Report on performance

Manage a collection of national, regional and local significance to document and illustrate the development of Australian democracy

Ensure that the museum's collection offers insights and opportunities for public and scholarly research, and access through exhibition and interpretation

In 2014–15, the museum acquired 378 items for our heritage and political and parliamentary collections. Collecting is considered in the light of the museum's forward plans, with key stakeholders, such as Advisory Council members, assisting curators to identify possible donors and items. Donations continue to be a significant source for collection development.

Our collection captures the ideas, movements, individuals and events of Australian democracy. It tells the stories and explores the spirit of Australian democracy in a place where democracy was enacted in Australia. Sixty-four per cent of the collection is available to the public—onsite in exhibitions, room re-creations and the library, online and through loans to other institutions.

Some of the notable additions to the collection in 2014–15 are detailed below. They are closely aligned to the museum's audiences and programs, and connect directly with the five collecting categories in our Collection Development Plan.

Category 1: Development of democracy and the systems of Australia's federal government

  • The proclamation of inauguration of the Australian Parliament, 29 April 1901, complete with the seal of Governor-General Lord Hopetoun. This remarkable document has been identified as one of the key foundation documents of the young Federation of Australia.
  • William Blackstone, The Great Charter and Charter of the Forest, with other authentic instruments: to which is prefixed an introductory discourse, containing the history of the charters, 1759 printing.

Director Daryl Karp holding the blue tie donated by Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Image: Stefan Postles

Director Daryl Karp holding the blue tie donated by Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Image: Stefan Postles

Category 2: Prime ministers

  • A Hillbrick bicycle donated by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, which he used on Pollie Pedal annual fundraising rides. The donation also included a blue tie owned by Tony Abbott.
  • The bible used by Joseph Lyons when he was sworn in as prime minister in 1938.
  • A letter signed by Ben Chifley as prime minister to a constituent, 3 August 1949.

Category 3: Political influencers and movements

  • A suffragette flyer from the March to Buckingham Palace on 21 May 1914.
  • A number of personal passes issued to Senator Margaret Reynolds when she attended various international conferences during her parliamentary career.
  • A collection of ties belonging to former National Party leader Tim Fischer, ranging from his school days to his post-political career as Australian ambassador to the Vatican and Holy See.

Category 4: Old Parliament House

  • A commemorative pocket knife from the 1927 opening of parliament.
  • Seven silver napkin rings used by parliamentarians at Old Parliament House before 1988.
  • Thirteen black-and-white and colour postcards and postcard books mostly featuring photos of Old Parliament House, but some other Canberra landmarks as well.

Category 5: Activities at Old Parliament House since 1988

Gough Whitlam condolence book.

Gough Whitlam condolence book.

  • More than 100 notes, cards and other items left on the front steps of Old Parliament House by anonymous donors following the death of Gough Whitlam in October 2014. The collection includes three condolence books.
  • A condolence book signed by visitors and personal notes following the death of Malcolm Fraser in March 2015.
  • The speech by Adele Louchart-Fletcher at the launch of the Play Up exhibition in November 2014 and two photos taken at the launch—one showing Adele holding the speech, and one of Adele with Director Daryl Karp and Dr Norman Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer of UNICEF Australia.

FORMER PRIME MINISTER JOHN HOWARD SHARES HIS VIEWS ON MENZIES

John Howard speaking at the launch of the Menzies: By John Howard exhibition. Image: Paul Chapman

John Howard speaking at the launch of the Menzies: By John Howard exhibition. Image: Paul Chapman

The year 2014 marked the 75th anniversary of the start of Robert Menzies' first prime ministership and the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Liberal Party. The museum decided to acknowledge these milestones in a special exhibition, focusing on the first term of Robert Menzies, Australia's longest-serving prime minister and a leader strongly associated with Old Parliament House.

In a coup for the museum, former prime minister and self-confessed Menzies admirer, John Howard, agreed to guest-curate the exhibition, bringing an original and unique perspective with his strong appreciation of history and deep knowledge about Robert Menzies, and as a former prime minister himself. The exhibition was a landmark opportunity linking Australia's two longest-serving prime ministers.

Former academic and unofficial Liberal Party historian Ian Hancock conducted a filmed interview with Mr Howard, who spoke about all aspects of Robert Menzies' first prime ministership and offered his views on how successful Menzies had been. Elements of this interview were incorporated into the exhibition.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Robert Menzies' daughter Heather Henderson and former primer minister John Howard at the Menzies: By John Howard exhibition launch. Image: Paul Chapman

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Robert Menzies' daughter Heather Henderson and former primer minister John Howard at the Menzies: By John Howard exhibition launch. Image: Paul Chapman

Accompanying Mr Howard's text were objects from the museum's collections, Robert Menzies' diaries loaned from the National Library of Australia, and other personal objects generously loaned by members of the Menzies family. Robert Menzies' daughter, Heather Henderson, especially, worked hard to unearth as many special items as she could find.

Menzies: By John Howard was officially opened by Prime Minister Tony Abbott on 3 September 2014. Several members of the Liberal Party, including Cabinet ministers, attended the opening, and Mr Howard and others spoke movingly of the significance of Robert Menzies' first term in the top job.

CONSERVATION OF SIR EDMUND BARTON'S CIVIL UNIFORM

In 2012 the remains of a tattered old uniform came into our collection. Slowly, a conservator took it apart and pieced it back together to salvage what she could. As she worked, the uniform's story was revealed and reconstructed. Who wore this uniform? Why did he wear it? And what does the uniform say about his life and times?

Sir Edmund Barton's civil uniform, consisting of a bicorn hat, coatee, levée coat and trousers, along with his Knight Grand Cross insignia and a program for the 1902 coronation of Edward VII, was acquired from his great-grandson Derek Rankin-Reid. Sir Edmund wore the uniform at the coronation and other events to signal his status as Privy councillor as well as prime minister. The coatee, coat and trousers are worsted black wool with lavish decorative embellishments embroidered in gold bullion thread. The coatee is lined in off-white silk; the levée coat is lined in black silk. The tailoring is machine-stitched, with hand-sewn attachment edges and quilted cotton flock padding.

While the tailor has not been identified—no maker's marks are evident—continuing research on the provenance of the uniform is revealing a story of power, privilege and craftsmanship. The items are certainly centenarians, but only the coatee exhibited severe deterioration of the silk lining, possibly because the fabric manufacturing process involved bleaching the silk to off-white. The lining was probably further weakened through physical wear and tear during Sir Edmund's lifetime.

Sir Edmund Barton's coatee prior to conservation.

Sir Edmund Barton's coatee prior to conservation.

Conservation of the uniform, in particular the coatee, began in January 2015. The rarity of Australian examples of the coatee and this one's connection to our first prime minister meant that maintaining the authenticity of the total garment was considered a high priority. Only a technique called sewn encasement could deliver this objective, because it minimises the need to dismantle the garment and does not use non-reversible materials such as adhesives. It was also the best choice due to the layered nature of garment, which is held together with a combination of interfacing stiffeners (linen, wool and cotton), cotton flock padding and animal glue on hessian.

Broken seam threads were re-established with hand-sewing, but the coatee's shattered silk lining needed extensive stabilisation to prevent further loss of material and enable safe handling. To disguise losses, the damaged silk was lined underneath with a matching hand-dyed silk. The entire lining was then encased in tulle and hand-sewn into position so that the fragmented silk and the outer surface are protected from abrasion.

Tantalisingly, during the coatee's conservation treatment a handkerchief with E. Barton handwritten in one corner and a seating card for an event at Government House in Melbourne were found in a concealed tail pocket. The story of the uniform, its conservation and what the process revealed about the life and times of Sir Edmund and his Privy Council work will be explored in an exhibition opening in 2016.

Ensure that the collection is managed in accordance with industry standards

Material in the collection is deemed of high significance and is displayed or handled according to the highest standards of museum care. In 2015 the collection includes more than 44,000 items.

Policies 1.10 and 7.1 of the Old Parliament House and Curtilage Heritage Management Plan 2015–2020 specify the high-level policy context for managing the collection.

Our collection management procedures (updated in 2015) provide the detailed guidelines and processes for every aspect of the management of collection items. Additions to the collection are subject to the scrutiny and procedures of the Acquisitions Committee; the terms of reference for this committee are also included in the procedures. In 2014–15 the Acquisitions Committee met 10 times.

The museum recognises the principles in:

  • the Ethics and Provenance Statement, Council of Australasian Museum Directors (2014)
  • Australian Best Practice Guide to Acquiring Cultural Material, Attorney-General's Department (2014).

Museum staff abide by the code of ethics of the International Council of Museums, Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials and Museums Australia with regard to collecting practices and procedures.

In 2014–15 collections management staff undertook professional development in database management and assessing significance, and continued to deliver training and support for staff in using the collection management database and collection care activities.

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