Media Releases

MEDIA RELEASE - Wednesday, 17 November 2004

Preserving Victoria ’s documentary heritage a high priority

Seventeen community organisations in Victoria today received funding to preserve their documentary heritage collections with the assistance of the 2004 Community Heritage Grants Program.

The program is jointly funded and supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the Australian Film Commission and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

The grants were announced by Federal Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp at a presentation ceremony held at the National Library.

Senator Kemp said, “All over Australia, community organisations such as local historical societies, public libraries and archives and Indigenous and migrant community groups hold vital documentary heritage collections of photographs, sound recordings, books, letters, posters, maps and manuscripts.

“This material is irreplaceable and in some cases deteriorating quickly. The Community Heritage Grants Program ensures that significant accounts of the nation’s history will be preserved and made accessible for future generations.

“2004 marks the 11th anniversary of the program. In that time 350 projects across Australia have received more than $1.2 million in funding,” he said.

Grants of up to $8 000 are awarded annually to community organisations to preserve locally owned, but nationally significant, documentary heritage materials.

The grants can be used by the groups to meet the particular needs of their collections such as collection assessments, preservation surveys, conservation treatments, preservation training, digitisation, and purchasing quality storage material or environmental monitoring equipment.

Jan Fullerton, Director-General National Library of Australia said,” The Community Heritage Grants program is one of the most important community-based initiatives that the Library is involved in each year.

“Together with our partners we are able to assist communities to collect, preserve and provide access to heritage materials so they can define their unique part in Australian history .”

Media contact:

Yvonne Kennedy
Director Communications and Marketing
Telephone: 02 6262 1353 or 0411 753 891
Email: ykennedy@nla.gov.au

Julia Dean
Media Officer
Telephone: 02 6262 1571
Email: jdean@nla.gov.au


Victoria

 

Union of Australian Women (Victoria) received $3000 for a preservation survey of its collection which includes photographs of the Union ’s activities and campaigns over 50 years. The UAW is a National Organisation formed in 1950 to work for the status and well being of women and children.

Wellington Shire Council received $3500 for a preservation survey of its collection that relates to the early and on-going maritime history of the area from 1841 when Port Albert was discovered by Europeans. It includes shipwrecks and material relating to the goldfields.

Victorian Trades Hall Council received $3000 for a significance assessment of its pictorial collection which incorporates approximately 1000 posters that depict the union movement’s activities over its colourful history since the 1850’s.

Tatura and District Historical Society received $3500 for a preservation survey on its records and memorabilia of local history. The collection contains 700 documents, photographs and artefacts relating to the Tatura District since white settlement; 800 plans, reports and photographs on the history of irrigation in the western Goulburn valley; and 2500 photographs and audio and video tapes of German, Italian and Japanese internees and prisoners of war who were brought to Australia and to camps in the area during World War II.

Sovereign Hill Museums Association and Ballarat Historical Society received $2500 for a significance assessment to be undertaken on the Gold Museum , which the two organisations administer. The Gold Museum documents, researches and interprets the history and impact of gold mining on the district and currently manages a collection of more than 70,000 items including gold coins, gold nuggets, Eureka ephemera, rare books, photographs and paintings.

Melbourne’s Living Museum of the West Inc received $3000 for a preservation survey. The collection focuses on Melbourne ’s western regions and includes oral history audiotapes, books, maps and a large photographic collection. It is Australia’s first eco-museum.

Heide Museum of Modern Art received $2500 for a significance assessment on the Heide Archive and Library, which houses several thousand books, ephemera and photographs, telling the story of modern art in Australia through the heritage of John and Sunday Reed. Accompanying the collections is an extensive ephemera archive relating to the history of the Reeds, the Museum’s collections, Heide’s exhibition program and public programs, museum correspondence, company and business records, audio tapes and interviews and architectural plans.

Jewish Museum of Australia received $4,400 for conservation treatment of a collection of scrapbooks within the Dunera Collection which consists of communications between the Dunera boys, both in Australia and overseas. The name ‘Dunera’ comes from the ship that brought the refugees out to Australia during World War II. The museum, established in 1982, has a collection which is made up of approximately 12,000 items of historical and contemporary significance to the Australian Jewish experience.

Victorian Jazz Archive received $4,400 for the purchase of archival storage materials. Founded in 1996, the collection includes more than 23,000 recorded items; 2100 photographic negatives, slides and prints; 2200 posters and banners, 375 videos and 146 oral history interviews and reference material relating to Australian jazz and jazz musicians.

Benalla and District Historical Society received $3,500 for a preservation survey on its collection which includes early newspapers, documents, maps, records, photographs and costumes of the local area.

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum received $3,960 for a preservation survey on its collection related to the maritime history of the south west of Victoria . It has an extensive library of books connected with shipping and an array of early newspapers from the area.

Nobelius Heritage Park and Emerald Museum received $3000 for a preservation assessment on its collection based on early photographs, memorabilia, maps and documentation of the area, and a variety of items from the well-known local Nobelius Nursery.

Echuca Historical Society received $7000 for conservation treatment on its photographic collection dating from 1870 to 1910 depicting early settlement life along the Murray River , transport, people, places, commercial interests and events.

Renown Kindergarten received $3,520 to digitise its photographic collection of children who attended the kindergarten from 1920 to present day. The kindergarten was founded in April 1920 by a group of benefactors seeking to provide pre-school education to the underprivileged children in the area. It is named after the British Navy Battle cruiser HMS Renown, in which Prince Edward sailed to Australia in 1920. The flag from the cruiser was given to the kindergarten.

Upper Yarra Valley Historical Society received $4000 for conservation treatment and materials to preserve its photographic collection and other paper-based items. The Society’s collection covers the social history of the Upper Yarra and includes collections relating to the timber tramways, agriculture, railways, tourism, mining and domestic life.

Sale Historical Society received $3000 for the purchase of archival storage materials for its photographic and other paper-based material, which are part of this extensive local history collection covering the early development of Gippsland.

National Trust of Australia ( Victoria ) received $4,400 for archival storage materials to house classification files on every building, landscape, industrial structure, public artwork, garden and tree which the Trust has classified. The Trust in Victoria was established in 1956 and its collection includes 50 historic houses and their contents; stored collections – costumes, textiles, cast iron objects, furniture, woodworking handtools; photographic collections and classification files.

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