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Plenary: Dealing with DisastersHall A, MECCChair: Christine Ianna

Lydia EgunnikeSenior Conservator, Conservation Unit - Collection Preservation, State Library of Queensland

A conservator's response to the South-East Queensland Flood

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A conservator’s response to the South-East Queensland Flood

Lydia EgunnikeSenior ConservatorState Library of Queensland

M&GSQ Annual Conference11 August 2011

Introduction

(left) West End Brewery after floods, Brisbane, 1893

(ACC: 6138, State Library of Queensland).

Original image - albumen print.

(right) Submerged ferry pier at Dock Street, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane,

2011 flood. Photographer: Josie Huang(ACC: 6138, State Library of

Queensland). Original image - digitally born

View from my house. 10 January 2011.

Salvage of a private collection

• Sandy Barrie collection: approx. 60,000 objects (photographic objects and cameras). Bundamba, Ipswich.

• Salvage concentrated on predominately gelatine glass plate negatives and cellulose acetate negatives.

• Difficulty in ascertaining collection priorities.• Off-site salvage facilities set up at Ipswich Little Theatre and Southern QLD Institute

of TAFE.

State of collection prior to salvage.

(Images: L. Egunnike)

Alison McCrindle and Don Rossister soaking the paper sleeves off the sodden glass plates.

Glass plates before salvage

Ipswich

(Images: L.Egunnike)

Air drying. Brilliant drying racks made by Noel Williamson.

John Rossiter meticulously wrapping each dried plate.

After treatment(Images: L. Egunnike)

Toowoomba• Southern QLD Institute of

TAFE - Doug Spowart, Victoria Cooper and QLD Museum’s Vicki Warden.

• Photography students and local photographic enthusiasts.

Volunteers working on Dorothy Coleman cellulose acetate negatives.

(Images courtesy of Doug Spowart)

Cold storage• Approx. 10,000 cellulose acetate and

prints, books and albums were placed into commercial cold storage.

Collection carefully wrapped for freezing. (Image: L. Egunnike)

SLQ

(Images from SLQ Corporate Image Library)

BRISBANE -

Implementation of the Disaster Plan

• Long term planning.• Careful design of cold

storage vaults in basement – all collections mobile.

• No collections damaged.• Loss of some equipment

and consumables.

All collections stored in the basement cold storage vaults were moved to Level 5. Each trolley was carefully wrapped in wool blankets to prevent condensation.(Image: SLQ Corporate Image Library)

The clean up• You can never

have enough heavy duty gloves or trolleys !

• Important to care for staff during cleanup.

Collection Preservation’s consumable store after the flood.

(Image: SLQ Corporate Image Library)

Flood level

The distributed collection

Fairfield, January 2011. Photographer: Troy Hansen(Acc:27804, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)

Original image: digitally born

Fairfield resident, Graham Burmingham, covered by flecks of mud caused by the

flooding of the Brisbane River, 2011. Photographer: Troy Hansen

(Acc:27804, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)

SLQ - leadership role: • Use of ABC local radio.• Public library network.• Online information leaflets.• Disaster clinic with Queensland Museum.• Ongoing advice - telephone and email

enquiries and conservation clinics.

Since the floods… • New streamlined SLQ disaster plan in

final draft with new salvage procedures.

• SLQ Disaster Team have been trained in new salvage procedures. Team includes staff from a number of units.

• Disaster Kits restocked – including headlamps, trolleys, heavy duty gloves.

• New large mobile trolley for Quarantine.

• Escalating the mobility of consumables and equipment to expedite relocation

• QLD Local Studies Group Disaster Workshop held.

Disaster training at SLQ. Disaster Team Leaders:

Reuben Hillier (Collection Access,Christine Ianna (Collection Preservation)and Helen Cole (Queensland Memory)

Acknowledgements• Marcel Safier• Christine Ianna• Peter Marquis-Kyle• Doug Spowart • Victoria Cooper• Vicki Warden• Ipswich Art Gallery • Ipswich Little Theatre• Doboy Cold Stores• Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials.• Doug Nishimura• Mogens Kochs• State Library of Queensland• Grant Collins• Greg Carmichael

• All the wonderful volunteers who worked tirelessly in Ipswich, Toowoomba and Brisbane !!

Dorothy Coleman negatives drying after salvage. (Image courtesy of Doug Spowart ).

Thank you

Lydia Egunnikelydia.egunnike@slq.qld.gov.au

Ph: 3840 7779

To view images of flooding, past and present, please see:

Picture Queensland

http://www.pictureqld.slq.qld.gov.au/

Flooded intersection at Ipswich, 1893.

(Image no. 1728 .John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)