Report on performance
Ensure the heritage values of Old Parliament House are recognised, preserved and communicated
Manage and conserve heritage values of Old Parliament House through the Heritage Management Plan
The museum is custodian of the remarkable building that is Old Parliament House. We are responsible for its maintenance and upkeep, in line with its heritage status and values.
The heritage values are managed under the Old Parliament House and Curtilage Heritage Management Plan. Following the review of the 2008–13 version as required by legislation, a second iteration of the plan was developed for the period 2015 to 2020. The review confirmed the success of the plan in integrating conservation and interpretation of heritage values with being vital and relevant. The updated plan has been approved as substantially satisfying the agency's obligations under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; it is awaiting gazettal by the Minister for the Environment.
In 2014 the museum commissioned the Old Parliament House Gardens and Plantings Management Strategy to provide a framework for the future care and management of the gardens and conservation of the heritage values of the plantings. Actions under the strategy include rationalising the later additions to the gardens through horticultural maintenance and long-term horticultural management of significant plantings. The strategy was endorsed by the Heritage Actions Committee in November 2014.
The developed and landscaped setting of Old Parliament House in October 1953 showing how tree planting was used to define roads and open spaces. Image: ACT Heritage Library, Canberra Times Collection, 001672
Southern facade of Old Parliament House after the erection of the rear east and west wings in 1944. Image: National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an23491094
Official group posing in the courtyard next to the newly planted poplar during a visit of members of the British House of Commons, 1927. Image: National Archives of Australia, A3560, 3718, Mildenhall Collection
The early courtyards and remnants of the plantings at the front of the building reveal taste and style in landscape design and contribute to the national heritage values of Old Parliament House. The landscaping is formal, with a symmetrical layout, and clearly reflects early ideas of Canberra as a Garden City.
The plantings were designed with restraint to form a low-line context without obscuring the building. The gardens retain important landscape treatments and original plantings, including the English holly plants that provide a formal symmetrical setting at the front of the building, and the Lombardy poplars in the courtyard gardens that were a setting for significant parliamentary activities.
Implementation of the Gardens and Plantings Management Strategy will enable us to maintain heritage values of the gardens, including conserving genetic material, addressing overgrown and misshapen trees, and removing trees that were planted after 1988.
All plants at the rear of the building are dated post-1994 and have no heritage significance. Many of them are too close to the building and are overgrown, obscuring windows and posing a conservation risk to the built fabric. Most of the plants in the rear garden have been identified for removal, along with cypress trees in the east and west façade gardens that are in poor condition and encroaching on the building.
Propagation of the English holly and Lombardy poplars is a priority to ensure that genetically matching stock of a suitable age and size is available when replacement becomes necessary.
Apply a strategic approach to the capital works program through the revised Life Cycle Cost Plan, and the effective and efficient management of all service contracts
Despite the fact that the Life Cycle Cost Plan continues to be under-resourced, some significant projects were undertaken during the year, including:
- completion of stage 5 of the upgrade of the building's render, which involved stripping and replacing the render on the front northern façade and courtyard toilet and egress of the building
- installation of a new building management system, which controls the operation of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning plant and equipment
- upgrading of internal exhibition lighting to controlled LED lighting in a number of our exhibition spaces
- refurbishment of the Terrace Café, including a new air-conditioning system and mezzanine
- a refresh of the south-west wing, including painting and installation of a hanging track
- renewal of the service contracts relating to cleaning and security guarding.
EASTER LONG WEEKEND—INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING
A 'chocolate democracy' was celebrated on Easter Sunday, 5 April 2015. More than 5,500 children and adults with the aid of four different trails delved into the far reaches of the museum exploring the history of the building and the processes of democracy. Once they found the answers to the clues provided in the trails and gathered a token for each answer, they rushed to the courtyard to receive their Easter egg reward.
The smell of a sausage sizzle and traditional outdoor activities facilitated by the Gecko Gang ensured a joyous and fun atmosphere in the courtyard on a lovely autumn morning.
Many visitors lingered to revisit the spaces and stories they had encountered on the democracy trails. The rich interchanges between young and not so young as they sat in the historic Chambers, visited the Prime Minister's Office or explored one of the museum's exhibitions, reinforced understandings of Australia's unique democracy and the sharing of thoughts and ideas across generations.
The trails also enabled families to experience precious heritage spaces in a gentle and meaningful way, before enjoying the outdoor activities in the courtyard. More than 100 kilograms of chocolate or around 13,500 eggs were distributed on the day.
Family enjoying the Great Easter Egg Democracy Trail 2015. Image: Stefan Postles
Social media engagement was another important aspect of the event. Our online followers participated in a competition to locate the Easter bunny in significant places inside the building. Three of our social media audience each received a $250 Toys R Us voucher for being the first to correctly locate the Easter bunny from Facebook postings.
This event, along with associated museum experiences like the Play Up exhibition and the Enlighten festival, reinforces the importance the museum places on family and intergenerational learning.
Young visitor at the Great Easter Egg Democracy Trail 2015. Image: Stefan Postles
Family enjoying reading together in the Think Tank. Image: Stefan Postles
Easter fun in Play Up. Image: Stefan Postles
PLAY UP—CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANIVERSARY OF THE UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Play Up pokes its tongue out at the idea that museums are hands-off. Play Up is curated by children, for children. It is an exhibition that encourages visitors to stand up, muck up, dress up, make up, think up and step up in a museum experience that is unique in Australia.
Play Up celebrates the important role children have in the cultural life of our communities. Children's rights are at its heart, and the first exhibition, Play Up: The Right to Play, opened in time to mark the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In The Right to Play families can explore the importance of play through hands-on activities, books, toys, multimedia and interactive experiences.
The work of children is at the core of the exhibition—from low-tech cardboard toys made in our school holiday programs, to photographs and films made for children, by children around the world. Every day, new additions are made to the exhibition by visitors young and old.
The exhibition will regularly change over to highlight other children's rights, with Play Up: The Right to Shelter opening in August 2015.
Since opening in August 2014, the exhibition has become the centrepiece of the museum's family offering, and has contributed to an 86 per cent increase in family visitation as well as significant return visitation.
Play Up is supported by UNICEF Australia and our broadcast partner ABC.
Detail from The Prime Ministers at the Marble Bar patchwork wall-hanging depicting all prime ministers from 1901 to 2007, created by Dawn Fitzpatrick.
Ensure appropriate stewardship over the asset collection
Improvements in the care of the collection during the year were targeted at our most significant and vulnerable assets. We installed customised storage cabinets to improve access to and preservation of our growing collection of priceless medium to large flat textiles. The cabinets have a powder-coated finish, roll-out racks and stainless steel hanging rods to suspend the rolled textiles. These fit-for-purpose cabinets will help to ensure that we can adequately provide for the long-term preservation of objects such as the banners relating to the Movement for the Ordination of Women and The Prime Ministers at the Marble Bar patchwork wall-hanging depicting all prime ministers from 1901 to 2007.
We worked on rehousing the stored heritage collection in labelled boxes to reduce crowding, improve access to individual items and raise the standard of preservation. So far, 1,764 heritage collection items have been processed, and 2,695 items in the political and parliamentary collection have been rehoused.