Chapter 3—Report on performance
Output 1.2
Develop and present Old Parliament House as a major museum of political, parliamentary and social history.
Key performance indicators:
- Collection maintenance, management and development.
- Relevant public programs and visitor activities, and resulting audience development.
Output 1.2 contributes to the achievement of the outcome by ensuring that the agency develops, implements and maintains the appropriate programs, activities, online services, promotions and research necessary to improve visitors’ understanding and appreciation of Australia’s past, present and future democracy.
In 2008–09, as well as maintaining existing visitor programs and activities, the agency successfully developed, implemented and promoted major initiatives as part of the rebranding of Old Parliament House as the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (see ‘New Program Content—Museum of Australian Democracy’).
All performance measures set out in the 2008–09 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements were met to a high degree, as Table 1 shows. The following sections provide more details of performance against the key performance indicators for Output 1.2.
Collection maintenance, management and development
The 2008 stocktake and maintenance tasks were carried out in conjunction with the redevelopment. Several items were added to the collection, including some major donations from the families of former parliamentarians.
Management and maintenance
The collections were managed in accordance with the agency’s Collection Management Policy.
Storage
During 2008–09, exhibition and collection management activities were relocated to spaces beneath the former Parliamentary Library, previously adapted for use as a working area by the National Portrait Gallery.
The rooms offer greatly improved facilities for effective collection management and storage, including:
- stable environmental conditions
- secure storage, with specialised racking for hanging works
- exhibit preparation and conservation areas
- photographic studio space
- a delivery dock and lift access to the main floor and exhibition spaces.
These facilities will contribute to the long-term preservation and accessibility of items in the collection.
The environmental conditions of the new exhibition spaces and display furniture were monitored regularly, ensuring that appropriate museum conditions were maintained for the long-term care of display objects.
In 2008–09, the agency negotiated and implemented a memorandum of understanding with the National Library of Australia, under which the library is responsible for preserving and archiving Old Parliament House’s oral history interviews.
Handling
In 2008–09, the preparation of objects for display involved in-house conservation cleaning and the engagement of specialist conservators. Staff worked with specialist exhibition installation contractors to mount paper items and delicate objects such as a French Revolution halberd (a spiked pole weapon) and a National Farmers’ Federation flag.
An extensive program of conservation and rectification activities was carried out as part of the installation of projects on the main floor of the building. This included conservation work on heritage collection items that had been on long-term display.
Some objects on inward loan were transported from the United Kingdom or the United States using specialised art freight agencies. All objects were appropriately transported, receipted, checked and safely housed before being placed on display.
Stocktake
A stocktake of the 11,050 objects in the collections was completed over several months in 2008–09. The stocktake:
- contributed to the quality of collection documentation, by verifying the accuracy of records in the heritage database
- facilitated accurate valuation of the collections
- established systems for tracking ongoing research.
Valuation
The value of departmental assets at 30 June 2009 equated to $2.311 million; heritage and cultural items represented $0.550 million of this balance. The administered assets at 30 June 2009 equated to $79.473 million; the heritage and cultural furniture collection represented $4.240 million of this balance.
Development and management
Collection growth is guided by the priorities mandated by the Collection Management Policy, which includes categories for collection development. All prospective collection items are assessed by the Acquisitions Committee prior to approval by the delegate, in accordance with Policy 3.3 of the Collection Management Policy. The members of the committee are outlined in Table 7.
While most of the collection consists of items from the building’s original furniture and fittings, the development of the Museum of Australian Democracy has resulted in several significant acquisitions.
In line with the broadening of Old Parliament House’s role, the collection is drawing from a wider field of Australian history, particularly in areas that are not high priorities for other collecting bodies. Relevant areas include political memorabilia, ephemera and objects associated with key political movements, parties and individuals.
New items
The collection of items associated with prime ministers, other political leaders and other parliamentary themes grew in 2008–09.
Important acquisitions included a collection of the memorabilia of the Rt Hon Arthur Calwell, the library of the Hon Sir James Killen, and a fountain pen that belonged to the Rt Hon Andrew Fisher. These are described in more detail in case studies in this chapter.
Table 3 lists the main acquisitions, donations and oral history recordings that contributed to the growth of the collection in 2008–09.
| Type | Items |
|---|---|
| Acquisitions: Australian parliamentary history |
|
| Acquisitions: The journey of democracy |
|
| Donations |
|
| Oral history recordings | Interviews with:
|
Loans
The agency negotiated a number of inward loans in 2008–09. Items for display in the new exhibition spaces came from institutional lenders including Deakin University, Flinders University Library, Museum Victoria, the National Library of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the Powerhouse Museum, and George Washington’s Estate and Gardens Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, along with a number of private lenders.
Case study: The Calwell and Killen collections
During the year, negotiations were finalised for the acquisition of two highly significant collections relating to former parliamentarians.
Calwell collection
Dr Mary-Elizabeth Calwell, the daughter of former Labor Party minister and opposition leader the Rt Hon Arthur Calwell, donated an important collection of memorabilia relating to Mr Calwell’s career. Ranging from his regalia as a papal knight and the Bibles on which he was sworn to the ministry and the Privy Council through to the family photographs he kept on his desk throughout his time in parliament, the collection richly documents the many facets of Mr Calwell’s life.
Perhaps the most poignant items are the lovingly made gifts presented to him by members of several migrant groups during his time as Australia’s first minister for immigration, in the Chifley Government. Sometimes made from scrap materials during the voyage from Europe, and richly symbolic of the displaced people who came to Australia at the time when the foundations of today’s diversity were being laid, these items tell many stories of cultural survival, displacement and change.
Also notable are items relating to Mr Calwell’s role as a trustee of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which led to his playing a key role in the arrangements for the 1956 Olympic Games, and reminders of his career as a leading trade unionist and Catholic layman.
One item—Mr Calwell’s presentation wallet of 1966 decimal coins—has been put on display. Other items will be drawn on for exhibitions in the years to come.
Killen collection
The family of Australia’s longest-serving defence minister, the Hon Sir James Killen, donated a collection of memorabilia, along with some photographs and original cartoons, and the complete contents of Sir James’ library.
Sir James’ books document the varied interests of this important Liberal Party parliamentarian, providing future researchers with a cultural map of his thinking—and that of his Labor Party opponents, in whom he took a keen interest. They include books inscribed to him by the Rt Hon Sir Robert Menzies and the Hon Gough Whitlam, among others.
The library is a rare intact example of a library assembled by a significant parliamentarian of the twentieth century and now held in a public collection. It complements Sir James’ papers, which have been acquired by the National Library of Australia, and his official records, which are held by the National Archives of Australia.
The collection has substantial research value and will also be drawn on for exhibitions. The books are housed in the Australian Prime Ministers Centre reading room, in their original shelf order. Each item will be bookplated to permanently record its provenance.
Case study: The Fisher pen
A Waterman fountain pen which was once owned by former prime minister the Rt Hon Andrew Fisher was an important addition to the Old Parliament House collection in 2008–09.
Mr Fisher was prime minister for three terms (1908–09, 1910–13 and 1914–15), and was the first Australian prime minister to lead a government with a clear majority in both Houses. It was the Fisher Government that settled the contentious question of where to locate the national capital, with the passage of the Seat of Government Act 1908.
The pen is significant because of its close personal connection with Mr Fisher. It bears marks of considerable use and may even date back to Mr Fisher’s time as prime minister. The pen is gold-plated and engraved with Mr Fisher’s signature, signifying that it was probably presented to him as a gift at some important stage in his career.
As a ‘tool of trade’ for a career politician, the pen holds deep meaning. Apart from his voice, the pen was the key component of a politician’s ‘tool kit’ at the time.
Early in the twentieth century, fountain pens were both a widespread technology for written personal communication and status symbols. Manufacturers frequently adapted fountain pens to make them both more functional and more attractive. The Fisher pen has value as an example of a pen design known as the ‘Safety Pen’ because it reduced the problem of leakage. When not in use, the nib is retracted and sealed with a cap, similar to the principle of modern, retractable ballpoints.
The object acquired further significance through the manner in which it came to Old Parliament House. Mr Fisher’s granddaughter, Mrs Pauline Thorogood, lives in the United Kingdom. She entrusted Ms Elaine Brown, a local historian at Gympie, Queensland, in the heart of Mr Fisher’s former constituency, with the task of finding an Australian home for the pen.
Ms Brown asked the Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP, a noted admirer of Mr Fisher, to find an appropriate recipient. Mr Rudd agreed to a request from Old Parliament House that the pen be transferred to its collection, and Mrs Thorogood confirmed her approval of the arrangement.
The pen was officially presented to Old Parliament House through the Chair of the Advisory Council, Mr William McInnes, by Senator the Hon John Faulkner on behalf of the Prime Minister, at the opening of the Museum of Australian Democracy on 9 May 2009.
Public programs and visitor activities
Old Parliament House continued to present its existing programs and activities, with minimal disruption to their operation or public access, while developing and implementing new content for the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Existing programs, exhibitions and other activities
In 2008–09, Old Parliament House provided a comprehensive visitor experience by delivering relevant, effective and engaging temporary on-site and touring exhibitions, interpretation and education programs, events and online activities.
Temporary exhibitions
While a substantial program of temporary exhibitions was presented in 2008–09, it was less extensive than the program in previous years, because the focus was shifted to planning and developing exhibitions for the Museum of Australian Democracy.
In 2008–09, the main objectives of existing exhibitions activities were to:
- maintain a program of temporary exhibitions in the main House Gallery and Downstairs Gallery (formerly the Strangers Gallery) spaces
- increase development of the touring exhibitions program, with an initial focus on developing a strong regional circuit
- enhance the agency’s capability to create and tour exhibitions.
Table 4 describes the temporary exhibitions held on site in 2008–09.
‘It’s open house’
– Herald Sun 2 March 2009
| Title | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Hughes at War | This exhibition was developed in cooperation with the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne (where it was first exhibited, and seen by over 70,000 visitors), funded in part by a grant from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs through its Saluting Their Service commemorative program. It was the major temporary exhibition for 2008–09 and was seen by 36,756 visitors to Old Parliament House. A theatre production, At a Crossroads, was commissioned and presented as part of the exhibition, incorporating the set design into the exhibition design and using performance as a key means of interpreting the issue of conscription. In February 2009, the exhibition was redeveloped for future use as a touring exhibition, and displayed in the Downstairs Gallery prior to commencing touring in 2009–10. | June 2008 to February 2009 |
| Mrs Prime Minister —Public Image, Private Lives (touring version) | This extremely popular exhibition, focusing on the lives of the wives of Australia’s prime ministers, commenced in 2006. The exhibition included a quilt commemorating all of the prime ministers’ wives up to 1975 and portraits of the living wives of former prime ministers, borrowed from other collecting bodies and the private collections of Lady Sonia McMahon and Mrs Annita Keating. In 2008–09, it was redeveloped for future use as a touring exhibition. The exhibition commenced touring in May 2009 after being displayed in the Downstairs Gallery. | January 2009 to April 2009 |
| Beyond Reasonable Drought | This exhibition featured 80 photographs, selected from 1,500 contributions, documenting the impact of the drought on Australian communities. It was developed in association with the Many Australian Photographers Group as part of ‘Vivid—the National Photography Festival’. The exhibition was officially opened in the Downstairs Gallery by Senator the Hon John Faulkner. It proved extremely popular with visitors and has subsequently toured extensively to regional areas. The images are available on the Old Parliament House website. | July 2008 to October 2008 |
| Corridors of Power | This popular display, a series of panels presenting a chronology of Australia’s social and political history during the twentieth century, was reinstalled in the Downstairs Gallery. | January 2009 to May 2009 |
| Redevelopment Exhibition | This exhibition, located on the main floor where it could be seen by all visitors, was created to explain the redevelopment of the building and promote the launch and new programs of the Museum of Australian Democracy. It was designed as a pseudo building site and included relevant signage throughout the building, while staff dressed as site workers were available to discuss the redevelopment. | February 2009 to May 2009 |
| Put Yourself in the Picture | This was created as an interactive exhibition for the opening of the Museum of Australian Democracy. The exhibition encourages visitors to make a badge that expresses their ideas for the future. | May 2009 to June 2009 (ongoing) |
The program of touring exhibitions (temporary exhibitions that the agency has developed or co-developed and subsequently modified for touring) was substantially increased in 2008–09. Such touring is a means of expanding outreach activities, particularly to regional areas.
- Beyond Reasonable Drought travelled to three regional locations— Horsham Regional Art Gallery, Victoria (November 2008 to January 2009); Shear Outback, Hay, New South Wales (February to April 2009); and Central Goldfields Art Gallery, Maryborough, Victoria (May to June 2009)—where it was seen by a total of 6,611 visitors.
- In May 2009, the Mrs Prime Minister—Public Image, Private Lives exhibition was displayed at the Chifley Home in Bathurst, New South Wales, where it was seen by 4,334 visitors.
At the end of June 2009, Beyond Reasonable Drought was booked to tour two venues, in Victoria and Queensland, in 2009–10; Mrs Prime Minister—Public Image, Private Lives was booked to tour two venues, in New South Wales and Victoria; and the travelling version of Billy Hughes at War was booked to tour two venues, also in New South Wales and Victoria.
In 2008–09, the exhibitions reached 194,701 viewers, most of them visitors to the building, as Table 5 shows.
| Type of exhibition | Number of visitors | Proportion of total |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary on site | 183,756 | 94.4% |
| Touring off site | 10,945 | 5.6% |
| Total | 194,701 | 100.0% |
Prime ministerial libraries and Victorian regional galleries have emerged as the strongest market for the agency’s touring exhibitions. However, one future exhibition booking has been received from Queensland, and museums in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and New Zealand have expressed possible interest.
A low-maintenance, low-cost system for managing and processing exhibitions was established during 2008–09 as part of the expansion of touring exhibition activity. Equipment, such as framing equipment and travelling crates, was purchased to support the development, maintenance and touring of exhibitions.
Education activities
On-site education activities were maintained at near full capacity throughout 2008–09. Facilitated on-site programs were delivered to 72,591 students and teachers, a 5 per cent reduction from the total of 76,420 in 2007–08. The reduction occurred because bookings were restricted during May 2009 to allow for the trialling of new education programs. School visitation is expected to recover to 2007–08 levels in 2009–10.
Old Parliament House is one of three institutions that schools must visit to qualify for the Parliamentary and Civics Education Rebate. On-site evaluation from visiting teachers reflected high levels of satisfaction.
Other education activities in 2008–09 included:
- providing professional development opportunities for teachers
- contributing to the Museums Australia Education National Network’s submission to the National Curriculum Board on the proposed national history framework
- hosting programs for a number of major student events, including a Model United Nations Assembly (August 2008), the National Rivers Conference (October 2008) and the Australian Capital Territory Constitutional Convention (March 2009)
- sponsoring a special research category, ‘Australian Prime Ministers’, in the National History Challenge 2008—a research-based competition for Australian school students from Year 5 to Year 12.
Events
To provide a comprehensive visitor experience, Old Parliament House presents a program of events which complement its exhibitions and other programs. In 2008–09, the events program focused on:
- complementing and promoting exhibitions and the Australian Prime Ministers Centre fellowship program
- addressing the interests of family audiences
- developing content aligned with the Museum of Australian Democracy brand and focus
- planning and managing events for the opening of the museum.
A total of 121 events, including repeat performances and workshops, were presented. Collectively, the events were attended by 8,125 people, including the 4,836 people who attended the museum opening events from 9–15 May 2009.
Theatre was used extensively as an interpretive tool.
- Actors were engaged for major exhibition launches, to engage visitors and introduce them to content through a conversation.
- At a Crossroads, the performance developed as part of the Billy Hughes at War exhibition, was presented every weekend from July to October 2008.
- A performance-based interactive activity was developed with actor Stephen Barker as part of a family program for the Canberra ‘Floriade’ festival (September to October 2008). The actor appeared as a film producer helping visitors to recreate and film important moments from Old Parliament House’s history.
- In October 2008, Mr John Shortis, who was an Australian Prime Ministers Centre Fellow in 2007–08, co-presented the musical stage show Prime Time, developed through his research into the lives of early prime ministers.
Several events that resonate with the historical and current roles of Old Parliament House were held in the building:
- On 13 November 2008, Prime Minister the Hon Kevin Rudd MP, officiated at an event in King’s Hall to commemorate the centenary of the election of the first Fisher Government.
- On 1 December 2008, Old Parliament House hosted a forum commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the forum was facilitated by the Hon Susan Ryan, Deputy Chair of the Advisory Council.
- On 20 March 2009, Old Parliament House marked Seniors Week by hosting a debate between the University of the Third Age and the Canberra Skeptics, on the question of whether Australia is living as a true democracy.
A successful program of school holiday tours, aimed especially for children aged 4–7 and their parents, was presented. The Little Builders tour was based on the building itself and involved the participants in model building.
During the year, development work was undertaken for possible future events. This included creative development work on a production for children about participating in democracy.
Volunteer program
Around 130 volunteers provide invaluable assistance to staff and visitors, taking tours or undertaking research. Volunteers provided guided tours and interpretation of the chambers, exhibition spaces and other public areas within the building for 27,527 visitors in 2008–09.
The year also saw 22 new volunteers complete their training. Existing volunteers undergo further periodic professional development, and in 2008–09 were trained in the newly developed visitor tour.
Online facilities
The number of visits to the Old Parliament House website has been growing strongly over recent years, as Figure 5 shows.
Figure 5 Trends in website visits, 2004–05 to 2008–09
A major upgrade to the agency website commenced in December 2008. Introduced in stages, this culminated in the site’s May 2009 relaunch as the website of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House: moadoph.gov.au.
The upgraded website infrastructure better supports the online delivery of exhibition content, services and programs. This allows programs and products to be targeted at increasingly specific audiences, and encourages interaction by website users. It also enables a larger number of staff to create online content, increasing efficiency and allowing for more diverse content that appeals to a wider group of users.
Online outreach was increased through participative projects and increased efforts to establish ongoing dialogues with audiences, using blogging tools and social networking applications. For example:
-
the online version of the Beyond Reasonable Drought exhibition was integrated with Google™ Earth and Flickr®—this gives audiences opportunities to enhance exhibition content through mapping and engage with its topic through commenting and tagging
- the What’s on Your Mind? project, which formed part of the promotional build-up to the museum launch, used a website to seek the views of Australians and engage them in conversation on topics to be debated as part of the opening celebrations.
The web content for the Billy Hughes at War exhibition received ‘highly commended’ awards in the 2008 McFarlane Prize for Excellence in Australian Web Design and the Museums Australia 2009 Multimedia and Publication Design Awards.
New program content—Museum of Australian Democracy
The content of the museum initiatives was designed to enable visitors to explore the past, present and future of Australian democracy and, in doing so, to develop a greater understanding of the political and social heritage of Australia.
Exhibitions and installations
Table 6 describes the permanent exhibitions and installations that were developed and implemented for the museum.
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Australian Democracy— More than 2,000 Years in the Making | This exhibition traces the development of the concept and practice of democracy around the world, from its beginnings in ancient Greece to the present day. The exhibition makes extensive use of a highly innovative multimedia timeline. |
| Living Democracy— The Power of the People | This exhibition explores how Australians use their voice in a democracy, what inspires them and how they can participate in the running of their country. It was previewed on 9 May 2009 and opened in full in August 2009. |
| Australia’s Prime Ministers | This exhibition focuses on generating an understanding of the 26 men who have held the position of Prime Minister of Australia. It displays significant items relating to each prime minister and his era. |
| Hands on Democracy | This special children’s exhibition encourages children of primary school age and their families to connect the concept of democracy to real experiences relevant to their world. It asks questions, inspires creativity and invites participation, sharing and listening. The children’s exhibition also includes Play–Act–Be, an expanded costume role-play experience for children and families to explore episodes in Australia’s democratic history. |
| Decision Theatres | Two ‘Decision Theatres’ allow visitors to explore the way decisions are
made in Australia’s parliamentary democracy, and the impact of
historic decisions on the everyday lives of Australians. They use
multimedia to provide visitors with an interactive, thought-provoking
experience. Further information on these can be found in the
following case study. Cabinet-in-Confidence encourages visitors to consider scenarios based on decisions made at key points in Australian history. Decision3sixtyo will be fully operational in early 2009–10 and will provide school groups with an introduction to decision making. |
| Opposition Party Room and Leader of the Opposition’s Office | This area explores the role and history of parliamentary opposition and the men who have held the position of Leader of the Opposition. It will be fully open in late 2009. |
These exhibitions allow visitors to explore aspects of Australia’s democracy, at their own pace and according to their own interests. For example, Australian Democracy—More than 2,000 Years in the Making allows visitors to examine connections between a long, world-wide sequence of democratic experiments, and the story of democracy in Australia since European settlement. Other exhibitions, such as Australia’s Prime Ministers and the Decision Theatres, encourage visitors to explore leadership and decision making in the context of the history of Australian democracy. All the new programs challenge visitors to consider what democracy means to them as individuals.
Scoping studies and initial research were undertaken for a number of possible exhibitions for 2009–10 to 2011–12. These will complement the museum’s permanent attractions and guarantee a continually changing visitor experience.
Case study: Decision Theatre—Cabinet-in-Confidence
Decision Theatres are an innovative way of bringing together human interactions and new technologies to simultaneously explore issues in Australian democracy and bring out the meaning of unique spaces in Old Parliament House. Through the Decision Theatres, the museum explores the role of leadership in Australia’s parliamentary democracy, helping to make the roles of prime ministers and governments more visible.
The Cabinet Room is a particularly difficult space to interpret. Many people do not fully understand the role of the Cabinet or the ways that Cabinet decisions—especially decisions made years ago, before parliament left the building in 1988—relate to their own lives.
The Cabinet-in-Confidence Decision Theatre is a multimedia-based, interactive experience which offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the role of Cabinet while in the Cabinet Room.
Playing the part of Cabinet ministers, participants sit around the Cabinet table used by the Whitlam, Fraser and Hawke governments. They are briefed on a dilemma and asked to decide what the country should do. After the discussion—which becomes quite lively at times—they are told what the government of the day actually decided. The session concludes by linking past and present, to demonstrate the relevance of major issues of the past in today’s world.
The three scenarios offered for discussion relate to the decision by the Fraser Government to admit Vietnamese refugees arriving by sea in 1977; the decision by the Menzies Government to ban the Communist Party of Australia in 1951; and the decision by the Curtin Government to bring troops back to Australia from the Middle East in 1942. The approach is even-handed and immediate, seeking to show that these were difficult decisions to make, and that the historical outcomes could have been quite different.
Staff worked with contractors to develop the short films that underpin the scenarios.
Perhaps the biggest challenge was inserting a complex multimedia experience into a very significant heritage space. This required a robust, reliable infrastructure that looks as unobtrusive as possible when the program is not running. Staff from across the agency worked closely with contractors to ensure heritage values were maintained while a theatrical, historically accurate visitor experience was produced. The innovative use of technology is complemented by the high level of personal interaction between visitors and the staff member facilitating the program.
A second Decision Theatre, Decision3sixty°, for use by upper secondary school students, will commence operations early in 2009–10. Additional scenarios will be introduced in both Decision Theatres over time.
Australian Prime Ministers Centre
The Australian Prime Ministers Centre was the first of the museum initiatives to open to the public. Preliminary activities commenced in June 2007, with the objectives of raising public awareness of Australia’s prime ministers, improving access to prime ministerial material in archives, libraries and elsewhere, and providing a national focus for research and scholarship into prime ministerial studies.
Public elements of the APMC were progressively closed temporarily in late 2008 and early 2009, for relocation to the centre’s permanent home in the refurbished south-east wing. The fully developed Australian Prime Ministers Centre opened in May 2009.
The centre contains a reading room and reference area that are open to the public five days a week. It houses hard-copy reference materials, including full runs of Hansard and Parliamentary Papers, a core collection of Australian parliamentary and political histories and historical material, and the former working library of the Hon Sir James Killen. The facility also contains offices and meeting rooms for fellows participating in the Australian Prime Ministers Centre’s research and scholarship program.
Staff are available to assist visitors to the reference area with questions about prime ministers, general political history and the building. A free remote reference inquiry service for external clients is also maintained. Between July 2008 and January 2009, around 26,500 people visited the Australia’s Prime Ministers exhibition; some 3,600 of them also visited the reference area. In 2008–09, approximately 220 inquiries were answered in the reading room, and 170 remote inquiries were responded to by telephone or email.
The volumes of Hansard and Parliamentary Papers on open-access shelves were increasingly used by researchers. The ‘Prime Facts’ series of free information leaflets, which previously dealt with individual prime ministers, was expanded to include other aspects of political and parliamentary history. A display of ‘recommended readings’ was also well received, with many visitors stopping to browse the selected publications.
As part of its role in improving access to prime ministerial material, in February 2009 the centre entered into a memorandum of understanding with the National Archives of Australia to support upgrades and improvements to the Australia’s Prime Ministers website. The website provides a central access point for prime ministerial materials available on the internet. The upgrades will improve links to materials at both individual item level and collection level, and update historical and bibliographic content.
Australian Prime Ministers Centre scholarship program
A program was established in 2007 to provide annual funding and support for both ‘fellows’ and ‘summer scholars’ studying topics related to Australian prime ministers. Fellowships support research by established academics, while summer scholarships encourage students to develop an interest in prime ministerial studies.
The program is open to applicants from a broad range of disciplines, including history, social sciences, politics, museum studies, librarianship, the performing arts, literature and art. Applicants are particularly encouraged to seek support for work which would result in academic publications, bibliographies or creative projects.
Applications for the program’s second year closed at the end of September 2008. Eight fellowships and one summer scholarship were approved for 2008–09 (compared to seven fellowships and three summer scholarships in 2007–08). Details of the recipients and their research are listed at Appendix D, along with examples of contributions made by 2007–08 fellows to Old Parliament House programs in 2008–09.
Tours
Whispers in the Corridors, the first self-guided multimedia tour of Old Parliament House, built on aspects of the previous guided tour and incorporated them into new activities and presentations. The tour, which has proven extremely popular, uses hand-held media players to tell stories of the building and its history, and includes German, Korean and Mandarin language options.
A new general guided tour for visitors was developed during 2008–09. The Insights tour focuses on the building itself, and features unique and unusual spaces— some of which are not open to unescorted visitors.
Education programs
In 2008–09, existing education programs were revised and two new programs, Who’s the Boss? and The Franklin River Debate 1983, were developed.
A series of seven online curriculum resources was produced for use by teachers in upper primary classrooms, titled Getting it Together: Colonies to Federation. Each colony’s journey towards statehood and federation is dealt with by a package related to the school curriculums of the relevant state. The seventh package deals with the national story. These resources will be available for download from the website in early 2009–10.
All new education programs were based on the following aims and principles:
- aims—empower students to take an active role in democracy by inspiring them to explore and participate in democratic practices. Education programs are to provide high-quality learning opportunities for all students to engage with democracy in a meaningful way
- key principles—be democratic, welcoming, accessible, engaging, relevant, a leader.
All education programs deliver Civics and Citizenship learning outcomes and address Australian state and territory curriculums.
New program delivery
In the lead-up to the launch of the Museum of Australian Democracy, the agency conducted research to ensure the museum’s activities would cater for the content and delivery preferences of their intended audiences; delivered a substantial public relations campaign to raise awareness of Old Parliament House’s new role; and prepared staff and volunteers for the task of delivering the new visitor experience.
Market research
In developing the visitor experience for the museum, the agency undertook targeted research to gain a greater understanding of audiences and visitors and their needs and expectations.
One research project, undertaken in partnership with Colmar Brunton Social Research, involved the creation of an online community. The community was made up of approximately 400 visitors to the building and mailing list members. It provided feedback and comments that informed decision making on the subjects, themes and methods of presentation used in marketing campaigns and communication material. The project also provided significant information about the type of experience visitors wished to have, which will be used as a guide in developing future programs and activities. Participants in the community were strongly supportive of the expanded role and activities of the museum development.
Extensive focus group testing and online research was also carried out to gauge people’s perceptions of the new museum and to determine the most effective way of communicating the rebranding of Old Parliament House to the general public. The findings from this research formed the basis for the new Museum of Australian Democracy brand.
Promotion
The agency implemented an awareness campaign to communicate the new role and branding of Old Parliament House, through public relations activities and advertising.
A substantial three-month public relations campaign, entitled What’s on Your Mind? commenced on 18 February 2009 with the minister’s announcement of the new brand name ‘The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House’. A dedicated website was launched as part of the campaign.
A focus of the campaign was the lead-up to a public debate in the former House of Representatives chamber, with a number of prominent Australians participating. The public voted and commented on potential topics and participants through the dedicated website. The campaign culminated when the debate was held, on the subject of ‘Work–Life Balance’, on 8 May 2009.
The public relations campaign generated substantial public awareness of, and interest in, the agency’s expanded role and the museum launch. It generated media coverage equating to over $1 million worth of advertising. The campaign received coverage from major national and regional media outlets through television, press, print, radio and the web.
The advertising campaign, which was informed by focus group research, included television, press and online advertisements. The campaign highlighted the enhanced role of Old Parliament House and provided an overview of the new museum experience.
During 2008–09, Old Parliament House worked closely with Australian Capital Tourism and was a member of various tourism bodies, including the Canberra Convention Bureau, the National Capital Attractions Association and the Tourism Industry Council (ACT and Region). Such relationships are vital to the agency’s effective operation and promotion as a significant national cultural attraction.
Training and uniforms
Staff and volunteers underwent extensive training to prepare them for the additional duties of presenting the new attractions, tours and education programs. New duties include the presentation of the Insight tours, led by volunteers, and the Cabinetin-Confidence program, conducted by staff, both of which are presented six times daily.
As part of the launch of the museum, new uniforms were introduced for both Visitor Services staff and volunteers. The designs and colours are consistent with the new branding and assist visitors in identifying staff and volunteers.
CASE STUDY: Museum launch
The official opening of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House was celebrated with a range of events during the week of 8–14 May 2009.
The What’s on Your Mind? public relations campaign that led up to the launch culminated on Friday, 8 May 2009, with an entertaining public debate in the House of Representatives chamber.
The official launch was held during an Open Day on Saturday, 9 May 2009. Events included:
- a free breakfast for 1,500 visitors and participants
- performances by several local choirs, and a concert featuring Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach, and John Williamson
- a ‘Welcome to Country’ by Ngambri representative Mr Paul House
- speeches by Advisory Council Chair Mr William McInnes and the then Cabinet Secretary and Special Minister of State, Senator the Hon John Faulkner.
The museum was officially opened by former prime minister the Hon Bob Hawke.
Following the opening, around 2,850 visitors entered the building to explore the new exhibitions and attractions free of charge. Special activities were on offer to add to the visitor experience, including face painting, badge making and appearances by characters inspired by the content of the new exhibitions.
Sunday, 10 May 2008, was also an Open Day, with free visitor entry and additional activities. The events concluded with a concert in King’s Hall, presented in association with the Canberra International Music Festival. The program included An Australian Anthem by noted Australian composer Mr Peter Sculthorpe, who delivered a short talk. The day and concert were attended by over 1,500 visitors.
Overall, the weekend was a major success, and generated substantial media coverage, including a live broadcast by the local ABC radio station.
Later in the week:
- on 11 May, in the House of Representatives chamber, Ms Kirsty Sword Gusmão, founder and Chair of the Alola Foundation, spoke about the role of women in the new democracy of East Timor, and signed copies of her book A Woman of Independence—a story of love and the birth of a new nation
- on 13 May, the Association of Former Members of the Parliament of Australia held its annual meeting in the building; the participants were invited to a morning tea, a talk presented by senior staff on the redevelopment of Old Parliament House, and a tour of the exhibitions
- on 14 May, an evening reception was held for industry colleagues. Singer, writer and director Ms Robyn Archer gave a short talk discussing the role of the artist in our democracy and her reflections on the museum sector.
The promotional campaign, launch and associated activities attracted substantial media coverage. A total of 4,836 visitors attended special events and functions during the opening week.
Visitation
As expected, visitor levels for 2008–09 for exhibition areas fell slightly as a result of the departure of the National Portrait Gallery in April 2008 and the impact of redevelopment works, as indicated in Figure 6. However, the fall was less severe than expected.
Figure 6 Trends in visitor numbers, 2004–05 to 2008–09
Visitation to the end of April 2009 was 141,985, compared to 178,201 in the equivalent period in the previous financial year. With the launch of the Museum of Australian Democracy in May 2009, visitor numbers increased, with visitation of 33,470 in May–June compared with 29,845 in May–June 2008, as Figure 7 shows. These numbers suggest a return to visitation levels at least equal to those experienced before the departure of the National Portrait Gallery.
Figure 7 Trends in total monthly visitor numbers, 2007–08 and 2008–09
Figure 8 shows that, overall, school visitation has increased in recent years. This can be partially attributed to the Australian Government’s Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) initiative, introduced from 1 July 2006. Schools may claim the PACER to offset the cost of students’ travel to the national capital if the students visit three major attractions, including Old Parliament House. The slight fall in student visitation in 2008–09 was due to restrictions being placed on numbers because of the redevelopment works.
The variation in levels of visitation to exhibition areas and associated programs reflects a several-year peak in visitation in 2007–08 and the impacts in 2008–09 of the redevelopment works and the departure of the National Portrait Gallery.
Figure 8 Proportion of total visitors by activity, 2006–07 to 2008–09
Visitor profile
A database of visitor information has been built up through frequent exit surveys and other information-gathering methods since 1999. Such data assists in planning marketing strategies, such as targeting particular regions or market segments.
Figure 9 gives a breakdown of visitation by origin, showing that the largest group of visitors surveyed were residents of New South Wales.
Figure 9 Proportion of total visitors by place of residence, 2008–09
Visitor satisfaction
In 2008–09, visitor satisfaction levels were gauged in a number of ways.
Oral and written feedback from visitors to the building was actively encouraged and recorded, with visitor books provided. Comments gathered in this way were circulated throughout the agency for consideration.
Feedback and comment were routinely sought from the teachers of school groups that went through Old Parliament House education programs. Such feedback was overwhelmingly positive. All feedback was gathered for consideration in the management, presentation and future development of education programs.
Users of the Café were regularly surveyed, and registered high levels of general satisfaction.
Overall, visitor feedback was positive in 2008–09, particularly in relation to the opening of the museum.
No formal direct surveying of general visitors to the building was undertaken during the year, because resources were directed to redevelopment priorities. However, a market segmentation study undertaken as part of the planning of the museum will allow the agency to better identify, target and plan for the needs and interests of specific audiences, thus ensuring higher levels of visitor satisfaction. The new museum exhibitions and activities have visitor reaction and satisfaction levels built into their planned evaluation and refinement programs, to help ensure that future operations effectively incorporate and meet audience expectations and generate positive visitor responses.
Completion of projects
All new content and program projects associated with the Museum of Australian Democracy were fully completed, or completed to a preview stage, in time for the launch of the museum in May 2009. Some projects required more work before becoming fully operational; that work was scheduled to be completed by mid to late 2009. All projects were achieved on budget.
Completion of the Interpretation Plan
Ensuring that visitors are able to connect the history of Australian democracy with the history and heritage values of the Old Parliament House site is an integral objective of the museum. To achieve this objective, in 2008–09 the agency developed and began to implement a new Interpretation Plan, covering the period from 2009 to 2013.
The plan is an important tool for uniting the museum’s activities with the interpretation of the building’s heritage values, and is a requirement under the Heritage Management Plan. It will be periodically reviewed during its life to ensure it remains relevant.
‘Democracy museum breathes new life in the Old House’
– The Australian 8 May 2009