Portrait of Ellen Shing, Canterbury, N.S.W., 1902-3; nla.pic-an24093027

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In 2004 fifty five organisations received Community Heritage Grants to a value of just over $200,000. The achievements of each project appear below:

Australian Capital Territory

Australian Dance Council - Ausdance Inc.

Future History, Conservators, prepared a comprehensive survey on the documentary collection. Publicity for the project included in Dance Forum- the Ausdance industry journal, summer 2004, p. 2 and Friday Facts- the Ausdance industry e-bulletin.

Contact: Ms Julie Dyson

Executive Officer

Australian Dance Council - Ausdance Inc

PO Box 45

BRADDON ACT 2612

Phone 02 6248 8992

New South Wales

National Trust of Australia - New South Wales

Archival storage materials were purchased and most of the country print collection has been re housed, catalogued and labelled. Publicity has included an article on the project in Reflections, the National Trust Quarterly, Feb/April 2005, p. 30.

Contact: Ms Elsa Atkin

Executive Director

National Trust of Australia - New South Wales

GPO Box 518

SYDNEY NSW 2001

Phone 02 9258 0123

Ashfield Municipal Council

Kay Soderlund of Preservation Australia, Enmore, conducted a preservation needs assessment of the collection

Contact: Mr Graham Hunt

Archivist

Ashfield Municipal Council

PO Box 1145

ASHFIELD NSW 1800

Phone 02 9716 1800

Glen Innes & District Historical Society

A preservation needs assessment was conducted by Narelle Jarry, Conservator. Her report was very comprehensive and she spent many hours at the Museum speaking to staff and examining exhibits and the archives. Access to the collection will improve once the recommendations of the survey are implemented; for example, shelves must be moved or replaced, archival folders transferred to a fireproof room. There are over 350,000 archival reference cards, folders, books, church records and more as well as approximately 4000 photographs.

The grant for the preservation survey report and the two day workshop in Canberra at the NLA and other cultural organizations have been invaluable to their project to preserve the photographic collection and other exhibits held at the Museum. Staff have referred to the workshop notes many times since, and now the preservation survey is complete, the Society has clear guidelines to move to the next stage of the project.

Contact: Secretary

Glen Innes & District Historical Society

PO Box 371

GLEN INNES NSW 2370

Phone 02 6732 1035

Ku-ring-gai Historical Society Inc.

Museums and More, Conservators, produced a comprehensive preservation needs assessment of the Society’s collections. Publicity included an article in the North Shore Times, 10 December 2004, p.14.

Contact: Mr Kevin Callinan

President

Ku-ring-gai Historical Society Inc.

PO Box 109

GORDON NSW 2072

Phone 02 9499 4568

Great Lakes Historical Cooperative Society Inc.

Conservator, Tracey Golds, surveyed the documentary collection and prepared a comprehensive report. A start has been made on the re-housing of the original materials into archival sleeves. As volunteer labour permits, the photographic collection is being progressively digitised - n consultation with the NLA and catalogued using Mosaic software. Mr Wright, the project coordinator comments “we are very pleased with the experience so much so we are hoping to do it all over again.“ Publicity includes an article in the Great Lakes Advocate, 5 January 2005, p. 9.

Contact: Mr Alan Wright

Treasurer

Great Lakes Historical Cooperative Society Inc.

PO Box 23

TUNCURRY NSW 2428

Phone 02 6554 5969

Wing Hing Long Museum

This project involved implementing the recommendations of a previous preservation needs assessment.

The project has focused on the ‘at risk’ documents previously stored in bread baskets awaiting advanced conservation treatment after the initial two CHG projects. Conservation treatments were undertaken under the supervision of the University of New England’s Archivist and a conservator. All the high value documents were treated. Many of these were discovered for the first time during the project, as bundles of papers were separated. These items were brush vacuumed to remove dust and mould spores and a number humidified and flattened. 542 high priority pages have been treated, 865 medium priority items await treatment and 424 low priority pages require treatment. 260 pages have been deemed beyond repair.

Contact: Mr Ron Pickering

Wing Hing Long Museum Inc

PO Box 90

TINGHA NSW 2369

Phone 02 6723 3432

Southern Cross College of Assemblies of God in Australia Ltd - Pentecostal Heritage Centre

Kay Soderland, Conservator, Preservation Services, Enmore conducted a preservation needs assessment of the collection.

Contact: Mr Benjamin Clark

Director of Knowledge Management

Southern Cross College of Assemblies of God in Australia Ltd

Pentecostal Heritage Centre

PO Box 125

CHESTER HILL NSW 2162

Phone 02 9645 9000

Blue Mountains City Library Service

Archival storage materials were purchased and Elwing and Gurney Archival of Lawson have conducted a workshop in encapsulation procedures for volunteers involved in the project

Contact: Mr John Low

Local Studies Librarian

Blue Mountains City Library Service

104 Macquarie Road

SPRINGWOOD NSW 2777

Phone 02 4723 5053

Australian Lebanese Historical Society (ALHS) Inc.

A review of the archives and an archival strategy plan report was conducted and prepared by Bronwyn Wood, Zenith information Management Services, Chatswood.

The plan has provided a clear direction for the development of the collection.

Contact: Mr Paul Convy

Secretary / Treasurer

Australian Lebanese Historical Society Inc

PO Box 712

COOGEE NSW 2034

Phone 02 9665 7478

Jessie Street National Women’s Library

Implementing the recommendations of a previous preservation needs assessment the library purchased archival storage materials and undertook conservation treatments of some items in the collection.

Contact: Ms Beverley Sodbinow

Archivist

Jessie Street National Women’s Library

GPO Box 2656

SYDNEY NSW 2001

Phone 02 9265 9486

Australian Society of Authors Limited

Tony Prescott, History Works, Mt Kuring-gai prepared a significance assessment of the photographic collection.

Contact: Ms Jill Dimond

Business Manager

Australian Society of Authors Limited

PO Box 1566

STRAWBERRY HILLS NSW 2012

Phone 02 9318 0877

Forbes Shire Council

Dr Stephen Gapps (MPHA) Consultant Historian prepared a significance assessment of the Wenz collection of books.

Contact: Mr Paul Bennett

Secretary, Heritage Advisory Committee

Forbes Shire Council

PO Box 333

FORBES NSW 2871

Phone 02 6850 1300

The Octapod Association

Dr Anna Poletti, prepared a significance assessment of the Zine and comic collection.

Contact: The Octapod Association

Tenant 3

231 King Street

NEWCASTLE NSW 2300

Phone 02 4927 0470

Liverpool City Council

Implementing the recommendations of a previous preservation, archival storage materials were purchased. Nearly 500 objects, as well as a proportion of the photographic and slide collections were re-housed. These items are now easily identifiable and access to the collection has been improved as a result.

Contact: Mr Con Gouriotis/Daniela Ristevski

Director

Liverpool City Council

PO Box 190

CASULA NSW 2170

Phone 02 9824 1121

Northern Territory

Bula'bula Arts Aboriginal Corporation

Ms Kim Barrett, Paper Conservator, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, produced a comprehensive preservation survey of the collection. Her site visit was a valuable learning experience for both staff and the Executive.

Bula’bula staff acted on many of the survey’s low cost recommendations, including storing packing materials off the ground on blocks and developing an integrated pest management program. A longer term priority is the development of a disaster response plan. Mid year, Bula’bula staff purchased items for the disaster bin, tubs for easier access to items housed within the archive cupboard, and recommended fluoro tubes or filters. Albox items have been ordered in preparation for the re-housing of the approx. 3700 photographic prints, approx. 760 photographic negatives, approx. 570 slides, 10 video recordings, and scrapbooks, manuscripts and newspaper and magazine articles relating to the art and artists of Bula'bula Arts.

In consultation with the CHG coordinator, permission was given to use some of the grant funds to employ a final year student in Aboriginal Art and Culture at Charles Darwin University to complete the rehousing work before the wet season makes travel in this remote region difficult.

Contact: Ms Louise Partos

Manager

Bula'bula Aboriginal Arts Corporation

PMB 161

WINNELLIE NT 0822

Phone 08 8979 7911

Queensland

Queensland Maritime Museum Association

Archival storage materials were purchased and most of the photographs have been rehoused. An electronic name index of all the ships pictured in the collection has been compiled. More information on the project has appeared in the Maritime Manifest, the Newsletter of the QMMA.

Contact: Mr James McPherson

Photographic archivist

Queensland Maritime Museum Association

South Brisbane Dry Dock

Cnr Stanley and Sidon Streets

SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101

Phone 07 3844 5361

The Corporation of the City Tabernacle

Caroline O’Rorke, Conservation Art Consultants, produced a comprehensive preservation survey of the collection. Short to long term goals were established to preserve the collection.

Contact: Mr Ronald Neil Pfeffer

Treasurer

The Corporation of the City Tabernacle

163 Wickham Tce

BRISBANE QLD 4000

Phone 07 3831 1613

Mount Isa City Council Library

A preservation survey of the collection was conducted by Conservatrix, Conservators based in Bemboka, NSW. The major benefit of the survey is that staff now know how to proceed in preserving the collection and have more confidence in tackling the accessibility of the collection without compromising its preservation.

Publicity about the project has appeared in the: Northwest Star, 26 November 2004 and 23 February 2005.

Contact: Mrs Stephanie McDonald

Team Leader - Library and Information Services

Mount Isa City Council Library

PO Box 815

MOUNT ISA QLD 4825

Phone 07 4747 3352

Corporation of the Diocesan Synod of North Queensland

A preservation survey of the lantern slide collection dating back to 1897 was conducted by Megan Absolom, Conservator. The survey advised the procedures for wrapping and sorting each slide.

Project coordinator, Ms Gassin, notes in her final report “The Community Heritage Grants program is a valuable asset to Australian Heritage. The conference was memorable and I met other people struggling with heritage issues and together we could learn new ways of dealing with problems in our environments. I especially enjoyed the visit to the National Film and Sound Archive as it was relevant to the work I am doing with the oral history collection in our archive.”

Publicity has included: an ABC Radio interview Breakfast 22 March 2005; a photograph and details on the Anglican Diocesan Web page; the front page of the Retrieval Newsletter; and photographs and certificates on display while Megan Absolom was working on the collection at the Archives Open Day.

Contact: Ms Nancy Gassin

General Manager

Corporation of the Diocesan Synod of North Queensland

PO Box 1244

TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810

Phone 07 4771 4175

Royal Historical Society of Queensland

Three illuminated addresses were conserved and archival storage was purchased to re-house at-risk manuscripts.

Contact: Dr Ian Hadwen

President

Royal Historical Society of Queensland

PO Box 12057

BRISBANE GEORGE STREET QLD 4003

Phone 07 3221 4198

Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery Society Inc.

The project involved implementing the recommendations of a previous preservation survey. The Italian pioneer collection of historical photographs was digitised and catalogued and the original photographs rehoused in archival quality storage. There has been an overwhelming response from the Italian community requesting specific images and copies of information.

Contact: Ms Nicole Bryzenski

Director

Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery Society Inc

PO Box 211

STANTHORPE QLD 4380

Phone 07 4681 1874

South Australia

National Trust of South Australia – Strathalbyn Branch

Archival storage materials were purchased and postcards, maps, slides and documents have been encapsulated according to the Recollections training manual and Artlab preservation survey recommendations. Newspapers were re-shelved in a purpose built storage room. The collection has been catalogued using Mosaic software and scanning of photographs continues. There has been a direct improvement in the preservation of collection material, improved access to the collection, better knowledge of whom to contact for future assistance, increased commitment from staff and volunteers, increased profile and publicity of the organisation’s collection.

Contact: Mrs Sue Schieffers

Branch Chairman

National Trust of South Australia - Strathalbyn Branch

PO Box 585

STRATHALBYN SA 5255

Phone 08 8536 8053

Mt Lofty Districts Historical Society

Artlab, Adelaide, undertook a survey of the archival collection, including recording temperature, humidity and light levels in the archives room. The report also included information on disaster preparedness, guidelines and principles of display, risk reduction and advice on storage materials.

Contact: Mrs Ann Herraman

President

Mt Lofty Districts Historical Society

PO Box 464

STIRLING SA 5152

Phone 08 8388 6279

Waikerie Historical Society

Conservatrix, Bemboka, prepared a comprehensive preservation survey for the

Organisation. The Society is working toward computer cataloguing the whole collection using Collection Mosaic Plus software and re-housing the entire collection into archival storage boxes. As photographs have been re-organised, the staff has found many more photographs than first thought existed, and some valuable and significant old diaries.

Publicity has included: articles in the River News 1 December 2004 and 30 March 2005;

Murray Pioneer 26 November 2004; and ABC radio interviews on two separate occasions.

Contact: Mrs Meredith Arnold

President

Waikerie Historical Society

PO Box 321

WAIKERIE SA 5330

Phone 08 8541 2091

National Trust of South Australia - Ayers House Museum

Conservation supplies were purchased. All damaged and fragile books have been stored in corrugated boxes and packed with acid free tissue to ensure longevity. Frame slots have been installed in the documentary store house to re-house all paintings, prints and drawings. Artlab conserved 18 albumen portraits and a digital image taken of each portrait. A workshop in labelling techniques was held.

Contact: Ms Hannah Phillip

Ayers House Manager

National Trust of South Australia - Ayers House Museum

288 North Terrace

ADELAIDE SA 5000

Phone 08 8223 1234

United Trades and Labour Council

Conservatrix, Bemboka, prepared a comprehensive preservation survey of the documentary collection. The Project Co-ordinator notes that “this was an excellent process for us as a very busy organisation to begin the process of systematically preserving our collection”.

Contact: Ms Janet Giles

Secretary

United Trades and Labour Council

11 South Terrace

ADELAIDE SA 5000

Phone 08 8212 3155

Tasmania

Furneaux Historical Research Association Inc.

Digitisation of the VHS film was performed as a cost effective solution in consultation with the National Film and Sound Archive. Preservation copies of all material were made on Sony DV CAM at 12 bit resolution. Preservation copies in DV CAM of all VHS material have been completed.

Content indexing of DV Cam included: selecting material for digitisation to DVD; producing an import and final cut; colour grading images; and adjusting brightness and contrast levels. DVD files have been compiled and authored; DVD copies have been created and labelled. DV files and DVD master have been copied to USB II hard drive formatted as a Macintosh file, making the material accessible by computer as well as by DVD player. Our consultant Grant Pitchford did an excellent job assessing the collection for significance and quality. A film night was held to show the Flinders Islander community some of the now accessible film material.