Highlights of 2012–13
Museum activities
Art of Influence—The theme connecting the museum's exhibitions and public programs in 2013, Art of Influence positions the artist as activist, influencing and influenced by the changing nature of Australia's democracy. It is a conversation about the nature of art and politics, and a way to investigate the relationship between art and democracy in Australia's past, present and future. Art of Influence is the museum's main contribution to the Centenary of Canberra commemorations.
Behind the Lines 2012—This exhibition looked back on the highs and lows of the year 2012 in politics, through the eyes of Australia's best cartoonists. Its observations of the personalities, parties and power plays allowed visitors to explore the controversies, crises and sometimes unintentional comedy of Australian politics.
Art is a Weapon—This exhibition explored the ways in which artists and Australians of all political persuasions have used the Eureka flag to influence public opinion.
Arthur Boyd: An Active Witness—This exhibition considers the social consciousness that infused the work of Arthur Boyd and his contemporaries, and includes more than 60 of his works as well as works by Sidney Nolan, Charles Blackman, Leonard French and others. It was made possible by a new partnership between the museum and the Bundanon Trust.
Crown, Sword and Sceptre—The museum's first pop-up exhibition, tapping into a topical issue of interest to the community, this exhibition celebrated the Queen's Birthday with a display of replicas of the crown jewels and a range of activities for adults and families.
Travelling exhibitions—The current suite of exhibitions, including Beyond Reasonable Drought, Mrs Prime Minister and Behind the Lines 2012, was seen by more than 60,000 people in urban and regional venues across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
Visiting speakers—The museum hosted several popular talks. These included a lecture by Professor Jenny Hocking on the 'forgotten history' of events in the House of Representatives Chamber on 11 November 1975, and the Henry Parkes Oration, delivered by Professor George Williams on the subject of achieving social justice through constitutional change. Several fellows of the Australian Prime Ministers Centre scholarship program delivered presentations based on their work.
Comedy—Cartoobs and other Typos, a stand-up comedy show by award-winning cartoonist First Dog on the Moon (also known as Andrew Marlton), amused large audiences over three performances; and a late-night performance of Show Us Your Mandate, a satirical look at politics for adults only, attracted 400 bookings.
Drama—The family-oriented interactive play Shadow Boy entertained large audiences as part of the Enlighten: See Canberra in a Whole New Light festival; and an Australian Prime Ministers Centre fellowship enabled playwright John Romeril to collaborate with entertainers Shortis and Simpson to present the play Prime Time as part of the Centenary of Canberra celebrations.
School programs—Near-capacity numbers of school students and teachers participated in the museum's learning programs.
Awards—The 2012 travelling exhibition Marnti warajanga—a walk together, which toured Perth and Western Australian regional communities, received a Museum and Galleries National Award (MAGNA) in the temporary exhibitions division, and the suite of school programs won the 2012 Canberra and Capital Region Tourism Award for best tourism education program.
Visitor satisfaction—The museum had a 93 per cent satisfaction rate among general visitors, 100 per cent among teachers and 99 per cent among students.
Heritage and collection management
Heritage building maintenance render project—Stage 3 of the major project to upgrade the render on the facade of Old Parliament House was completed, helping to protect the heritage building and restore it to the appearance intended by its architect, John Smith Murdoch.
Modernisation of the heating system—The heating system was replaced through a careful upgrade process that retained and recorded the evidence of previous technology as part of the story of the evolution of the building and its uses. In its first three months of use, the new system used 26 per cent less energy than the old system used in a comparable period.
Refurbishment of the historic Members' Dining Room—The replacement of paint, carpet and curtains and treatment of timber panelling in the Members' Dining Room helped to ensure that room continues to be an effective venue for social functions. Evidence of the historical paint schemes of the room was used as the basis for a new interpretative display.
Improved online access—A new 'live' cataloguing system was implemented for the Research Library, providing the public with online access to the catalogue.
Oral history milestone—The Oral History Program continued its role of gathering the recollections of persons involved in the history of Old Parliament House and the Australian Parliament. The program celebrated its 300th recording by inviting listeners of local radio station 666 ABC Canberra to share their experiences of working in Old Parliament House while it was home to the Australian Parliament, and selecting one listener to be the subject of the landmark recording.
Agency management
Financial management—The agency received an unmodified audit opinion on its financial statements with no findings from the Australian National Audit Office.
Strategic vision—Based on extensive discussions between staff and management, the agency developed a new strategic vision for the next five years, positioning the museum and Old Parliament House as a new kind of 'Town Square'. A new strategic plan to guide our direction and activities through to 2016 will be implemented in 2013–14.
Inclusiveness—Significant practical outcomes were achieved in the implementation of the Disability Action Plan, with broader discussions targeting a cooperative approach to improving accessibility across cultural institutions.