STRATEGIC REPORT ON GREATER BENDIGO’S HISTORICAL … · ∗ Vivien Newton and Dr. Michele...

STRATEGIC REPORT

ON GREATER BENDIGO’S HISTORICAL ARTEFACTS

Prepared for the City of Greater Bendigo

Dr. Megan Cardamone

September 2017

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Table of Table of Table of Table of ContentsContentsContentsContents

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. 2

1. Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... 7

2. Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... 8

3. Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 9

4. Background & Context ................................................................................................ 10

5. Aims/Purpose ............................................................................................................. 16

6. Scope ......................................................................................................................... 16

7. Methodology .............................................................................................................. 16

8. General responses to the study ................................................................................... 18

9. Survey findings ........................................................................................................... 19

Summary of survey findings ................................................................................................... 19

Establishment & governance ....................................................................................................... 19

Members & personnel ................................................................................................................. 19

Content of the collections ............................................................................................................ 20

Collection management ............................................................................................................... 20

Premises ....................................................................................................................................... 20

Storage ......................................................................................................................................... 20

Exhibitions & Displays .................................................................................................................. 21

Public engagement ....................................................................................................................... 21

Conservation activities ................................................................................................................. 21

Support ......................................................................................................................................... 21

Successes ...................................................................................................................................... 22

Greatest challenges ...................................................................................................................... 22

Detailed analysis of survey findings ........................................................................................ 23

Establishment ........................................................................................................................ 23

Governance and membership ................................................................................................. 23

Members & Personnel ........................................................................................................... 26

Members ...................................................................................................................................... 26

Personnel Numbers ...................................................................................................................... 27

Available museum skills and knowledge ...................................................................................... 28

Most significant issues the groups face in terms of skills and human resources: ....................... 32

Contents of the collections ..................................................................................................... 33

Total collection size (estimated)............................................................................................................. 33

Collection composition ................................................................................................................. 35

Quantities of paper-based materials ...................................................................................................... 36

Quantities of objects/artefacts .............................................................................................................. 37

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Objects subject to legal obligations ............................................................................................. 39

Aboriginal items ..................................................................................................................................... 39

Firearms .................................................................................................................................................. 39

Most significant items .................................................................................................................. 40

Collection Management ......................................................................................................... 42

Collection Policy ........................................................................................................................... 42

Collection growth ......................................................................................................................... 44

Collection documentation ............................................................................................................ 44

Cataloguing ................................................................................................................................... 45

Collection Imaging ........................................................................................................................ 47

Key challenges in collection management ................................................................................... 48

Premises ................................................................................................................................ 49

Legal arrangements ...................................................................................................................... 49

Heritage overlay ........................................................................................................................... 50

Security ......................................................................................................................................... 51

Premises suitability for housing objects ....................................................................................... 52

Accessibility .................................................................................................................................. 53

Signage ......................................................................................................................................... 54

Main issues or problems with premises ....................................................................................... 55

Storage ......................................................................................................................................... 56

Exhibitions & displays ............................................................................................................ 57

Permanent and temporary exhibits ............................................................................................. 57

Policies .......................................................................................................................................... 58

Importance of displaying collection ............................................................................................. 58

Percentage of the premises used to display items ...................................................................... 58

Lighting in display areas ............................................................................................................... 59

Nature of display facilities ............................................................................................................ 60

Key barriers to displaying more collection ................................................................................... 60

Key challenges for display ............................................................................................................ 61

Public engagement ................................................................................................................ 62

Public Opening Hours ................................................................................................................... 62

Visitors .......................................................................................................................................... 62

Groups & tours ............................................................................................................................. 63

Research requests ........................................................................................................................ 63

Promoting the group .................................................................................................................... 64

Social media & online ................................................................................................................... 65

Key Public Access Challenges ....................................................................................................... 66

Conservation activities ........................................................................................................... 67

Conservation treatment ............................................................................................................... 67

Preventative conservation techniques ......................................................................................... 67

Pest management ........................................................................................................................ 68

Cleaning/maintenance schedule .................................................................................................. 68

Preservation Needs Assessments................................................................................................. 68

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Disaster management .................................................................................................................. 69

Support ................................................................................................................................. 70

Areas needing support ................................................................................................................. 70

Organisations group has worked with ......................................................................................... 71

Organisations group would work with ......................................................................................... 72

Organisations have received support from .................................................................................. 73

Industry support ........................................................................................................................... 73

Current support from Council ...................................................................................................... 75

Relationship with Council ............................................................................................................. 76

Successes ............................................................................................................................... 77

Greatest challenges ................................................................................................................ 77

Survey Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 78

10. Case Studies ............................................................................................................. 80

Case study 1: Bendigo Historical Society ................................................................................. 80

The BHS Collection ....................................................................................................................... 82

Current Storage ............................................................................................................................ 85

Deaccessioning ............................................................................................................................. 91

Extra storage needed ................................................................................................................... 92

Lack of volunteers ........................................................................................................................ 94

A front-end venue ........................................................................................................................ 95

Promoting the Society ................................................................................................................ 102

A permanent home .................................................................................................................... 103

Case study 2: Heathcote McIvor Historical Society ................................................................ 104

HMHS Collection ........................................................................................................................ 105

Storage/Display .......................................................................................................................... 107

Promoting the Society ................................................................................................................ 111

Lack of volunteers ...................................................................................................................... 111

The future ................................................................................................................................... 112

Case study 3: Huntly & District Historical Society .................................................................. 113

HDHS premises and collections .................................................................................................. 113

Lack of volunteers ...................................................................................................................... 117

Attracting visitors ....................................................................................................................... 118

The future ................................................................................................................................... 119

11. Key discussion points .............................................................................................. 121

Council support .................................................................................................................... 121

Viability ............................................................................................................................... 121

i. Lack of volunteers .............................................................................................................. 122

ii. Decreased public engagement .......................................................................................... 125

Collection management challenges ...................................................................................... 128

Storage ....................................................................................................................................... 128

Cataloguing systems ................................................................................................................... 131

Tracking assets and activities ..................................................................................................... 132

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The future of the collections ................................................................................................. 133

Wind-up processes ..................................................................................................................... 133

The museum question ................................................................................................................ 140

Critical storage needs ................................................................................................................. 141

Interpretive facilities .................................................................................................................. 145

12. Recommendations to Council .................................................................................. 146

Summary of Recommendations ............................................................................................ 147

1. Establish and staff an object storage & preservation facility .............................................. 148

2. Support viability of the groups .......................................................................................... 151

2a. Solutions for BHS .................................................................................................................. 151

Improve BHS storage at the BRAC Store and Storage Containers at Nolan Street .............................. 151

BHS Specimen Cottage front-of-house venue ...................................................................................... 152

2b. Display shed for large objects in Heathcote......................................................................... 155

2c. Help all groups to attract volunteers .................................................................................... 155

2c. Help all groups to increase their profile ............................................................................... 156

Promotion and marketing .................................................................................................................... 156

Signage ................................................................................................................................................. 157

2d. Encourage legal compliance ................................................................................................. 158

Governance .......................................................................................................................................... 158

Assist registration process for Aboriginal items ................................................................................... 158

Register firearms .................................................................................................................................. 158

2e. Boost museum-related skills and knowledge ....................................................................... 159

2f. Encourage performance tracking .......................................................................................... 159

2g. Help all groups to attract funding ........................................................................................ 160

2h. Help all groups save money through bulk purchasing ......................................................... 160

3. Engage in Contingency Planning ........................................................................................ 161

3a. Establish a Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection ................................................................. 161

3b. Adopt a Collection Policy for the new Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection ...................... 161

3c. Brief groups about the Policy ............................................................................................... 162

3d. Enter into wind-up agreements with the groups ................................................................. 162

3e. Assist groups to update their wind-up clauses .................................................................... 162

3f. Help with collection succession preparation ........................................................................ 162

3g. Establish procedures for transfer ......................................................................................... 163

3h. Monitor updates to BRAC policies ....................................................................................... 163

4. Museum feasibility study.................................................................................................. 164

13. References .............................................................................................................. 165

14. Appendices ............................................................................................................. 166

Appendix A. Original concept for Nolan St ............................................................................ 166

Appendix B. Requirements for proposed object storage and preservation facility .................. 167

Appendix C. Examples of object storage and preservation facilities ....................................... 173

Appendix D. Examples of access programs in object preservation facilities ............................ 175

Appendix E. Requirements for extra temporary storage for BHS ............................................ 177

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Appendix F. Examples of large-object display sheds .............................................................. 179

Appendix G. Recommended signage ..................................................................................... 182

Appendix H. Ethical procedures for disposal of museum collections ...................................... 184

Appendix I. Suggested contents of a Collection Policy ........................................................... 185

Appendix J. Linking history collections with the Victorian education curriculum ................... 186

Appendix K. Survey Questionnaire used in the study ................................................................ 3

Appendix L. Project Brief ........................................................................................................ 30

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1. AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

The consultant wishes to thank the following people for contributing ideas and perspectives

to this study:

∗ Dr. Dannielle Orr, Heritage Planner, CoGB

∗ Clare Needham, Curator (City History and Collections), Bendigo Art Gallery/CoGB

∗ Jim Evans, President, Bendigo Historical Society Inc.

∗ Kay MacGregor, Collection Manager, Bendigo Historical Society Inc.

∗ Neville Davies, Secretary/Treasurer, Bendigo Historical Society Inc.

∗ Barbara Poustie, Assistant Secretary, Bendigo Historical Society Inc.

∗ Ian Hollingsworth, President, Heathcote McIvor Historical Society Inc.

∗ Elizabeth Murfitt, Secretary/Treasurer/Curator/Research Officer, Heathcote McIvor

Historical Society Inc.

∗ Aylene Kirkwood, Acquisitions Officer, Eaglehawk Heritage Society Inc.

∗ Bev Hanson, Secretary, Eaglehawk Heritage Society Inc.

∗ Dianne Anderson, Curator, Elmore Museum (Elmore Progress Association)

∗ Norma Holmberg, former volunteer, Elmore Museum (Elmore Progress Association)

∗ Carol Douch, Treasurer for Huntly Epsom News, Huntly & Districts Historical Society

Inc.

∗ Ann Peters, Secretary, Huntly & Districts Historical Society Inc.

∗ Daryll Oberin, Vice President, Huntly & Districts Historical Society Inc.

∗ Vivien Newton and Dr. Michele Matthews, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre

∗ Lauretta Zilles, author of BHS Collection Management Strategy /Significance

Assessment and Manager of Bendigo Living Art Space, CoGB

∗ Dr. Diana Smith, Program Manager - Cultural Heritage, Dja Dja Wurrung Clans

Aboriginal Corporation

∗ Kathryn McKenzie, Manager of Bendigo Tourism (until June 2017).

∗ Megan McDougall, Heritage Building/Assets Adviser, CoGB

∗ Roger Trudgeon, former Manager of the Gold Museum Ballarat

∗ Michael Smyth, Acting Manager – Works, CoGB

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2. 2. 2. 2. AbbreviationsAbbreviationsAbbreviationsAbbreviations

AIGS Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies

BHS Bendigo Historical Society

BRAC Bendigo Regional Archive Centre

BRIT Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE

CoGB City of Greater Bendigo

MAV Museums Australia (Victoria)

MV Museums Victoria

NGV National Gallery of Victoria

POG Post Office Gallery

PROV Public Records Office of Victoria

RAP Registered Aboriginal Party

RHSV Royal Historical Society of Victoria

TAFE Technical and Further Education

WFTD Work For the Dole

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3. 3. 3. 3. Executive SummaryExecutive SummaryExecutive SummaryExecutive Summary

The City of Greater Bendigo commissioned this strategic study and report in March 2017.

The aim of this study was to examine the current situation for community collections and

collecting groups in the Greater Bendigo municipality and examine the major challenges

they face. The purpose of this report is to summarise the findings and propose to Council

appropriate strategies to deal with the key issues, now and into the future. The study

focuses on historical objects and artefacts in Greater Bendigo. A comprehensive survey,

case studies and onsite visits were used to reveal and explore some current critical issues

facing historical artefacts and the core community collections which hold them. The study

has a special focus on the Bendigo Historical Society Inc., but also examines four other core

collecting groups in Greater Bendigo - Eaglehawk Heritage Society Inc., Elmore Museum

(Elmore Progress Association), Heathcote McIvor Historical Society Inc. and Huntly &

Districts Historical Society Inc.

The five groups in this study care for around 45,000 items of local heritage on behalf of the

Greater Bendigo community. This volume of heritage material is of a size held by a major

regional museum and yet they are being cared for by only 47 volunteers, 23 of whom are

volunteers in roles of legal responsibility and group leadership. These volunteer groups

perform a highly valuable service to the Greater Bendigo community. Some are extremely

vulnerable due to shrinking member and volunteer bases. All attempts should be made to

keep them operating so they can continue to care for these collections. However it is

important to plan now for the possibility that some groups may not be viable in the next

few years.

These groups have already received support from Council, mainly through provision of

premises and access to support and advice mainly from two Council staff members. These

forms of support are appreciated by the groups, but as their size and viability decrease, it

becomes more likely that Council will need to take on more responsibility for care of these

local heritage collections. A series of recommendations to Council are provided at the

conclusion of this report. Recommendations include establishment of a preservation facility,

supporting viability of the groups, carrying out contingency planning and commissioning a

museum feasibility study.

In addition to the recommendations, it is also recommended that wherever possible the

hard work and dedication of these volunteer groups should be publicly acknowledged.

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4. 4. 4. 4. Background & Background & Background & Background & ContextContextContextContext

Greater Bendigo is the third largest city in Victoria, with a population of more than 110,000

across around 3,000 square kilometres. It is administered at local government level by the

City of Greater Bendigo (CoGB). CoGB commissioned this strategic study and report in

March 2017.

The landscape of Greater Bendigo is of historic and aesthetic significance. A Thematic

Environmental History study conducted in 2013 noted that:

Bendigo city has one of the highest concentrations of Victorian Heritage Registered properties in the

State, and two of regional Australia’s most architecturally distinguished boulevards in Pall Mall and

View Street. Significant structures in Greater Bendigo include those associated with industry, public

utilities, mining, transport, agriculture, engineering and manufacturing. Boom style homes and

gardens built by mining speculators contrast with an extensive collection of modest German and

Cornish miners’ cottages. Many small settlements also retain buildings associated with gold rushes.

There are also fine examples of 19th century town planning layouts and botanic gardens, public parks

and avenues of trees. Extensive natural areas, including Box-Ironbark forests, rivers, hills and valleys

of cultural and aesthetic significance provide a contrast to the urban centres and agricultural

landscapes.1

Greater Bendigo’s history is multicultural. Indigenous Australians have inhabited the region

for tens of thousands of years and have a continued presence today. Recognised traditional

owners in the Greater Bendigo region are the ancestors and descendants of the Dja Dja

Wurrung and Taungurung. Although the first European pastoralists were primarily English,

the 1850s gold rush attracted hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world

especially from China, India, the United States, Britain (in particular Cornwall), Ireland, Italy

and Germany. Later waves of migration including those in the 20th and 21st centuries have

further broadened Greater Bendigo’s cultural diversity.

The notion of a public museum for Greater Bendigo is a long-running one. There were

museum displays in the School of Mines building in the 19th and early 20th centuries. At the

first meeting of the original Bendigo Historical Society in 1935, the first motion was to work

for a museum to be established. The issue regained momentum in the 1980s. A trail of

documentation records various proposals and concepts which have been considered since

then. In 1989 a Bendigo and Region Museum/Archive Steering Committee compiled a

report which identified the need for a Bendigo Heritage Centre: Regional Archive and Social

History Museum. It asked for in-principle Council support and for the formation of a

delegation to seek funding from government to conduct a feasibility study. The vision of this

1 Lovell Chen 2013

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Steering Committee was for a Centre based in historic Lister House in Rowan Street,

Bendigo (now used by Monash School of Rural Health).

A Draft Bendigo Regional Museum Strategy by Jenny Whitelaw (January 2001) explored the

possibility of a Museum ‘front end’ in a complex incorporating Dudley House, the old Fire

station and a new extension to both. The ‘back end’ model proposed in this strategy was to

create a large regional repository by refitting buildings in the old Psychiatric Hospital site,

which would provide storage for Council collections, community collections, Museum

Victoria and, for a fee, collections of private organisations and individuals. The document

also laid out costings and suggested some potential incomes streams and partnerships. A

recommendation was a partnership with the Centre for Conservation of Cultural Materials,

or with a state institution such as Museum Victoria, the Public Records Office of Victoria

(PROV) or the State Library of Victoria.

To celebrate the Centenary of Federation the Bendigo Council and Federal Government

commissioned exhibition designers Convergence to design Making a Nation, an exhibition

which focuses on the lead up to and the achievement of Federation on the 1st of January

1901 and the role played in its development by prominent Bendigo politician Sir John Quick

and the Sandhurst ANA. The exhibition was housed in the Old Bendigo Post Office building.

It covered the main post office chamber, with additional contemporary display and

community facilities in the basement. It included interactive exhibits which explained the

lead up to Federation and how Bendigo and its citizens contributed to nation-building since

the 1900s. A feature of the exhibition was a lecture and debating studio where public

lectures and talks were delivered. The exhibition remained in place from 2001 to 2009.

In August 2004, PROV conducted a Community Consultation Workshop of thirty

stakeholders in relation to the concept of establishing an Archives and Heritage Centre.

Those discussions clarified the agreed purpose of such a facility. This purpose originally

included artefact storage and display.2 In the strategic planning at the time, the Bendigo +25

- Greater Bendigo Community Plan (2005), CoGB included the idea of 'establishing a

centralised collection storage facility (historical, art, archival, library) on a major scale

surrounded by museum display areas visited by tourists and researchers from near and far'.

Bendigo Regional Archives Centre (BRAC) was established in October 2007. The BRAC

facility was constructed with a $1.3 million grant from the State Government’s Regional

Infrastructure Development Fund with $285,000 from PROV and $250,000 from the City of

Greater Bendigo. BRAC describes itself as ‘a grassroots heritage archives centre, where

visitors can view and use original historic records in person’. It operates under a governance

2 SED Consulting; p5

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structure which includes representatives from PROV, CoGB and the Goldfields Library

Corporation. Its collection ranges in date from 1856 through to the 1970s and includes

bound volumes, maps and plans, council correspondence, rates, minute books, building

registers and court records. These relate to the councils which merged to become the City

of Greater Bendigo and other public sources. The original remit of BRAC is also to collect

community records such as letters, diaries, business records, photographs and documents.

The only objects it currently holds are mayoral seals and these only because they relate so

closely to documents in the collection.

In 2010, the Post Office Gallery was established in a section of the Old Post Office building

as a satellite gallery of Bendigo Art Gallery. Its purpose is to present ‘a changing annual

program of curated exhibitions and events ensuring a broad and dynamic exploration of the

region's varied history with strong ongoing community involvement’. Each exhibition

includes materials loaned from private and community collections in Greater Bendigo.

Post Office Gallery Entrance

(image credit: Post Office Gallery, 2013)

Post Office Gallery exhibition

(image credit: Corey Hague, ABC Central Victoria)

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There are numerous attractions, organisations and institutions in Greater Bendigo that

focus on local heritage, history and culture. Many hold collections.

Organisation Collection type/focus

Bendigo Art Gallery Australian and international art

Bendigo Discovery Centre No collection, science interpretation venue

Bendigo Heritage Attractions

managing:

Bendigo Tramways

Central Deborah Goldmine

Bendigo Joss House Temple

An archive about the former State Electricity

Commission (which ran the Gasworks and

Tramway). Central Deborah Goldmine holds a

significant nugget collection. The Joss House

temple is one of only two in Victoria.

Other heritage assets managed by the Trust are

Council-owned.

Bendigo Pottery Ceramic manufacturing

Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE Local history (Education)

Bendigo Visitor Information Centre A small number of communications history

artefact for tour purposes

Campaspe Run Local history (Agriculture)

Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst Local history (Catholic)

Dja Dja Wurrung Aboriginal

Corporation

Indigenous heritage

Golden Dragon Museum of Chinese

Australian History

Chinese Australian history

Goldfields Research Centre of

Goldfields Library Corp

Local history (General)

Sandhurst Trustees Fine art & antiques

Local history

State history

Soldiers Memorial Institute Local history (Military)

Nursing Graduates Association

History Collection

Nursing education in Bendigo

Private collections Various. Some may have items of local, state or

national significance.

The Bendigo branch of the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies (AIGS) meet in the

Goldfields Library Bendigo on Wednesdays and Saturdays to assist the public with

genealogical enquiries and to assist with family research. The records of the Bendigo

Regional Genealogical Society are accessible at the Goldfields Research Centre, Bendigo

Library for a four-hour window every Monday. The group also offers family research

services for a fee.

CoGB holds a collection of historical materials relating to the history of the municipality

including mayoral regalia (robes and chains), mayoral portraits, historical furniture (some of

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which are listed on a Council Antiques Register) and some artefacts from the old Bendigo

Gasworks. Council is currently working towards a full inventory of its heritage collections.

Council also holds the Graeme Robertson National Trust Cast Iron collection of architectural

metalwork. It is legally owned by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), a state branch

founded by Graeme Robertson, and is on a fifty year loan to the City of Greater Bendigo

(2001-2051). Items of state significance have already been removed from it and transferred

to Museums Victoria. The remaining collection has some limited value as a reference

collection for heritage architecture in general but not for Greater Bendigo in particular. Its

main relevance is to the history of the National Trust organisation, because of its association

with state branch founder & cast iron collector Graeme Robertson.

Religious diversity in Greater Bendigo’s history is the central theme of an interpretive centre

at a proposed ‘Aspire Precinct’, with a major exhibition called Faith In the Goldfields. The

project has attracted State government support of $5 million as well as private philanthropic

support. Some of the content for the centre is already in development. The plans for the

precinct include a 4D cinema which will present ‘tell the stories of Bendigo's history…with

film, sound, movement and sensory stimulation’. It also includes indoor and outdoor areas

for community gatherings and events, an education and resource centre with programs for

all age groups, and a business hub with a café, retail outlet, spaces for business meetings

and events. The partners in the project are the Diocese of Sandhurst. The Aspire

Foundation is currently fundraising for the project, seeking further funding from private

donors and the Federal government to help them reach the total $15 million needed to fulfil

the project. Greater Bendigo Mayor Margaret O’Rourke is Executive Director of the

Foundation. The Foundation recently partnered with CoGB and Latrobe University to obtain

a major grant from the Australian Research Council ‘to explore religious history in Bendigo’.

Another museum project which has recently attracted major government funding is the

expansion of the Soldiers Memorial Institute. The $4.5 million project includes the

conservation of the iconic building and the development of a new exhibition. Restoration

works will include a total roof replacement, new sky lights, external render repairs and a

new exterior wash to replicate the original stone coloured finish. Other works include re-

stumping and installation of new flooring as well as ceiling and plaster repairs and painting.

The project is jointly funded by Federal Government ($1.7 million), State Government ($1.5

million), City of Greater Bendigo ($800,000), Bendigo District RSL and community

contributions ($500,000). The works are due for completion in late 2018.

Despite the number of proposed and existing heritage experiences available in Greater

Bendigo, the notion of a Greater Bendigo Museum is still being discussed. Concerns about

the ongoing viability of community collecting groups in the region have reinvigorated the

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issue. In May 2016, the Bendigo Historical Society (BHS) made a council budget submission

that advocated strongly for the City’s strategic direction to include consideration of ‘future

proofing’ its historic & cultural past. This study is an important step toward ensuring that

this occurs.

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5. 5. 5. 5. Aims/PurposeAims/PurposeAims/PurposeAims/Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the current situation for community collections and

collecting groups in the Greater Bendigo municipality and examine the major challenges

they face. The purpose of the report is to summarise these findings and propose to Council

appropriate strategies to deal with the key issues, now and into the future.

6. 6. 6. 6. SSSScopecopecopecope

The geographic scope of this study is the municipality of Greater Bendigo. Documents,

records, photographs, maps and plans and other paper-based materials pertaining to the

region’s history are cared for under the remit of BRAC. Therefore this study focuses on the

remaining material types, namely historical objects and artefacts, for which there is

currently no contingency plan in place. For the purposes of this study, objects and artefacts

includes original artworks and framed items, clothing and domestic textiles, personal

accessories, furniture, domestic objects, tools and trade/agricultural equipment, vehicles,

weapons, militaria and numismatics, and other non-paper-based three dimensional objects.

7. 7. 7. 7. MethodologyMethodologyMethodologyMethodology

The study focuses on five core collecting groups in the Greater Bendigo region. They are:

1. Bendigo Historical Society Inc.

2. Eaglehawk Heritage Society Inc.

3. Elmore Museum (Elmore Progress Association)

4. Heathcote McIvor Historical Society Inc.

5. Huntly & Districts Historical Society Inc.

The method involved the following processes:

� A meeting was held with representatives of the core groups, plus the consultant Dr.

Megan Cardamone, CoGB Heritage Planner Dr. Dannielle Orr and Curator (City

History and Collections) Clare Needham. The meeting was to explain the purpose of

the study and introduce the consultant to the groups.

� A paper survey was designed in collaboration with Dr. Dannielle Orr, Heritage

Planner and distributed to all groups in April 2017. It was completed by all groups

and the answers were collated in May 2017. The survey was designed to be

exhaustive, though it was understood this would put pressure on the smaller groups.

This was done to ensure the maximum amount of information could be gathered as

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part of this project. To mitigate this pressure and assist the smaller groups, the

consultant offered the groups help to complete the surveys. A copy of the survey is

included in Appendix K.

� The consultant conducted site visits during April and May to each group to conduct

interviews with key office bearers.

� Case studies focusing on three groups were then used to explore some key issues

more deeply. The consultant made follow up phone calls and emails in May and June

with all groups and return visits with two case study groups

� To gain broad perspectives for this study, the consultant had discussions with a

range of other stakeholders, including:

Person Institution Role

Clare Needham Bendigo Art Gallery/

CoGB

Curator, City History and Collections

Vivien Newton BRAC Manager – Archives & Goldfields Research

Centre

Dr. Michele Matthews BRAC Archivist

Lauretta Zilles Living Art Space, CoGB Manager, Living Arts Space

&

Author of 2007 BHS Collection

Management Strategy

Megan McDougall CoGB Heritage Building/Assets Adviser

Kathryn McKenzie (formerly) Bendigo

Tourism

Manager to 2017

Diana Smith Dja Dja Wurrung

Aboriginal

Corporation

Heritage Officer

Roger Trudgeon (formerly) Gold

Museum Ballarat

Manager 1990 to 2015

Michael Smyth CoGB Acting Manager, Works; was closely

involved in the design and development of

the BRAC site.

Neville Quick Museums Victoria Manager, Collection Storage and Logistics

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8. 8. 8. 8. General responseGeneral responseGeneral responseGeneral responses to the studys to the studys to the studys to the study

The severe lack of personnel in the participating groups, which is an issue explored in this

study, was itself a hurdle to groups taking part in the study. Several groups noted that being

requested to complete the survey (especially within two weeks) was extremely stressful.

Requests to estimate quantities of different material types they hold particularly caused

anxiety. This reaction was the first indication of a key issue facing the groups. That is, a very

small number of dedicated volunteers are stretched to the limit caring for large collections

on behalf of the Greater Bendigo community. There are not enough volunteers and

therefore the few there are have little spare time and are under stress. Many are juggling

this immense commitment with family obligations, aging or ailing partners, and other

community service.

Although they are knowledgeable about their collections and their local history many

volunteers do not have the IT skills to perform advanced queries of their databases or their

cataloguing systems are not set up to allow this. Some of the terminology used to categorise

types of heritage materials were perceived as museum sector jargon or were different to

the terminology used in the groups.

The groups seem to view the onsite visits by the consultant more positively. These were a

chance to physically show the premises, the collection and how it is stored or displayed. It

seemed to be a more effective way for the groups to get across their main concerns and ask

for advice, which many did on practical issues of museum management.

In these onsite discussions, there were some recurring themes. One was disappointment at

the lack of community interest and support, the lack of volunteers and the poor work ethic

of some current volunteers. Another was concern that their group would soon be unviable

and unable to care for its collection and that the collection would therefore be ‘thrown in

the tip’. There was also frustration at the perceived lack of concrete action on the issue of a

new public museum for Greater Bendigo. Some contributors noted that the issue has been

discussed for decades, with many studies taking place with no visible result.

The strongest sentiment expressed by the groups from the first meeting for this study was

their real fears about the potential impending loss or destruction of heritage which has

been collected and preserved by the group. They view this possibility as a devastating loss

to the Greater Bendigo community which once lost cannot be retrieved.

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9. 9. 9. 9. Survey findingsSurvey findingsSurvey findingsSurvey findings

Survey responses are presented here in aggregated form or if individualised are anonymous.

This reflects the agreement of confidentiality made with the participants to ensure they felt

free to give honest responses.

Summary of survey findingsSummary of survey findingsSummary of survey findingsSummary of survey findings

This section summarises the findings from the survey completed by the five groups in the

study, in order to highlight the current realities and key issues revealed by this phase of the

study.

Establishment & governanceEstablishment & governanceEstablishment & governanceEstablishment & governance

The five core collecting groups in Greater Bendigo were established between 1938 and

1994, with three established in the 1970s and 1980s. The groups are managed by

Committees of between 4 and 6 people. Most Committees meet once a month, one meets

weekly. Most groups have a written statement of purpose or a mission statement and all

are governed by a Constitution. Most have a wind-up clause in their Constitution but are not

sure what it prescribes in terms of the collection. All groups have discussed succession

planning. All groups hold the required relevant insurances.

Members & personnelMembers & personnelMembers & personnelMembers & personnel

One group has a substantial number of members, while three have very few (between 6 and

9). One group has 25 active volunteers, which is a reasonable number for a historical

society. The others have extremely small pools of between 4 and 8. Smaller volunteer pools

place far more pressure on a few people to conduct core activities. None of the groups use

volunteer agreements or job descriptions for volunteers. Only two groups have written

procedures for volunteers to follow. Only three groups have volunteers who have

undertaken training in museum skills in recent years. The survey revealed a fairly low

awareness and very low adoption of recognised best practice guidelines for museum

management. The various groups have skill strengths and skill gaps in different areas.

Looking at the groups collectively, the greatest skill gaps are in assessing significance,

disaster management, curatorial skills, collection management, marketing, advertising and

business skills, conservation, succession planning and writing grant applications. The two

biggest challenges the groups reported facing are ‘A lack of volunteers’ and ‘A lack of people

with relevant skills’.

20

Content of the cContent of the cContent of the cContent of the collectionsollectionsollectionsollections

The groups hold collections which total around 45,000 items combined. Around 5,300 of

these are objects and artefacts. The most common object types are framed items (artworks

and photographs), textiles (clothing, domestic textiles, flags), hand tools and hardware, and

domestic items (kitchenware, laundry equipment). Around 250 items are of medium to

large size (furniture, agricultural equipment, transport vehicles). There are around 45 items

of Aboriginal heritage within the five collections. One group has around 100 firearms. Both

are subject to legal regulations. The groups are able to identify their most significant items

many of which are significant due to their role in local history, for their rarity, their aesthetic

value or as good examples of a common historical object.

Collection managementCollection managementCollection managementCollection management

Survey responses showed that the groups are continually offered donations from the

Greater Bendigo community and the collections are still growing. Not all groups have a

Collection Policy, and some which do have one may not be using it appropriately. However

most groups have rejected items offered for donation for various reasons. Cataloguing is

inconsistent, both within and between the collections. The groups have catalogued varied

percentages of their collections. Multiple approaches and software programs have been

used. Most groups find it very difficult to describe their holdings quantitatively. Three

groups found it difficult to quantify how many of their collection items have been

photographed or digitised. The other two have created images of the majority of their

collection items. All groups have collection files and documentation, including registers and

donor files, which must remain with the collections if they are transferred. The biggest

challenges in collection management as reported by the groups are ‘staffing/volunteers’ and

‘storage’.

PremisesPremisesPremisesPremises

The five groups occupy and manage eight separate premises under a variety of occupancy

arrangements. Many of the premises lack security. Most of the premises were not purpose

built for museum activities and the groups reported that most are not suitable for their

needs. There is a lack of signage to the premises in the district and a lack of signage on the

premises themselves. The key problems the groups identified about their premises related

to structural/environmental risks, degraded building fabric, building designs which are not

suitable for museum activities, poor internal conditions and space restrictions.

StorageStorageStorageStorage

Findings about storage facilities showed a vastly different situation for BHS compared with

the other four groups. BHS has 95% of its collection in storage, the other groups have 95%

21

on display. All groups reported a lack of storage space, and poor quality of storage space.

Most do not have enough suitable storage for furniture and equipment.

Exhibitions & DisplaysExhibitions & DisplaysExhibitions & DisplaysExhibitions & Displays

All groups have some display facilities and all said that displaying their collection is very

important to them. All have a permanent display and most also present temporary displays.

Most groups have no policies to guide their exhibitions and other interpretive activities. The

groups use between 30% and 100% of their premises for display. The most common light

source for displays is natural light. All groups reported an inadequate amount of display

space. Almost all reported incidences of theft or damage to collection items whilst on

display. The key barriers reported to displaying more of the collection were ‘we are under-

staffed’ and ‘time’. Further comments pointed to lack of space, skills, staff/time and suitable

areas to display collections.

Public engagementPublic engagementPublic engagementPublic engagement

The groups open their premises to the public between three and 15 hours per week and

three will open by request or appointment. Only two groups track visitation and they report

between 1-2 visitors per week (on average). Most of the groups will host groups, including

school groups. Most charge a fee to process research requests. Some groups find it difficult

to collate statistics from the records that they keep about research requests. One group

reported 100 requests last year, another reported 6 requests. The most common channels

the groups use for public engagement are newspaper articles, social media and websites.

Four groups have a Facebook page and two have a website. Four have a profile on Victorian

Collections, but only two groups have uploaded collection data (around 20 items each). The

comments provided about key public engagement challenges show that the groups are

heavily focused on the problems around people visiting their physical premises.

There is a need for support and advice which helps the groups to improve their online

presence as another means of public engagement.

Conservation Conservation Conservation Conservation activitiesactivitiesactivitiesactivities

The survey found that most groups are aware of the need for preventative conservation and

apply some of the basic techniques. Some have also organised conservation treatment for

objects. A Preservation Needs Assessment has been conducted for one group’s collection.

There is a low use of disaster planning and measures. This is an area where the groups may

lack knowledge, or it may currently be viewed as a low priority.

SupportSupportSupportSupport

Through the survey, the groups identified key areas where they would like more support.

The two most common responses were ‘increasing storage’ and ‘succession planning’. The

22

groups have worked collaboratively with a range of other organisations. However they now

indicate less willingness to work with others, possibly due to decreases in personnel. The

main bodies which have provided support to the groups (from eight options) were Council

and grant or funding bodies. Most groups are members of RHSV, one of MAV. The key

means of support the groups currently receive from Council are ‘grants and /or buildings’

and ‘museum/heritage staff member to work with groups’. Most of the comments made by

groups about their relationship with Council were positive and appreciative.

SuccessesSuccessesSuccessesSuccesses

Asked about their recent and current successes, the groups listed a wide range of activities

including public programs, digitisation, group dynamics, support local communities and

promotional activities through newsletters and social media.

Greatest challengesGreatest challengesGreatest challengesGreatest challenges

Asked about their greatest current challenges, all groups identified lack of volunteers and

active members. Other challenges mentioned included lack of money, lack of time and staff

to write grant applications, having no advertising strategy, having no shared understanding

of purpose within the group, and maintaining income generating activities such as

publishing.

23

Detailed analysis Detailed analysis Detailed analysis Detailed analysis of of of of survey findingssurvey findingssurvey findingssurvey findings

This section is a more detailed analysis of the findings from the survey completed by the five

groups in the study, in order to explore the survey responses more fully from this phase of

the study.

EstablishmentEstablishmentEstablishmentEstablishment

The five core collecting groups in Greater Bendigo were established in the following years:

Bendigo Historical Society 1938

Huntly & District Historical Society 1977

Heathcote McIvor Historical Society 1980

Elmore Museum (Elmore Progress

Association)

1987 (1890)

Eaglehawk Heritage Society 1994

Bendigo Historical Society is the oldest group, established in 1938. Eaglehawk Heritage

Society was established the most recently. In 1994, several local government areas including

the Borough of Eaglehawk were amalgamated to become the City of Greater Bendigo. This

prompted some Eaglehawk residents to establish the Society to ensure that the distinct

history and stories of Eaglehawk would be preserved and shared. Although the Elmore

Progress Association has existed since 1890 a museum was not established under its

auspices until 1987.

Governance and Governance and Governance and Governance and membershipmembershipmembershipmembership

The groups were asked some questions about their governance arrangements and about

key documents used to guide their organisations. The groups are managed by Committees

of between 4 and 6 people. Most Committees meet once a month, one meets weekly.

Most groups have a written statement of purpose or a mission statement and all are

governed by a Constitution. Most have a wind-up clause in their Constitution but on further

discussion were not sure what it prescribes. One group operates under a parent body which

has its own Constitution and wind-up clause but there is no separate wind-up clause for the

museum collection that it legally owns. Most groups do not have a current strategic plan.

All of these documents are compulsory for accredited museums under the Victorian

Museum Accreditation Program (MAP).

24

All but one of the groups reported that they discuss succession planning. However during

the site visit this group also reported that they have concerns within the group about

succession and have discussed these with other members.

All groups hold multiple insurances including Public Liability cover, Volunteer Insurance and

all except one have Building and Contents insurance. This is a pleasing finding, not only to

protect the groups financially and legally but also because these must be in place if the

groups wish to advertise on most Volunteer Recruitment registers.

The detailed responses to these survey questions are outlined in the table below.

25

BHS HMHS EHS HDHS EPAM

Committee

4 people

1 person holds

2 offices

4 people

1 person holds

2 offices

5 people 6 people 4 people

Frequency of

meetings

Once a month

(or more if

needed)

Bi-monthly for

special, weekly

for general.

Once a month Once a month Once a month

Written

Statement of

Purpose,

mission or

vision

statement?

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes for parent

body, not for

museum

Constitution,

Charter or TOR

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes for parent

body, not for

museum

If above, also a

Windup

clause?

Yes

Yes Yes Not sure Yes for parent

body, not for

museum

A business,

strategic or

forward plan?

In

development

Yes No No Yes for parent

body, not for

museum

Succession

planning

discussed?

Yes Yes Yes Yes Not answered

Insurance?

Public Liability

Volunteer

insurance

Public Liability

Volunteer

insurance

Building &

Contents

Public Liability

Volunteer

insurance

Building &

Contents

Public Liability

Volunteer

insurance

Building &

Contents

Public Liability

Volunteer

insurance

Building &

Contents

26

Members & Members & Members & Members & PersonnelPersonnelPersonnelPersonnel

MembersMembersMembersMembers

The groups were asked about how many people have paid for membership in their Society.

This figure usually includes some members who have no involvement in a group’s activities,

other than paying for membership. Membership can be an important way to attract income

and new volunteers.


Members 120 6 9 8 32

(of parent

body)

One group has a substantial number of members, while three have very few (between 6 and

9). One group reported a figure of 32 but clarified that these are members of the parent

body which is a Progress Association. The historical museum which is run under that body

does not have a membership pool of its own. Thus only one group has healthy membership

numbers which can contribute notably to income.

27

Personnel NumbersPersonnel NumbersPersonnel NumbersPersonnel Numbers


How many people regularly

volunteer for your group?

25 4 8 6 4

Do you use Volunteer

Agreements or job descriptions

for volunteers?

No Yes

No No No

Do you have internally-

produced written procedures

such as a Procedures Manual?

For some

areas

(Nolan St)

Yes No No No

One group has 25 active volunteers, which is a reasonable number for a historical society.

The others have extremely small pools of between 4 and 8. For those with smaller pools

there is far more pressure on a few people to conduct core activities and there is minimal

backup if one or two people are unavailable because they are ill, on holiday or busy. In the

larger group, whilst a large volunteer pool is positive, it also requires co-ordination which

demands time from those in roles of responsibility, usually office-bearers.

None of the groups use volunteer agreements or job descriptions for volunteers. Only two

groups have written procedures for volunteers to follow. Using volunteer agreements and

written procedures can help groups to get more out of volunteers by making clear what

they want them to do and how they should do it. Volunteer job descriptions can be useful

in recruiting volunteers to fill skill gaps in the group or to work on specific projects.

28

Available museum skillsAvailable museum skillsAvailable museum skillsAvailable museum skills and knowledgeand knowledgeand knowledgeand knowledge

Only three groups have volunteers who have undertaken training in museum skills recent

years, as shown by the responses below.


Have any volunteers have

undertaken museum skills

training in the last 3 years.

Yes Yes Yes No No

The survey asked the groups about their awareness and use of some important museum

industry standards and reference tools. The results were:

3 groups are aware of the National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries,

none have used them.

5 groups are aware of the Small Museums Cataloguing Manual, only one group has

used it.

2 groups are aware of Significance 2.0, none have used it.

3 groups are aware of the Museums Australia Code of Ethics, none have used it.

1 group is aware of the ICOM Code of Ethics, none have used it.

These responses show a fairly low awareness and very low use of all of these important best

practice guidelines for museum management.

The groups were also asked about specific skills set that they may or may not have among

their current personnel (Committee and volunteers). The aggregated responses were used

to create a data chart (below).

29

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Curatorial skills

Disaster management

Significance assessments

Marketing, advertising or business skills

Collection management

Conservation

Writing grant applications

Succession planning

Making mounts or supports for objects

Displaying collection

Setting up storage/Storage strategies

Public program development skills

Financial management

Social media

General planning

Governance

Volunteer management

Exhibition display and installation skills

Digital technology/ Digitisation

Cataloguing

Public access to collections

Responding to research requests

Front of house/customer service skills

30

The graph above illustrates the strengths and weakness in terms of in-house skills within the

five groups collectively. The most needed skill building required by the groups are

succession planning, writing grant application and conservation. It is these identified areas

where training provision and other support such as advice and advocacy should be directed

in the near future, to be of most immediate benefit to the community collections.

The graph also demonstrates where the groups collectively have strong capacity. These are

front of house/ customer service skills, responding to research requests, public access to

collections, cataloguing, digital technology/ Digitisation, exhibition display and installation

skills, governance and volunteer management. Identifying these strengths is useful because

it shows which key skills volunteers can best contribute to the community whether through

their own group or as volunteers in a shared facility. These are the skill sets that should be

further supported by future training, skills and resourcing to be targeted to support and

enable the continuation of these strengths in the community collections.

There are clear defined areas of strengths and needs for community collections as a whole,

but there was diversity amongst the individual groups. Looking at the responses from

individual groups is also enlightening, showing the strengths and weaknesses of each

group’s current in-house skill capacities. This data is useful for groups to use for targeted

volunteer recruitment.

31

The following table collates existing and needed skills for each group based on their

answers.

Strongest capacities Capacity building needed (ie there is no-one

in the group with these skills)

BHS • Public program development

• Front of house/customer service

• Disaster management

• Significance assessments

HMHS • Responding to research requests

• Digital technology/digitisation

All skills present in the volunteer group

EHS • Front of house/customer service

• Governance

• Succession planning

• General planning

• Volunteer management

• Public access to collections

• Responding to research requests

All skills present in the volunteer group

HDHS • Exhibition display and installation

• Front of house/customer service

• Public access to collections

• Responding to research requests

• Public programs development

• Curatorial

• Collection management




• Conservation


• Digital technology / digitisation

EPAM • Cataloguing

• Public access

• Exhibition display and installation

• Making mounts or supports

• Marketing, advertising or business

• Public program development

• Writing grant applications

• Financial management

• Governance



• Volunteer management



• Storage setup and strategies

32

Most significant issues the groups face in terms of skills and human resources:Most significant issues the groups face in terms of skills and human resources:Most significant issues the groups face in terms of skills and human resources:Most significant issues the groups face in terms of skills and human resources:

The groups were asked to nominate the most significant issues they face in terms of skills

and human resources. They could nominate more than one. The following graph sets out

the results and the number of groups which face this issue.

The most significant issue the groups face is ‘a lack of volunteers’, followed by ‘a lack of

people with the relevant skills’. The lack of volunteers, especially those with relevant skills

and knowledge is a serious problem for all the groups in this study.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Lack of advice or support from museum professionals

Interpersonal conflicts which affect management

Other – “lack of members willing to take responsibility”

A lack of members

Lack of a shared vision about future of the Society

A lack of people with relevant skills

A lack of volunteers

33

CCCCoooontentsntentsntentsntents ofofofof thethethethe ccccollectionsollectionsollectionsollections

The survey asked some basic questions about the collections held by the groups.

It was noted to the groups that estimates were acceptable if exact quantities are not known.

Nevertheless most of the groups found it difficult to answer, even with rough estimates, the

survey questions about quantities of items in their collections. It is not clear why this was a

difficult task for all groups but some possible reasons are:

• Collections are not fully catalogued (ie not every item has a catalogue entry)

• Collections are not properly catalogued (ie the entries do not have all relevant

information, such as ‘material type’)

• Collections are fully catalogued but not using a searchable system

• Collections are catalogued using a searchable system but the groups lacks the technical

know-how to perform these searches

• Collections are catalogued using a searchable system but the terminology used to

categorise things differs from the terminology used in the survey.

It is not unusual for small volunteer-run collecting groups to have any or all of the above

characteristics given they may lack staff and time, computer skills, the funds to purchase

specialised collection management software or be up to date in the training to use it. A lack

of broad knowledge about what is in the collection is also exacerbated by turnover of

volunteers.

The figures in the following three tables are estimates from either the groups knowledge of

their collections or by the consultant after viewing the collections.

Total collection size (estimated)

BHS HMHS EHS HDHS EPAM Total

Number of

collection items

32,000 8,000 5,000 Unknown

(approx

3,000)

2,400 50,400

34

The graph below illustrates the relative sizes of the five collections.

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000

EPAM

HDHS

EHS

HMHS

BHS

Number of collection items

35

Collection compositionCollection compositionCollection compositionCollection composition

Although this study focuses on objects and artefacts it is useful to understand the

proportions of paper-based material compared with objects and artefacts in the collections.

The graph below is based on the (estimated data) provided in tables in the previous few

pages.

It shows that the bulk of the groups’ collections are paper-based, meaning document and

records, photographs, books and ledgers, posters, scrapbooks and maps and plans.

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000

EPAM

HDHS

HMHS

EHS

BHS

Paper-based Objects

36

Quantities of paper-based materials

Although this study does not focus on paper-based or archive materials, it was useful to try

to obtain a broad understanding of the quantities of these materials held by the groups. The

groups were asked to provide quantities for the paper-based materials they hold. It was

difficult for all groups to provide specific numbers. This is understandable given the nature

of archives. Some groups found it difficult even to provide estimates or summaries. The

types listed below are not an exhaustive list of the possible paper-based items a group may

hold but are the main categories usually held in community collections.


Original documents

(letters, business

records, deeds etc)

20,000 40 original

(+ thousands

of copies)

1200 unknown 4 tubs 21,240 +4

tubs +

more

Photographs –

unframed

6,000+ 200 2,000 unknown 200 loose

plus 12

albums

8,400+

Books and booklets 2500 500 1300 181 7 4,488

Maps & plans 1600 600 167 260+ <10 2,627+

Postcards 2000 100 44 unknown 0 2,144+

Research files/scrap

books

Unknown 500 100 225

approx

14 839+

Diaries 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total 28,100 1,940

(+thousands

of copies)

4,811 unknown

231 items

plus 4

tubs & 12

albums

39,748+

According to the survey responses the groups collectively hold nearly 40,000 items of paper-

based heritage but likely more since the survey did not collect exhaustive data about paper-

based or archival collection materials. The most numerous types are documents and other

records, followed by unframed photographs and books and booklets.

37

Quantities of objects/artefacts


Textiles (eg. clothing, soft

furnishings, flags)

1,000+ 100 245 55 50 1450+

Non-furniture domestic objects

(eg. Kitchenware, iron, sewing kit)

0 200 200 30 100 530

Hand tools and hardware 300+ 100 20 20 50 490

Photographs – framed 150 20 130 95 45 440

Framed historical prints,

certificates or reproductions

30 20 90 184 30 354

Jewellery and other personal

effects

100 50 30 20 120 320

Artworks – Paintings or framed

drawings

100 20 6 19 3 148

Farm/agricultural items (eg.

Saddlery, equipment)

0 50 0 33 46 129

Scientific instruments or

equipment

5 10 40 0 60 115

Machines (eg. thresher, steam

engine, clock, projector)

0 20

(4

large)

2 27

(6 large)

10

(3 large)

59

(13 are

very

large)

Toys 30 20 6 0 2 58

Furniture 0 20 6 28

(3 large)

1 55

(3 are

very

large)

Audio-visual items (records,

cassettes, videos, DVDs)

4 20 5 12 2 43

Sporting equipment & trophies No answer

given

10 2 7 10 29+

Models or dioramas 10 0 12 1 0 23

Musical instruments 3 10 1 0 2 16

Honour boards/large signs 1 6 2 4 2 15

Vehicles (eg. Wagon, cart, bicycle) 3

(2 bikes,

1 wagon)

1 0 1 (Dray) 1 6

(4 are

very

large)

Taxidermy/mounted animal

specimens

1 0 0 0 0 1

38

The table above illustrates the estimated number and types of objects that the groups hold.

Collectively the groups hold at least 5,311 objects and artefacts but likely more since the

survey did not collect exhaustive data.

The most numerous object types are textiles (eg. clothing, soft furnishings, flags) followed

by non-furniture domestic objects (eg. kitchenware, irons, sewing kits), hand tools and

hardware and framed items (mainly photographs and prints). Around 20 items are very

large objects (such as vehicles and large machines).

Sculptures or carvings 0 0 0 0 0 0

“Other” objects

1,000 un-

catalogued

objects

- - 30 small

to

medium

- 1030

Total (approx.) 2,400 650 795 586 534 5,311

(20 are

very

large)

39

Objects subject to legal obligationsObjects subject to legal obligationsObjects subject to legal obligationsObjects subject to legal obligations

The groups were asked whether they hold any items subject to legal obligations which

includes human remains, maritime artefacts, Aboriginal cultural heritage or firearms. None

of the groups hold human remains or maritime artefacts. However some groups do hold

Aboriginal items and firearms.

Aboriginal items

Three of the five groups hold items of Aboriginal cultural heritage. These are mostly small

numbers of stone tools.


Number of

Aboriginal

items

19 stone items

(axe heads &

grinding

implements)

<10 0 0 16 stone items

In total the groups hold around 35 items of Aboriginal material culture. These are subject to

obligations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic). As such a specific recommendation

is included later in this report to ensure these legal obligations are complied with. As well as

legal compliance, there is an ethical imperative to notifying Indigenous traditional owners

where possible about the existence of their cultural heritage and negotiating either how it

should be managed or negotiating its repatriation (where appropriate). As such this study’s

recommendation about Indigenous holdings also includes suggestions along these lines.

Firearms

BHS holds around 100 firearms which are stored at the premises of a registered firearms

dealer. This is compliant with regulations, but it would be preferable if these collection

items could be held in possession of BHS with the rest of the collections. This would require

a compliant storage unit(s) and for the group to register the items with Victoria Police in

order to obtain a Museum Exemption License.

40

Most significant itemsMost significant itemsMost significant itemsMost significant items

Only one group (BHS) has had a formal significance assessment. A Collection Management

Strategy and Significance Assessment carried out in 2007 by Lauretta Zilles helped BHS to

identify their most significant objects. The table below outlines the areas of significance

identified by the Zilles Strategy and Assessment and some key specific examples.3

Areas Specific examples

Most significant

paper-based/

archival

materials held

by BHS

∗ Documents - Some original documents

relating to the development of Bendigo and

district have high historic significance at local,

state and national levels

∗ Publications - Some rare books and copies of

early Bendigo newspapers have historic

significance

∗ Records - Around a third of BHS’ archival

collections are significant for their research

value

∗ Photographs – many of BHS photographs are

original and significance historically and for

their rarity. Some such as streetscapes are

have research value. Many have strong

interpretive potential.

∗ 1856 Petition of Crown land

Occupants at Sandhurst

∗ Bendigo Advertiser Volume 1

December 9 1853

∗ Government voting card for

John Quick (c.1908)

∗ Original Vahland plans for

Bendigo Hospital(1858)

∗ Map of water supply – Early

Sandhurst

Most significant

non-archival

materials held

by BHS (ie

objects and

artefacts)

∗ Artefacts - Around half of BHS artefacts are

domestic in nature, the most significant items

include early gold mining relics, models of

gold-mining equipment, unique or rare objects

relating to businesses, industries and events in

the local area or associated with the

inhabitants of the Bendigo region.

∗ Textiles – Of around 1200 items (1,000 being

clothing and accessories) some have historic

significance for their connection to local

families. Many are aesthetically appealing, in

good condition, rare or good examples of a

type. Some have potential for future

interpretation or display.

∗ Ship’s bell used at Ravenswood

Homestead

∗ Bendigo-made violin (1903)

∗ Cornet presented to local citizen

in 1871

∗ Friendly Society memorabilia

∗ Materials relating to early

Bendigo businesses Bush’s

Stores and Cohn’s Brewery (both

est.1857)

∗ First electric radio made in

Bendigo

∗ 19 Aboriginal artefacts

∗ Chair and photograph of local

Bishop

∗ Gold miners cradle, windlasses

and buckets

∗ Chinese gold scales and knife

∗ Mining models including one

which won its maker a medal at

an 1883 Juvenile Industrial

Exhibition.

∗ A model ship with interesting

provenance

∗ Bottles of wine from Bendigo

vineyard and a cake decoration

3 Zilles 2007

41

both leftover from a wedding

held in Bendigo in 1879.

∗ A black wedding gown (1882)

∗ A taffeta gown (1864) with

interesting local provenance

∗ George Lansell’s baby clothes

∗ Framed watercolour ‘Falcon Inn,

Peg Leg Road’ (c.1857) by

George Rowe

∗ Framed watercolour ‘Johnson’s

Reef’ (c.1859) by unknown artist

The collections of the other four groups have not been formally assessed for significance.

The survey asked them to nominate what they consider to be the five most significant

objects or artefacts they hold. The responses have been aggregated and de-identified for

security purposes.

• A cricket bat which belonged to former Bendigo cricketer the late William (Billy)

Midwinter (1851-1877), the first Australian cricketer to score a double century.

• The altar and christening font from a local church

• A 19th Century demijohn (ceramic bottle) used at a local hotel

• A unique silk booklet that was produced to commemorate the death of King Edward

VII in 1910

• A printing press used to print a local newspaper from the 1850s gold rush era to the

1940s

• A local Masonic Lodge Collection

• A locally-made 19th Century wheat pickler

• A ‘Birthday Chair’ from local Methodist Sunday School

• A 19th Century organ from a local Church

• An early troopers helmet and 1940s police uniform

• A range of honour boards (military, societies) listing local names

• Historical furniture

• An 1870s bass drum used in local brass band

• A 1920s pink hand-beaded dress

• A c.1900 clock

• A collection recording the history of a local golf club

• The ledger from a local general merchandise store used by owner to write up each

day’s accounts (1897-1907).

42

CollCollCollCollection Managementection Managementection Managementection Management

Collection PolicyCollection PolicyCollection PolicyCollection Policy

All groups should have a Collection Policy which clearly prescribes what they will and will

not collect based on the stated purpose of their organisation. The groups were asked if they

have a Collection Policy and if so how it is used. The responses were:

Yes No

Have Collection Policy 3 2

If yes to Collection Policy, does it include a de-

accessioning policy or section?

3 n/a

Only three groups have a Collection Policy which includes a policy on de-accessioning items.

As well as having a Collection Policy it is important that it is applied. The groups which have

a Collection Policy were asked how they use it. The following answers were given:

“To assess potential donations”

“When an item is received into the Museum. Collection documents are made out, one for the Society, one

for the Donor. All items are photographed and put into database. A paper catalogue is recorded.”

“Some items are to be returned to donor in the event they are no longer required or the Society closes”

Some of these answers indicate that either the question was not understood or the purpose

of a Collection Policy is not well understood. The first answer reflects correct use of a

Collection Policy. The latter two describe specific procedures for handling donations after

they are accepted.

The groups were asked whether they have ever rejected an item that was offered for

donation. Four of the five groups said yes they had, one group said it had not. The groups

reported that they have rejected items for the following reasons:

• Item/s did not fit within Collection Policy

• Item/s were pest-infested

43

• Item/s too damaged or degraded

• Already had the same or similar items in the collection

• Not enough storage space

• Conditions demanded by donor were too difficult to fulfil (or were not reasonable)

• Legal ownership was in question

• The item/s posed a safety or health risk

It is pleasing to note that groups are willing to reject offered items which are inappropriate.

Onsite discussions with all groups revealed that it can often be difficult to say no to an

offered item, especially if the prospective donor is local.

44

Collection growthCollection growthCollection growthCollection growth

The survey asked groups how many objects added to the collections each year (on average).

The responses were:


More than 30 11-30 More than 30 1-10 11-30

The responses show that these collections are still growing and that there are still items in

the community which are worth collecting.

Collection documentationCollection documentationCollection documentationCollection documentation

The survey asked groups whether they keep collection records via any of the following:

Yes No

Accession Register 4 1

Donor form 4 1

It was pleasing that most groups use an Accession Register and donor forms. However the

effectiveness of the donor forms depends on their content. Good donor forms record all

available provenance and contextual information about the donated item and set conditions

for acceptance of the donation, for example that legal ownership is transferred and that no

conditions are attached (such as the requirement to keep the item on display).

Collection documentation files also include documents, notes and images that record the

history and formation of the collection and sometimes confirm provenance or significance

of individual items. They can be in the form of registers, donor forms, receipts, old

catalogues and inventory lists, research notes, reference photographs and significance

statements. These are not themselves collection items but it is absolutely vital that they are

retained with the collections as historical records and documentation about the collections.

They often contain critical information about donors, provenance and other aspects of

significance. These are mentioned here because they will need to be accepted with a

collection and so will impact on storage space needed. Each group probably has no more

than would fit in one or two tall double office cupboards or one to two filing cabinets.

45

CataloguingCataloguingCataloguingCataloguing

Cataloguing is an important aspect of collection management, especially for objects and

artefacts. A catalogue entry is a central place to record characteristics of an object and

contextual information about it. A comprehensive catalogue allows collection managers to

collate reference information about a collection.

The survey asked questions designed to ascertain how much of their collections the groups

have documented in a cataloguing system and what kind of system they use.


Number of collection

items

32,000 8,000 5,000 1200 2,400

Number of items

catalogued

20,000 8,000 5,000 Small number

on computer

Around 200 of

family history

files on card

catalogue

2,000

Percentage of collection

catalogued

65% 100% 100% 30%? 83%

Number of items still to

catalogue

10,000

(mostly

documents,

1,000 objects)

0 0 1180 400

Number of objects still

to catalogue

1,000 0 0 580 Unknown

Cataloguing system, or

software

Computer –

Mosaic

museum

database

software

and

paper forms

Paper forms

and entered

on Filemaker

Pro

computer

database

Computer -

Microsoft

Word

Heritage V but

not currently

functioning

properly

Have

Inmagic

license but

not currently

running/ set

up

Four of the five groups have catalogued the majority of their collection (between 65% and

100%). One group has not previously been focused on cataloguing activities and has only

around 30% catalogued. The current personnel of this group is keen to address this

situation, but are struggling with a lack of personnel to do the work and a lack of certainty

about the best approach to use. This report will include recommendations to assist the

group with an appropriate approach.

46

The groups use a variety of different computer software programs. All but one are happy

with the software they use. It was not possible within the scope of this study to assess the

cataloguing systems used by the groups and so it is not clear what information each group

records for its objects or how consistently this has been done for all objects. There are many

different approaches which can be used and often inconsistencies in museum databases

where many different people have catalogued items over many years. This report will make

recommendations to the groups about what they should ensure they have recorded for the

purpose of collection succession planning.

47

Collection Collection Collection Collection ImagingImagingImagingImaging

All groups reported that they have photographed or digitised some of their collection items.

The survey asked how many images they have of individual collection items. It also asked

whether the groups have a digital camera, a scanner and/or an area set up to take

photographs of objects. The following responses were provided:


Collection

items with

image (s)

12,972

(60% of

collection)

8,000

(100% of

collection)

4,000

(80% of

collection)

“Not many” Unknown

Scanner � � � � �

Camera � � � � �

Photography

area set up

� � � � �

The table of results indicates that groups which have more imaging equipment have created

more of their collection items. But it is not possible to say which way a causal relationship

flows. Perhaps groups which were able to get equipment are more able to create images.

Or it could be that groups with more interest in imaging may have been motivated to

acquire more imaging equipment. Elmore volunteers are not currently able to quantify their

image holdings having only recently taken over care of the collections. They are still trying

to reinstate and access computers in the Museum. All collecting groups should have all the

imaging equipment listed in this question. However at this stage even if they have the

equipment, some groups may lack the personnel to make full use of it.

48

Key challenges in collection managementKey challenges in collection managementKey challenges in collection managementKey challenges in collection management

The groups were given four options and asked to tick any which they saw as a challenge for

them in caring for their collections.

The (aggregated) results clearly reiterate key issues and priorities seen throughout this

study. A lack of personnel is a key challenge for all groups in managing their collections. The

next priority areas are challenges relating to storage and to funding.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Skills training & prof development

Funding

Storage

Staffing/volunteers

49

PPPPremisesremisesremisesremises

Three of the groups are based in a single premises each. One group is spread across two

premises, another is spread across three. As such the figures presented in this section relate

to a total of eight physical premises.

Used/managed by Building Year built

BHS Specimen Cottage

BRAC

1856

2010

Heathcote McIvor

Historical Society

Camp Hill Precinct (including historic lock-up, Police residence

and former Infant Welfare Centre)

1861- 1967

Eaglehawk Heritage

Society

Former Eaglehawk Courthouse, relocated historic log jail 1869

1858

Huntly & District

Historical Society

Old Huntly Council Chambers

Old Huntly Courthouse

Beekeepers Hut

1866

1875

Late 20th

/early

21st

Century

Elmore Progress

Association

Elmore Railway Station 1870

Legal arrangementsLegal arrangementsLegal arrangementsLegal arrangements

In all but one case the group is the sole occupier of the premises. There are varied

arrangements in place in terms of the groups’ premises. These include:

• Written agreement with Council with a Committee of management

• Rented/leased from VicTrack

• Rented/leased from Council

• Rented leased from Victorian Education Department (State Govt)

For all groups, dealing with the owner of their premises can sometimes be challenging.

Some groups registered frustrations such as very long delays in maintenance processes or

Council staff accessing their premises without notifying them. For another group the

premises they have been provided is severely inadequate. However one group which is

housed in a premises owned by VicTrack reported that its landlord is very responsive to

requests for maintenance or improvements to the premises.

50

Heritage overlayHeritage overlayHeritage overlayHeritage overlay

Some of the buildings currently used and/or cared for by the five groups are protected by a

Heritage Overlay. The following table notes these properties and the Heritage Overlay

number. In most cases, the buildings are significant on a state level and where relevant,

their Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number is also listed. Being in a heritage listed

building can place limitations on what improvement works might be done to improve the

environment for heritage objects.

Used/managed by Building Heritage listing

BHS

Specimen Cottage VHR H1615 / HO182

Heathcote McIvor

Historical Society

Camp Hill Precinct (including historic

lock-up, Police residence and former

Infant Welfare Centre)

HO463 and HO757

Eaglehawk Heritage

Society

Former Eaglehawk Courthouse,

relocated historic log jail

VHR H1401 / HO394

Huntly & District

Historical Society

Old Huntly Council Chambers VHR H1369 / HO475

Huntly & District

Historical Society

Old Huntly Courthouse VHR H1370 / HO477

Elmore Progress

Association

Elmore Railway Station VHR H1672 / HO418

51

SecuritySecuritySecuritySecurity

The groups were asked about the security measures at their premises. The groups reported

the following security measures they use (aggregated):

This list suggests that many of the premises lack security. The only measure in place at all

premises is door locks. Only one has an alarm system. Most do not have window locks and

only one has window security screens (such as mesh or bars). In some cases this may be

related to a perception that the building may not be modified due to a heritage overlay.

However, in itself a heritage overlay should not prevent adequate security measures being

installed to protect the building and contents. In other cases it may be because the premises

is not owned by the group and the owner has not been willing to add further security.

Some groups reported incidents in which there was an attempted break-in or damage made

to their premises. Elmore have recently submitted a request to VicTrack for two extra

security mesh doors for its premises, after an attempted break-in in which intruders

attempted to force doors open. Its windows are also vulnerable and need extra security

measures applied.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Security screens on windows

Security lighting

Alarm/security system

Cameras

Security mesh doors

Window locks

Gate locks

Door locks

52

PPPPremisesremisesremisesremises suitability for housing objectssuitability for housing objectssuitability for housing objectssuitability for housing objects

The groups were asked about the suitability of their premises. The following responses were

given:

Yes No

Were the premises purpose-built for museum activities?

2 6

Is the building in an area prone to flooding?

0 8

Are there any plumbing pipes, rainwater pipes, sprinkler

systems or wet areas located in or above collection storage or

display areas?

2 6

Do you feel the premises are suitable for your needs? 2 6

Only two of the eight premises were purpose built for museum activities. One of these is

BRAC which is maintained as a controlled archival environment. The other is the beekeepers

hut at Huntly which was created to house museum displays but was not built to museum

standards. It is not a satisfactory environment for preservation. A large gap between the

roof and walls all the way around the structure allows dust and pests into the interior. As a

result it is very difficult to keep the objects inside clean and free of cobwebs. The objects

housed in this structure are also quite vulnerable to fluctuations in temperature and

humidity.

The premises used by the groups are mostly 19th Century structures (built between 1856

and 1888), one is a 1960s building, one was built in 2002 and one in 2010. Sometimes older

buildings can be a reasonable environment for heritage items however several of these

historic structures have issues that are putting the collections at risk. Issues include rising

damp and severe temperature fluctuations. Another has wall paint applied with a historical

method which is very expensive to reproduce today. As such it has large areas of peeling

paint in its display areas. These issues are explored further later in the report.

It is interesting to note that the groups view almost all of their premises (6 out of 8) as not

suitable for their needs.

53

AccessibilityAccessibilityAccessibilityAccessibility

It is important that a premises and interpretive displays are accessible to people of all

capacities. The groups were asked about the accessibility of their premises and displays.

Yes No

Are your premises accessible to people with mobility issues?

5 3

Yes No N/A (No

displays)

No

answer

Are your displays accessible to people with other

disabilities, such as vision impairment?

3 3 1 1

Five of the eight premises are accessible to people with limited mobility. This can be a

difficult issue to address but is important since it potentially impacts on engaging new

audiences and volunteers.

In the groups’ estimation, only half of the premises they manage have displays which are

accessible to people with other limitations such as vision impairment. This issue can be

more easily improved through changes to interpretive methods, such as the way displays

are organised and labelled.

Most premises are single-level structures, except for one (Specimen Cottage) which has two

stories with only a steep narrow staircase to access the upper level which is not compliant

with OH&S standards and does not allow access for mobility-impaired visitors.

54

SignageSignageSignageSignage

There appears to be some signage in place around these premises including signage in the

area and signage on the premises. Three premises have no signage and two have signage

without complete information. The survey elicited the following responses about signage:

Yes No

Are there any signs in the district to direct visitors to the

Society’s premises?

5 3

No signage on

premises

Yes, with

some of those

details

Yes, with all of

those details

Do you have signage on the outside of the

premises which states the Society's name,

opening hours and contact details?

3

2 3

An issue raised during site visits which is not made apparent by the survey is the issue of

whether signage used is adequate for attracting visitors (eg its size and the way it is placed).

This issue is discussed further in the section titled ‘Key Discussion Points’.

55

Main iMain iMain iMain issues or problems with premisesssues or problems with premisesssues or problems with premisesssues or problems with premises

The survey asked the groups what are the main issues or problems they face in terms of

their premises. The following responses were given.

BHS –

Specimen

Cottage

Rising damp affecting objects on display

Mould in kitchen a health hazard

Small rooms, difficult to create displays

Security issues

Stairs to upper level – not accessible for many visitors

Rooms dark because overshadowed by BRIT building

BHS –

Nolan St

BRAC

facility

Not enough storage space

HMHS –

Camp Hill

precinct

Nowhere to store/display large items already donated to Society.

EHS Rooms do not lend themselves to ease of pedestrian movement between

displays and rooms

HDHS -

Former

Chambers

and

surrounds

Cold in winter, hot in summer

Front signage needs to be larger to be readable by public

HDHS -

Courthouse

Cold in winter

Need signage

HDHS –

Beekeepers

Museum

Cold in winter, hot in summer

Dust enters due to gap between walls and roof

EPAM Interior paint needs urgent attention

56

Storage Storage Storage Storage

The survey asked groups whether their premises has separate storage area/s. Four out of

five groups have areas dedicated to storage.

Yes No

Does your group have storage facilities? 4 1

The groups were asked to indicate which storage issues they face. They were asked to

indicate all that apply from the choices listed in the following table. The aggregated

responses were:

Number of groups that

reported problem

Lack of storage space 4

Poor quality of storage space 3

Need more or better storage units/furniture 3

Lack of appropriate storage materials 2

Most of the groups (4 out of 5) said they do not have enough storage furniture and

equipment, meaning suitable shelving or cabinets or sheds for important machinery.

The questionnaire asked the groups about the amount of storage they have in terms of

square metres of floor space or linear metres of shelf space. None of the five groups was

able to answer this question. During the site visits, the groups were asked if they could

assess or articulate the amount of extra storage they need in terms of percentage or any

other method (for example “we need double what we have now”). This was also

problematic for groups. It is certainly difficult to describe storage in a quantitative way.

Giving floor area figures is not sufficiently descriptive and linear shelf measures are more

applicable to archives than to objects. It is a complex process to quantitatively describe

storage needs. A qualitative description of storage problems can be more useful. This is

discussed further in the case studies and Key Discussion Points section.

57

Exhibitions & Exhibitions & Exhibitions & Exhibitions & displaydisplaydisplaydisplayssss

All the groups have some display facilities. All groups described their facilities as ‘a series of

small rooms’ (as opposed to ‘one large space’).

Permanent and temporary exhibitsPermanent and temporary exhibitsPermanent and temporary exhibitsPermanent and temporary exhibits

All groups reported that they have a permanent display, and most also mount short-term

exhibitions.

Yes No

Does your Society have a permanent exhibition on display? 5 0

Does your Society present temporary exhibitions or exhibits? 4 1

If the group said they do present temporary exhibitions or exhibits, they were asked to say

how many per year (on average). The responses were:

2 or more

2-3 3 4

The groups which do present temporary exhibitions usually present between 2 and 4

temporary exhibitions per year.

58

Policies Policies Policies Policies

The survey asked which of the following policies the groups use. These policies are used by

many museums and usually set out what will and will not be presented in exhibitions,

education programs and other interpretive offerings. Having (and adhering to) one of these

policies is a requirement of accreditation under the Victorian Museum Accreditation

Program. The responses were:

Yes No

Exhibition Policy 1 4

Education Policy 0 5

Interpretation Policy 1 4

There is a low rate of use of policies to guide the displays and public programs (eg tours)

presented by these groups. However it is understandable in very small volunteer groups

which are struggling to conduct their core activities.

Importance of displaying collectionImportance of displaying collectionImportance of displaying collectionImportance of displaying collection

The groups were asked how important it is to them to display their collections to the public.

All groups responded that it is ‘Very Important’.

Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of the the the the premisespremisespremisespremises used to display itemsused to display itemsused to display itemsused to display items

The groups were asked what percentage of their premises is used to display collections. The

responses are presented in the table below.


30% 80% 100% 100% 100%

Used for display

Used for other

59

Three groups have no areas dedicated to collection storage, one has very little. This

indicates that for these groups, most of the collection is on permanent display and never

rotated or rested. This has implications for preservation but also for attracting audiences,

since a static display is less likely to attract repeat visitors.

Lighting in display areasLighting in display areasLighting in display areasLighting in display areas

The groups reported using the following light sources in their display areas.


Indirect natural light � � � � 4

Direct natural light � � � 3

Energy-saving

globes

� � 2

Fluorescent tubes � � 2

LED � 1

Indirect natural light is the most common type of lighting in display areas, followed by direct

natural light. The presence of natural light (especially if direct) in display areas is a concern

for items, especially for materials on long-term or permanent display.

60

Nature of diNature of diNature of diNature of display facilitiessplay facilitiessplay facilitiessplay facilities

Questions about the nature of display facilities elicited the following answers:

Yes No

Do you currently have enough display space? 0 5

Do you have suitable display cases and supports for displaying

your items?

4 1

Are there any hanging or display system installed in the

premises?

2 3

Have there been any incidents of theft or damage to your

collection items when on display?

1 4

All groups reported a lack of display space. Most feel they have enough display furniture

(such as display cases) but only two groups have a hanging or display system installed. All

but one group have experienced an incident of theft or damage to their collection items

while on display. This would suggest that these groups do not have sufficient appropriate

display furniture such as lockable display units or security barriers. The risk of damage and

theft are increased when large volumes of collection items are on display at one time.

Key barriers to displaying moreKey barriers to displaying moreKey barriers to displaying moreKey barriers to displaying more collectioncollectioncollectioncollection

The survey also asked what are the main things that prevent the groups putting their

collections on display more often. The graph below presents their responses.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Administration and paperwork

We have other priorities

Cost

Lack of skills in this area

Lack of suitable exhibition space

Our exhibition facilities are not up to standard

Time

We are under-staffed

61

The two barriers most reported by the groups were ‘we are under-staffed’ and ‘time’. This

again reiterates the lack of personnel and by default the time pressures on existing

personnel.

Key challenges for displayKey challenges for displayKey challenges for displayKey challenges for display

In answer to the question ‘what key challenges does your Society face in terms of displaying

items?’, the groups gave the following responses:

“Staffing limited and time to do displays

Display/interpretation skills [lacking]

Suitable display areas [lacking]

Lighting/security/environment of [our venue]”

“Quite crowded”

No answer

No answer

“Not enough items or space”

62

Public Public Public Public engagementengagementengagementengagement

Public Public Public Public Opening HoursOpening HoursOpening HoursOpening Hours

The following table shows the times when the groups’ premises are usually open to the

public.


Tues and Thurs

10am - 4:00pm

Wednesdays from

10am-3pm and on

weekends. Group

tours by

arrangement.

Every Sunday from

1- 4pm or by

appointment.

Tuesday &

Wednesday

mornings and by

appointment.

First Sunday of

each month from

2pm until 4pm.

Each Wednesday

between 10am and

3pm. Each

Thursday from

1pm till 3pm.

12 hours per week 15 hours per week

+ by appointment

3 hours per week

+ by appointment

6 hours per week

+ by appointment

9 hours per week

The various premises are opened between three and 15 hours per week and three will open

by request or appointment.

VisitorsVisitorsVisitorsVisitors

The survey asked whether the groups track visitor numbers. Two groups indicated they did

so.

Yes No

Does your group record visitor numbers? 2 3

The two groups that formally track numbers noted the following annual visitor numbers for

2016.

115

65

These figures equate to around 1-2 visitors per week which is a similar rate of visitation

reported by some of the other groups. Most groups reported anecdotally that they usually

attract 1 to 4 visitors each week, but this audience is supplemented by occasional large

groups.

63

Groups & toursGroups & toursGroups & toursGroups & tours

The survey asked about whether the collecting groups ever conduct tours or host groups.

Most of the groups offer tours of their premises and host school groups and other kinds of

groups such as Probus or Seniors groups.

Yes No

Does your Society conduct tours? 4 1

Does your Society ever host school groups? 4 1

Does your Society ever host other types of groups (eg.

Probus)

4 1

Research requestsResearch requestsResearch requestsResearch requests

One of the core activities of most historical societies is responding to research questions

and requests. Volunteers often spend a lot of time carrying out research on behalf of the

public. This can be a way to generate some income for the group. The following responses

were given to questions about this topic:

Yes No

Does your Society charge a fee for responding to research

requests?

4 1

Does your Society keep a record of research requests? 4 1

If yes, how many requests did you receive last year?

- No answer

- No answer

- About 100

- No answer

- About 6

Three groups indicated that they keep a record of research requests but then gave no

answer when asked how many requests they processed in the past year. This may indicate

that the kind of records kept are not easily searchable and not kept for the purpose of

tracking numbers.

One group reported that they charge a fee for researchers to use their extensive library of

reference books and research files, which usually involves them assisting the researcher as

64

well. However they noted that despite using these valuable resources, visiting researchers

are often reluctant to pay the fees requested.

Promoting the group Promoting the group Promoting the group Promoting the group

The groups were asked about the methods they have used for promotion and profile-

raising. The graph below presents the aggregated responses.

The main method of promotion used was newspaper articles, followed by social media and

websites. The least used were media releases and email bulletins.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Email bulletins

Media releases

Inclusion in tourism brochures

Advertising

Flyers or brochures

Books and research publications

Radio interviews

Website

Social media

Newspaper articles

65

Social media & onlineSocial media & onlineSocial media & onlineSocial media & online

During the site visits, four of the five groups reported that they do not have internet access

at their premises, and that they feel they do not need it. This raised the question of what

online presence the groups have. The consultant checked which groups have a Facebook

page, which have a website and which have a profile on Victorian Collections, with the

following results:

BHS HC EH HU EL

Have Facebook

page

Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Number of

Facebook posts

in June 2017

0 0 22 13 n/a

Have a website Yes No Yes No No

Victorian

Collections

profile

Yes

(20 items)

Yes

(21 items)

No

(0 items)

Yes

(0 items)

Yes

(0 items)

Most of the groups have a Facebook page. One group reported that they are disappointed

that people (from the public) do not post on it, as much as they do. Others reported a lack

of time to regularly post on their Facebook profile. Viewing the posts on the group’s

Facebook pages over a sample of one month (June 2017) showed variety in the frequency

this channel is used by the groups.

Only two groups have websites. BHS would like to upgrade their site and publish some

collections on it. Eaglehawk currently have technical issues with a side panel on their site

which they are trying to resolve. The other groups have small listings on a variety of other

websites but no site of their own.

Only two groups have collection items published online. In both cases the platform used is

Victorian Collections.4 Each group has around 20 items displayed on the website.

Interestingly two other groups have a profile on Victorian Collections (which means their

group took part in the training at some point) but have not added any collection items.

4 https://victoriancollections.net.au/

66

Key Public Access ChallengesKey Public Access ChallengesKey Public Access ChallengesKey Public Access Challenges

The survey asked the groups to describe the key challenges they face in terms of public

access to their collections. The following responses were given:

“Limited space at [our venue]

[Lack of] staff to plan/implement displays

No access to collection storage facilities

Item retrieval in containers

Lack of equipment to digitise large items”

-

“Restricted opening hours due to lack of [volunteers]”

-

“Most people have no idea what we have here

Mobility ramp

Lack of volunteer time and numbers”

67

Conservation activitiesConservation activitiesConservation activitiesConservation activities

Conservation treatmentConservation treatmentConservation treatmentConservation treatment

The survey asked whether the groups have ever organised conservation treatment for any

collection items. Three of the five groups have done so.

Preventative conservation techniques Preventative conservation techniques Preventative conservation techniques Preventative conservation techniques

There are a range of techniques which groups can use to prevent damage and degradation

to their collections. The following chart notes which are used and by how many of the

groups:

Most of the groups use gloves when handling vulnerable items, conduct pest monitoring

and use archival storage materials which are all effective measures. The techniques used

least were rotating items (taking them off display periodically) and disaster planning. These

are areas where improvements could be made.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Disaster planning

Rotating light sensitive items like textiles (taking them

off display for a rest from light and replacing with…

Food areas are kept separate from collection areas

Use of attachments for displays that will not damage

collection items

Checking/recording internal building conditions

Archival storage materials

Pest monitoring

Gloves are used when handling vulnerable items

68

PePePePest managementst managementst managementst management

The groups showed a high awareness of the need for pest management in collection

management. Most keep food areas separate from their collections. Some use pest traps

and inspection schedules. Only one groups isolates (or freezes where appropriate) collection

items for pest management. Doing so can be used to treat a known pest presence or

prevent new donations from transferring pest infestation into existing collection items. It

only requires a chest freezer, equipment to seal objects in plastic and training.

Cleaning/maintenance scheduleCleaning/maintenance scheduleCleaning/maintenance scheduleCleaning/maintenance schedule

Three of the five groups have a regular cleaning or maintenance schedule. However based

on site visits there is an awareness of the need for regular cleaning and most spaces

appeared to be fairly clean. It may be difficult for the groups to follow a formal schedule

when there are so few volunteers available.

Preservation Needs AssessmentsPreservation Needs AssessmentsPreservation Needs AssessmentsPreservation Needs Assessments

Only one of the five groups (BHS) has had a Preservation Needs Assessment carried out for

their collection.

1

3

3

4

0 1 2 3 4 5

Isolating or freezing infested items or new

accessions

Pest inspection schedule

Pest traps

Keeping food and collection areas separate

69

Disaster managementDisaster managementDisaster managementDisaster management

Strategies used by the groups to mitigate potential disasters are outlined in the following

graph.

All groups reported that they have ‘collection items raised off the floor’ as a disaster

management strategy. This technique ensures that if flooding occurs the objects will be less

likely to be affected. The recommended gap is at least six inches. However although all

groups reported that they use this technique, they do not use it for all of their objects. The

consultant observed during site visits that all groups still have some objects placed on the

floor. Supports can be simple blocks of wood or metal with a foam or rubber buffer to sit

the object on. However it can be difficult for overstretched groups to attend to these kinds

of matters.

There was also low use of fireproof cabinets, disaster response kits and disaster plans. It

would be advisable for these groups to take part in disaster planning training, however

given the personnel problems this may simply add another obligation on stressed

volunteers.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Disaster plan

Disaster Response Kit

Fire-proof storage areas or units

Collection items raised off floor

70

SupportSupportSupportSupport

AAAAreas needing supportreas needing supportreas needing supportreas needing support

The survey asked about the areas in which the groups feel they need support. They were

able to select as many as applied. The aggregated responses are shown in the graph below:

The graph clearly shows that the two areas in which the groups would like support are

‘increasing storage’ and ‘succession planning’. This reiterates the priority issues already

identified by this study.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Financial management

General planning


Displaying collection

Cataloguing

Responding to research requests

Governance

Volunteer management

Writing grant applications

Disaster management

Significance assessments

Setting up storage/Storage advice

Conservation

Public access

Succession planning

Increasing storage

71

When prompted to nominate the two areas where they most need support groups provided

the following responses:


Area 1 General planning

for

-displays

- grants

- Collection

management

Succession

planning

Succession

planning

No answer Succession

planning

Area 2 Storage Increasing

storage

Conservation No answer Cataloguing

Again, succession planning was the most pressing priority, followed by storage or increasing

storage.

OrganisationsOrganisationsOrganisationsOrganisations group hasgroup hasgroup hasgroup has worked withworked withworked withworked with

The groups were asked which organisations they have worked with and which they would

consider working with. The next two graphs present their aggregated responses.

The responses indicate that the most common collaborative partners for these groups have

been Council and other museums or institutions.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Community Centre

Library

Tourist information centre

Schools/universities

Rotary Club or similar

Council

Other museums or collecting institutions

72

Organisations Organisations Organisations Organisations group group group group wouldwouldwouldwould work withwork withwork withwork with

The survey also asked which organisations the groups would consider working with. The

responses are collated in the graph below. All options elicited low response rates, though

‘Council’ was selected more than other organisations. Onsite discussions explored the

reasons for these responses. Most groups said because they are so overstretched they don't

have time or personnel required to work with other organisations.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Schools/universities

Library

Community Centre

Rotary Club or similar



Council

73

Organisations have received support fromOrganisations have received support fromOrganisations have received support fromOrganisations have received support from

The survey asked which organisations the groups have received support from. The graph

below illustrates the aggregated responses.

Of the options given, the groups feel they have received most support from Council,

followed by grant and funding bodies.

Industry supportIndustry supportIndustry supportIndustry support

The groups were asked whether they were industry bodies such as Museums Australia

Victoria (MAV), Royal Historical Society of Victoria (RHSV) or any other. The responses were:


RHSV RHSV, MAV RHSV RHSV -

Most of the groups are members of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. This is an

important support and advocacy body for historical societies in Victoria. It offers advice,

training, discussion forums and sector news to its members. One is also a member of

Museums Australia (Victoria) which is another important advocacy body for Victorian

museums. It also offers training, networking opportunities, services such as the Victorian

Collections website and the Museum Accreditation Program (MAP) and recognises

0 1 2 3 4 5

A university

Public Records Office of Victoria


Royal Historical Society of Victoria


Museums Australia

Grant or funding bodies

Council

74

excellence in the sector by presenting the Victorian Museum Awards. Although some groups

may not be able to afford membership, membership of both bodies can offer useful support

to community collecting groups.

75

Current support from Council Current support from Council Current support from Council Current support from Council

In answer to the multiple-choice survey question ‘What kind of support does Council

currently offer you?’ the groups gave varied responses which are collated in the graph

below.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Project Contractors

Curatorial staff

Utilities and/or rates paid for Community

collecting groups

Museum/Heritage staff member to work

with groups

Grants and/or Building(s) provided

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Relationship with CouncilRelationship with CouncilRelationship with CouncilRelationship with Council

The survey asked groups to describe their relationship with Council. They made the

following statements in response:

“Very positive and supportive. Current councillors appear very receptive to discussing

Society’s needs and more broadly the Bendigo situation of no museum of Indigenous &

European history.”

“We have a very good working relationship with Council; we use them when required.”

“Excellent”

“No answer”

“Our property manager has regular dealing with Council & our Past Secretary”

They were also asked if they wished to add any further comments about Council’s support

of their group. These comments were provided.

“[We’re] appreciative of current study & many past studies into requirements for Bendigo

of a museum.”

“Council comes to our assistance when we request it.”

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SuccessesSuccessesSuccessesSuccesses

The groups were asked what is working well for them right now, and gave the following

responses:

“Monthly public lecture program

Bus tours

Walking tours

Digitising collection/managing collection

Proper climate controlled collection area”

“Our current group work very well together as we have known each other for a number of

years. When a job is required there is always someone willing to lend a hand & we also

can call on outside groups within our community ie Lions, RSL etc.”

“Community support through ongoing donations of Eaglehawk artefacts. School and

community participation in tours. Our Facebook page.”

“[Publishing] monthly newsletter for local region”

Greatest challengesGreatest challengesGreatest challengesGreatest challenges

The final question in the survey was ‘What are the greatest challenges for your Society right

now?’ which elicited the following comments:

“Volunteers for positions of responsibility/committee

Money – for collection management, or for projects like an interactive website

Advertising strategy

Writing grant applications (no time/staff)

Common understandings re purpose of BHS

Paying rent for [premises]”

“Lack of volunteers of a younger generation who are willing to become members & have

time to spare to help out on a regular basis especially on special open days throughout

the year.”

“Lack of members especially from the younger generation”

“Volunteers”

“[Local region] newsletter to keep it going to help us financially

Keeping our volunteers”

78

Survey Survey Survey Survey ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusionssss

The survey revealed important information about the current situation for five core

community collecting groups in Greater Bendigo. All the groups have operated for decades,

some for many decades. They are governed responsibly - meeting regularly, holding

relevant insurances and most using core guiding documents such as statements of purpose

and Constitutions. Four groups are struggling to attract enough members and volunteers.

All groups struggle to engage new people in roles of responsibility. They all rely on a small

number of dedicated, hard-working core volunteers. All groups have skill gaps in areas

important to museum and collection management.

The groups collectively care for around 45,000 items, with BHS being the largest single

collection. Around 5,300 of these items are objects and artefacts, many of local historical

significance. Some are firearms and items of Aboriginal heritage. All collections are

continuing to grow mainly via donations from the public. Not all groups have a Collection

Policy and if they do it is not necessarily consistently applied. Most have kept accession

documentation such as donor forms.

There is variation between groups in what proportion of their collection is catalogued,

ranging from 30% to 100%. There is a lot of variation in the methods and computer

programs used to catalogue items. It is not clear how complete or searchable the catalogue

data sets might be, since most groups found it very difficult even to estimate the different

types of materials they hold. How much collection imaging has been completed also varies

in quantity and approaches. All groups have documentation about their collection which

need to be retained with the collection to preserve important information about it.

The groups operate across eight premises, most of which are not purpose built or very

suitable for museum activities. Many need improved signage, structural repairs and

improved security. All groups lack suitable storage space but this is most critical for BHS

which has 95% of its collection in storage, much of it in poor conditions.

All groups would like to display their collections more but lack the time and space to do so.

The groups open their premises between three and fifteen hours per week and the two

groups which track visitation report a rate of 1-2 visitors per week. Most groups also give

group tours and process research requests from the public, and these provide some income,

but minimal records are kept on these activities. Most have profiles on social media and

Victorian Collections but some use them minimally and most groups have no website.

79

Most groups are aware of the need for preventative conservation and apply some of the

basic techniques. There is a low use of disaster planning and measures.

The two main areas identified by all groups for increased outside support were ‘increasing

storage’ and ‘succession planning’. The groups expressed appreciation for the current

support received from Council including provision of buildings and the Council staff who

work with them.

The groups are positive about their various achievements which they reported as their

public programs, digitisation projects, good group dynamics, support from local

communities and public engagement. Among their greatest challenges all groups identified

a lack of volunteers and active members and some mentioned difficulties around income,

self-promotion and group dynamics.

The survey phase of this study provided an important overview about the current situation

for the groups and their current needs, concerns and challenges. To dig deeper and

‘unpack’ some of these aggregated findings, the next phase of the study uses case studies to

explore the key issues as they are being experienced by three different groups.

80

10. Case Studies10. Case Studies10. Case Studies10. Case Studies

Case study 1: Bendigo HCase study 1: Bendigo HCase study 1: Bendigo HCase study 1: Bendigo Historical istorical istorical istorical SSSSocietyocietyocietyociety

Bendigo Historical Society is the oldest historical society in the Greater Bendigo region, and

the largest in terms of membership. The Society was established at a public meeting on 19th

June 1935. After a hiatus during the war years, the Society resumed its activities in 1950. In

1977 the Society was given use of historic Dudley House in View Street for its premises.

On May 11th, 1990 the Society was incorporated as the Bendigo Historical Society Inc. The

stated purpose of the Society has ten elements including to encourage historical research,

to compile and present records about Bendigo, to acquire materials with a bearing on

Bendigo’s history, to promote exchange on information through lectures, excursions and

exhibitions and to publish books and papers.

The BHS collection has been largely inaccessible since 1999 when Council requested the

Society to vacate Dudley House so that works could be carried out on the building. BHS

were reassured in a letter from the then CEO of CoGB that they would most likely be

allowed to return but this did not occur. The collections were stored at various locations

including Fortuna Villa, Bendigo Town Hall (also the Society headquarters for a time),

Bendigo Art Gallery, Mechanics Institute, in a shipping container, and in private homes.

During this time the collection was difficult to access and not completely secure. Some

items went missing during this time.

The group is currently trying to develop a new forward plan and discuss succession planning

but finding both to be very difficult when the future of their group and in particular their

collection and premises is so uncertain.

A pool of around 25 active members deliver a wide range of public programs including

lectures, bus tours, walking tours, hosting school groups and costumed re-enactments.

Regular tours include tours of the Shamrock Hotel every Sunday and regular tours of

Bendigo Cemetery. The current President (since 2002) is a retired history teacher and as

such has skills relevant to design and delivery of history education programs. The Society’s

research output includes books, articles, self-guided tour pamphlets, family history files and

other research files. It has loaned items from its collection to exhibitions at the National

Museum, Post Office Gallery Bendigo, Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Library.

BHS Committee members value the opportunity to exhibit objects in the exhibitions at Post

Office Gallery. The Committee hopes BHS collection items might be included in the Faith In

the Goldfields exhibit in the proposed Aspire Precinct. Recently BHS have also had

discussions regarding partnering with other groups to find improved premises. One

81

potential partnership relates to a proposed redevelopment of the Bendigo Showgrounds

and another possibility is the use of space at Fortuna Villa to store and display historical

clothing.

BHS and its collection have had a range of temporary accommodations since they were

asked to vacate Dudley House. Between 2003 and 2007 BHS volunteers worked in a section

of the Bendigo branch of the Goldfields Library and the collections were stored in

‘inadequate storage off-site’ at Finn St Reserve. In 2007 BHS transferred their collection to

the old Bendigo Gaol. An employment body using the premises gave BHS space to use. This

was an attractive location for volunteers and around twenty worked on cataloguing the

collection at this time. BHS commissioned Lauretta Zilles to provide a Collection

Management Strategy and Significance Assessment in 2007. 5 A Preservation Needs

Assessment was carried out by conservation consultants Artifact Conservation in September

2008, while the collection was still at the Gaol.

Currently the Society is spread across two premises – its front of house or public interface is

Specimen Cottage in Hargreaves St, Bendigo and its collection is (mostly) stored at the BRAC

facility in Nolan St, Bendigo. Specimen Cottage is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In May

2011 the bulk of the collection was moved to the new BRAC facility in Nolan St.

Entrance to BHS at Specimen Cottage

BHS volunteers at work

5 Zilles (2007)

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The BHS CollectionThe BHS CollectionThe BHS CollectionThe BHS Collection

The BHS collection comprises around 32,000 items and continues to grow steadily every

week. Of these around 2300 items are objects and artefacts including clothing and other

textiles, artworks, weaponry, furniture and historical artefacts such as domestic objects,

trade tools and agricultural equipment, militaria, clocks, musical instruments, personal

effects, and models and dioramas.

The 2007 Zilles Strategy and Assessment described the BHS collection as:

a collection not just of local importance, but of state and national significance, that would be

irreplaceable if lost through damage or mismanagement.

83

It also stated that:

Its future worth for research, study, access and display is immense. Its tremendous potential for

story-telling relating not only to the days of the gold-rush, but also to the contribution of Bendigo and

region’s citizens to politics, industry, innovation, the arts and culture, are yet to be fully realised.

The Zilles Strategy and Assessment listed a number of items as historically significant and

worthy of further research. These are listed in an earlier section of this report titled ‘Most

significant items’. BHS Committee members note that a ship’s bell from the Ravenswood

pastoral run and a one-handed clock have been popular items with visitors. BHS loaned

several mining artefacts to the National Museum of Australia for a long-term exhibition.

A recent donation to BHS – Honour Board of the Ancient Order of Foresters (1861)

84

There are 22,887 items entered on the Mosaic collection management system used by BHS.

17,558 of the catalogue entries have an attachment, which usually means an image of the

item or in fewer cases, a transcription.

Number of items on Mosaic

computer database

Number of database entries with

an image or transcription

attached

22,887 17,558

A further breakdown of this data for a few major object categories is provided below to

show how much catalogue data has been entered on the BHS Mosaic database and of these,

how many have an image or transcription of the item attached.

Estimated number in

BHS collection

Have a catalogue entry on

BHS Mosaic computer

database

Also have an image or

transcription attached to

Mosaic entry

Document 20,000 9,026 7,000

Map 1,600 1,425 100

Object 2,400 1,378 1,147

This data table shows that most entries on Mosaic have an attachment (usually an image of

the item) except for maps which are ‘under-imaged’. This is because most are too big for the

scanners which BHS have. Scanning the maps and plans would require purchase of a very

large scanner or to outsource the scanning. Both options will require funding.

The collection is under-researched and the significance of many items has not been

documented. In many cases an item may appear to be a common item of low significance

but upon further research using Society files, can be shown to be of high local historical

significance.6 It is important for all of the collection to be kept in one place if possible. The

objects and artefacts link closely with many of the records, documents and photographs and

these links provide important context for interpretation, establishing provenance and

conducting research.

6 Zilles 2007; p44

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Current Current Current Current StorageStorageStorageStorage

BHS collections are stored at the BRAC facility in Nolan Street, mostly in two areas - the BHS

BRAC Store and the BHS Storage Containers.

The BHS BRAC Store is a narrow strip of storage space allocated to BHS within the climate-

controlled BRAC building. It provides some of the collection with museum-standard

environmental conditions. In this space BHS stores its paper-based materials (documents,

maps, books and newspapers), and a large number of framed items and small to medium-

sized objects some housed in acid-free archival boxes, others yet to be transferred. This

storage area is extremely over-crowded with collection items and became even more so

during the two-month period that this study took place. Around six to eight boxes of new

donations were added to the space during that time. There was no shelf space for them so

they had to be stacked on the floor at the end of a row of shelving. A mesh fence separates

this storage space from the rest of the BRAC storage space, some of which is currently

unused but is reserved for future public records as per the remit of BRAC.

BHS wish to expand their current narrow storage space inside the BRAC building, by having

the mesh fence moved across, but this is not a realistic option or a satisfactory solution. As a

public repository BRAC needs to maintain its extra space to expand in the future. Also, the

limited few feet of extra space that might be provided to BHS is far from a comprehensive

or long-term storage solution, especially given the volume of material stored in the shipping

containers. Furthermore, much of the material currently stored by BHS in its storage area is

inappropriate for retention inside the BRAC building which is a repository for paper-based

materials only. Framed items, unassessed donations and other 3 dimensional objects and

artefacts pose threat to the public archives particularly in terms of potential pest

contamination and other phenomena such as off-gassing. This situation has come about

because BHS have had been given no other storage options. It has been a critical need for

some time for this collection to be given the recognition, care and resources it needs, with

the highest priority being proper storage.

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A row of shelving in BHS BRAC Store

Faulty compactus in BHS BRAC Store

Framed items in the BHS BRAC Store

87



BHS stores its medium to large 3-dimensional objects and artefacts in four shipping

containers (from this point on referred to as the BHS Storage Containers) placed in vacant

space next to the Archive building. The shipping containers are secure and climate-

controlled to a small degree via split-system air conditioners, with power supplied by cables

extending from the BRAC building. In some places these wires hang low enough that they

risk being snagged when container doors are opened. These air conditioners do not control

the internal environment to museum standards.

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BHS Storage Containers

Most of the BHS Storage Containers are highly crowded with heritage items stacked on

other heritage items. As such it is very difficult to access most of the items inside them. BHS

report that at a rate of about once a week, they need to access something in the BHS

Storage Containers and struggle to do so. An example was a Glasgow Arms artefact that was

recently requested for loan by the Post Office Gallery. It was eventually retrieved with

much difficulty. There are some non-collection items in the BHS Storage Containers too,

such as equipment or exhibition display cases. Half of one of the BHS Storage Containers is

filled with archival storage supplies.

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Collection stored in BHS Storage Containers

Collection stored in BHS Storage

Containers

BHS objects and artefacts, especially those crammed into the BHS Storage Containers, are

highly vulnerable physically. The BHS Storage Containers are a poor environment for

preventing or monitoring pest infestations. These objects have been stored in less than

ideal conditions for many years because the Society and its collection has not been provided

with a suitable permanent home, despite repeated requests for help to find one. Because of

this, much of the collection is in danger of being so degraded that it is lost forever. Loss of

these items is a loss of Greater Bendigo community heritage assets which can never be

replaced.

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Collection stored in BHS Storage Containers

Collection stored in BHS Storage

Containers

Approximately 100 historic firearms belonging to BHS are currently held at the premises of a

member who is licensed to hold them. Whilst these are part of the BHS collection, the group

do not have the facilities required to store them in a compliant manner. BHS have had to

reject some large items offered for donation (such as mining equipment) because they had

nowhere to store them.

As well as limiting workspace and access to items, the inadequate storage environment is a

safety risk for volunteers and is putting collection items at risk of physical damage. Items

are stored on the floor of the BHS Storage Containers and in the BHS BRAC Store due to lack

of space. In the event of flooding, these items could be inundated and water-damaged. It is

standard museum practice to store all collection items at least six inches off the floor for

this reason. The objects in the BHS Storage Containers are exposed to dramatic fluctuations

in temperature and to dust, moisture and pests every time the container doors are opened.

A compactus installed in the BHS BRAC Store is damaged and not operating properly. It

poses a serious safety risk for volunteers as well as not being properly usable, further

restricting available storage space. There is also physical risk to volunteers and to objects

when they have to move large items and climb over things to get to items at the back of the

BHS Storage Containers.

Following the recommendations of the 2008 Preservation Needs Assessment by Artifact

Conservation, BHS have developed a disaster plan and volunteers are digitising parts of the

collection. Volunteers are also gradually re-housing collection items in the BHS BRAC Store

91

into archival boxes, wrapping and padding them out with acid-free tissue. This process is

important for object preservation but it also greatly increases the storage space taken up by

an item. This is especially true with historic clothing which benefits immensely from being

unfolded and padded out but which has a huge impact on storage space, as BHS is finding.

Also, it is currently very difficult for volunteers to do this work of transferring items into

suitable housings because much of the collection is inaccessible but also because the

storage space in BRAC is so overcrowded. For example, much of the boxed material in the

BHS Storage Containers is in inappropriate non-archival boxes but these cannot be accessed

without difficulty.

Important research work has already been completed for some collection items, in which

volunteers use documentation (donor forms, old Society minutes, registers and newsletters)

and other research methods to establish the provenance and full significance of artefacts.

This research work needs to be continued for far more of the collection. The collection also

needs to be completely catalogued and photographed. However these activities cannot take

place when the collection is as inaccessible as it is now. This is unfortunate because

collection research, cataloguing and imaging are all vital to realising the potential of the

collection. As well as establishing in detail what is in the collection, it is crucial work toward

recognising the collection’s interpretive potential, and so is a key step in identifying

materials for display in a regional museum.

DeaccessioningDeaccessioningDeaccessioningDeaccessioning

One way to free up some storage space can be deaccessioning items via a careful and

thorough process. The 2008 Preservation Needs Assessment by Artifact Conservation

recommended that BHS ‘dispose of non-significant material’. It estimated that around 40%

of BHS holdings ‘has only curiosity interest and much of it no historic link to Bendigo except

that it was donated by someone in the area’. The earlier 2007 Zilles Strategy and

Assessment also recommended that BHS deaccession items which do not meet the criteria

in its Collection Policy. She warned that careful research and assessment is required before

items are de-accessioned and suggested that BHS begin by de-accessioning:

• Magazines, newspapers or ephemera not relevant to Bendigo and district.

• Books not relevant for future museum displays, research or reference.

• Domestic objects or other items where: the provenance is not known; a link with the

region is dubious; the item is badly damaged; or it duplicates other items already in

the collection.

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BHS does have a de-accessioning policy. But discussions in this study revealed that BHS

have not de-accessioned any items from the collection as per these recommendations. The

main reasons are a lack of time and access to the collections to do the careful research

required, which is a requirement under recognised museum codes of ethics. Another reason

expressed by individual Committee members is reluctance to be the person who made the

ultimate decision to dispose of something.

Extra storage neededExtra storage neededExtra storage neededExtra storage needed

In 2002 the volume of the collection was estimated at ‘80 cubic metres’, but this probably

does not take into account the objects being stored safely and with buffer space. At this

time BHS requested a total 600 square metres of storage space for the collection. The Zilles

Strategy and Assessment estimated that at that time (2007) approximately 400 square

metres or an area of 20 x 20 or 16 x 25 metres would be needed to properly store the

collection if the space was fitted out with museum-appropriate storage furniture. More

space will now be required given the expansion of the BHS collection in the years since

those evaluations were made.

Table: Volume estimates from past reports and this study:

2002 2007 2017

Volume of

collection

80 cubic metres - 370 cubic metres

Estimated space

needed

- 400 square metres 620 cubic metres

The BHS Storage Containers provide around 132 cubic metres of storage space if the items

are stored stacked and with no buffer space. To be stored safely this material would require

three times this amount of space, so around 300 cubic metres.

The BHS BRAC Store provides approximately 40 cubic metres of space (if stored properly).

Much of the material in the BHS BRAC Store is stored safely on shelves but there is an excess

which is not, instead it is piled and stacked on the floor. Due to the lack of storage space

available to BHS, there are probably around 60 cubic metres of collection items currently in

the BHS BRAC Store and this increases each week. Much of this material is objects and

artefacts which should not be stored here. It is very difficult to estimate the volume of

objects and artefacts held in the BHS BRAC Store as many are small and held in boxes. In

some boxes objects are mixed with paper-based items, especially in boxes of new donations

and uncatalogued material. A very rough estimate is that a third of the material in the BHS

93

BRAC Store is objects and artefacts (including framed items, textiles and other objects), and

as such has an estimated volume of 20 cubic metres.

Storage space

available

(approximate)

Amount of

space

appropriate for

artefact storage

Volume of

objects stored

currently in the

space

(approximate)

Amount of

space needed

elsewhere to

store these

artefacts in

appropriate

manner

(approximate)

BHS BRAC

Store

40 m3 0 m3 20 m3 40 m3

BHS Storage

Containers

132 m3 0 m3 300 m3 580 m3

Total 172 m3 0 m3 320 m3 620 m3

BHS currently holds around 320 cubic metres of objects and artefacts. Buffer space around

the items is needed, probably an additional one third of this figure. And an additional one

third of the resulting figure is needed to allow for safe access paths in a storage space. So, to

store the BHS objects to ensure preservation and accessibility approximately 560 cubic

metres of object storage is needed. Extra space should be allowed for future collection

growth. Adding 10% for growth brings the quantity of space required for objects to around

620 cubic metres. If this amount of new storage space can be provided for BHS object

holdings, then the existing BHS BRAC Store should be adequate for its paper-based holdings.

The entire collection will then have adequate storage space. An example of the kind of

storage space that would provide this amount of storage volume is one with a floor area of

15m x 15m and a storage height of 2.75m.

94

Table: Estimated storage requirements for BHS:

Storage options Space needed

For objects only 320 m3

With buffer space between objects 420 m3

With buffer space between objects and with safe access paths 560 m3

With buffer space between objects, with safe access paths and

with 10% extra space for future expansion

620 m3

Based on these very approximate calculations BHS need access to approximately 620 m3 of

storage to adequately house their objects and artefacts. Additional space would also be

needed to accommodate the 100 firearms held offsite. The specific volume of these items

needs to be assessed in order to incorporate the required storage space into a total amount

needed by the BHS.

A greater variety of storage units is also needed. Currently the only available types are open

floor, metal shelves, map drawers and a compactus. Other types needed are till units

(compartmentalised or divided shelving) for framed items, some different configurations of

open shelving (such as for textile boxes), and more compactuses (both open shelf style and

closed in style). Also needed is secure, legally compliant storage for 100 firearms.

Providing sufficient and appropriate storage facilities for the BHS collection, supported by

professional advice and co-ordination, would finally give these important community

heritage assets the care and respect they deserve.

Lack of volunteersLack of volunteersLack of volunteersLack of volunteers

The Society has 120 members, with around 25 ‘active members’ regularly volunteering for

the Society. At Specimen House volunteers deliver tours and talks, answer queries, sell

publications and present displays. The Society has been provided with a very large and well-

equipped office/research space at the BRAC building which provides excellent workspace

for volunteers who are working with and the collection (cataloguing, digitisation and

research).

BHS acknowledge the hard work of their volunteers. However there is a lack of volunteers in

some task areas, such as conducting tours, cataloguing and digitisation all of which require

particular skills and knowledge. They have some Work for the Dole volunteers, and have

had mixed results from these. BHS are keen to publish collections online but this project has

been disrupted by volunteer turnover. This highlights another issue which is that volunteers

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will often only commit short term which impacts on continuity and maintaining standards,

especially in collection management work.

A key issue for BHS is the need for co-ordination and support of their volunteers which

requires people willing to be in a position of responsibility and leadership. There is only a

handful of such people currently and no-one willing to commit to taking over from the

current leaders when they are no longer able. Committee members are increasingly

overwhelmed by the responsibility for leadership around collection management. They

express the feeling that ‘we are only volunteers ourselves managing other volunteers’. The

skill areas which BHS feel are most lacking in their group are curatorial skills and grant

application-writing.

A key strength of the Society is its engagement with the public, its network of local contacts

and its public standing. The trust and respect with which the Society is viewed has

encouraged many people to donate precious items. What is in the collections today would

have been lost to the Greater Bendigo community if not for the commitment and

determination of the Society’s members over many decades.

It is important that people with strong knowledge of local history continue to research and

work closely with the collections. Research is enhanced by knowledge of the collection and

of local history and in turn, better research and documentation will greatly enhance the

meaning and significance of the BHS collection. As such it is preferable that BHS members

continue to be closely involved in the management of the collection. However as a team of

volunteers they would benefit from advice and support from trained museum professionals.

A frontA frontA frontA front----end venueend venueend venueend venue

In 2013, BHS were given use of Specimen Cottage at 178-180 Hargreaves St as their public

venue. The 1856 Cottage is reputed to be the oldest house in Bendigo.

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Specimen Cottage street frontage

BHS Reception desk in Specimen Cottage

97

The Society uses Specimen Cottage as a front-end venue where they:

� Hold meetings

� Receive guests

� Allow the public to view collection items (as this is not allowed at BRAC)

� Present lectures and special presentations

� Host school groups

� Start walking tours

� Present collection items and curated content

� Receive research requests

� Have a reference library

� Provide information about Bendigo history (eg to tourists)

� Sell publications

Displays in Specimen Cottage

Object display in Specimen Cottage

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The Society pays $2500 in rent, reduced for them from the $3,000 normally charged. But it

is a large expense compared with their total average annual income of $10K. The BHS

Committee acknowledges that they are appreciative that BRIT/TAFE pays the utility costs

and provides general maintenance. They also acknowledged substantial restoration works

which have been carried out on the verandah and internal staircase in recent years.

Recently restored verandah at Specimen Cottage

However a section of the roof damaged by a miniature cyclone ‘a couple of years ago’ still

needs repair to prevent water inundation. And the environment in the Cottage contains

health risks and risks to collections. There is a substantial rising damp problem in the

building. This has created a mould outbreak in some areas which is a health issue for

volunteers and visitors. The rising damp also seriously endangers collection items, especially

vulnerable materials such as textiles, paper-based material and wooden artefacts.

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Damaged roof section (external)

Damage resulting from inundation via damaged roof

In the MOU agreement relating to the building it was stated that restoration work would be

carried out. Whilst the BRIT in partnership with CoGB has carried out restoration work on

the staircase and verandah in recent years, the rising damp is still a critical issue which

needs to be addressed urgently. CoGB heritage officers are in the process of negotiating

with BRIT personnel to collaborate toward resolving both of these issues at Specimen

Cottage.

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The upper level of the building is accessible only by a steep and narrow staircase, restricting

what can be presented upstairs and who can access it. Even for relatively able visitors, the

staircase poses a safety risk.

Displays and staircase in Specimen Cottage

There are a small number of collection items on display at the Cottage, some in themed

temporary exhibits curated by volunteers, who admit they have little time or expertise to

develop curated exhibition content. The rising damp issue severely restricts what they can

safely exhibit in the Cottage.

Another issue with the Cottage is its location. BHS sees the location as a ‘dead area’ in terms

of tourists, foot traffic and passers-by, other than BRIT students going to and from classes. It

is dark and gloomy inside the Cottage because the large BRIT building behind blocks most of

the light. The security of the building is also a concern. A glass window has been broken

whilst the premises were closed and there is a lack of security cameras in areas outside the

Cottage. There is some vegetation growing close to the building on one side which can

increase risk of pest infestation.

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Window at rear of Specimen Cottage

Vegetation close to eastern external wall

Window at rear of Specimen Cottage

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Promoting the SocietyPromoting the SocietyPromoting the SocietyPromoting the Society

BHS noted they would like to develop an advertising strategy. They have a website but

would also like it to be more interactive. BHS have a Facebook page with 353 followers but

posts are only added about once a month. Apart from the Sunday Shamrock Hotel tour,

there is no mention of the Society and its other tours, activities, venues or services on the

Bendigo Tourism website (or indeed on other sites such as TripAdvisor). Although BHS offers

cemetery tours, the Cemetery Tours page on Bendigo Tourism recommends that tourists do

self-guided walking tours of the Cemetery. Locally the group promotes itself well via its

interpretive programs and word of mouth and has good local networks which leads to a

flow of donations from the public.

There is some signage on and around Specimen Cottage. A small permanent sign hangs from

under the verandah and when open a sandwich board is placed on the street. These do little

to indicate the presence of the Society in the building. The blank west-facing external wall is

a very large brick surface which would be ideal for large signage.

Existing signage

Large west-facing external wall, possible

location for large-scale signage

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A A A A permanent homepermanent homepermanent homepermanent home

BHS members wish to find a suitable venue or venues which they can occupy long-term or

permanently. Constantly moving the collection has been exhausting for volunteers and has

caused damage and loss to the collections and made them largely inaccessible for decades.

This makes it very difficult to attract new volunteers.

BHS are open to a shared solution or one in which they have their own premises. They note

that a front-of-house venue needs to be appropriate for displaying the collection and be in

central location in Bendigo, preferably somewhere there is a lot of passing foot traffic.

The Committee members of BHS note that they and other volunteers ‘are doing this work

for the citizens of Bendigo, to preserve their history’. BHS Committee members expressed

appreciation for the help Council provides it, but also frustration at the long-running nature

of the ‘museum issue’ in Greater Bendigo and the lack of impetus by Council to make any

move on this. They note that they have no interest in running a museum themselves and

feel that rather it is Council’s responsibility.

The BHS Committee and volunteers have achieved a lot, mostly under difficult conditions. In

particular, they have created and cared for a highly significant local history collection for the

Greater Bendigo community.

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Case study 2:Case study 2:Case study 2:Case study 2: Heathcote Heathcote Heathcote Heathcote McIvor Historical SocietyMcIvor Historical SocietyMcIvor Historical SocietyMcIvor Historical Society

Heathcote McIvor Historical Society Inc. was established in 1980. The Society’s mission is ‘to

collect and preserve the history of Heathcote area, help people to research their family

history, and assist with the history of Heathcote area’.

The Society manages a research office, and two display venues in the Camp Hill Historic

Precinct. Much of the HMHS collection, in particular its objects and artefacts, are on display

in the Historic Lockup (1861) and Old Police Residence (1888), both in their original position

on the site of the old Police Camp. A heritage listing was obtained for the lockup in 2002.

The Society has used the Old Police Residence as a display venue since 2007 and has

obtained funds to restore both buildings to a state that is suitable for housing collections. A

shipping container is used to store equipment and supplies and a few large collection items.

Historic Lock-up (1861) at Heathcote McIvor Historical Society

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Old Police Residence (1888) at Heathcote McIvor Historical Society

The Society’s rooms are in a former Infant Welfare Centre building (1967) in the same

precinct. They do not have a phone or internet connected here, but do have fire-proof

cabinets and a safe. The Old Police Residence is owned by the Victorian Department of

Education. Council Committees of Management are responsible for the other two buildings.

HMHS opens the precinct to the public every Wednesday from 10am until 2pm with entry

by gold coin donation. A small fee per person is charged for group tours which are

conducted quite frequently. HMHS conducts outreach activities, providing historical content

for events such as local Anzac services and the 150th anniversary celebrations for Heathcote

Hospital. The research officer conducts family research in exchange for a donation paid to

the Society. The Committee feel they are in a reasonable position financially.

The Committee appreciate the support they receive from CoGB including their premises and

being able to call on people such as Dannielle Orr (Heritage Planner) and Clare Needham

(Curator, City History and Collections) and other Bendigo Art Gallery staff who often give

them advice or refer them to other useful people within Council. This makes the HMHS

Committee members feel they are not alone if they need help.

HMHS CollectionHMHS CollectionHMHS CollectionHMHS Collection

HMHS holds a collection of around 8,000 items, the earliest dating to 1853. The Society does

not accept material from later than 1950. All are catalogued on a Filemaker Pro database.

Among its paper-based holdings are historical records of the district, Birth/Death/Marriage

records, Cemetery registers, war records, McIvor Times newspapers on microfilm, maps of

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the district and around 150 family history files. Of the 8,000 items, around 650 are objects

and artefacts. Most of these relate in some way to the district either because they were

made or used locally, or because they connect to a local resident. They include objects

relating to agriculture, sports, military service, local businesses and social history. The group

accepts around 20 to 30 donations per year. A significance assessment of the collection has

not yet been carried out. Some of the more significant items include a 19th Century printing

press used to print the McIvor Times newspaper, a significant collection of agricultural

machinery and vehicles, a very rare silk booklet commemorating the death of King Edward

VII, and a helmet worn by a Heathcote police trooper in 1908-1911.

Troopers helmet and

uniform on display

Christie’s Store day register and King Edward commemoration silk booklet

on display

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Storage/DisplayStorage/DisplayStorage/DisplayStorage/Display

Most of the objects and artefacts in the HMHS collection are on permanent display in the

two historic buildings.

Display inside lock-up

Display inside Old Police Residence

A critical problem for HMHS is the lack of a facility to store or display their large objects.

Some significant large objects have been donated, or offered for donation, to the Society in

recent years but the group has not been able to physically transfer them to their site. As

such most of these items have had to remain in the possession of the donors. Among these

is a series of large objects which have been offered for donation by a member based in

Derrinal. A written Condition Offer has been provided to the Society. Donation depends on

the objects being appropriately cared for. There is currently no way for the Society to make

this assurance. Until they can they are unwilling to legally accept the items, which is an

ethical approach. There is an increasing worry that if this situation persists, the goodwill

relationship with the donors may be tested or something might happen to the objects. A

few large items are also stored in shipping containers in the Camp Hill precinct. The HMHS

Committee are anxious to put in place a suitable housing for the items and physically

transfer them as soon as possible so as not to miss out on the offered donations.

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The following list of large items need suitable storage/display facilities.

Owned by the Society and already onsite:

• 1860s Printing Press used to print the McIvor Times newspaper

• Metal Wool press

Owned by the Society but not yet onsite due to lack of venue:

• Covered box wagon

Conditionally offered to the Society but not yet accepted due to lack of venue:

• The ‘Derrinal Collection’, a collection of agricultural equipment accumulated and

used by one farming family since the 1880s. Items donated include:

� 1870s Nicholson Single Furrow Plough made in Heathcote

� 1880s Chelmsford (UK) Cultivator

� 1890s hay rake

� 1893 Alpha Lovell milk separator and tank

� c. 1900 D. Loase Osborne horse-drawn mower

� 1902 two-furrow plough

� c.1903 Osborne Binder

� c.1908 Mitchell Seed Drill

� 1910 Sunshine Harvester with original purchase receipt

� 1910 Cultivator

� c.1920 homemade wheelbarrow

� 1950s James Smith (Ballarat) Manure Spreader

� Furphy Water Carrier

� Other donations from this donor which have been discussed include a

wooden wool press and three horse-drawn vehicles - gig, a buggy and a dray.

� A chaff-cutter may be transferred to the site for long-term loan.

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1880s Chelmsford Cultivator

1870s Nicholson Single Furrow Plough made in

Heathcote

D. Loase Osborne horse-drawn mower 19th Century buggy in farm shed (photo Dr. Di

Smith)

Accompanying the agricultural machines in the Derrinal Collection are a range of original

purchase receipts and instructional manuals for the items, advertising posters and

photographs of them in use on the farm. The family has also retained hand-written diaries

and logbooks which refer to the purchase and use of some of the machines in the life of the

farm. The Derrinal Collection was assessed and examined by archaeologist Diana Smith in

her 2005 thesis Meaning, Purpose and Social Memory: The Archaeology Of Farm Graveyards

Of Vehicles And Machinery.7 She noted that because the collection grew organically on one

property over a century and a half and all the items were used in daily work by members of

one family it is imbued with special meaning, significance and a high level of integrity which

many other machinery collections, assembled from different sources by a collector, are not.

The significance of this collection is strongly enhanced by the original instruction manuals,

purchase receipts and photographs of the machines in use which have been retained and

preserved by the family. The manuals and receipt are quite rare, and it is even more rare

for being kept with the object they were issued with. These materials are also extremely

7 Smith 2005

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important for provenance of the objects. Copies of these items will also provide valuable

supplementary interpretive content to accompany the objects when on display.

1910 Catalogue for

Sunshine Harvester

Original purchase receipt for Sunshine

Harvester (1910)

Original manual for

McCormick-Deering Grain

Binder

It is very pleasing that HMHS Committee members commented that they are aware of and

keen to adhere to the recommended guidelines contained in the Safe in the Shed: Caring

For Historic Farm Machinery.8 They noted that it is inappropriate to try to ‘restore’ these

objects by painting them or replacing components and that doing so would severely reduce

significance of the items.

A suitable structure for these items would be a shed that provides ‘display-storage’,

meaning that the items are stored in a way that visitors can view them without supervision.

The ideal design would be a shed with a concrete slab floor. Three sides should be fully

enclosed and the fourth side constructed from heavy duty metal mesh similar to builders

concrete reinforcement mesh. The mesh should have suitable apertures to allow visitors to

view the objects inside, approximately 120-150mm squares. A roller door or large opening

would be needed to allow entry of the objects. If the Society wishes they could also open

this up when they are present to supervise visitors. Ideally natural object lighting would be

provided through the ceiling and mesh. In addition, the group requested that a closed,

secure storage area be included at one end of the shed, since they are lacking in storage

space for general supplies and equipment. Based on the size of the objects, the Committee

have estimated that a suitable space for them would be 80 feet (25m) long, 30 feet (9m)

8 NSW Heritage Office 2001

111

wide and 20 feet (6m) in height. A separate 20 square foot room space within this shed

should be included for equipment storage.

Examples of this kind of display-storage for large equipment is quite common in community

museums in Victoria. Photographs of some of these are provided in Appendix F.

PromotiPromotiPromotiPromoting the Societyng the Societyng the Societyng the Society

Despite being a small group, HMHS are active and very focused on attracting visitors. They

would like to see more locals visit the precinct. In June 2017, the Bendigo Advertiser

published an article about the precinct being opened to the public for the local Heathcote

On Show festival.9 Groups, such as Probus, visit reasonably often which adds to income. The

Precinct was a shortlisted nominee in the inaugural Bendigo Heritage Awards and has a

listing on the Bendigo Tourism website which are beneficial to raising their public profile.

The Committee are disappointed that schools groups rarely visit the precinct, which they

attribute to the red-tape involved for all parties. Although they would like to attract more

visitors, there needs to be an available member or volunteer to open up the displays and

conduct tours and this leads to a more critical problem - personnel.

Lack of volunteersLack of volunteersLack of volunteersLack of volunteers

A major concern for HMHS is the shortage of volunteers, especially people interested in

becoming active members or office bearers. The Society has six members and only four that

regularly volunteer. One person currently holds two offices plus two other operational roles

in the Society including taking care of visitors and research enquiries. Fortunately at the

moment she is willing to carry these multiple responsibilities. However the real concern

expressed by this group is what will happen in the future. A comment made by one

Committee member during the site visit was ‘we need “bodies” more than we need money’.

The group has approached the local tourist visitor centre to discuss whether some of the

volunteers who work there could assisting HMHS with opening the precinct to the public.

However this request has not been successful. They have tried using WFTD volunteers but

in general found that the people who were assigned by Centrelink were not capable of or

willing to do the required tasks at the Precinct. The Committee members don't feel that

paid support staff would be appropriate for them, even if it was offered. What they would

prefer is locals who would commit on a voluntary basis long-term. They are very concerned

about what will happen to the Society and its collections in coming years because there are

9 http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/4715645/heathcote-goes-on-show-this-weekend/

112

very few new volunteers joining the group. They feel there is little interest in the

community to support the Society. Few locals visit the precinct and even fewer are willing to

assist the group. The rare assistance they do receive is on a temporary or project basis.

There is no-one interested in committing to an office-bearing role long-term. They foresee

that the group may fold if this situation continues and one of the current office-bearers is no

longer available.

The futureThe futureThe futureThe future

The Committee members expressed concerns about succession planning. Although their

current group functions well, their member base is small and they would prefer to have

more new and preferably younger members to take the reins in future. The current

Committee members know the collections and displays well and worry that no-one else has

this knowledge.

If the group has to wind-up, the Committee would like to keep the collections in place in

Heathcote if possible. They would prefer an arrangement in which a representative from the

community would hold the keys and be the caretaker of the precinct, perhaps opening it up

for visitors occasionally. Obviously the other activities of the group would cease but at least

the heritage assets could physically stay in the district. The Committee concede that if this

arrangement wasn’t working or no-one was willing to take it on, then they wish the

collections to at least find a home in Greater Bendigo. If Council had adequate facilities to

care for them, this would be an acceptable next step if other options have been exhausted.

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Case study 3: Case study 3: Case study 3: Case study 3: HuntlyHuntlyHuntlyHuntly & District Historical Society& District Historical Society& District Historical Society& District Historical Society

Huntly & District Historical Society (HDHS) was established in 1977 to preserve the contents

of the historic Huntly Council Chambers (1866). Today it holds a collection of archives and

objects and carries out historical research relating to the district. The Society is a recognised

‘Place of Deposit’ for Victorian public records.

HDHS premises and collectionHDHS premises and collectionHDHS premises and collectionHDHS premises and collectionssss

The group occupies several structures in Huntly, north of Bendigo. The group is based in the

old Huntly Council Chambers which is set up with offices, a tearoom, some storage space

(shelving and compactus) and some small displays which are essentially display-storage.

The building houses the Society’s research library, archival holdings including boxed

photographs and records and research files, some small and medium objects, and historic

Council furniture and framed mayoral photographs. Most of these collection items have a

local historical focus.

Former Huntly Council Chambers (1866) and Post Office building

Interior of building with original Council

furniture and mayoral portraits

Objects and artefacts from the collection

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Behind the old Council Chamber is a small structure known as the ‘Beekeepers Museum’. It

is a hexagonal hut built around 2000 to house displays relating to the history of beekeeping

or apiculture. On display are artefacts and didactic panels using text and imagery to explain

about the history and practice of apiculture. The contents of these displays does not relate

to the Huntly district in particular.

Beekeepers Museum (c.2000)

Interior of Beekeepers Museum

Interior of Beekeepers

Museum

The Society has access to a very large utility shed it shares with a local Lion’s group which

pays rent to the Council for storage space. The Society stores a mixture of collection and

non-collection items in the shed. There is a row of map drawers containing local historical

and some council maps and plans, a large dray which has been refurbished with a

replacement top platform and some of the historic Council furniture connected with the

Chambers. There are some other historical materials stored here which are in poor

condition but are not considered to be HDHS collection items, such as material owned by

115

the Nurses Association. There are quite a few damaged and degraded historical items which

have been placed in the shed in the past and it is not clear, even to the current Society

members, if these are supposed to be part of the collection. The shed is currently a poor

storage environment for collection items, being dirty, overcrowded and without proper

storage furniture and equipment such as shelving. The only items which would likely be

retained are the historic Council furniture and the dray. The historic Council furniture in the

shed is in poor to very poor condition and needs stabilisation. There are non-collection

materials stored on top of the dray which is not ideal.

Dray in the utility shed

The group has recently assessed the contents and wishes to clean out the shed but would

need a large skip (or skips) onsite for several weeks to do so. In front of the shed is a tiny

weatherboard structure which was once used as the Huntly Post Office and is now only used

for non-collection equipment storage. In the outdoor space around the Chambers, a series

of medium and large agricultural tools and machinery are displayed in the open air. These

were displayed in a small grassed area but had to be moved out due to problems with the

fencing (trees had grown through the mesh). These objects are in varied conditions from

poor to fair having been exposed to rain and weather for some time.

Across the main road from the main premises is the former Huntly Courthouse (1875) which

contains extensive displays about WWI and WWII military veterans from Huntly (and a few

items relating to the building’s former use as a Lodge meeting place). The Courthouse is

usually opened to the public on military commemoration occasions such as Anzac Day.

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Former Huntly Courthouse (1875)

Interior of Courthouse

Interpretive panels about local military veterans

Army uniform of a local

serviceman

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Regalia relating to the Friendly Society

Artefacts relating to the Friendly Society

Lack of vLack of vLack of vLack of volunteersolunteersolunteersolunteers

A long-term volunteer who acted as the main leader of the group for a very long period has

recently became unable to carry on in the role. The group of four volunteers currently

managing the premises and collection have had to move from being part of the volunteer

pool to taking on roles of responsibility for the Society and the collection. They have had to

quickly become apprised of key procedures, assess the Society’s current position and make

some forward plans.

There are currently only five people working regularly for the Society (four of these being

the leadership group). One volunteer works mainly on the Courthouse, one works mostly on

publishing the Huntly Epsom News, one is working with the main collection, and another is

working on a research project about a local prominent person. A WFTD volunteer

contributes around 15 hours per week, mainly doing transcription work. There are few new

volunteers or new members joining the Society and the few current volunteers feel that the

group is now on the brink of survival.

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Two Huntly & District Historical Society volunteers at work

Attracting visitorsAttracting visitorsAttracting visitorsAttracting visitors

In recent years a pedestrian crossing was installed directly outside the premises. The HDHS

group feels the crossing reduces impacts visitation because it prevents cars from parking in

front of the building (however it could also be argued that it delivers pedestrians crossing

the road right to their door). But the bigger issue and one which is easier to resolve is the

signage at the front of the building. The group is unhappy with their lack of visibility to the

public. They feel their current signage in front of the premises is not visible or readable to

the average passer-by. A metal sign has been installed which is aligned with Council signage

style and branding. It has the group’s name and opening hours. However the text is so small

that it is only readable when viewed from less than a couple of metres away. It is not easily

readable nor very conspicuous from the footpath and barely noticeable from a passing car.

The group feels that if they had highly visible signage saying their name, that visitors are

welcome and that there is parking at the rear this would allow the general public to know

they exist and encourage people to visit and maybe attract more volunteers.

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A HDHS volunteer with the sign outside former Council Chambers (taken from footpath). The larger

text refers to the building. The smaller section of text refers to the presence of the Society. Photo

taken from the footpath.

The futureThe futureThe futureThe future

The group is very worried about what will happen to the collection if their group folds. Their

first preference would be for their group to survive and continue caring for the collection. If

their group folds, their preference is for a Museum or History Centre in Bendigo to care for

the items and provide public access to them. The exception to this concerns the

Courthouse. If the group does dissolve, the current members would prefer that the

contents of the Courthouse remain in place and management of the Courthouse site be

taken over by the Committee of Management which manages the Huntly Memorial Hall.

This is because the displays within it are extremely connected to military veterans from the

local area and have become a focus of annual commemorations for the community. The

consultant notes that if this is not possible, a suitable repository for these military heritage

materials might be the Soldier’s Memorial Institute in Bendigo.

Most of the collection is uncatalogued and the group are having trouble using their

database software. This may be because it is actually designed for research, not cataloguing.

The group is worried that even if an organisation is willing to take on the collection, they will

have no way to know what is in the collections. With the current tiny work-force it would

take years to catalogue comprehensively and the group is worried that they will not be

viable for much longer. They are unsure what work they should be doing on the collection

120

given the group’s uncertain future. The consultant advised the group to create basic listings

of their collection contents in Excel. This ensures there is some record of what is in the

collections, in a form which can be imported into most collection management systems and

which can be enriched with extra data if the group finds they have time later.

The group expressed confusion and a lack of concrete information about which of their

materials would be accepted by BRAC. If BRAC did accept some materials they are not sure

how the general public is able to discover and access materials in the facility. They are also

concerned about the future for collection items which BRAC will not accept. Given there is

no general museum in Greater Bendigo they cannot see any appropriate avenues for their

collections to be retained in the Greater Bendigo municipality if the Society winds up.

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11. 11. 11. 11. KeyKeyKeyKey discussion pointsdiscussion pointsdiscussion pointsdiscussion points

All five groups provided comprehensive tours of their premises, and discussions with the

consultant around key issues took place throughout the visits. A range of topics were

discussed during these site visits and in conversations between the consultant and relevant

heritage stakeholders, as listed in the Methodology section. This section outlines the key

issues revealed by the survey findings, the case studies and the onsite discussions.

Council supportCouncil supportCouncil supportCouncil support

During site visits, several groups expressed their appreciation for the existing support

provided by Council. One group expressed gratitude for the maintenance tasks Council staff

carry out at their premises including organising maintenance of fire safety equipment, pest

monitoring, mowing surrounding lawns and performing minor repairs.

There were some areas in which groups wished for more support from Council. Complaints

mostly related to the physical premises, whether it was building repairs and improvements

or the need for premises which are suitable for housing their collections appropriately.

In site-visit interviews, several groups mentioned that they highly valued the advice and

support of Clare Needham and Dr. Dannielle Orr and also valued participating in the

Bendigo Heritage Representative Group.

ViabilityViabilityViabilityViability

A key concern of all groups is their future viability. All of the groups face declining visitation,

scarce funding and difficulties in self-promotion. Many do not have the skills or interest in

reaching audiences using online platforms. But the biggest barrier to viability identified by

all groups is a lack of members, especially active members and volunteers. Another barrier

is decreasing public engagement with the groups.

Declining numbers of active members is severely impacting on the ability for these groups

to open to the public, respond to requests and manage their collections all of which are

central to their core mission. Most of the groups are fearful about the future of their group

but even more so about the fate of their collections which have been accumulated and

cared for over many decades. Many participants expressed a strong feeling of responsibility

for their collection items, especially those which were entrusted to their group’s care by

donors in the community.

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Most groups would prefer to continue operating. However all are realistic and therefore

keen to discuss what will happen to their collections (and the research and reference

materials they have collated) if their group folds. Most simply wish to be reassured that all

of these materials will be taken on by an appropriate caretaker if this happens. One group

would prefer that even if they cease operating their collections might be able to stay in the

current premises and be cared for by a local caretaker. But they too admit that eventually

even this may not be possible and if so there needs to be an arrangement in place to

preserve the collection. Most groups expressed their preference for their collections to stay

in the Greater Bendigo region. The preferred recipient would be a ‘Bendigo Museum’ if one

existed. An alternative that was acceptable to all the groups was a Council repository, as

long as the items are housed and cared for properly and accessible by the public.

i.i.i.i. Lack of volunteersLack of volunteersLack of volunteersLack of volunteers

Four of the five groups are currently run only by a few people and are struggling to attract

any new volunteers. Although the fifth group (BHS) has a substantial volunteer pool it is

struggling to identify suitable personnel willing to take over responsibility of office-bearing

roles in coming years.

The lack of volunteers, especially in roles of responsibility is a critical issue for all of these

collecting groups. As current members and office bearers are aging with many of the

current office bearers in their 70s and 80s, they are very concerned about succession

planning. As well as expressing a lack of knowledge about how to carry out succession

planning, the bigger problem is the lack of members expressing willingness to take over the

managerial roles. One group commented: ‘we are lucky if we have ten more years’.

It is not just a lack of volunteers that causes frustration in the groups. In some cases even if

they do have some volunteers there can be personal differences between volunteers about

the purpose of the group or about why they are volunteering and therefore the way they

approach their voluntary contribution. Some volunteers are more focused on achievement

and completion of tasks, others are more focused on the social and relational aspects of

participation. Some volunteers are happy to perform general work such as cleaning or

cataloguing while other prefer to focus on a project, perhaps based on their research

interest. There can also be clashes about the best way to do things. Whilst it is important to

have standardised procedures for quality assurance, it can be frustrating for newer

volunteers to feel they must always follow the established processes without question,

especially if improvements could be made.

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Most of the groups had used WFTD volunteers at some point and expressed mixed results –

where it was a person with skills they needed or who had a passion for history there was

greater success. But more often, WFTD volunteers did not have the physical capacities, the

administrative skills or the motivation to be a useful workforce for the groups.

A problem with WFTD volunteers is that they can only work on weekdays and so can’t assist

with weekend activities. Another problem is that they must do at least 15 hours of work per

week and some groups do not have enough of their own personnel to provide supervision

for this much time each week.

Most groups expressed disappointment that, in their opinion, people no longer want to

contribute to their communities by volunteering. The issue is a common one for historical

societies and indeed for other kinds of organisations which depend on volunteers, especially

in regional areas. The problem may relate to bigger shifts on a societal level - changes in

employment structures, mobile populations, a more global outlook and more people

spending time online rather than face to face. Many people do not have the time to

volunteer or may not reside in one place long enough to commit to an organisation for long

periods. Community groups are also competing for people’s free time with a larger range of

attractions and entertainment, and ways of engaging in communities. Many of these are

now accessed online rather than physically in local neighbourhoods.

Interestingly, research has shown that volunteering is broadly on the increase in Australia. A

2012 study by Volunteering Australia found that:

Volunteering in Australia continues to grow. In 2010, 36% of the adult population volunteered. The

number of adult volunteers has almost doubled since 1995 from 3.2 million people to 6.1 million in

2010. Whilst the total number of hours has increased, the median hours per person has decreased

from 74 hours in 1995 to 56 hours in 2006.10

This excerpt suggests that the current trend in Australia is an increase in the number of

people volunteering but that the time contributed by each volunteer is decreasing, which

has important implications for groups trying to attract volunteers. It suggests that there are

people out there willing to volunteer but that they may wish to contribute smaller amounts

of time rather than committing regularly or long-term.

One aspect raised by several groups is that there is a diminishing number of interested

people as the requirement for commitment rises, as represented in the following diagram.

10

Volunteering Australia 2012

124

Discussion revealed that if these collecting groups are to remain viable, and continue

operating and caring for their collections, the issue of their diminishing volunteer bases will

need to be addressed. Also important is attracting the right kind of volunteers – those who

will commit long-term and those who have the skills needed by the groups. Up-skilling

existing volunteers is also important, since it was evident from site visits that in some areas

the groups have a lack of skills and knowledge required to keep the groups viable and care

for the collections. Some groups expressed a lack of knowledge about conservation

practices, others about collection management and cataloguing and others about curating

displays.

The groups had no suggestions about how Council could help with the lack of personnel.

The notion of a paid museum professional being available to help them to help themselves,

with either basic tasks like opening the museum or advanced tasks like cataloguing and

digitisation, was not generally welcomed as a solution.

Local community

People interested in

joining as members


volunteering


volunteer roles of

responsibility

Degree of commitment

125

ii.ii.ii.ii. Decreased pDecreased pDecreased pDecreased public engagementublic engagementublic engagementublic engagement

All community groups in this study reported low visitation although only two groups keep

official records of visitor numbers. Most groups reported that each time they open they may

receive one or two visitors but often none at all.

Some groups believe their location or accessibility of their premises are reasons for their

lack of visitors. One group feels their front-of-house premises is located in an area with few

passing pedestrians except for students hurrying to classes. Another group reported that

the carparks in front of their premises are often filled up by patrons of a popular nearby

cinema. One group observed that ever since a pedestrian crossing was installed outside

their premises, visitors can no longer pull cars directly in front of the premises.

Some believe their signage is inadequate. Two groups have tall vertical banners which are

placed in front of the premises only when it is open. When the premises are closed there is

little to indicate their presence. Another group has a permanent sign in the front section of

its premises but it is far too small to be viewed from a passing car, or even by pedestrians on

the footpath.

Another reason for poor visitation may be because these groups lack time, money and

expertise to promote themselves and attract visitors. One group notes that it is too

expensive to belong to the Bendigo Tourism (BT) network which does not offer a special

concession fee for small or non-profit organisations like these groups. They feel that since

heritage is a core aspect of Bendigo tourism marketing they should get more support and

inclusion from Bendigo Tourism. There is no mention of the groups or the activities they

offer on Bendigo Tourism website, except for the Shamrock tours which are conducted by

BHS. A discussion with the outgoing Manager of Bendigo Tourism revealed that that there

are possible options for Bendigo Tourism and the five collecting groups to negotiate an

effective arrangement. The Bendigo Tourism Board made a special decision to waive

membership fees for BHS. The former manager indicated that if a request was put in writing

to the Board, a similar waiver would likely be awarded to the other four groups. There may

be further ways that the five groups can negotiate with Bendigo Tourism to enhance mutual

support. There may also be opportunities to tap into Bendigo Regional Tourism, which has

recently obtained major funding to promote the broader region which includes Loddon-

Mallee.

All groups reported low and decreasing visitor numbers and that school groups visits are

now rare. Some volunteers have Working With Children (WWC) clearances but find this

126

does not make a difference. Other groups note that they can no longer make visits to

schools because they do not have WWC clearances.

The decreasing attendance by school groups may also relate to the increasing requirements

for teachers to link activities like excursions to specific curricula and to embed visits to

museums in a broader context including pre- and post- visit activities. Unless

comprehensive learning modules already exist around a museum visit, teachers may not

have the time and resources to create one and therefore will not visit with their students.

Most volunteer collecting groups do not have the expertise or the resources to develop such

modules, especially groups in crisis due to lack of volunteers. However it is worth making

the point that if it were possible to somehow develop ready-to-use teaching resources

around a visit to a local collection that links specifically into school curricula it might make

existing community groups more attractive to school groups. If given proper learning

context, a visit to a local historical group can offer valuable learning experiences for primary

and secondary students. The groups likely do not have the time or expertise to stay abreast

of current school curricula and design and promote programs which link into it. Appendix J

of this report provides a list of the current ways that Victorian school curriculum may link

into local history museums and societies.

The four groups with very small volunteer pools noted that increasingly they don't have

enough volunteers to open up their premises to the public as often as they would like.

Several mentioned they have reduced their opening times for this reason. This underscores

the point that attracting volunteers is a higher priority than attracting visitors. If there is no-

one to open the doors then there is no point trying to attract visitors. However it is true that

people may become involved in a group as a volunteer because they enjoyed a visit to the

premises.

Although there are few people physically visiting the groups premises to look at displays,

the groups are very busy with diverse projects and they successfully engage with the public

in other ways:

• Outdoor history tours and re-enactments

• Talks/lectures

• Presenting photo and/or object displays at community events

• Publishing books and newsletters

• Answering research queries

• Family history research advice

• Loaning objects for exhibitions

• Developing interpretive panels on local history topics

127

Some groups talked about their website and social media profiles, mainly Facebook. Again

the few volunteers struggle to find time to devote to developing and posting social media

content. Two groups also reported a lack of time and relevant knowledge to improve

websites themselves and a lack of money and time to manage contractors to do so.

Sharing collections online is an important avenue for public access to the objects and

artefacts in the core groups collections. Potentially reaching global audiences, online

publishing of collections addresses a key problem reported by the groups, namely that few

people are coming to physically view their displays.

The simplest avenue for the groups to present their objects online already exists and all

groups are already registered to use it. Victorian Collections is a joint project managed

between the state museum group known as Museums Victoria and museum advocacy body

Museums Australia (Victoria). It was created as a simple-to-use system on which images of

objects and other material heritage can be easily published, even by people who lack any

technical knowledge around online publishing. Since 2010 free training has been delivered

across Victoria to hundreds of people, many of them volunteers in small community

collecting groups. There are now over 50,000 items which can be viewed on the site. All five

of the groups in this study have a profile page on Victorian Collections. This means that at

some point volunteers from all five groups have participated in Victorian Collections

training. However in some cases the volunteers that received the training are no longer

with that group. So while all groups have a presence on Victorian Collections they may

currently lack the trained personnel to upload objects and information onto the site. Two

groups have at some point uploaded 20 objects and associated information onto the site.

Three other three groups have no items uploaded. It may be that due to the dearth of

volunteers even those with the relevant training lack the time to do this work. However it

seems that the groups do not see this as a priority, or as a valid way to reach audiences;

there is a far greater emphasis on physical visitors.

Beyond Victorian Collections, there are many possibilities for online projects to share and

interpret the objects and artefacts in these collections. In particular, there are important

opportunities to reach schools by creating interpreted content such as learning modules

targeted at Victorian curriculum for teachers to use with their students. However this kind

of content needs to be developed systematically by people trained in educational resource

development and online delivery. It cannot be expected of the core groups in this study to

do this work. But they would be important partners in such projects if managed by

professional staff based at a museum or other Council facility.

128

Collection management challengesCollection management challengesCollection management challengesCollection management challenges

StorageStorageStorageStorage

Site visits provided an opportunity to assess what percentage of the groups’ collections are

on display compared with in storage.

BHS HC EH Hu El

On display 5% 98% 95% 90% 95%

In storage 95% 2% (large

items still

held on

donors

premises)

5% 10% 5%

1% 50% 90% 75% 25%

Total collection on display

Total collection in storage

Only around 1% of BHS’ collection is on display. The other groups have between 25% and

90% of their collections on permanent display.

While it is common for community museums to have the majority of their collection on

permanent display it can have negative consequences on preservation and on attracting

repeat visitors. The table above also indicates quite a contrast in this area between BHS

(most of their objects in storage) and the other groups (most of their objects on display).

Neither extreme is ideal.

129

The site visits were also an opportunity to establish the approximate percentages of objects

in the groups collections which are on display and in storage.

Looking at the display versus storage situation for objects only, a different and striking

picture emerges. Again BHS has 99% in storage and 1% on display. But the other four

groups have between 90% and 100 % of their objects on display. It is also worth noting that

for the latter four groups these objects are on permanent, not temporary, display. Thus

what they do have in storage is mostly archival (documents, photos, maps and books).

1% 95% 100% 100% 90%

Objects on display

Objects in storage

This assessment showed that one group has almost all of its objects in storage and the other

four have almost all of their objects on display. Neither extreme is desirable, but the latter is

usually more of a concern for preservation of the items. However the site visits revealed

that actually the group in most dire need of storage solutions is BHS. The groups which have

most of their collections on display generally have their collections housed in reasonable

conditions. The exception to this is the lack of storage for large objects at Heathcote.

Based on observations and discussions during site visits, the consultant collated the

following object storage issues for each group:

Group Situation Object storage issues

BHS Critical

BHS urgently need more appropriate storage space.

BHS BRAC Store at Nolan St: is very overcrowded, and unsafe for

workers and not appropriate for objects.

BHS Storage Containers at Nolan St: Most collection objects are

stored in these Containers which provide a poor preservation

environment. Objects are crammed and stacked in the

130

Containers, which makes access difficult. Each time the

Containers are opened the objects are exposed to heat/cold,

light, dust and pests. The wiring to the Containers is not safe.

Specimen Cottage: Using the Cottage for storage is not an option

due to rising damp, mould, poor security and lack of space.

HMHS Urgent

attention

needed for

large objects

Most objects on permanent display. Extra space needed to

store/display several large objects which have already been

donated but not yet physically transferred due to lack of suitable

storage structure.

EHS Acceptable

with minor

adjustments

No critical storage issues. Have no storage facilities for objects

(other than a few very small objects in cupboards). Most objects

are on permanent display. Some textiles hung on back of doors

or racks in an ‘open storage’ situation. Could place in textile

boxes but no place to store these. Better approach may be to

place on padded hangers and cover with calico or Parsilk dust

covers. Consultant can advise group how to do this.

HDHS Utility Shed

and

Beekeepers

hut need

attention.

Council

Chambers &

Courthouse

acceptable.

Utility Shed: shared with other orgs. Objects very vulnerable to

dust, pests and climate. Collection items eg Council furniture

should not be stored here, except for the large dray.

Beekeepers hut: little protection from climate, dust and pests.

Not suitable for storing collection objects.

Council Chambers building: minimal object storage space

(compactus only), most objects on permanent display.

Environment acceptable.

Courthouse: Environment acceptable. Most items on permanent

display but dust covers used, daylight minimal and building

rarely opened. Only storage is tiny front office which doesn't

have suitable storage shelving.

Outdoors: farm equipment uncovered and most rusted due to

exposure. Should be undercover to prevent further damage.

EPAM Acceptable Most objects on permanent display. No dedicated object storage

area.

131

Cataloguing systemsCataloguing systemsCataloguing systemsCataloguing systems

Most of the groups have put a lot of time and energy into cataloguing their collections. A

variety of methods have been used at different times. These include card catalogues, paper

forms, and computer databases. All have used some kind of computer-based approach to

cataloguing. This includes Word listings, generic database software like Filemaker Pro and

specialised software such as Mosaic, DB Textworks Inmagic, Heritage V. Three groups are

happy with their system, but two - Elmore and Huntly - need support and advice in this area.

The idea of Council purchasing a bulk license for Mosaic was discussed. One group is already

using it. Two others are happy with their current software. Elmore volunteers are in the

process of setting up computers which have been out of commission and getting the

Inmagic system running again. Huntly are having difficulties with Heritage V but now is not a

good time for the volunteers to have to learn a new system and feel obliged to input

catalogue data onto it, given how stretched these volunteers are already currently.

132

Tracking assets and activitiesTracking assets and activitiesTracking assets and activitiesTracking assets and activities

A key finding from the survey is that the groups are not tracking their performance or their

assets as much as they could be. Most found it difficult to report on some key activities. This

is completely understandable given that in many ways they are in crisis management mode

and may not have time to keep central records and statistics on their activities and

achievements. This is unfortunate because it means that the incredible efforts of the

volunteers in these groups is under-recorded and therefore difficult to communicate to

others. If Committee members of these groups had some key statistics about their activities

they may be used to attract more funding, community support, government support and

recognition in general. It is also important for morale within the groups to see progress

being made and marking milestone and achievements. Conversely it is also important to see

where there are problems that might need addressing. Some examples of useful statistics to

collect, usually for a calendar year period, are:

• Number of hours worked by volunteers

• Number of visitors (can be broken down to indicate group tours, walk-ins etc)

• Postcodes of origin of visitors

• Number of research requests processed (or hours spent on research requests)

• Number of items in the collection (or approximate)

• Number of new acquisitions

• Number of collection items catalogued and number still to do

• Number of collection items ‘imaged’ (ie a photo or scan made)

These statistics are a vital way to show how much of a contribution the volunteers in these

are making to the community and how much material they are caring for on its behalf.

Again, it may be difficult for all the groups to collect all of these statistics, especially around

collection numbers, but any data they can track will be helpful to them. Some easy ways to

incorporate this tracking is to have a log on and off book for volunteers (then add up the

hours at the end of the year), and to ask each visitor as they come in to sign a visitor book

which asks for their postcode.

133

The future of The future of The future of The future of thethethethe collectionscollectionscollectionscollections

There is currently no institution which can viably accept, retain and preserve collections of

historical objects in the Greater Bendigo region if any of these collecting groups winds up.

Two community collecting groups in Greater Bendigo have dissolved in recent years and the

future of their collections is now highly uncertain.11

This situation is causing extreme anxiety for all of the groups, but particularly for the four

smaller groups. These four groups are operated by a handful of people each. Some of these

core people are reaching their 70s and 80s and are concerned that there is no-one to take

over from them if they are no longer able to care for the collections. As well as expressing

sadness and frustration that in future their group may no longer exist, even more pressing

for all was the fate of the collections their group manages.

These groups wish for their groups to remain viable and their collections to stay where they

are and this should be pursued as far as possible. However if they can longer operate, most

wish for their collections to be accepted by an institution or institutions that will properly

care for them, preferably in their local area. Two groups expressed a preference that their

collections remain in place in current premises with community representatives as

custodians. All agreed however that if the collections must be removed from their current

location, they should remain in Greater Bendigo if possible. This is understandable given the

local significance of much of these community collections.

WindWindWindWind----up up up up processesprocessesprocessesprocesses

One of the greatest concerns expressed by all the groups is ‘what will happen to our

collection if our group ceases?’. The answer to this question is simple in one sense and

complex in another. The simple response should be: ‘whatever your group wants to

happen’. Once the group has made a decision, it should be enshrined in the wind-up clause

in its Constitution to ensure that it happens. The complex aspect of this issue is that it is

difficult for the five groups in this study to set out what they want to happen because they

currently have very few appealing and realistic options. This section will first examine the

legal framework which would apply if the groups wind up, and then note what the groups

expressed about their options within that framework.

All of the groups have a wind-up clause but none were clear on what it states in terms of

what will happen to the collection. This is partly because the clauses themselves are not

11

The German Heritage Society, Bendigo and the Cornish Association (Bendigo and District)

134

clear about this topic. Only two groups were able to produce a copy of their windup clause

and both have used the ‘model rule’ from the relevant legislation. It is highly probable that

all groups have used the model or ‘standard’ clause.

All five groups in this study are incorporated associations in terms of their legal structure.

The Associations Incorporation Act Reform Act 2012 (Vic) is the legislation that regulates

incorporated associations in Victoria and it authorises the Associations Incorporation Reform

Regulations 2012 (Vic). Previously (until November 2012) the relevant legislation was the

Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Vic). In the transition, certain changes were made to

the requirements for the official rules governing incorporated bodies.

Since all of the five groups were established before the transition, their governing rules may

no longer fully comply with the current regulations. This transition did not change

requirements around rules for winding up an incorporated association. So there is no need

for the groups to change their windup clauses due to the legislative change. However it is

important that the groups check and be aware of what their wind up clauses state. And they

may need to update their clauses to clearly prescribe what they want to happen to their

collections. One group, and likely the others too, use a standard clause (based on the ‘model

rules’) which states:

Winding up and cancellation:

(1) The Association may be wound up voluntarily by special resolution.

(2) In the event of the winding up or the cancellation of the incorporation of the

Association, the surplus assets of the Association must not be distributed to any

members or former members of the Association.

(3) Subject to the Act and any court order made under section 133 of the Act, the

surplus assets must be given to a body that has similar purposes to the

Association and which is not carried on for the profit or gain of its individual

members.

(4) The body to which the surplus assets are to be given must be decided by special

resolution. 12

12

Associations Incorporation Reform Regulations 2012, Schedule 4, (76)

135

For the groups in this study this model rule means that if their group winds up:

• items from the group’s collections cannot be distributed to any members or former

members of the group

• the collection can only be given to a body (or bodies) which has similar purposes to

the group and which is not carried on for profit or gain

• the group’s management committee must decide by special resolution which body

(or bodies) the collection will be given to.

These are the legal requirements the groups must observe. There are also guidelines set out

by industry codes recognised by the museums and heritage sectors. These prescribe

appropriate processes for the disposal of museum collections. They are mainly intended to

guide disposal of items which have been deaccessioned but also provide some guidance for

dealing with collections after wind-up.

Benchmark A1.1.3 in the National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries requires

that in a collecting organisation’s foundational document (ie Constitution):

There is a ‘wind-up clause’ outlining procedures should the museum be ‘wound up’ or

dissolved.

Benchmark A1.1.4 of the Standards requires that:

The ‘wind-up clause’ states that the collection will be disposed of according to recognised

museum ethics.

The ICOM Code of Ethics states:

2.15 Disposal of Objects Removed from the Collections: Each museum should have a policy

defining authorised methods for permanently removing an object from the collections

through donation, transfer, exchange, sale, repatriation, or destruction, and that allows the

transfer of unrestricted title to any receiving agency. Complete records must be kept of all

deaccessioning decisions, the objects involved, and the disposal of the object. There will be a

strong presumption that a deaccessioned item should first be offered to another museum.

The Museums Australia Code of Ethics states:

136

2.15 Disposal of material property - In the event of its dissolution, the museum in its

constitution should make provision for the disposal of property and collections to properly

constituted organisations with similar aims

6.4 … any steps to sell or otherwise dispose of material from the collections should be taken

only after due consideration, and such material might well be offered first, by exchange,

gift or private treaty sale, to other museums before sale by public auction or other means is

considered.

Items which were purchased outright by the groups for their collections may usually be

transferred anywhere without legal constraints. However some materials (such as some

Aboriginal artefacts) are subject to special restrictions.

Long-term loans and undocumented items held by the groups may cause problems if the

group winds up, especially if the owner is not known or it is difficult to contact the owner.

The group cannot transfer ownership of things it does not own. Legally, the group is holding

items under a bailment arrangement unless they have evidence of legal title (a receipt or

donation form). As a ‘bailee’ they are subject to legal restrictions which includes having no

authority to dispose of the item. The item must then be handled according to the Disposal

of Uncollected Goods Act 1961 (Vic). It sets out the required process for attempting to

contact the owner, length of time an item must be retained and how it can be disposed of.

These vary depending on the value of the item(s).

Where there is documentary evidence that an item was donated to the group and legal

ownership was transferred to the group, the first appropriate step is to try to contact the

donor and offer the item(s) back to them. If the donor declines this offer then the group is

free to proceed to the next appropriate step which is to offer the item for transfers to

another public collection.

Which public collection the collections should be offered to was a key topic of discussion

during the site visits. The groups noted that they would strongly prefer their collections to

(1) remain in the Greater Bendigo region and

(2) not be broken up or dispersed.

Both of these requests are extremely valid. These collections are local history collections.

They mainly comprise material donated by local residents to these local collecting groups

for safekeeping in the region. Their value as whole collections is greater than the sum of

their parts. In most of these collections, there are important links between collection items

which enhance significance and research value. Breaking them up would constitute a major

loss in terms of significance and community assets.

137

Fortunately there is an appropriate body in Greater Bendigo to which the groups can offer

their archival material. At this stage the groups understand that all their paper-based

holdings will be accepted by BRAC. However the official collecting policies of BRAC for

community collections, including what it will accept, are still being developed. It will be

important for the groups to be kept informed about these policies when they are finalised.

If it emerges that there are certain paper-based materials that BRAC will not consider then

these may need a home somewhere too. Family history files and research materials might

also be offered to the Goldfields Research Centre or local genealogy groups. Books in the

collections can be offered to the Goldfields Library Corporation, but acceptance may

depend on relevance of the items to the Greater Bendigo region. At this stage there is no

confirmed destination for digital content which has been created by the groups. This refers

mainly to digital image files created by groups by photographing objects or digitising

materials. Preserving these long-term is a problem throughout the sector due to constantly

changing technologies but options will need to be considered. The database software used

by the Library has a ‘digital repository’ module which could be used to manage digitised

content. However there is currently no agreement in place for the Library, or any other

organisation, to accept digital materials. This is something which needs to be considered in

the near future but is not within the scope of this study.

The following table outlines the existing organisations in the municipality which can accept

heritage materials and what types they will consider. It should be noted that whilst these

organisations will broadly consider certain material types, further collecting criteria may

also need to be met, such as relevance to the region and satisfactory condition.

Material in community

collections

Organisation Further info

Paper-based public and

community records (eg.

documents, maps, plans,

ledgers, diaries)

BRAC Collecting scope and criteria still being developed.

Consult with BRAC staff to clarify Collecting Policies.13

Audio-visual materials and

photographs (unframed)

BRAC/PROV

(Melbourne)

Or Goldfields

Library

Corporation

BRAC cannot store these materials as they require

specialist storage.14

BRAC may be able to accept

some of these materials on behalf of PROV but they

would have to be physically transferred to PROV

storage in Melbourne.15

It is not clear what criteria

for acceptance would be. Consult with BRAC staff to

clarify Collecting Policies.

13

Discussion with BRAC staff, June 2017 14

Conversation with CoGB Acting Works Manager July 2017 15

as above

138

There is some possibility that Goldfields Library Corp

has accepted some community photographs but the

criteria for this is unknown.

Books - local history BRAC/Goldfields

Library

Corporation

May be limited to those related to Greater Bendigo.

May be stored in local history reference library in

BRAC reading room

Books – General Goldfields

Library

Corporation

May be limited to books with subjects related to

Central Goldfields

Family history research files and

trees

Genealogical

groups

Family history resources

Material relating to Aboriginal

history

Dja Dja

Wurrung Clans

and Taungurung

Clans Aboriginal

Corporations

May be limited to items relating to history and

heritage of Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung people

and country. Items from elsewhere may be accepted

by Museums Victoria.

Militaria Soldier’s

Memorial

Institute

May be limited to militaria related to Greater

Bendigo. Collecting policies not known.

Digital images (eg. images and

scans of collection items)

Possibly

Goldfields

Library

Corporation

The Goldfields Library Corporation may have the

capacity to accept and manage digital images in the

future from the community because it already has a

digital repository module as part of its library content

management systems. However this would have to

be decided by the GLC in the future, possibly as part

of the community collections policy that it would

accept digital images from local collecting groups.

Whilst some heritage materials could be offered to these organisations and some may be

accepted, there is a critical lack of a suitable repository for accepting the objects and

artefacts held in the Greater Bendigo municipality.

In terms of objects and artefacts, the scenario preferred by the groups is that they would be

accepted by a ‘Bendigo Regional Museum’. Given this does not exist, a second preference

expressed by the groups was for the City of Greater Bendigo to accept them, if proper

storage conditions could be provided. Some groups noted that they hoped that if a large

public museum was later built in Greater Bendigo the Council would then transfer the

objects and artefacts to it. There are no other major institutions in Greater Bendigo that

could accept the historical objects from these groups and care for them properly. It is highly

unlikely that an institution outside Greater Bendigo would accept the collections, since they

relate closely to this region. A few items of state significance may be accepted by state

institutions but this would be a major loss to the region of highly significant heritage assets.

As previously noted, it is illegal for a current or former member to take over ownership of

the collections if the group winds up. The groups were highly aware and concerned that in

139

lieu of a public collection which would and could accept their collections, the bulk of their

objects and artefacts might have to be sold, given away, thrown out or destroyed.

Statements along the lines of ‘we are terrified the collection will end up at the tip’ were

expressed more than once during the site visits.

140

The museum questionThe museum questionThe museum questionThe museum question

There have been discussions and studies around the concept of a museum for Greater

Bendigo for three decades. The history of this issue is outlined in a previous section of this

report titled ‘Background and Context’. This history is relevant to the current study and as

such was a topic of some discussions with contributors to the study.

Some participants from the core collecting groups believe Greater Bendigo needs a new

museum, and that the need has existed for a long time. Digging down into this notion

through discussions with the groups and examining the past documentation on the issue

revealed multiple aspects to this perceived need. These quite varied aspects included:

1. A place to store and preserve local material heritage

2. A place to present Greater Bendigo’s history

3. An attraction for tourists

4. An educational institution

5. An expression of civic pride

6. A community gathering place

7. An expected component of a major regional centre

The vision in some minds is to meet all of these needs in one place by constructing a brand

new major museum complex or conducting a major refit and/or extension to a heritage

building. This approach demands major capital investment and substantial ongoing

operational funds. It would require strong long-term commitment, passion and leadership

from Council to achieve, as well as major financial contributions from higher levels of

government.

It is worth noting that most of these identified needs, except the first regarding storage and

preservation, are already being met by the wealth of heritage attractions, cultural venues,

tours, built heritage and open spaces across Greater Bendigo. Indeed, the municipality of

Greater Bendigo can be viewed as a vast living museum or a museum network. However it is

not within the scope of this study to properly analyse whether a new museum in Greater

Bendigo is needed or feasible.

A proper investigation of the perspectives that exist in Greater Bendigo should be part of a

museum feasibility study. Commissioning a feasibility study would be the appropriate next

step to properly determine if there is a need and a demand for a new museum and what

model or approach would be most viable and successful.

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CCCCritical ritical ritical ritical storage storage storage storage needneedneedneedssss

Regardless of what might be found by a museum feasibility study, this study has identified

an urgent need for a facility in Greater Bendigo which can store objects and artefacts to

museum preservation standards. Resolving this need is more urgent and should take priority

than further exploration of the museum issue at this time.

Whilst there are some organisations in Greater Bendigo to which heritage materials may be

offered, there is no substantial repository for preserving objects and artefacts of the Greater

Bendigo municipality.

A proper object preservation facility is urgently needed to provide, subject to the collection

policy:

• A repository for Council’s historical objects and artefacts

• Adequate storage for the objects in Bendigo Historical Society collections

• A repository for historical objects from local collecting groups if they cease to

operate

• A repository for historical objects donated by the members of the public

• A place for community volunteers to work with heritage assets with professional

guidance

• A hub for information and activities involving the preservation of heritage artefacts

• An interface for the public to engage with the historical objects and artefacts of

Greater Bendigo

Council’s own historical assets are distributed at a number of council owned buildings across

the municipality and the mode of tracking and caring for these is currently inadequate and

there are plans to audit these holdings in the near future. Some of these will likely require

storage in the future.

In this study, the most serious concerns expressed by community collecting groups were

around the housing and care of their collections. For BHS this is a major, immediate and

urgent problem. The other groups consider it an urgent issue to resolve in case their group

winds up, which for some groups may be imminent. At least two community collecting

groups of similar size and situation have ceased to operate in recent years and the future

care of their collections is now highly uncertain. There are a range of known private

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collections in the municipality holding significant items. There were indications from some

contributors to this study that if the owners pass on, these collections may be lost or

dispersed if there is nowhere to accept them. A preservation facility could house Council’s

historical assets and BHS objects and potentially accept object holdings of the remaining

four community collecting groups in Greater Bendigo, subject to the collecting policy. It

could also be promoted as a repository accepting donations of significant items or

collections held by private citizens. If a ‘Bendigo Museum’ was established later this storage

facility could supplement it as a campus or component of it.

A preservation facility would need to be staffed by at least two staff members to care for

the collections, to support and guide volunteers to digitise, document and research

collection items and to facilitate public access. Facility staff would work closely with BHS

volunteers and a non-BHS volunteer pool who would greatly increase the workforce at the

facility.

It is important that this proposed facility not be limited to preserving objects and artefacts,

but also have an equal focus on public access and engagement. There are a range of ways

that an object-preservation facility can provide public access and engagement, including:

• A digital platform which presents objects and catalogue information online along

with high quality images. It could also provide some themed/curated interpretive

content, a blog, and/or educational modules for teachers.

• An arrangement with the National Library of Australia to link the online collections

into its Trove platform. This is a standard agreement which many Victorian

institutions have.

• Video-based interactions such as through Facebook Live, Periscope or private

streaming and video-conferencing. Oral history videos could also be linked with

objects published online (as on Culture Victoria).

• Physical presentations of historical objects at schools, supported residential facilities,

clubs and community events, or other venues.

• A talks or lecture program

• An object viewing room

• Loan of items to other venues and institutions (where appropriate)

• Conservation advice and/or treatment services

• A research enquiry service

• An image service

• Behind-the scenes tours

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Several previous studies have identified the need for a storage facility to provide services

that can generate income. Some of the activities listed above could include a fee-for-service

component. A previously proposed income-generating idea was to offer commercial

storage and retrieval. This is not compatible with maintaining a preservation environment to

museum standards, unless it was offered only to other collecting institutions which are

lacking space. Decisions around the appropriateness of offering museum-standard storage

services would depend on the materials in question and the available space in the facility.

The most appropriate location for this proposed facility is on the vacant land adjoining the

BRAC facility in Nolan Street. There are strong reasons for choosing this site to build a

preservation storage facility. First, the original vision and designs for the site included two

components – the current BRAC archival facility built in 2011 and an object storage

repository which has not yet been realised (images from the original 2009 concept design

are provided in Appendix A). Second, if whole community collections (such as those of the

five groups in this study) are transferred to Council it is extremely beneficial for the artefacts

and objects to remain physically close to the documents and archives from the same

collection. This enables cross-referencing and collection research which are extremely

important for the significance and value of the collections. Third, BHS are already operating

at the site so it makes sense for their objects and artefacts to be stored next to their

archives, and not have to be transported yet again with potentially more losses and damage

to their collections. Fourth, combining the two facilities on one site will allow for exchange

of ideas and knowledge, pooled preservation-related resources, and possibly reduce the

energy costs associated with climate controlled facilities.

As stated, in the original designs for the Nolan St site the BRAC facility is balanced by an

adjoining structure of the same size, but with a slightly different purpose and layout which

includes a loading bay. The size of the land purchased was to accommodate this. An original

motivation was to create extra storage for the Bendigo Art Gallery collections but this was

eventually built alongside the Gallery and completed in 2014. Although this ‘second half’

was not built at Nolan Street, the BRAC facility has features which allow for the expansion to

happen later. For example, it has wall panels which can be easily removed to join up with an

adjacent structure for sharing of building infrastructure such as security and environmental

systems. A door in the external wall would allow access between the facilities so that the

facilities like the tearoom and bathrooms could be shared.

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The design for the object preservation facility may need to be slightly modified from the

original 2009 concept, in particular in terms of the height of the structure. In the current

BRAC facility the available internal height ranges from 2.86 metres to 4.73 metres. The

object preservation structure would need to be an adequate height to offer the amount of

storage space needed, including enough height for pallet racking and possibly a mezzanine

for offices. As such it would likely have a higher roofline than the current BRAC building.

The specific structural dimensions will need to be assessed and established by an

experienced museum storage designer.

The vacant land on Bannister Street located behind the BRAC facility was offered for sale

around 2016. If this is still the case, it could be purchased to offer additional space for a

large object storage sheds and/or non-collection storage sheds for things like display cases,

a forklift, supplies and equipment. Some of these would not need to be environmentally

controlled to a museum standard, but would be important elements of a heritage

preservation complex.

It would be useful for Councillors and Council staff to visit similar existing facilities in the

State to give them a clear vision on what is appropriate and what is achievable. Similar

facilities exist at the stores of Gold Museum Ballarat, the off-site store of the NGV and the

Moreland Annexe Store of Museums Victoria. Organising visits to view these and also to

view the current poor storage of BHS collections provide the impetus needed at all levels of

Council to initiate and push through such a substantial capital project. There may be

opportunities to partner with a large collecting institution such as Museums Victoria in a

shared facility. It is worth noting that Museums Victoria is currently (as at July 2017)

exploring business models toward establishing much-needed extra storage for its

collections.

A detailed outline of requirements for the proposed storage facility, and images of required

components, is outlined in detail in Appendix B of this report. Appendix C provides model

examples of object preservation facilities.

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Interpretive facilitiesInterpretive facilitiesInterpretive facilitiesInterpretive facilities

The notion of a lack of a venue to display objects, whilst raised occasionally, was not a key

concern in the discussions with the groups. There was far more emphasis on the need for

safe storage of collections. This may be because preservation is seen as a more pressing

problem than interpretation. Or it may be because there are already a range of venues,

institutions and tourist attractions presenting interpretive content to public audiences in

Greater Bendigo. One group expressed the idea that a new museum is needed because

there is “no museum of Indigenous and European history” in Greater Bendigo. It is true that

there is no single museum devoted to this theme, however there are several venues already

existing in Greater Bendigo and plans for other venues in the future, that combined, present

the stories relating to these histories in the Greater Bendigo region. Others noted the lack of

a venue that present an ‘overview’ of Greater Bendigo history.

Another reason why the interpretive aspect of a potential museum was not important to

the groups may be because all already have some kind of display facilities of their own

although none are of museum standard. Another reason may be their close involvement

with the Post Office Gallery (POG). All of the groups have worked collaboratively with the

POG’s Curator and loaned materials to help develop focused, original and well-researched

exhibitions around themes and threads of Greater Bendigo’s history. The POG’s exhibitions

present original, under-represented stories and topics as opposed to topics which tend to

be core staples of Victorian history, such as the gold rush or early pioneers. Because the

Gallery is managed by a trained curator under the Bendigo Art Gallery umbrella, the POG’s

exhibits are of a high aesthetic standard using contemporary design and installation

techniques. The collaborative approach means that the groups are involved in the research

and development processes and receive benefits such as support and advice from the

Curator and sometimes from other collecting groups as well. The POG is currently a highly

effective way for the groups to display their objects to public audiences. Since its launch in

November 2010, Post Office Gallery exhibitions have attracted 178, 832 individual visits.

The need for extra interpretive facilities and what form they might take should be explored

of part of the museum feasibility study. It is beyond the scope of this study to put forward a

vision for what is needed in the Greater Bendigo area as it should be based on proper

research, financial projections, site capability analysis, comparisons with other regional

examples and community consultation.

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12. 12. 12. 12. RecommendationsRecommendationsRecommendationsRecommendations to Councilto Councilto Councilto Council

The five groups in this study care for around 45,000 items of local heritage on behalf of the

Greater Bendigo community. This volume of heritage material is of a size held by a major

regional museum and yet they are being cared for by only 47 volunteers, 23 of whom are

volunteers in roles of legal responsibility and group leadership. These volunteer groups

perform a highly valuable service to the Greater Bendigo community. Some groups are

extremely vulnerable due to shrinking member and volunteer bases. All attempts should be

made to keep them operating so they can continue to care for these collections. However it

is important to plan now for the possibility that some groups may not be viable in the next

few years.

These groups already receive support from Council, mainly through provision of premises

and access to support and advice mainly from two Council staff members. These forms of

support are appreciated by the groups, but as their size and viability decrease, it becomes

more likely that Council will need to take on more responsibility for care of these local

heritage collections. This section outlines the recommendations for Council to deal with

these issues. In addition to the recommendations that follow, it is also recommended that

wherever possible the hard work and dedication of these volunteer groups should be

publicly acknowledged.

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Summary of RecommendationsSummary of RecommendationsSummary of RecommendationsSummary of Recommendations

1. ESTABLISH AND STAFF AN OBJECT STORAGE & PRESERVATION FACILITY

2. SUPPORT VIABILITY OF THE GROUPS

2a. Solutions for BHS

2a(i). Expand BHS storage

2a(ii) BHS front-of-house venue

2b. Fund large object shed for Heathcote

2c. Help all groups to attract volunteers

2d. Help all groups to increase their profile

2d(i) Promotion and marketing

2d(ii) Signage

2e. Ensure legal compliance

2e(i) Governance

2e(ii) Assist registration process for Aboriginal items

2e(iii) Register firearms

2f. Boost museum-related skills and knowledge

2g. Encourage performance tracking

2h. Help all groups to attract funding

2i. Help all groups to save money through bulk purchasing

3. ENGAGE IN CONTINGENCY PLANNING

3a. Establish a Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection

3b. Adopt a Collection Policy for the new collection

3c. Brief groups about the Policy

3d. Enter into wind-up agreements with groups

3e. Assist groups to update their wind-up clauses

3f. Help with collection succession preparation

3g. Monitor updates to BRAC policies

4. COMMISSION A MUSEUM FEASIBILITY STUDY

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1. 1. 1. 1. Establish Establish Establish Establish aaaand staff and staff and staff and staff annnn objectobjectobjectobject storage &storage &storage &storage & preservationpreservationpreservationpreservation facility facility facility facility

The most urgently needed museum function currently required in Greater Bendigo is a

staffed storage and preservation facility for objects and artefacts which meets national

standards.

As well as providing a museum-standard preservation environment for objects, the facility

should manage a comprehensive set of public access programs. Recommended components

include an online public access platform where heritage objects can be accessed and

explored via high quality images, videos and interpretation, viewer-curated options, and

education modules for teachers and students. This should be complemented by real-world

public engagement activities such as facility tours, outreach visits, outward loans and object

viewing by appointment.

It is recommended that the facility be built for purpose on the vacant land next to the BRAC

Nolan Street facility as an object storage and preservation facility that was a part of the

original vision for that site, as outlined previously and in Appendix A.

Original design for Nolan St (BRAC) site – front elevation

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Original design for Nolan St BRAC site – floor plan

Together the two facilities would form a specialist preservation complex which might be

named the Greater Bendigo Heritage Centre or similar. Crucially it would keep collections

intact, by storing objects and artefacts adjacent to records and documents from the same

collection. This is vital to retain integrity of collections and to allow for proper research.

On the Nolan Street site, a well-designed object storage and preservation facility could

provide up to 3,000 cubic metres of storage. Around 650 cubic metres of this space should

be allocated to BHS for its objects and artefacts. A detailed outline of requirements for the

proposed facility and images of the recommended components is in Appendix B of this

report. Appendix C provides model examples of existing object preservation facilities.

150

At least two City of Greater Bendigo officers with museum training would be based on-site

to manage and preserve the object collections, design and deliver a comprehensive public

access program, co-ordinate and supervise volunteers and ensure the preservation

environment is maintained.

Visits to existing high-quality facilities would be useful to inform this process. It may also be

useful to consider partnering with a large collecting institution such as Museums Victoria in

a shared facility. This would mirror the collaborative approach used in the BRAC model.

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2. 2. 2. 2. Support viability of the groupsSupport viability of the groupsSupport viability of the groupsSupport viability of the groups

2a. 2a. 2a. 2a. SSSSolutionolutionolutionolutionssss for BHSfor BHSfor BHSfor BHS

The Specimen Cottage front-end venue for BHS is currently unsatisfactory and the current

back-end facilities at the BRAC Store and Storage Containers at Nolan Street are inadequate

and endangering the volunteers and collection.

This report recommends that Council focus on resolving the current issues in Specimen

Cottage, rather than seeking alternative front of house venues, so that it is appropriate for

BHS to continue to use. The reason for this is that if key issues are resolved the Cottage is a

reasonably good front-end, if not perfect, solution for the group.

The back-end storage issues at the BRAC Store and Storage Containers at Nolan Street are a

far higher priority for Council to focus on and where major attention is needed.

Improve BHS storage at the BRAC Store and Storage Containers at Nolan Street

The BRAC facility at Nolan Street provides an excellent storage environment for BHS’ paper-

based holdings, but improvements are urgently needed in the amount and the quality of

storage space for the Society’s object and artefact holdings. BHS deserves a reliable, long-

term solution to this issue after their collection has largely been inaccessible for nearly

twenty years, relocated frequently, and is currently in extremely poor storage conditions.

Short term storage improvements

Short-term measures that Council should put in place immediately to improve the over-

crowded and risky storage situation. These include:

• Provide extra object storage temporarily by installing three portable ATCO buildings

next to the containers. These must be fitted with customised shelving and tills to

store BHS framed items, boxed objects and uncatalogued new acquisitions which are

currently in the BHS BRAC Store . Some objects could also be moved from the

storage containers into the temporary ATCO buildings if there is room. To be clear,

this is only an interim measure, not a permanent solution. Detailed requirements for

this measure are outlined in Appendix E.

• Replace the broken and unsafe compactus inside the BHS BRAC Store.

• Improve the safety of the BHS Storage Containers: Council should consider replacing

the unsafe BHS Storage Containers with properly fitted out portable ATCO buildings

for the interim, until longer term storage solutions are operational The safety of the

BHS Storage Containers can be immediately improved by fixing the wiring.

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Council should also encourage BHS to free up collection storage space by:

• transferring some paper-based materials to BRAC

• deaccessioning items which do not meet its Collection Policy; making and recording

the relevant decisions as a Committee, and following the process set out in

recognised Museum Codes of Ethics.

• removing the non-collection items such as exhibition display cases from the BHS

Storage Containers. Install a secure shed onsite for the display equipment and

furniture.

• removing the archival supplies from the BHS Storage Container to free up space. Find

another place to store them such as under worktables in the BHS office area in the

BRAC facility.

Long term storage solution

BHS needs a permanent and appropriate solution for the storage of its objects and artefacts.

This study has identified a preferred solution which is for them to be held in a Council-

managed object storage and preservation facility as previously described. Ownership of the

items would remain vested in BHS and collection management carried out by BHS

volunteers with co-ordination and guidance from City of Greater Bendigo officers with

museums training who are based on-site. This arrangement would be governed by clear

terms in an MOU. This model is outlined in Appendix B.

BHS Specimen Cottage front-of-house venue

In order to make the environment at Specimen Cottage suitable as a front-of-house for BHS,

the following recommendations are made to Council:

• Council should continue to pursue collaboration with BRIT to ensure the rising damp

is treated and the roof is repaired as soon as possible.

• The low light levels due to overshadowing BRIT building are actually beneficial to

objects on display. However they are not ideal for viewing objects or for visitors’

safety. Install a track display-lighting system in the two display rooms and extra

lighting over the stairs.

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• Improve security especially around windows and rear door. This includes improving

physical fittings but also a review of procedures e.g. keeping rear door closed and

locked when not monitored.

• Take steps to ensure all external doors and windows are well sealed, especially the

base of the rear door.

• Consider ways to improve signage on or near building to increase visibility of the

Society, possibly on the upper balcony, the large brick side wall and/or power poles

in front of the building.

• Cut back vegetation next to building as far as possible

Until the rising damp issue is resolved, BHS should be aware of the following guidelines:

• Humidity, especially fluctuations in humidity pose a great risk to historical materials,

even more so than temperature extremes or fluctuations. Until the rising damp is

dealt with BHS should avoid displaying:

� original paper-based items such as photographs, documents and drawings).

Display copies of these instead

� original artworks, especially works on paper or on canvas even if framed

� textiles, especially silk or wool

� collection items made of or containing wood, fur or leather eg wooden

furniture, fur garments, leather-bound books and leather gloves

• More resilient objects can be displayed in display cases or with a support that raises

the item substantially off the floor and away from the walls. These include:

� those which are largely metal, ceramic, plastic or glass

� geological specimens

� replicas

� non-collection reference books and other reference materials

• Consider including silica gel packs in the display cases, and monitor the objects for

any corrosion, mould growth etc and remove immediately if these are observed.

• Borrow an environment monitoring device, such as a thermohydrograph, from

Council to track and assess the environment in Specimen Cottage, with assistance

from staff on how to collect and interpret the data. Depending on the results, de-

humidifiers may be required until the rising damp is treated.

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Other suggestions for BHS are:

• Do not leave entrance doors open even when Specimen Cottage is occupied. This

creates an unstable environment and exposes the objects on display to the outside

climate.

• Consider creating some interpretation about the Cottage itself, since it is a structure

of local and state significance with an interesting history, such as a brochure or

handout for visitors.

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2b2b2b2b. . . . DisplayDisplayDisplayDisplay shed for large objects shed for large objects shed for large objects shed for large objects in in in in HeathcoteHeathcoteHeathcoteHeathcote

A large shed is urgently needed to house a number of large items of local historical

significance described in the case study in this report on Heathcote McIvor Historical

Society. Because of their local connections it is important that they remain in the district

and for them to be accessible to view by the public, rather than kept in storage. The

proposed display shed would be around 25 x 9 x 6 metres and would allow 24/7 viewing by

the public without supervision whilst protecting the items from damage. It is estimated that

the cost to build the shed would be $30,000 - $40,000. If Council cannot fully fund the

project, external philanthropic funding should be sought on behalf of the Society to cover all

or some of this cost. A potential source of external funding is the federal Stronger

Communities scheme which provides between $2,500 and $20,000 to community

organisations and local governments for capital projects, through the local Member of

Parliament.

2c. 2c. 2c. 2c. Help Help Help Help allallallall groups tgroups tgroups tgroups to attract volunteerso attract volunteerso attract volunteerso attract volunteers

The most important way to improve viability of the groups at this stage is by helping to

boost their volunteer numbers. Council should:

• Help or advise the groups to conduct skills audits to identify what skills they are

lacking

• Assist or advise them to write Volunteer Position Descriptions which describe the

work they want done in key areas

• Help the groups to register with volunteer recruitment services. There is no fee to

join Bendigo Volunteers Resource group, only insurance requirements, which all the

groups already meet. Council might assist the groups with the application forms and

invite the Volunteer Centre to meet with the groups at a Bendigo Heritage

Representative Group meeting to discuss other ways the group can attract

volunteers. There is also a Victorian Volunteers body that also maintains a register

which interested volunteers can search. However it charges a fee of around $80 per

year for a subscription which includes a listing on the register but also training and

support around volunteer management and recruitment. If groups can afford it they

should consider this. Council may be able to negotiate with this body to offer a bulk

or discounted subscription for the five groups in this study. Once registered the

groups should lodge their Position Descriptions on the Volunteer Recruitment

databases managed by these two bodies.

• Assist or advise the groups to create a standard Volunteer Agreement form. This will

set out the regular work period committed to and the tasks set out for each

volunteer. Also advise the groups that having written procedures for core activities

156

can be useful to ensure that volunteers carry out tasks in the manner and to the

standard expected. When new volunteers come on board reading these procedures

should be part of their induction. When groups are unhappy with a volunteers

performance they can then refer to the procedures as a way of explaining the issue

to the volunteer.

• Suggest that the groups institute a pricing policy for research requests in which the

fee for service includes a compulsory membership to the group. This increases the

member base and by continuing communications with the enquirer through

membership correspondence, keeps them involved even after the research request

is completed. This may attract volunteers.

• Contact Deakin University Museum Studies department and to request a Call for

Volunteers among its networks.

2c. 2c. 2c. 2c. Help Help Help Help allallallall groups groups groups groups to to to to increase their profileincrease their profileincrease their profileincrease their profile

Promotion and marketing

• Consider creating a Greater Bendigo community groups trail to promote the groups

and boost visitation.

• Submit a written request to the Board of Bendigo Tourism for a waiver of the

membership fees for all five community groups in this study. The submission should

explain the important work these tiny volunteer organisations perform in preserving

the heritage of Greater Bendigo. Meetings with Bendigo Tourism may uncover

further ways that Bendigo Tourism and the groups can work together for mutual

benefit.

• Contact Bendigo Regional Tourism on behalf of the groups to explore possible

promotional opportunities. This body promotes a wider region than Bendigo

Tourism.

• Consider negotiating partnerships between the groups and local schools or

community youth groups in which younger people would do online/social media

tasks for the groups on a volunteer basis.

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• Provide the groups with training, advice or assistance with their online presence,

including social media and websites.

• Consider engaging a specialist in museum marketing or social media for museums to

speak to the groups at a Bendigo Heritage Representative Group meeting, to provide

some suggestions appropriate to the scale and capacities of the groups.

• Encourage groups to be more active online by posting more on social media and

publishing more on Victorian Collections and highlight the validity of engaging with

online audiences.

• It may assist groups if they were aware of the current school curriculum so they can

target appropriate content to visiting school groups. Appendix J lists the areas where

community museums can link their programs into the Victorian school curriculum.

Signage

• Provide more visible signage to interested groups, in particular to the Huntly group.

This could be a vinyl outdoor banner (cost around $150) which affixes to the building

without causing damage or to metal supports installed in the ground. It is up to the

groups whether they wish for the new signage to be permanent or only in place

when they are open. The option they choose will have implications for the style,

attachment method and written content of the signage. It is recommended that

signage for Huntly indicates that visitors are welcome and that there is parking at

rear of the complex.

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2d. 2d. 2d. 2d. Encourage legal complianceEncourage legal complianceEncourage legal complianceEncourage legal compliance

Governance

It is important that all groups are aware of the new regulations for incorporated bodies,

introduced by the Associations Incorporation Act Reform Act 2012 (Vic). There are some

minor implications for incorporated bodies, particularly for their Secretaries. Council

should inform them of the changes and encourage them to update their organisational

documents such as Rules, Constitution and procedures. The consultant can provide

documents and links to helpful resources around these changes.

Assist registration process for Aboriginal items

There are around 35 objects of Aboriginal heritage held among the five groups. It is

mandatory under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic) for holders of Victorian Aboriginal

heritage artefacts to register them on the Aboriginal Heritage Register. The process to do so

is to contact the local Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAP), Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung

Clans Aboriginal Corporations, or Aboriginal Victoria which allocates field officers and/or a

RAP to visit the holder and create a list and photographs of the items. The items continue

to be retained by the holder. Council could co-ordinate this process to ensure that all the

groups are complying with these legal obligations. All groups should know that it is

compulsory under Victorian heritage law, even though one group had been incorrectly

informed that this was an optional process.

Register firearms

The BHS firearms collection is currently held by a firearms dealer to comply with

regulations. Ideally the BHS collection of historical firearms should be stored with the rest of

the collection. In order for this to happen they would need to be stored securely and in the

manner prescribed by Victorian Firearms legislation, which is not possible at this stage. In an

ideal storage situation they will have adequate space in a gun safe or safes and be stored

separately from any ammunitions. If they are ever moved into the possession of BHS they

will need to be registered with Victoria Police in order for BHS to obtain a Museum

Exemption License. Although not currently in BHS possession, the firearms should be

immediately inventoried, catalogued and photographed and this list registered with Victoria

Police. This will assist with the transition to a Museum Exemption License when it is needed.

It will also ensure that BHS can keep track of this property even if there is volunteer

turnover.

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2e. 2e. 2e. 2e. Boost mBoost mBoost mBoost museumuseumuseumuseum----relatedrelatedrelatedrelated skills and knowledgeskills and knowledgeskills and knowledgeskills and knowledge

• Provide all groups with copies of key industry guidelines including:

∗ the National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries

∗ the Small Museums Cataloguing Manual (and included standard cataloguing

form)

∗ Significance 2.0

∗ Museums Australia Code of Ethics or ICOM Code of Ethics

Encourage the groups to ensure that all of their active members have read these

resources and suggest that in particular active members who manage other

volunteers should become familiar with them.

• Encourage the groups to seek out and engage in any and all museum-related training

they can, whether office-bearers or people from their volunteer pools are the

attendees. Training opportunities are mainly offered by Museums Australia (Victoria)

and Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Their websites list the opportunities

available.

• Encourage any current volunteers who have not done so to complete Victorian

Collections training. Victorian Collections are willing to conduct special training

sessions in regional centres and have previously done so in Greater Bendigo.

2f. 2f. 2f. 2f. Encourage Encourage Encourage Encourage performance performance performance performance ttttracking racking racking racking

Encourage the groups to try to track their performance in some simple key areas:

• Number of hours worked by volunteers using a central logbook

• Number of visitors and their postcodes of origin using a visitor book

• Number of research requests processed or hours spent on research requests

• Number of items catalogued or digitised

The resulting data can then be used in funding applications, in promoting the work of the

group and internally to celebrate milestones.

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2g. 2g. 2g. 2g. Help Help Help Help allallallall groups to attract fundinggroups to attract fundinggroups to attract fundinggroups to attract funding

• Provide assistance to the groups with identifying funding opportunities and writing

grant applications. This could involve arranging training or helping to write specific

applications. Many of the recommendations in this report require funding. If Council

is not willing or able to fund these measures, then the groups should be assisted to

apply for funding from other sources. It is also recommended that Council make an

adjustment to its own Community Grants program. Currently, applications must fit

into one of the following categories:

o Community Development

o Environmental Sustainability

o Arts

o Community Events

o Active and Healthy Communities

o Print and Digital Publications

Projects relating to history and heritage groups do not appear to fit naturally into

any of these categories, leaving community collecting groups like those in this study

ineligible. A suggestion is to change ‘Arts’ to ‘Arts and Heritage’.

2h. 2h. 2h. 2h. Help Help Help Help allallallall groups save money through bulk purchasinggroups save money through bulk purchasinggroups save money through bulk purchasinggroups save money through bulk purchasing

Making bulk purchases of items that most or all of the groups use, may save the groups

money. This could be done by Council or the Bendigo Heritage Representative Group, with

contributions from the groups. Possibilities include:

• Purchase a bulk license of Mosaic software and training for interested groups.

• Bulk purchase archival materials for groups

161

3. 3. 3. 3. Engage in CEngage in CEngage in CEngage in Contingencyontingencyontingencyontingency PlanningPlanningPlanningPlanning

3a. 3a. 3a. 3a. Establish Establish Establish Establish a a a a GreaGreaGreaGreater Bendigo Heritage Collection ter Bendigo Heritage Collection ter Bendigo Heritage Collection ter Bendigo Heritage Collection

A new collection should be established and managed by Council which can be a legal

recipient of historical artefacts in Greater Bendigo. This will require a commitment from

Council to become a custodian for such material if current custodians, whether individuals

or collecting groups, can no longer care for it. Different names for the new collection have

different strategic possibilities. A working title of ‘Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection’ will

be used in this report. The first practical step for establishing a Greater Bendigo Heritage

Collection is to draft a Statement of Purpose and a Collecting Policy and guidelines are

provided in Appendix I of this report. Further planning should then look at collection

management, storage and staffing arrangements. The first accessions into this collection

would be known historical Council assets such as the Mayoral regalia and portraits. Some of

these are listed on different Council systems and inventories, but there are other historical

and heritage assets held by Council that are not yet tracked in any way. These need to be

fully audited and brought under a single area of management and budget line. Once an

object storage and preservation facility has been established, the Greater Bendigo Heritage

Collection should be transferred into it. Council should also promote the Greater Bendigo

Heritage Collection as an entity which accepts donations from the public, subject to the

collection policy. If local collecting groups wind up this Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection

can potentially accept some objects and artefacts from their collections.

3b. 3b. 3b. 3b. Adopt a Adopt a Adopt a Adopt a CollectionCollectionCollectionCollection Policy for Policy for Policy for Policy for tttthe he he he nnnnew ew ew ew Greater Bendigo Heritage CGreater Bendigo Heritage CGreater Bendigo Heritage CGreater Bendigo Heritage Collectionollectionollectionollection

Council should not take on objects and artefacts from any group or individual without

assessing them based on an established criteria. Council should apply the Collecting Policy

for the Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection to decide which items will and will not be

accepted from collecting groups or from the public. Most community collecting groups are

aware that it is best practice to have a Collection Policy and to closely adhere to it when

considering items offered for donation. However, for various reasons this often does not

occur and groups end up holding some material that does not pertain to their Collection

Policy. It is difficult for Council to control what groups or donors may hold or what they may

wish to offer to Council, however it can control what it accepts. A template for what the

Policy should cover is included in Appendix I.

162

3c. 3c. 3c. 3c. Brief groups about the PolicyBrief groups about the PolicyBrief groups about the PolicyBrief groups about the Policy

Once a Collecting Policy has been adopted, its contents should be carefully explained to any

groups that may wish to transfer their materials to Council custody in the future. It is then

up to the groups to ensure their collections are correctly documented to ensure they can be

fairly assessed. The groups can then also assess which items may not be accepted by the

Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection and explore other possible options for disposing of

them.

3d. 3d. 3d. 3d. Enter into Enter into Enter into Enter into windwindwindwind----uuuup agreementsp agreementsp agreementsp agreements with with with with the the the the groupsgroupsgroupsgroups

Having committed to the establishment of a Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection

and allocating staff, resources and storage space to it, Council can then enter into

agreements with groups that wish to do so for succession planning purposes. An agreement

between Council and community collecting group should specify that if the group winds up,

industry-standard procedures for disposal of museum collections16 will be followed and that

when it comes to the relevant step of that process, the Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection

will be the entity to be first offered the objects and artefacts. If the groups have other kinds

of preferred arrangements they can be negotiated with Council at this point. This includes

groups which wish for their collections to remain in situ with community–based

management arrangements.

3e. 3e. 3e. 3e. Assist groups to update their wAssist groups to update their wAssist groups to update their wAssist groups to update their windindindind----up clauses up clauses up clauses up clauses

Once wind-up agreements have been created between Council and the groups, then the

groups should also replicate the same instructions in their own wind-up clauses. This is

usually included in a Constitution, and requires official adoption by a resolution of their

Committee of Management.

3f. 3f. 3f. 3f. HHHHelp with collection succession preparation elp with collection succession preparation elp with collection succession preparation elp with collection succession preparation

Some groups feel that their collections are comprehensively catalogued. Other groups are

aware that their collections are under-documented. In reality, all groups could improve the

documentation of their collections in the context of being prepared for succession. There is

still knowledge about objects and artefacts which is known to members but not clearly

recorded. The consultant can provide some written advice to guide the groups in preparing

their collections for succession, if this is needed. Given the groups are very under-staffed,

Council could explore the option of engaging a museum support consultant to help

interested groups with collection succession preparation.

16

See Appendix H

163

3g. 3g. 3g. 3g. Establish procedures forEstablish procedures forEstablish procedures forEstablish procedures for transfertransfertransfertransfer

It is recommended that if a group folds, the objects and artefacts they held remain in place

in the premises until appropriate wind-up processes have been carefully carried out and an

appropriate storage destination is available. The final destination for particular materials

will depend on each group’s wind-up procedures. However, if the Council is nominated to

accept the items then the transfer process should follow the accepted standard procedures

for disposal as outlined in Appendix H. If this preparation work has not taken place then

seeking out donor information and contacting donors and lenders will have to occur at this

point. Council will need to be ready with appropriate physical storage space and staff

resources before physically transferring objects. Staff with museum training will be needed

to carry out the transfer process, which may include some or all of the following:

• Physical boxing and preparation of items for transport by persons with appropriate

training

• Appropriate transport to prevent damage to objects

• Unpacking into destination storage

• Ongoing cataloguing and collection management

The transfer of legal title will also need to occur at this point, and this should be guided by

professional legal advice.

Items 3e, f & g may require the engagement of personnel or contractors as these processes

are quite labour intensive and would be outside the job descriptions of existing Council

staff.

3h. 3h. 3h. 3h. Monitor updates to BRAC policies Monitor updates to BRAC policies Monitor updates to BRAC policies Monitor updates to BRAC policies

The collecting policies and criteria for what BRAC will accept as a ‘community records’ are

still being refined and formalised. It would be helpful if regular briefings and information

sessions could be given at the Bendigo Heritage Representative Group meetings to the five

collecting groups to keep them informed and answer questions. Once the community

records policy and criteria are formalised, it would be very useful if BRAC could make

individual visits to the groups to give them advice about their specific holdings, what items

might be accepted as a community records by BRAC and what preparation is needed. This

would provide accurate information and in some cases reassurance to the groups.

164

4. 4. 4. 4. Museum feasibility studyMuseum feasibility studyMuseum feasibility studyMuseum feasibility study

If the above recommendations have been carried out and there are still calls and

representations made for a new public museum in Greater Bendigo, the recommendation of

this report is to commission a museum feasibility study.

165

13. 13. 13. 13. ReferencesReferencesReferencesReferences

(2014) National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries Version 1.4

Bendigo and Region Archive/Museum Steering Committee (1989) Bendigo Heritage Centre

Regional Archive & Social History Museum Proposal

International Council of Museums (2013) International Council of Museums (ICOM) Code of

Museum Ethics

Lovell Chen (2013) Greater Bendigo Thematic Environmental History

Museums Australia (1999) Museums Australia Inc. Code of Ethics of Art, History & Science

Museums

NSW Heritage Office (2001) Safe In The Shed : Caring For Historic Farm Machinery, NSW

Heritage Office & NSW Ministry for the Arts Movable Heritage Project

SED Consulting (2005) Bendigo Archive & Heritage Centre, Part 1: Situational Analysis

Smith, D. (2005) Meaning, Purpose and Social Memory: The Archaeology Of Farm

Graveyards Of Vehicles And Machinery, Honours thesis, Flinders University, South Australia.

Volunteering Australia (2012) State of Volunteering in Australia

Whitelaw, J. (2001) Bendigo Regional Museum Strategic Plan

Zilles, L. (2007) Bendigo Historical Society Inc. Collection Management Strategy &

Significance Assessment

166

14. 14. 14. 14. AppendiAppendiAppendiAppendicescescesces

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix AAAA. Original concept for Nolan St. Original concept for Nolan St. Original concept for Nolan St. Original concept for Nolan St

The following images are from the original concept design for Nolan Street site, by

Architects P.J. O’Reilly & Associates, dated 17th September 2009. These images indicate the

half of the design which was built and the half which has not yet been constructed.

Original design for Nolan St BRAC site – front elevation (marked up)

Original design

for Nolan St BRAC site – floor plan (marked up)

167

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix BBBB. Requirements for proposed . Requirements for proposed . Requirements for proposed . Requirements for proposed object object object object storage storage storage storage and preservation and preservation and preservation and preservation facilityfacilityfacilityfacility

Location

Accessible by public transport. Preferably in a central part of the Greater Bendigo

municipality. This study recommends an extension on the vacant land next to the existing

BRAC facility at Nolan Street.

Criteria for fitout

� Well-sealed internal and external finish

� Insulated

� Climate-control system

� Museum appropriate storage furniture (eg. no off-gassing materials (eg MDF))

� All storage at least six inches off floor

� Preferably sustainable building measures such as solar panels and water harvesting

� No windows in storage spaces

� Highly secure externally with internal and external electronic security access systems

� Minimise presence of water pipes near or above storage areas

� Few but large spaces are better than many small spaces

� Plain straight design shapes such as in the original design’s floor plan

� Internal surfaces smooth and easy to keep clean

� If two levels, must have substantial lift for people and for collection items

� Ramps instead of steps throughout

� No carpet in storage areas or workroom.

� No gardens or planted landscaping around building

Facilities needed

� One or two large open storage area(s)

� Quarantine area for unassessed & problem items

� a large well-lit workroom with extensive work surfaces

� Office space for facility staff

� Multiple work-stations for volunteers

� Non-archival storage space for furniture/equipment and tools

� Loading bay

� Lunchroom and toilets

� Shed: A large area outside with solid roof, concrete floor and fenced sides to

accommodate very large objects eg large machinery and vehicles.

168

Types of storage furniture

• till units

• open shelving - fixed and mobile

• closed shelving – some fixed, some mobile compactus style

• lockable metal cupboards – some fixed, some mobile compactus style

• pallet racking

• art-hanging screens

• shelf, hanging and rolled storage for textiles

• open floor space for very large objects e.g. vehicles

• a fire-proof safe

• a gun safe of a size that will accommodate BHS firearms collection

• cupboards for storage of admin files, registers and files pertaining to history

of the collections

The amounts of each type of storage unit should be guided by the estimated breakdown of

collection holdings provided in this report under the section titled ‘Quantities of

objects/artefacts’. Some community groups may continue to manage their own objects

successfully in the future, but there needs to be room in the object storage and

preservation facility for future expansion in the eventuality of worst-case scenarios.

Till storage example 1

Example of till storage example 2 (image courtesy

Commando)

169

Example of open shelving (fixed)

Example of open shelving (mobile compactus style)

(image courtesy Commando)

Examples of closed shelving (fixed)

Examples of closed shelving (mobile compactus style)

170

Example of pallet racking

Example of art hanging screens

Example of hanging storage for textiles

Example of rolled storage for textiles

(image courtesy Commando)

Major equipment required

� Forklift

� Large chest freezer

� Photographic studio equipment

� Multiple computers

� Collection management software

� Scanners (including large format)

� Substantial server or other data storage

� Trolleys

171

Staffing

The facility should be managed by at least two officers with museum training and this may

need to increase over time. One role should be focused on public engagement, including

volunteer co-ordination and training plus outreach and online content. The other role would

be a conservator, registrar or collection manager, focused on the management and

preservation of the collections. Both roles would require museum-related qualifications,

experience and knowledge.

Public access and engagement

As well as storing and preserving objects, the facility should carry out a comprehensive

public engagement program, including some or all of the following activities and services:

• A digital platform which presents objects and catalogue information online along

with high quality images. It could also provide some themed/curated interpretive

content, a blog, and/or educational modules for teachers.

• An arrangement with the National Library of Australia to link the online collections

into its Trove platform, which ( is a standard agreement that many Victorian

institutions have.

• Video-based interactions such as through Facebook Live, Periscope or private

streaming and video-conferencing. Oral history videos could also be linked with

objects published online such as on Culture Victoria.

• Physical presentations of historical objects at schools, supported residential facilities,

clubs, community events, and other venues.

• A talks or lecture program

• An object viewing room

• Loan of items to other venues and institutions, where appropriate

• Conservation advice and/or treatment services

• A research enquiry service

• An image service

• Facility tours

172

Partnering with BHS

An MOU should be established between CoGB and BHS which sets out the conditions for

BHS object collections to be stored in the new object storage and preservation facility, and

to clarify the collections and agreement already held in the BHS BRAC Store, such as:

• Ownership of the collections should remain vested in the Society.

• The Society pays no rent or a nominal fee to stores its collections

• BHS will be allocated a portion of the new and existing storage spaces

• what materials will (and will not) be stored in the facility, and which material types

can be stored in which areas.

• The facility is managed by Council and officers who have museum/conservation

training

• BHS volunteers work under the co-ordination and authority of the Council and

facility officers

• A BHS Committee member is included in strategic management meetings and

decision-making for the new and existing facility.

There should be MOUs between Council and BHS for both the existing facilities and any

future ones at Nolan Street to protect all parties and clarify rights and responsibilities.

173

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix CCCC. Examples of object storage and preservation facilities. Examples of object storage and preservation facilities. Examples of object storage and preservation facilities. Examples of object storage and preservation facilities

Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Support Centre (Maryland)

Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Support Centre (Maryland)

174

Canadian War Museum (Ottawa)

Museums Victoria’s Moreland Storage Annexe (Melbourne)

175

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix DDDD. Examples of access programs in object preservation facilities. Examples of access programs in object preservation facilities. Examples of access programs in object preservation facilities. Examples of access programs in object preservation facilities

Below: Providing digital access to objects via live video programs – Smithsonian Museum of

the American Indian (Washington)

176

Below: Example of digital access to stored objects via interactive online catalogues –

Screengrabs from Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) website

177

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix EEEE. Requirements for extra temporary storage for BHS. Requirements for extra temporary storage for BHS. Requirements for extra temporary storage for BHS. Requirements for extra temporary storage for BHS

Three temporary portable ATCO buildings are needed to be placed next to the containers.

They should be fitted with storage furniture and safely allow for entry to access items. The

buildings should be insulated and sealed, connected to power with lighting and climate

control systems. They should have no windows and highly secure doors.

One building should have till units installed to store the large number of framed items held

in the BHS BRAC Store. One buildings should have open shelving fitted to hold new

acquisitions which have not yet been assessed or catalogued. The third should have open

shelving to hold the overflow of boxed objects held in the BHS BRAC Store. The lowest

shelf/till in all the buildings should keep objects at least six inches off the floor.

Once the current storage situation is dealt with, extra portable ATCO buildings should be

purchased to replace the BHS Storage Containers for use until a permanent object storage

and preservation facility is operational. These should be fitted with shelving with a high and

wide span to accommodate the medium and large objects currently stored in the

containers. They should also have some area without shelving for storage of the largest

objects. These should be stored on the floor but raised on foam or wood blocks to provide

six inches of clearance.

The following images show a similar storage solution used at another Central Victorian

museum.

178

Temporary ATCO building used to expand collection storage in at a Central Victorian Council-run

museum.

Temporary ATCO building used to expand collection storage in at a Central Victorian Council-run

museum.

179

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix FFFF. Examples of large. Examples of large. Examples of large. Examples of large----object display shedsobject display shedsobject display shedsobject display sheds

Orcharders Shed at Schwerkolt Cottage & Museum Complex (Melbourne)

(ideal example except lacking grille)

Mapletone Tramway (QLD)

180

Echuca Museum Machinery Shed

Cardwell Visitor & Heritage Centre (NSW)

181

Kyneton Museum Vehicle & Agriculture Shed (ideal except for lack of front grille)

182

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix GGGG. . . . RRRRecommended signageecommended signageecommended signageecommended signage

Recommended for BHS on large wall at Specimen Cottage

Options for more visible signage at other Societies (Huntly used as an example)

Option 1: Removable vinyl outdoor banner on metal support frame, fixed in ground. Banner

attached by chain only when venue open. Metal frame remains in place.

183

Option 2: Removable vinyl outdoor banner attached by chain to fence during opening hours.

184

AppendiAppendiAppendiAppendix x x x HHHH. . . . Ethical procedures for disposal of museum collectionsEthical procedures for disposal of museum collectionsEthical procedures for disposal of museum collectionsEthical procedures for disposal of museum collections

If a community collection in Greater Bendigo has to be dispersed or transferred because the

group has wound up, it is appropriate to follow the proper ethical procedures for disposal of

museum collections. Appropriate steps for disposal in the following order are:

• Return the object to the donor, if donor is in agreement.

• If you can’t find a record of the donor, draw on the memory of past employees,

volunteers, board or committee members to try and establish the missing

information. If this still isn’t established and the organisation wishes to continue the

process, every effort must be made to establish the provenance and the donor’s

identity. The committee needs to ensure that a ‘reasonable amount of effort and

period of time’ is undertaken in trying to trace the donor, e.g. four attempts to

contact the donor by letter or phone call, and /or placing an ad in the local paper.

• Transfer the object to another institution if one can be located willing to accept the

object. This would be an institution with a similar collecting area, eg: if a maritime

related object, a maritime museum would be most appropriate. If CoGB has

established a Collection and suitable storage, this would be the way that community

collections could be transferred to it.

• Sell the object at public auction or by tender. This ensures the fair market price for

an object. People connected with the museum should not be allowed to purchase

deaccessioned items (this should be noted in the deaccession policy). The funds

generated from such sales should be transferred into the acquisition budget so that

items of greater significance to the organisation may be purchased in the future, or

for other purposes such as conservation work for important collection items.

• Destruction - only be considered for an object if it were in very poor condition, had

irreparable damage, etc. Destruction refers to a situation whereby the object would

be simply placed in the bin.

NB: an optional step before Destruction is to offer the items to a school or charity, or to

retain the item only as a prop or interpretive object which visitors can handle.

185

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix IIII.... Suggested Suggested Suggested Suggested contents ofcontents ofcontents ofcontents of a a a a CollectionCollectionCollectionCollection PolicyPolicyPolicyPolicy

1. A statement of purpose - a formal, written statement which defines the most basic goals of the

organisation.

2. Purpose and scope of the collection policy - What will the policy be used for? e.g. As the guiding

document for the development and management of the collection.

3. What will be collected – key themes, geographic area/region, historical periods, types of items

4. How items will be collected – methods of acquisition, who will make decisions about

acquisitions e.g. Committee, Board, staff members

5. Acquisition Criteria – things which will be considered in acquisition decisions e.g. relevance,

significance (historic, aesthetic, spiritual, scientific), provenance and documentation, condition,

interpretive potential, research value, rarity, representativeness, duplications, legal obligations.

6. Documentation & Record Keeping – How object documentation will be collected and managed

(e.g. donor forms, cataloguing)

7. Storage and Conservation – How the collection be cared for (storage, housings, access,

preventative conservation).

8. Deaccessioning and disposal procedures - acceptable criteria for deaccessioning, process for

deaccessioning,

186

AppeAppeAppeAppendix ndix ndix ndix JJJJ. Linking . Linking . Linking . Linking history collections withhistory collections withhistory collections withhistory collections with the the the the Victorian educationVictorian educationVictorian educationVictorian education curriculumcurriculumcurriculumcurriculum

The following table indicates the learning key areas in History curriculum where there are opportunities for local historical organisations to

engage with school students.

The Victorian curriculum now uses ‘Levels’ which are not tied specifically to particular Year Levels or student ages, to allow for the varied

abilities of different students.

Level Phase Approximate

equivalent

Concepts/skills learned Knowledge attained

B Foundation Stage

(Years Prep to

Grade 2)

Later Prep Explore features of objects from the past and

present

C Foundation Stage

(Years Prep to

Grade 2)

Early Grade 1 Compare features of objects from the past and

present

Assist to construct a narrative about a significant

person or past event

Link significant local sites and people to events

D Foundation Stage

(Years Prep to

Grade 2)

Later Grade 1 Explore a range of sources that describe families in

the past

Similarities and differences between their life and the life of

their grandparents

Explore and sequence the history of a significant place, person

or site

Explore technologies of the past and today

Level

2

Foundation Stage

(Years Prep to

Grade 2)

Grade 2 Identify examples of continuity and change in

family life and in the local area by comparing past

and present.

Differences and similarities between students’ daily lives and

perspectives of life during their parents’ and grandparents’

childhoods, including family traditions, leisure times and

187

Identify the significance of a person and/or place in

the local community

communications

The history of a significant person, building or site or part of

the natural environment in the local community and what it

reveals about the past

The effect of changing technology on people’s lives and their

perspectives on the significance of that change

Levels

3 & 4

Breadth Stage

(Years 3-8)

Grades 3 and

4

Describe perspectives of people from the past

Identify and describe continuity and change over

time in the local community, region or state

The significance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander peoples who belong to a local area

A significant example of change and a significant example of

continuity over time in the local community region or

state/territory

The role that people of diverse backgrounds have played in

the development and character of the local community.

Levels

9 &

10

Pathways Stage

(Years 9-10)

Year 9 and 10 Analyse the different perspectives of people in the

past and evaluate how these perspectives are

influence by significant events, ideas, location,

beliefs and values

Identify and evaluate patterns of continuity and

change in the development of the modern world

and Australia

The history of either Australia or Asia in the period 1750-1918

Australia at War (1914-1945)

WW1 & WW2

• Causes of war

• Why men enlisted

• Effects of these wars

• Commemorations

Rights and Freedoms (1945 to the present)

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix KKKK. Survey . Survey . Survey . Survey Questionnaire used in the studyQuestionnaire used in the studyQuestionnaire used in the studyQuestionnaire used in the study

Survey of community collections in Greater Bendigo

This survey aims to ascertain the status, capacity and needs of the key community

collections within the municipality. This information will be collated in a Strategic Report for

Council which will be used to guide policy development and planning.

Once completed, please return the survey by mail (using the Express Post envelope

provided) to Dr Megan Cardamone, <address removed>.

Note: the term ‘Society’ is used throughout this questionnaire to refer to organisations,

though some may have another legal structure.

Contact Information

Name of Society:

Contact person for this project

Email for this person

Phone number for this person

Physical Address

Mailing address

Website address (if applicable):

Social media profiles for your Society (if applicable):

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Other

Please provide a list of office bearers in your Society

Governance & Legal

Who (or what entity) legally owns your collection?

How often does your governing body or Committee of Management meet?

How many members does your

Society have?

How many of these would you

describe as active members?

Does your Society have any of the following?

• A written Statement of Purpose, mission or vision statement Yes � No �

• A Constitution , Charter or Terms of Reference Yes � No �

• If you do have a Constitution , Charter or Terms of Reference,

does the document contain a Wind-up clause or similar

statement for what happens to the collection if the Society

winds up?

Yes � No �

N/A �

• A business plan, strategic plan or forward plan Yes � No �

• Insurance policies:

� Public Liability

� Volunteer Insurance

� Building and Contents

� Other ________________________________

Yes � No �

Yes � No �

Yes � No �

Yes � No �

Is your Society a member of:

• Royal Historical Society of Victoria

• Museums Australia (Victoria)

• Other:

_________________________________________

Yes � No �

Yes � No �

Yes � No �

Is succession planning discussed by your Committee of

Management?

Yes � No �

Human resources

How many people regularly volunteer at your Society?

Do you use Volunteer Agreements or job descriptions

for volunteers?

Yes � No �

Does your Society have any internally-produced written

procedures such as a Procedures Manual?

Yes � No �

Have any of your volunteers undertaken any museum

skills training undertaken in the last 3 years.

Yes � No �

Is your Society aware of any of the following resources? Has your Society formally adopted

or used any of these?

Aware of Used or adopted

National Standards for Australian Museums and

Galleries � �

Museums Australia Code of Ethics � �

ICOM Code of Ethics � �

Small Museums Cataloguing Manual � �

Significance 2.0 � �

Have any the volunteers or members of your Society undertaken any

museum skills training in the last 3 years?

Yes � No �

What are the most significant issues your Society faces in terms of skills and human

resources?

(Tick all that apply)

� A lack of members

� A lack of volunteers

� A lack of people with relevant skills

� Lack of a shared vision about future of the Society

� Lack of advice or support from museum professionals

� Interpersonal conflicts which affect management

�

Other (please specify):

Do you have people in your Society with any of the following skills?

(Please circle how many people have each skill)

Exhibition display and

installation skills

None 1

2

3 4 5 More than

5

Making mounts or supports

for objects

None 1

2

3 4 5 More than

5

Marketing, advertising or

business development skills

None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Public program development

skills


5

Front of house/ customer

service skills


5

Curatorial skills None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Collection management None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Displaying collection None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Writing grant applications None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Financial management None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Governance None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Succession planning None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

General planning None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Volunteer management None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Disaster management None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Conservation None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Significance assessments None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Cataloguing None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Setting up storage/Storage

strategies


5

Public access to collections None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Responding to research

requests


5

Digital technology/

Digitisation


5

Social media None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Other None 1 2 3 4 5 More than

5

Your Collection

This strategic assessment will only report on artefacts & objects held in Greater Bendigo’s

community collections.

However, for the questions on this page please include all kinds of heritage items so that we

can first get a broader picture of what your Society manages.

How many items does your Society manage?

(Please estimate if exact figure not known)

How many of the items you manage are owned by other people or

organisations (ie they are on loan or they are Council-owned items that

you care for) (Please estimate if exact figure not known)

Please fill out the table below to indicate the quantities of different types of heritage

materials you manage: (please estimate if exact figure not known)

Material type Quantity

3 dimensional objects or artefacts

Textiles and clothing

Artworks – Paintings or drawings

Framed historical prints or reproductions

Photographs – framed

Photographs – unframed

Documents (letters, business records, deeds etc)

Books

Diaries

Postcards

Audio-visual items (records, cassettes, videos, DVDs)

Maps & plans

For this project the term ‘objects and artefacts’ includes the types of items listed in the table

below. Please indicate the number of items your Society manages.

Types of object or artefact Number of items your

Society manages

(please estimate if exact

figure not known)

Paintings

Framed drawings

Sculptures or carvings

Textiles (eg. clothing, soft furnishings, flags)

Jewellery and other personal effects

Furniture

Non-furniture domestic objects (eg. Kitchenware, iron,

sewing kit)

Hand tools and hardware

Machines (eg. thresher, steam engine, clock, projector)

Other farm/agricultural items (eg. Saddlery)

Models or dioramas

Toys

Vehicles (eg. Wagon, cart, bicycle)

Sporting equipment

Musical instruments

Scientific instruments or equipment

Taxidermy/mounted animal specimens

Other major type (please specify):

Does your Society hold or manage any of the following?

If Yes, how many items? (estimate if

exact number not known)

Maritime or shipwreck

objects or artefacts

Yes � No �

Aboriginal objects or

artefacts

Yes � No �

Firearms or other weapons Yes � No �

Human remains Yes � No �

What are the five most significant items among your holdings of objects and artefacts?

(Again, for this question please do not consider records, documents, diaries, letters,

newspapers, maps and plans, photographs, reports or books)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

On average, approximately how many new items are added to your

collection each year?

� None

� 1-10

� 11-30

� more than 30

Has your Society ever rejected items offered to it for donation?

Yes � No �

If yes, for what reason/s has your Society rejected items (tick all that have applied)

� Item/s did not fit within Collection Policy

� Item/s were pest-infested

� Item/s too damaged or degraded

� Already had the same or similar items in the collection

� Not enough storage space

� Conditions demanded by donor were too difficult to fulfil (or were not

reasonable)

� Legal ownership was in question

� The item/s posed a safety or health risk

Your Premises

Does the Society own its own premises,

or have a lease or written

arrangement?

� Own

� Rented/leased from

_______________________

� Other arrangement (please specify):

Is your Society the sole occupier of the

premises?

Yes � No �

When were the premises constructed?

Have there been additions to the original premises?

Yes � No �

Are the buildings that the organisation occupies listed on

the Vic. Heritage Register, or Heritage Overlay?

- if yes, do you know the VHR or HO number? Please list:

Yes � No � Don't know �

VHR/ HO no.:

Is the structure free-standing? Yes � No �

What is the building fabric? Please fill out this table:

Brick Concrete Glass Safety

Glass

Steel Stone Wood Other*

Exterior walls

Interior walls

Ceilings

Structural

supports

Floors

Please describe the security measures used at your premises?

Were the premises purpose-built for museum activities?

Yes � No �

Is the building in an area prone to flooding?

Yes � No �

Are there any plumbing pipes, rainwater pipes, sprinkler

systems or wet areas located in or above collection

storage or display areas?

Yes � No �

How many floors/levels are there in your premises?

If more than one level, what modes of access are there between levels?

Do you feel the premises are suitable for your needs? Yes � No �

Are there any signs in the district to direct visitors

to the Society’s premises?

Yes � No �

Do you have signage on the outside of the

premises which states the Society's name,

opening hours and contact details?

� No signage on premises

� Yes, with some of those details

� Yes, with all of those details

What are the main issues or problems in terms of your premises (other than storage which

is dealt with in the next section)?

Storage

Does your Society have storage facilities?

Yes � No �

If yes, are they located in your main premises or

elsewhere?

� All onsite

� Some onsite, some offsite

� All offsite

Approximately how many square metres of storage space do you

currently have?

Approximately how many linear metres of shelf storage do you currently

have?

Approximately how many square metres of storage space do you think

you currently need?

Approximately how many linear metres of shelf storage do you think you

currently need?

Do you have enough storage furniture and equipment e.g.

suitable shelving or cabinets, sheds for important machinery?

Yes � No �

What issues do you have in terms of collection storage? (Tick all that apply)

� Lack of storage space

� Poor quality of storage environment (eg dust, moisture, pest issues)

� Need more or better storage units/furniture

� Lack of appropriate storage materials eg archive boxes

Conservation

Have you ever organised conservation treatment for any

materials in your collection?

Yes � No �

What preventative conservation techniques does your Society employ?

� Pest monitoring

� Archival storage materials

� Disaster planning

� Food areas are kept separate from collection areas

� Gloves are used when handling vulnerable items

� Checking/recording internal building conditions

� Use of attachments for displays that will not damage collection items

� Rotating light sensitive items like textiles (taking them off display for a rest from

light and replacing with another item for a period of time)

Has there been any assessment of the condition of your

collection (such as a Preservation Needs Assessment)?

�Yes � No

If yes, is an assessment report available?

�Yes � No

If yes, author name:

If yes, what were the main recommendations at that time?

Does your Society have a regular cleaning and/or maintenance

schedule?

Yes � No �

Does your Society use any of the following pest management strategies? (Tick all that

apply)

� Pest inspection schedule

� Pest traps

� Isolating or freezing infested items or new accessions

� Keeping food and collection areas separate

Does your Society use any of the following disaster management strategies? (Tick all that

apply)

� Disaster plan

� Disaster Response Kit

� Fire-proof storage areas or units

� Collection items raised off floor


Does your Society use any of the following:

Accession Register Yes � No �

Donor form Yes � No �

Collection Policy Yes � No �

If yes to Collection Policy, does it include a de-accessioning

policy or section?

Yes � No �

If yes to Collection Policy, how is it used?

How is the collection catalogued? (Please provide approximate figures if exact number not

known)

Number of items not catalogued

Number of items catalogued on paper

Number of items catalogued on a computer system

If you use a computer to catalogue items, which software do you use?

What precautions do you use to protect the records about your collection?

What are the key challenges your Society faces in managing these collections?

� Funding

� Staffing/volunteers

� Skills training & prof development

� Storage

� Other:

Public access to your collection

Does your Society keep track of visitor numbers? Yes � No �

Not open to the public �

If yes, how many people visited your premises last year in

2016?

Does your Society ever host school groups? Yes � No �

Does your Society ever host other types of groups (eg. Probus) Yes � No �

Does your Society keep a record of research requests? Yes � No �

If yes, how many requests did you receive last year in 2016?

Does your Society charge a fee for responding to research

requests?

Yes � No �

Are your premises accessible to people with mobility issues? Yes � No �

Are your displays accessible to people with other disabilities,

such as vision impairment?

Yes � No �

Does your Society conduct tours? Yes � No �

Which promotional tools do you use to reach potential audiences? (Tick all that apply)

� Radio interviews � Website

� Email bulletins � Flyers or brochures

� Inclusion in tourism brochures � Media releases

� Advertising � Newspaper articles

� Social media � Books and research publications

� Other:

Do you have exhibition/display facilities?

Yes � No �

What percentage of your total premises is used to

display collections?

Describe your exhibition/display area/s (Tick all that

apply)

� One large area

� A series of small areas

� No exhibition area

What kind of lighting is there in display areas?

(Tick all that apply)

� Direct natural light

� Indirect natural light

� Energy-saving globes

� Fluorescent tubes

� LED

Do you currently have enough display space?

Yes � No �

Have there been any incidents of theft or damage to

your collection items when on display?

Yes � No �

Do you have suitable display cases and supports for

displaying your items?

Yes � No �

Are there any hanging or display system installed in the

premises?

Yes � No �

Does your Society have a permanent exhibition on

display?

Yes � No �

What percentage of your collection is currently on

permanent display?

Does your Society present temporary exhibitions or

exhibits?

Yes � No �

If yes, how many per year (on average)?

Does your Society have any of the following: (Tick all that apply)

� Exhibition Policy

� Education Policy

� Interpretation Policy (a combination of Exhibition and Education Policies)

How important is it to your Society that your collection be displayed to the public?

� Very important

� Important

� Somewhat important

� Not important

� N/A: We don't have our own collection

What are the main things that prevent you from putting your collection on public

exhibition more often? (Tick all that apply)

� Nothing - we are satisfied with how often our collections are displayed

� Cost

� Time

� Administration and paperwork

� Lack of skills in this area

� Lack of suitable exhibition space

� We are under-staffed

� Our exhibition facilities are not up to standard

� We have other priorities

� We don't have our own collection

What key challenges does your Society face in terms of displaying items?

Are any of your collection items displayed online? Yes � No �

If yes, how many items are displayed online?

If yes, at what web address?

Are any of your collection items digitised or photographed? Yes � No �

If yes, how many?

Of these how many are artefacts or objects?

Are you aware of the Victorian Collections project and website?

Yes � No �

Have you taken part the free training offered by Victorian

Collections?

Yes � No �

Have you put any of your Society’s items on the Victorian Collections

system?

Yes � No �

Does your Society own a digital camera?

Yes � No �

Does your Society own a scanner?

Yes � No �

Does your Society have a permanent area set up to photograph

objects?

Yes � No �

What are the key challenges your Society faces in terms of public access to your collection?

Support

Which areas do you need help with? (Tick all that apply)

� Financial management

� Governance

� Succession planning

� General planning

� Volunteer management

� Writing grant applications

� Collection management

� Displaying collection

� Disaster management

� Conservation

� Significance assessments

� Cataloguing

� Setting up storage/Storage advice

� Increasing storage

� Public access

� Responding to research requests

� Other:

Which from the above list do you need most help with? (Please pick the two highest need

areas)

1)

2)

Which of the following organisations have you worked with in the past 3 years? (Tick all

that apply)

� Schools/universities

� Library

� Council

� Community Centre

� Rotary Club or similar

� Other museums or collecting institutions

� Tourist information centre

� None of the above

Which of the following organisations would you consider working with? (Tick all that apply)

� Schools/universities

� Library

� Council

� Community Centre

� Rotary Club or similar




Which of the following organisations have you received support or advice from? (Tick all

that apply)

� Museums Australia

� Council

� Public Records Office of Victoria

� Royal Historical Society of Victoria

� A university



� Grant or funding bodies


What kind of support does Council currently offer your Society? (Tick all that apply)

� Project Contractors

� Curatorial staff

� Museum/Heritage staff member to work with groups

� Grants and / or Building/s provided

� Utilities and /or rates paid for Community collecting groups

� Other

How would you describe the relationship between your Society and Council?

Any further comments on Council’s support for your Society?

Final comments

What is working well for your Society right now?

What are the greatest challenges for your Society right now?

Do you have any further comments you would like to make?

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix LLLL. Project Brief. Project Brief. Project Brief. Project Brief

A copy of the project brief from the City of Greater Bendigo for the ‘Strategic report on

Historical Artefacts’ is provided here.

S T R A T E G I C R E P O R T

O N B E N D I G O ’ S H I S T O R I C A L A R T E F A C T S

P R O J E C T B R I E F

Introduction Greater Bendigo is one of the largest regional municipalities in Victoria with a population of more than 110,000 and Bendigo is the state’s third largest city. According to the Statement of Significance in the City of Greater Bendigo Thematic Environmental History (2013), Greater Bendigo is of ‘outstanding historical, social, aesthetic, architectural, and scientific significance’. There are more than 15 collecting bodies in Greater Bendigo, ranging from locally significant collections to those that have international significance. These collecting bodies are diverse: including institutions and government agencies, corporations and businesses that retain collections related to their dealings, cultural bodies maintaining collections of art or items pertinent to particular cultural groups in Greater Bendigo as well as community groups and volunteer societies collecting for a geographic area, or related to a theme such as agriculture. A number of these historic collections are accessible to the public for cultural, educational and tourism purposes. These include:

• Bendigo Art Gallery (est. 1887) – nationally significant collection of 18th - 21st century Australian and International artworks including many locally significant historic artworks;

• Bendigo Heritage Attractions (incorporating the Central Deborah Gold Mine, Bendigo Joss House Temple and Bendigo Tramways) – regionally significant historic collection of goldmining, tramway and Chinese religious heritage of Bendigo;

• Bendigo Pottery (est 1858) – historic collection of ceramics and pottery manufacturing equipment used at the Bendigo Pottery;

• Bendigo Regional Archives Centre – regionally significant historic collection of records and documents related to the local government area that is now Greater Bendigo;

• Bendigo TAFE – historic collection related to the School of Mines library (1873-1959);

• Campaspe Run, Rural Discovery Centre – historic collection of agricultural equipment related to Hugh Victor McKay’s innovation, the Sunshine Harvester, developed in the Elmore area;

• Golden Dragon Museum – internationally significant historic collection of Chinese heritage of Bendigo and Australia more broadly;

• Goldfields Research Centre – collection of secondary sources on the history and heritage of the Goldfields region; and

• Soldiers Memorial Institute Military Museum – nationally significant historic collection of wartime memorabilia and records related to the service of Bendigo men and women in conflict and wars.

There are also a number of locally significant historic collections held in Greater Bendigo that allow limited or no access to members of the public, such as those organisational collections like the Catholica Diocese of Sandhurst or Sandhurst Trustees, as well as the City’s own collection of heritage assets. Additionally, there are a number of private collections held by residents. These collections may be in varying states of preservation, conservation and access to the public for a number of reasons – a lack of collection expertise and management, privacy laws governing information access, dispersed storage locations, limited knowledge as to the full extent of the collection etc.

Some of these ‘closed’ collections loan items for display in exhibitions held at the City of Greater Bendigo’s social history exhibition space, Post Office Gallery allowing mediated public access. Established in 2010, Post Office Gallery is a satellite exhibition space of Bendigo Art Gallery providing an engaging platform for the interpretation and display of the myriad social history stories, artefacts and objects of the region. Housed in the historic Post Office building on Pall Mall, Post Office Gallery is a unique venue with a changing annual program of curated exhibitions and events ensuring a broad and dynamic exploration of the region's varied history with strong ongoing community involvement., Post Office Gallery is an exhibition space only and does not have a collection of its own. Exhibition material is borrowed from local and state collecting bodies including corporate and government collections to community and private collections. Community engagement is critical and strong relationships have been forged over the years between curators, the gallery, and the public as well as diverse collecting bodies and private collectors. Lastly, there are more than 20 community groups and volunteer societies located in Greater Bendigo that focus on different aspects of history and heritage. Amongst these societies there are a core group that focus specifically on collecting items related to the history of our local geographic areas, the histories of local families, and the cultural groups of the Goldfields area. These societies include:

• Bendigo Historical Society;

• Eaglehawk Heritage Society;

• Elmore Progress Association;

• Heathcote McIvor Historical Society; and

• Huntly and Districts’ Historical Society. There are also two groups that are now no longer in operation that may have extant collections, possibly without succession plans for them, and these are the:

• Cornish Association (Bendigo and District); and

• German Heritage Society, Bendigo. These community collections are significant to the Greater Bendigo municipality because they can focus on aspects of our social and cultural history that are not accommodated by other collections. But the very nature of these collections also makes the most vulnerable to change and the most at risk and so this project will focus specifically on these community collections. Managed and run by extremely dedicated volunteers, these community collections face ongoing struggles with affording specialised conservation expertise, sourcing funding, accessing or maintaining storage at best practice standards, succession planning for the collections, and making their collections publically accessible. This project will report on the core Greater Bendigo community collections, with a primary focus on the Bendigo Historical Society, and give clear guidance for the issues they face regarding conservation, storage and public access to historical artefacts. This project is the first step in the management of Greater Bendigo’s historic collections, which will be undertaken by a consultant with input from the project manager, to evaluate and document issues in order to take stock and make recommendations for the future. At the completion of the project, the final report from the consultant will be presented to Council.

Study Area The Study Area is the municipality and those core community groups and societies that preserve, conserve and manage historical artefacts related to Greater Bendigo’s history.

• Bendigo Historical Society;

• Eaglehawk Heritage Society;

• Elmore Progress Association;

• Heathcote McIvor Historical Society; and

• Huntly and Districts’ Historical Society. This project may have implications for the community groups that are no longer in operation, but the focus of this project is those community collections that are currently active, with the intention of maintaining or improving that activity into the future.

Purpose and Objectives In May 2016, the Bendigo Historical Society (BHS) made a council budget submission that advocated strongly for the City’s strategic direction to include consideration of ‘future proofing’ its historic & cultural past. The BHS preserves Bendigo’s past for the benefit of current residents & future generations; there is a great deal of work involved in the ongoing care of the existing BHS collections but constant donations place a great deal of pressure on the current storage arrangements at the Nolan Street site. Not only is extra storage space required, but the ongoing preservation, conservation and public accessibility of these historical artefacts is also of concern to the BHS. Lack of appropriate storage, preservation and conservation of artefacts, as well as managing public access are all issues that other community collections also experience in the Greater Bendigo municipality. In response, the Council allocated a budget in the 2016/17FY for a ‘strategic report to consider the long term sustainability of Bendigo’s historical artefacts & conservation of BHS collection’. The situation at BHS is to form a part of the consultation and final report, but Council was concerned that the report should also assess the broader community to gain a fuller understanding of the issues. This project will therefore report on the core Greater Bendigo community collections, with a primary focus on the Bendigo Historical Society, and give clear guidance for the issues they face regarding storage, preservation and public access to historical artefacts. The report will focus on existing core community collections, with a primary focus on the Bendigo Historical Society, and will not include an assessment of council, business, tourist and cultural collections, or private collections held in Greater Bendigo. However, the final report will undoubtedly be of interest to these other collections. The report will focus, as stated, exclusively on historical artefacts – that is, objects – which include items such as ceramics, portraits and paintings, furniture, textiles, and other metal-, stone-and woodworks. It will not consider primary sources such as records and documents, diaries and letters, newspapers, maps and plans, photographs, or secondary sources such as reports and books. The Bendigo Regional Archives Centre (BRAC) established in 2007 currently manages council records of

this nature and in the future, BRAC will have the capacity to accept some donations of documents and archives from community collections. The purpose of the report will be to make recommendations for the future on how to provide specialised conservation expertise, accessing storage at best practice standards and make these core community collections publically accessible.

Study The study undertaken by the consultant is expected to include the following pieces of work:

• Primary case study: as the primary community group collecting for Greater Bendigo’s history, the principle case study will focus on the Bendigo Historical Society. Case study analysis will involve site visits with executive office holders of the society, and arranged in conjunction with the project manager. The case study will consist of a detailed analysis of the challenges to conservation, storage and public access for the Society, with photo illustrations;

• Survey / interviews: the design of the questions will be a collaboration between the project manager and consultant, and these questions will be distributed by the City of Greater Bendigo either as a survey or undertaken as interviews by the consultant with the core community groups, with results provided to the consultant for analysis;

• Secondary case studies: if relevant, and within the allowed budget, one or two of the core collecting societies can be selected following the survey / interviews, for a site visit or further discussion, to illustrate a particular issue or challenge;

• Report: the report will summarise all the survey data, case studies, provide some photographic detail, and make recommendations for the future. A draft copy will be provided to the project manager for review, before a final version is lodged at the completion of the work.

The project will need to be undertaken in several clearly defined phases, with dates for pieces of work and payments negotiated and agreed to by the project manager and consultant, with all work to be completed by end of June 2017.

Expected Outcomes The consultant shall supply the client with a copy of the draft and final report in Word format as well as a paper copy of the final report in A4 format. The report should include, the:

- name of the client (City of Greater Bendigo); - names of all the consultants engaged in the task and the work they undertook; - the report date; - summary and contents page; - any limitations of the project (for example - limitations in terms of the types of collecting

societies identified; geographic limitations of the collection; access limitations during the project etc). This should be clearly organised so that the project manager is fully aware of any further work which may be required as part of any follow up or further investigation;

- the survey / interview results and analysis; - primary case study, and secondary case studies where relevant and budget allowing; - the recommendations for the future on how to provide specialised conservation expertise,

accessing storage at best practice standards and how to make these core community collections publically accessible; and

- a copy of this project brief.

Upon the satisfactory completion of the requirements and its approval by the project manager, the consultant shall be paid any outstanding entitlements.

Information to be Provided A number of documents and resources have been identified which should assist in the completion of the project. The following information will be made available to the consultant as background information, if required:

• [1989, Bendigo Museum Steering Committee ‘Bendigo Heritage Centre Regional Archive and Social History Museum’] This report was the first piece of strategic work on this issue but though it was produced, a copy of it could not be located in the City of Greater Bendigo records.

• 1996, Economic Development Unit CoGB, ‘Goldfields Heritage Centre: A draft concept proposal for discussion’

• 2001, Whitelaw ‘Bendigo Regional Museum Strategic Plan’ (Draft & final report)

• 2005, SED Consulting ‘Bendigo Archive & Heritage Centre: Part 1 Situation Analysis & Part 2 Business Case’

• 2007, Zilles ‘Bendigo Historical Society Collection Management Strategy’ (Significance assessment & strategy)

Other industry resources which may also be of use include:

• Museums Australia’s ‘Strategic Planning Manual’ 1998 available http://mgnsw.org.au/media/uploads/files/CAN_1998_Strategic_Planning_Manual.pdf

• Museums Australia, Victoria ‘Local Government & Cultural Collections in Victoria’ 2016 available http://mavic.asn.au/assets/Local_Government_and_Cultural_Co.pdf

Project Management The project will be managed by Dr Dannielle Orr, Heritage Planner in the Strategy unit, Strategy and Growth Directorate. The consultant will liaise directly with the Heritage Planner.

Project Process The budget for the project is $15,000 (excluding GST) with all work to be completed by end of June 2017. Payment will be made upon the completion of the pieces of work, with the dates negotiated and agreed to by the project manager and consultant. Information to be submitted in response to the Project Brief

� Statement of understanding of the project;

� Your description of each piece of ‘Study’ work to be completed with itemised price;

� Project timetable of anticipated dates for completion of pieces of ‘Study’ work, with all work to be completed by end of June 2017;

� Statement of expertise relevant to this project;

� Total fee for the project, including a charge per hour for any extra unanticipated work.

STRATEGIC REPORT ON GREATER BENDIGO’S HISTORICAL … · ∗ Vivien Newton and Dr. Michele...

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