Community Heritage Grants

2008

Bruce Howard (b.1936), Sister Mary’s Sweet Swing 1965, nla.pic-vn3062369 reproduced with permission of the Herald and Weekly Times.

Community Heritage Grants (CHG)

• Preserve & provide access to heritage collections of national significance held by community groups

• Grants of up to $15 000

• Since 1994, 591 projects have been supported (almost $2.5 mil)

Who is eligible?Not-for-profit organisations with heritage collections that are available to the public

• Archives• Art Galleries• Community

Groups• Genealogical

Societies• Historical

Societies• Indigenous

Groups

• Migrant Community Groups

• Museums• Professional

Associations• Public Libraries• Religious Groups• School Archives

Is a CHG right for your organisation?

• Read the Guidelines

• Look at previous recipients

• Contact the CHG Coordinator

• Contact your local Museum Development Officer

• If you have been unsuccessful, get feedback

What project is right for you?

• Significance Assessment

What project is right for you?

• Significance Assessment

• Preservation Needs Assessment

What project is right for you?

• Significance Assessment• Preservation Needs Assessment• Conservation or Preservation Activities

– Rehousing– Conservation treatment– Reformatting– Purchase / installation of environmental

control or monitoring equipment

Bula’bula Arts Aboriginal CorporationCHG 2004

Kameruka Estate Papers CHG 2003 & 2007

What project is right for you?

• Significance Assessment• Preservation Needs Assessment• Conservation or Preservation Activities

– Rehousing– Conservation treatment– Reformatting– Purchase / installation of environmental

control or monitoring equipment

• Other projects (purchase of software)• Training workshop

St Helens History and Visitor Information CentreTextiles Workshop

CHG 2007

What projects are ineligible?

• Publishing • Exhibitions• Acquisition / collecting projects• Microfilming newspapers• Family history research• Staff or volunteer labour costs• Emergency activities• Activities that are complete or in

progress

What are the assessors looking for?

• Evidence that the collection is of national significance (section 6)

• A clear description of the collection and who owns it (question 3.3)

• A project that is feasible & good value for money with a well supported budget (questions 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.3, sections 5 & 7)

National Significance

• You must attempt this question

• By examining the history, uses, social and spiritual values of an object, you can establish why an object is significant

• Significance is about importance

• Significance: a guide to assessing the significance of cultural heritage objects and collections http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/sector_info_item/5

Significance Criteria

Historic

Does your collection have an association with significant people, places or events?

Historic Significance

Port of Echuca 2006/106http://www.portofechuca.org.au

Significance Criteria

Aesthetic

Does your collection contain objects of outstanding craftsmanship, style, technical excellence or quality of design?

Aesthetic Significance

Avondale College, Adventist Heritage Centre 2006/151

Significance Criteria

Scientific or Research

Does your collection have the potential for further examination or study or could it influence existing research?

Scientific Significance

Trustees of Linden Observatory 2006/135

National Archives of Australia - Research - Astronomy and space - Man inside the Observatory at Linden, NSWhttp://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/PhotoSearchItemDetail.asp?M=0&B=11895368&SE=1

Research Significance

Cairns and District Chinese Association 2005/101

Significance Criteria

Social or Spiritual

Does your collection contain objects that are highly regarded in your community for their social, spiritual or cultural connections?

http://www.warmunart.com/centre.htm

Spiritual Significance

Warmun Arts Centre 2005/222

Social Significance

West Australian Cricket Association 2006/141

Significance Criteria

Comparison with other collections

• Provenance

• Representativeness

• Rarity

• Condition

Tips for answering Q.6• The more information on your collection, the

better.

• Answer for the collection you are seeking funding for

• Do your collection items tell a national story?

• Mention collections that are rare or unique

• Are there prominent Australians represented?

• How will preservation benefit all Australians?

• Familiarise yourself with the significance criteria

• Attach supporting documents

The Eskbank House collection contains morethan 5 000 items, including over 2 000 pieces produced or associated with Lithgow Pottery, 80items relating to the Lithgow Woollen Mills, furniture, a fully restored Hansom Cab, books,jewellery, household paraphernalia and a photograph and document book relating to Sir Joseph Cook, Prime Minister of Australia from 1913-1917.

The items in the Sir Joseph Cook collection have national significance because of their association with the former prime minister. Therest of the collection provides insights into the development and history of the ceramic and textile industries in Australia due to its association with Lithgow Pottery (Australia’s oldest commercial pottery) and the LithgowWoollen Mills (one of the oldest tweed and clothmanufacturers in Australia).

This collection is one of a kind. Our collection consists of a vast number of artefacts which have been collected since the inception of the organisation. The collection is important because it describes the history of our community.

It is vital that this collection is preserved for future generations.

Assessment Process

1. CHG Coordinator• Confirms eligibility

2. Significance Assessor• National Significance

3. Preservation Assessor• Feasibility• Value for money

4. Assessment Panel• Comments from both assessors• Overall application

What do you get?

• Grant of up to $15 000

• Preservation workshop in Canberra for first time recipients

– Training/Other project recipients at the discretion of the

assessment panel

TIPS!

• Clearly tell us how you will use your grant money

• Attach quotes

• Clearly justify your decisions

• Type your application

• Sign your application & submit it on time!

• Call us at any time

Finally…

CHG is very competitive - if you are unsuccessful, don’t take it

personally!

• Call and ask for feedback

• Investigate other options

• Try again!

www.nla.gov.au/chg