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Issues ConditionResponses |
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At a glance The issue Heritage objects pertain to landscapes, places and features, and are an aggregation of archival materials, memories, and perceptions of social and contemporary significance. Objects are defined as movable cultural heritage. The Tasmanian Heritage Council defines movable cultural heritage as 'any non-living natural or manufactured object of cultural heritage significance. Movable cultural heritage can be of historic, aesthetic, scientific and/or social significance and ranges from notable everyday objects to antiques. It may be a single item, a group of items, or the whole or part of a recognisable collection. Movable cultural heritage includes artefacts and archives, archaeological items, cultural objects, fine art, machinery and apparatus, as well as selected natural items such as fossils and botanical specimens' (Tasmanian Heritage Council 2002). Heritage objects may be lodged in museums, art galleries, in government ownership, or found in the homes of private individuals. They may be publicly, privately or commercially owned. It is important to recognise the value of provenance and context in establishing the story of objects. There is a risk that when objects become part of a collection their stories may be lost. This 'At a glance' section provides an overview of heritage objects in Tasmania. More detailed information and references are contained in the Heritage Objects Issue Report. Indicators for assessing the condition and pressures of heritage objects in Tasmania are currently in development and are provided within the Assessing and measuring the current situation section of the issue report. An assessment of the heritage objects associated with the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station is also presented within the section. A separate case study is provided that demonstrates the integrated process of assessing all cultural heritage items associated with the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station. A number of recommendations relavant to heritage objects are presented. Favourable news - 'Significance: A Guide to Assessing the Significance of Cultural Heritage Objects and Collections' has been published (Heritage Collections Council 2001) that will be of considerable benefit for assessing the significance of heritage objects in Tasmania.
- The 'eHeritage Project' has been established, which aims to secure the future of Tasmania's vulnerable cultural history and documentary heritage by accelerating the use of technology and innovation within the local history and heritage community.
- The Inveresk site of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery has been opened.
- The Arts Tasmania Grant program has been established for small museums and collections.
- The State Government has acquired the purpose built National Archives repository site for the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
- A program has been established between the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and Tasmanian indigenous communities for the return of indigenous cultural property.
- There has been a resurgence of small museums, e.g. St Helens History Room extensions; the opening of the Moorilla Museum and the Cricket Museum; the Maritime Museum of Tasmania relocation and re-opening; and the Grubb Shaft Museum transfer to West Tamar Council.
- A new museum exhibition has been opened at Port Arthur that improves the management and display of many heritage objects from the site.
- The Tasmanian Heritage Council has finalised a report on Movable Cultural Heritage (Tasmanian Heritage Council 2002).
- The Woolmers Federation Grant scheme has been established for documenting the collections of the historic 'Woolmers Estate' at Longford.
- The ABT railway has been commissioned, which provides improved conservation and management of this movable heritage object, and assists in the greater accessibility of many cultural landscapes (e.g. those associated with mining) to the public.
- The State Library's 'Tasmaniana' images website now features about 6,000 images from the State Library Heritage Collections.
- A greater awareness of Tasmanian heritage objects has been occurring with unique partnerships forming between the State Government, private enterprise and cultural institutions to secure Tasmanian heritage objects within the State, such as the Tasmanian Tiger skin rug.
- A new strategic and systematic process for the integrated identification and assessment of cultural heritage condition, pressure, and protection priorities-including heritage objects-is currently being developed by the Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania. An Australian Research Council linkage grant has been awarded to the project to trial the methodology of the new system in an assessment of the Willow Court historic precinct (an 18 ha site of Australia's longest continually operating mental institution).
Unfavourable news - There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that significant heritage objects are moving out of Tasmania because of a limited capacity to support their management within the State.
- Initiatives for the management of heritage objects have continued to be opportunistic rather than strategic and significant.
- There is no policy for museums, museum development and heritage collections in Tasmania. This includes the lack of a formal mechanism for assessing the condition of all collections, including those held in local or community museums.
- An infrastructure established for Museum Technical Training at TAFE has not yet commenced as a course.
- The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery have an advisory role to smaller museums, but there is currently insufficient capacity to provide this service consistently and widely across Tasmania.
- There is limited professional capacity to adequately support and develop regional and small museums around Tasmania.
Uncertain news - There is uncertainty over the Antarctic movable cultural heritage, with the closure of the Antarctic Division display and the 'Antarctic Adventure' facility.
- There is uncertainty in the conditions of, and pressures on, Tasmania's heritage objects because, until recently there has been no integrated and systematic process for the assessment of cultural heritage in general. A system including indicators for assessing the condition and pressures of Tasmania's cultural heritage is under development, but only limited heritage has been assessed using this system to date.
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