where he had been Guest Of Honour at a Diggers̀ Reception in July 1920.

The result was a colourful and quirky exhibition attracting national publicity and an endless chorus line of visitors keen to explore a little known slice of West Australian cultural history. Our bijou Museum was abuzz.

In the Visitors̀ Book one entry was particularly gratifying. In a few lines a woman wrote of her grandfather whose stutter was cured by Logue before she was born. She never knew him as a stutterer but when watching newsreel footage of King George she saw in him the same vocal mannerisms as her Grandpa. That delightful snippet was copied and added to the display.

Then London called. A British company was making a documentary on Lionel Logue, to be screened in England a week before the Academy Awards. In exchange for a healthy donation (Sterling) would I allow them to use images of our Maj programmes in their film? Graciously, I consented to their request.

Then Adelaide called. Management wanted the exhibition for a few weeks in the Festival Centre. So, as a grand finale, off it went to the city where King George’s best friend was born. All in all Lionel Logue and The Maj Connection was a bit of a triumph for the Museum Of Performing Arts. And it was due entirely to the sharpest skill in show business: Timing !

Ivan King, Curator


THE LIbRARy OFNEARLy LOST MOMENTS

STATE LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA . NOVEMBER 19TH, 2010 – FEBRUARY 6TH, 2011


‘Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future’ so sang Steve Miller in 1976 and if it was true then, it’s just as true today, in fact it seems even more the case in the 21st century than ever before… but then time, that elusive fourth dimension, is relative.Capturing moments of time and enabling us to look back on our personal histories is for some a passion and for others an innate but perhaps misunderstood compulsion of hoarding. Recently on display in the Cultural Centre of Perth is a quote by historian Frank K. Crowley; ‘The prize of history is the understanding of modern times’. What then the prize of examining our personal histories? Is it a better understanding of self? ‘Know thyself’ a human quest inscribed on the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and on the walkway to the Arts building at the University of Western Australia, continues to be one of the ‘big’ questions that philosophers, whether unconscious, amateur or academic, continue to try and thrash out.

Personal attempts to better understand ourselves can take many forms and for some it is perhaps the unconscious curating of personal collections. These collections and by extension, personal stories, were tapped into with the recent State Library of Western Australia exhibition; The Library of Nearly Lost Moments. The inspiration for The Library of Nearly Lost Moments came from many quarters over many years. Worth mentioning is the public art by Fremantle resident Andrew Hayim de Vries, Perth artist, Christine Lovett and the Museum of Modern Oddities constructed by performance artists Katy Bowman and Neil Thomas.

Many of the works by these artists have involved working with

discarded items or things that may be considered mundane in day to day life, such as clothes pegs or hardware items. Like some of the artists’ works mentioned, The Library of Nearly Lost Moments invited passers by to contribute to the exhibition or art works by depositing items that they were willing to discard.

In the case of the Library of Nearly Lost Moments, exhibition visitors were invited to deposit their items in a cellophane bag, along with a description or explanation, fictional or otherwise, written on obsolete library stationery. The cellophane bag was then sealed by stapling on a cardboard tag. A peg board and pegs were provided, and participants were invited to hang their cellophane bag on the peg board on display for other participants.

Items collected from participants over the duration of the exhibit were juxtaposed with cabinets displaying items from the State Library ephemera collection. The selection of items from this collection was not driven by any thematic links allowing an intriguing eclectic selection of items to be displayed together. These included World War II ration cards, menus, infant health brochures and birthday cards.

Furniture for the exhibition were items not currently in use and collected from various corners of the State Library. These items included 1980s Macintosh computers, a film editing table, reel to reel and turntable audio recording equipment, and old map and card catalogue drawers.

During the course of the eleven week exhibition, over 600 contributions were deposited by members of the public. Deposited items ranged from seemingly insignificant scraps of penned messages, transport tickets, confectionary wrappers, to books, jewellery, concert tickets and toys. The range of the items was as fascinating for the exhibitors as much as for the participants, as were the annotations accompanying the items.

“This is a concert ticket from one of my favourite bands. ‘The Cat Empire’. It was their first concert in Perth, I got in half price free coz my sister got free tickets for her birthday and she took me! Thanks Mon! Felicity 7/12/2010” (sic)Packaged with The Cat Empire $45 adult concert ticket at the Fremantle Arts Centre, Thursday 28th December 2006.

“This coin was given to me at Milford Sound in New Zealand. A gentleman had a head ache and asked the Cruise staff for a Panadol which they were not allowed to give so I gave him one of mine and he gave me this coin” (sic)Packaged with an unidentified foreign coin.

“This is a .60 guitar pic I took to jam with my friends when we camped at Parry’s beach, halfway between Walpole & Denmark, over new year. I met an old man called jon who invited me to jam at his caravan. He had a mandolin that I played; I had never held one before. jon told me no one had ever been able to play a tune 1rst time except me. This is something I can do and I don’t know why.” (sic)Packaged with a ‘Jim Dunlop, USA Nylon .60mm’ grey guitar pic.

“This ring my girl-friend and I bought it 6 years ago when we were together. I keep half of heart, she keep another half. Months later we broke up but I still keep it until now. She just married 2 weeks ago so I shouldn’t keep it anymore. 24/11/2010 Don” (sic)Packaged with metal ring fashioned with half a heart.

“I’m a big kid who still collects kinda surprises. My husband buys me one everytime he says sorry for something or occasionally just to be nice. My collection is quite sizeable these days.”Packaged with toy crocodile, casing and instructions to assemble toy.

“I’m a hoarder of moments, a trait I inherited from my mother. The queen of horders. This piece of sea-glass I found roughly a year ago and having have been carring it around since. I found it on my favourite stretch of beach. If you can call 5m square of broken shells a ‘beach’. I remember wandering if you placed glass in a jar with sand and water and shook hard enough, if you could make something as soft and magical as this piece of glass. And as memorable.” (sic)Packaged with a piece of brown sea glass.


‘Seeing these objects placed side by side with offerings from other people, you find another culture – the culture of the ordinary, the random and the temporary. This is culture where not much matters more than the moment and the emotion. But this is not to say that this is any less important that the monuments that have endured thousands of years. Rather it reminds us that there are other, living museums all around us constantly evolving and reflecting what our lives are. This is the aspect of culture that is hardest to map, to define and represent. And yet, as individuals, the awareness of the fleeting nature of our lives is what drives us.’ Shelagh Magadza, Preface, Museum of Modern Oddities, Katy Bowman and Neil Thomas

The support for The Library of Nearly Lost Moments initiative by the State Library Executive and supporting teams was whole hearted. Preservation, Exhibition and Facilities teams enthusiastically accepted the extra work involved in mounting this interactive event that was difficult to describe on paper.

A serendipitous meeting led to the involvement of the Awesome International Children’s Art Festival partnering the event. This partnership boosted the initial visitor numbers for the event, 880 school students were booked for guided visits in the first two weeks. Over the first two weeks Awesome also contributed volunteers to guide visitors and encourage visitor interaction and significant assistance in setting up the exhibition.

The artist Christine Lovett volunteered time to assist in dressing the exhibition and a selection of her art works for display for the duration of the exhibition.

Despite its playful nature, The Library of Nearly Lost Moments did have real purpose for the State Library of Western Australia. By mounting something distinctive it was hoped The Library of Nearly Lost Moments would attract and engage with regular visitors as well as drawing in new visitors. The exhibition also endeavoured to raise the profile of the ephemera collection and the Library as a trusted custodian of community heritage.

Anecdotal evidence from the Library Welcome Desk staff indicates a high level of interest from regular visitors and bystanders. The number and variety of deposits made by participants, as well as the annotations, reveal the successful public engagement across ages and the various walks of life.

Future directions may include packaging the exhibition concept for regional and other public libraries, facilitating the provision of similar exhibits that provide opportunities for self reflection and expression in localised communities. It is possible that another further refined version of The Library of Nearly Lost Moments may be mounted at a later date, showcasing a different range of items from the Ephemera Collection and including a website component. More immediately Library staff are working with The Collection Development Team, tussling with the challenge of recording and cataloguing all the moments saved, which would have slipped away … if not captured in The Library of Nearly Lost Moments.

Kate Akerman Education OfficerState Library of Western AustraliaAll photographs in this article Courtesy of the State Library of WA

‘SEEING THESE OBJECTS PLACED SIDE BY SIDE WITH OFFERINGS FROM OTHER PEOPLE, YOU FIND ANOTHER CULTURE – THE CULTURE OF THE

ORDINARY, THE RANDOM AND THE TEMPORARY. HIS IS CULTURE WHERE NOT MUCH MATTERS MORE THAN THE MOMENT AND THE

EMOTION.


The Returned and Services LeagueThe Returned and Services League of Australia has been in WA in some form since 1916. Starting out as the Returned Soldiers Association, WA went through three name changes before joining its eastern states counterparts in 1918 and was the last of the States to join the National body.

The archive collection of the RSL contains records back to inception documenting many of the issues faced by returned service people returning from war. With the set up of the archive at ANZAC House in 2009, it also became apparent that gaps existed in the collection primarily in terms of what we know about the sub branches of the League. Almost as soon as the League began, sub branches opened up across Western Australia. The sub branches played a vital role in supporting veterans and their families and worked actively within the community to provide support to veterans in terms of advocacy and welfare. The RSL also offered its members a place to meet, to share the traditions of ANZAC. Competitions were held between sub branches in cricket, rifle shooting, and darts to name a few. The sub branches were also involved in fundraising, supporting the League by organising collections, dances and dinners within the local community. Competitions were also held to support WA industry such as Miss Westralia in which entrants were required to make an outfit entirely out of wool with the winner being crowned Miss Westralia. The competition was held during Wool Week and run by the sub branches of the League to support the Wool Industry in WA.

The question of how to work with the sub branch collections required a somewhat different approach. Maintaining the sub branch collections at ANZAC House was not an option with space being of concern as well as the problem of moving collections from the community in which they exist. The RSL is a community organisation and to remove the collection from the community would mean the loss of context. We would also have problems with accessing the collection as not everyone would have the opportunity to come in to Perth to view the collection. With the number of active sub branches totalling 134 and defunct sub branches being calculated at 280 the question of how to capture these collections and provide access to these collections led to the ‘RSL Living History Project’.

The ‘RSL Living History Project’ works with sub branches to digitise items within their collection that tell the story of the sub branch. Oral Histories will also be conducted to capture the stories of sub branch members. With the generous support of Lotterywest we are travelling out to the sub branches with a scanner, video, digital recording equipment and a stills camera to work with the sub branch in capturing their unique story of the RSL within the community.

With the digital content, we are developing an online exhibition that will be freely available via our website. Developed by Glasson Murray Group the exhibition will document the history of the League within Western Australia uncovering stories of veterans returning from war.

The Returned and Services League of Australia WA Branch collection is indeed a hidden collection but we have chosen a method of exhibition that will bring the collection out of the box so to speak. Currently we are employing various social media to ‘advertise’ the project. It is still trial and error at this stage but with the content we need sometimes existing in back sheds and sometimes private residences the more widely we disseminate information about what we are doing the greater our chance of capturing the stories of the sub branches will be. Providing sub branches with the support with which to care for their collections is also an important component of the project. Ensuring the sub branches are given the support required will mean in the future these collections will be maintained and not remain hidden.

For more information about the project, or to find out when we will be in your community you can follow us on http://rslcentenary.blogspot.com/

Naomi Jones, ArchivistThe Returned and Services League of Australia, WA Branch

The opening of ANZAC House in 1934. The opening was performed by the Duke of Gloucester and was located next to

the current ANZAC House. Unfortunately it was demolished around 1976 but apparently had the best dance floor in town.

Photographs: Courtesy of the Returned and Services League of Australia WA Branch Incorporated

The image of a badge that might be the first badge for the League in WA when it was known as the Returned Soldiers Association so

prior to joining the National League.


CITy OF PERTH HERITAGE DAyS PUbLIC FORUM

A MODERATE CROWD ATTENDED THE PRESENTATION AND PANEL SESSION TITLED “MAKING THE MOST OF THE BOOM: THE ARTS, HERITAGE AND HISTORY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA”. THIS WAS HELD ON SUNDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2010, AS PART OF THE WEEKEND’S EVENTS TO SHOWCASE THE STATE’S PAST.

The cast was outstanding: Richard Offen, Executive Director of Heritage Perth chaired the session, and provided further insight and personal recollections as he made introductions and commented on the speeches.The first presenter was Julian Donaldson, the PIAF General Manger. He bemoaned the solo positioning of Perth’s art and culture venues (“stranded assets”), compared to the cultural precincts in Melbourne (Federation Square), Brisbane (South Bank) and Adelaide (on the Torrens River). He noted when places are converged they become vibrant and continuously busy, and are filled with people at all hours of the day.

Julian believed Perth particularly needs a new lyric theatre and a new Conservatory of music, and he hoped money could be channelled from the booms to these

buildings, and also into research. His talk also pointed out the realities of staging events, whereby quality performances count for little with the audience if the seats, air-conditioning, parking and refreshments are substandard.

The second speaker was Marion Fuller, who holds the dual roles of CEO of the Committee for Perth, and Chair of the Heritage council of WA. She would like to see the economic opportunities of the boom maximised, with the regulatory environment reformed, the built environment re-shaped and arts and culture revitalised and made more accessible in the city. Marion reported some of the opinions of the experts her boards had hired: they praised Perth’s natural wonders and streetscapes like Rokeby Road, but denounced the airport and suburban shopping centres. Interestingly, the experts

deemed Northbridge as a blackspot but a part of Perth with the most potential.

Marion noted cultural places can push and pull people to travel throughout a city - she had travelled widely and remarked on the regeneration of cities like Liverpool via cultural attractions. Marion urged the heritage and other industries to collaborate not compete with each other. She ended by saying Perth’s attitude has been “good enough is enough”, as shown by the below-expectation outcomes of the building of the Bell Tower and Hillarys Marina: Perth should aim higher and deliver more.

Next was Alec Coles, CEO of the WA Museum, who gave his speech between functions and plane flights! He began with an overview of the museum’s history, contents and buildings. Now the Francis Street property is outdated, not fit for purpose and limited


LOTTERyWEST CULTURAL INTERPRETATION HERITAGE GRANTSDO yOU HAvE A STORy TO SHARE? Lotterywest Cultural Heritage Interpretation Grants aim to help communities to develop an understanding of the significance of their cultural heritage places and objects, as a way of maintaining their sense of identity and heritage. “Significance” means the importance and meaning we place on a landscape, site, building, object, collection, or installation. (Sharing our Stories, 2007) “Interpretation” is a means of communicating idea and feelings which help people enrich their understanding and appreciation of their world and their role in it. (Interpretation Australia Assoc.) Good interpretation is concerned with sharing memories and experiences and it respects the connections between people and place. Good interpretation communicates with the audience, rather than simply provides information. Grants can be made to assist with the preparation of Interpretation Plans, or to implement Interpretation Projects.

For more information visit

www.lotterywest.wa.gov.au/grants/grant-types /heritage-and-conservation/interpretation

APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED FROM: 14 MAY 2011 / CLOSING DATE: 1 JULY 2011

in display space (The Pompeii exhibit barely fitted in). Furthermore, the fence, lack of entrances and access ramps creates a “keep out” feeling. Alec proposes that the cultural places in Perth be mixed with retail and residential sites – he says museums can be transformational.

Alec’s vision for the museum is to celebrate the diversity of WA, to improve and challenge

people, forge identities and promote learning. It could foster state pride and tell the extraordinary stories of WA’s people, land and events. He brainstormed potential focii as The Swan, The Indian Ocean and beaches, The Indigenous, Megafauna, Venomous Beasts, Sport, Fashion, Anzacs and Sustainable WA.

The final speaker was Professor Simon

Anderson, Head of School of Architecture at UWA. He remarked that WA had a short – when compared internationally – history of buildings, but they were often an “absence of excess” or bland, such as the CML building in the city, or an “excess of excess” like the planned Perth Arena. He explained his view of architecture in Perth as “Green Grass” i.e. better elsewhere, yet also “Rose coloured

glasses”, saying we should “Love Perth for better or worse”. Simon called for our buildings to match and fit our landscape, and he concluded by indicating future plans such as the Waterfront development link to our past: once more encouraging families to interact with the river, such as eating ice-creams on the foreshore.

Question time began slowly but escalated

rapidly, with many strong opinions being voiced. People refuted Perth’s “Dullsville” tag, and advised of their dislike of the Convention Centre and Langley Park. They suggested arts events be held targeting potential donors with boom-generated money, and contended the relevance of poor times made people frugal and hesitant now.

Overall, the contributions from speakers and

attendees proved the multiple views on and possibilities for Perth’s arts and cultural scene. The session left all parties with much to ponder, and hopefully, to act upon.

Leith Robinson, Curtin University PhD student

THEY PRAISED PERTH’S NATURAL WONDERS AND STREETSCAPES LIKE ROKEBY ROAD, BUT DENOUNCED THE AIRPORT AND

SUBURBAN SHOPPING CENTRES. INTERESTINGLY, THE ExPERTS DEEMED NORTHBRIDGE AS A BLACKSPOT BUT A PART OF PERTH

WITH THE MOST POTENTIAL.

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MEMORyIN OUR WORk WITH COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT WE RECENTLy CAME ACROSS A UNIqUE MOMENT, A TIME THAT WE kNOW WE SHALL NEvER HAvE AGAIN. THIS STORy IS AbOUT SUCH A MOMENT FOR THE STAFF AT THE MELvILLE DISCOvERy CENTRE.

This is a story we would like to share of what we learnt about someone and what memory meant to them. Memory evokes thoughts, feelings and emotions of events, places and people. Memory too can be for some a sense of self and time. Recently I came across someone’s memory. The woman’s husband called for help to clear some space and we were asked to see what may be worth saving for our collection. Before us was her life of collecting, sorting, wrapping and storing to remember. Their whole house was filled with boxes neatly packed, labeled, stacked until all the rooms in the 1927 house were filled, leaving a path to enter the kitchen and a path to enter the bed. We found mounds in the back garden packed, labeled, stacked and covered in black plastic. Out in the garden and in the house she had stored her memories. A lifetime of collecting paper products, catalogues, newspapers, receipts, samples, letters. All items were sorted neatly, wrapped with care, stored into a box, with folded newspaper at the top and then with three strings holding it all together. If the boxes were outside they were wrapped into a plastic bag and placed on top of spaced bricks to allow air to circulate and covered in black plastic to protect them from the weather. Forty years of collecting is stored outside to face the weather. We opened the boxes to find paper products in pristine condition. Before us we saw someone’s passion to collect, save and remember. Her

memory was then found by us. Viewing the front of the house from the street there was no sign of the memory; it wasn’t until we went around the back that we were to be confronted with the extent that she had gone to in remembering and collecting memories. To our amazement, we discovered box after box, neatly packed packages of similar items. Boxes were labeled with titles like catalogues, odd paper work, tissues, magazines and newspapers… letters that were opened and put pack into their envelope and filed away. Certificates, recipes all neatly wrapped. A lifetime of collecting, sorting and wrapping memories, that were there saved for memory. Not eaten by the rats, cockroaches or silver fish. Not damaged by being out in the weather to face the rain, the heat, the humidity or frost.We have unfolded her packages and have learnt from her packing methods that if you store items properly and with care, they will last for future generations. By taking time, being patient and storing in layers, paper products have a chance to survive time and become a memory for some and a new discovery for others.Yolanda Cool, Assistant Curator, Melville Discovery Centre

Above:Boxes stacked ceiling high inside the house; And even more boxes stored outside in the garden

Photos: Courtesy Melville Discovery Centre


Musing Details This is the first edition of Musing for 2011. Museums Australia (WA) Inc disclaims responsibility for statements of fact or opinion expressed in contributions and reserves the right to edit, abridge, alter or reject any contribution. The support of all advertisers is welcomed, however, publication of an advertisement or inclusion of a flyer does not imply endorsement by Museums Australia (WA) Inc., its affiliates or employees. The entire contents of this issue are copyright 2011, Museums Australia (WA) Inc. This issue of Musing was designed by Message Design. Please visit our website: www.museumswa.com.au for news, views and discussion.

Museums Australia (WA) The State Committee members are: Soula Veyradier (President), Lorraine Fitpatrick (Vice President), Robert Mitchell (Treasurer), Christen Bell (Secretary), Catherine Czerw, Cathy Day, Barbara Matters, Kate Gregory, Jude Savage, Phillipa Rogers.

Editorial Committee: Kate Gregory, Tanja Coleman, Jane King, Natasha Hill,Robert Mitchell, Anne Chapple. Contact [email protected] address for the State office is: PO Box 224, Northbridge WA 6865 Phone: 08 9427 2770 Fax: 08 9427 2855 Email: [email protected]: www.museumswa.com.auDesign by Message Design © Copyright 2011 Museums Australia (WA) Inc. This newsletter is printed on recycled paper.

02Editorial / 04Remembering David Dolan Professor of Cultural Heritage / 08Scotland’s Reminiscence Project / 10Fremantle Prison Western’s Australia’s First Cultural Site to Receive World Heritage listing / 13Old Court House Law Museum Operated By The Law Society Of Western Australia / 14A United Voice for Arts and Culture in Western Australia / 16The Library of Nearly Lost Moments/ 19Lionel Logue and The Maj Connection / 20City of Perth Heritage Days Public Forum/ 22Memory / 23Photographic Management Workshop

ADVANCING MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND CULTURAL CENTRES

7 May Peel Chapter MeetingEdenvale, Pinjarra10 am to... Guest Speaker

17 May Digital Storytelling Graduation, ???? Room5.30pm to 6.00pmJen Griffiths

18 May Heritage Council/Museums Australia WAMasterclass?????????

14-18 November National Conference Museum Australia (WA), State Theatre, PerthAll welcome

8 July From Bunyip to BeautifulWetlands Touring ExhibitionMoves to Subiaco Museum

07 17

18 1408

[MUSING]MUSEUMS AUSTR ALIA . WESTERN AUSTR ALIA

[memory]

AUTUMN 2011~

Important Dates: Please refer to the website: www.museumswa.com.au or call 9427 2770 for more information

15- 22 May Museum WeekWide variety of activitiesStatewide

1510 May Lotterywest Cultural Interpretation Heritage Grant Workshop, Heathcote Time TBCRosemary Fitzgerald

10

15 June Annual General Meeting/Christmas in June SundownerNorthbridge HotelTime Museum Australia (WA)

15

As usual there are people moving about within the museum and gallery sector, with the latest comings and goings including Elizabeth Hof resigning from her role as curator of the Subiaco Museum. Elizabeth will be concentrating on her work toward her PhD, for which she recently obtained a scholarship. Congratulations Elizabeth, and all the best for the time ahead

Oonagh Quigley is the new curator at Subiaco, having travelled further inland from her previous position at the Fremantle prison.

Down south in Bunbury, we were pleased to hear that our convenor for the South West Chapter, Lauretta Davies has been appointed curator by the City of Bunbury. This exciting position may see the establishment of a museum in the city’s environs.

Ros Marshal, for many years holding the educational reins at the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library is now firmly ensconced with the team up at the Wanneroo Library and Cultural Centre. Ros recently led a workshop at the National Symposium: Building Bridges for Historical learning: Connecting Teacher Education and Museum Education.

Here at the MAWA office, we were pleased to welcome back Caitlin Eaton, who was a work experience student and is now volunteering her time at the office and also we were thrilled to meet Molly Sammon from Chicago who is

[PEOPLE ON THE MOvE]

THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN UP NEW AND DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN OUR SECTOR:

Newly appointed curators, Oonagh Quigley (Subiaco) and Lauretta Davies (Bunbury) enjoy the sunshine at

the 2010 State Conference in Kalgoorlie

doing some work experience with us. Molly had the unenviable situation of leaving Chicago, where there was 2 feet of snow and landing in Perth, right in the middle of a heatwave!

And finally,with mixed feelings we farewelled our valuable Musing committee member, Natasha Hill as she prepared to welcome a little family member. Just as things go in circles, that baby is due on April 30th, on the same day that we plan for this edition of Musing to be published. Good luck Natasha and we look forward to yourself and baby contributing further to “Musing!”

PHOTOGRAPHIC MANAGEMENTWORkSHOP I recently had the pleasure of attending Greg Menzie’s Photographic Management Workshop, my first workshop as a volunteer for Museums Australia WA.Upon arrival, as we were asked to say where we were from and what we hoped to achieve from this workshop, I must admit I felt a little intimidated by the wealth of experience in the room. As I told Greg I had never experienced anything like this before, he jokingly replied that they would not try to scare me - too much.

Whilst I was told in advance that the workshop would be hands-on, I had no idea that I would be holding in my hands photographic artefacts dating back to the 1920s. Using the provided tools, such as paint brushes, and even a vacuum cleaner, I felt like an archaeologist carefully sweeping away the fine dust and mould the artefacts had been harbouring.

Throughout the workshop it became quite clear I was surrounded by people who felt so strongly about the work they do and whilst a lack of time and resources would always seem to be a common theme of hardship for the industry I left feeling inspired by the support the community offered each other.

Personally, the workshop taught me about the importance of preserving artefacts so that future generations can experience the similar feelings we all felt when seeing these old beautiful images. But I also realised how valuable these workshops are to the people who actually need them; those who will go back to their museums and use this knowledge to care for their collections to the best of their ability.

Caitlin Eaton, Volunteer, Museums Australia (WA)

~ South Australian Museum

~ South Australian Biodiversity Gallery ~

The Australian Showcase &

Hardw

are Company ~ Show

casing Australian History for over 35 years

ww

w.tashcosystem

s.com.au

Grant H

ancock Photography ~ Images reproduced w

ith kind permission

Documents

Musing May 2011