POLICY
Burke Museum Collection Policy
INTRODUCTION
Prepared by Linda Peacock, Collection Manager & Patrick Watt, Manager Burke Museum & Historic Precinct
March 2015 using MAP guiding document.
This document supersedes all previous policies.
MISSION STATEMENT
Vision
The Burke Museum: A Museum of museums
Mission
To be the best regional museum in Australia. To preserve, conserve, communicate and make accessible a
local collection of national significance.
Philosophy
The Burke Museum is dedicated to the:
Preservation of heritage and historical features of the Indigo Shire.
Promotion and recognition of innovation and continuous improvement.
Recognition of cultural diversity and equality of opportunity.
Responsible management of Council’s resources.
Maintenance, preservation and conservation of the intrinsic identity and atmosphere of the museum.
Guarantee of effective planning for our future.
Building and maintaining partnerships with our community.
Pursuit of increased visitation growth through exhibition and education/public programs and the provision
of customer focused service delivery.
Guarantee that we are leadership and governance attuned, aware, accessible and accountable to our
community, to Museums Australia (Victoria), to our committees and ourselves.
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WHAT THE MUSEUM WILL COLLECT
Key Themes
The Burke Museum is a ‘museum of museums’. The key themes are Victorian collecting, life on the goldfields
and post-gold Beechworth and district.
The foundation Burke Museum and Athenaeum Collection reflects key collecting trends of the mid to late
nineteenth century, including natural history, art, ethnographic and geological collections and the associated
original documents and furnishings.
Collections gathered during the twentieth century aim to reflect life on the Ovens goldfields local identities
and the development of the town of Beechworth and the Indigo Shire. These are represented in collections
including art and photography, archives, gold mining and life on the gold fields, Chinese Community, Ned
Kelly, Children, Art, Sport and Recreation, War and local families and identities. The Street of Shops reflects
a late twentieth century approach to museum display and houses part of the collections gathered during the
twentieth century.
Historic period/time period
The Burke Museum houses and collects material encompassing Aboriginal and post-contact occupation of
the area to the present. The museum will not collect indigenous material pre-dating colonisation unless in
consultation with appropriate indigenous representatives and the Office of Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.
Geographic area/region
The foundation museum collection relates to Australia and the Pacific, as well as Europe.
The collection gathered during the twentieth century and current collecting, relates primarily to the
Beechworth area but extends to towns and areas across Indigo Shire. The museum also collects material
with links to existing collections, local events and identities, where relevant, to their connection to the
region.
Physical items to be collected
The museum collects archival and photographic material, costume and objects.
The museum does not have facility to collect and store large items such as agricultural machinery, vehicles
etc.
The Museum will not accept:
•
Indigenous material unless approval has been obtained from the traditional owners and Office of
Aboriginal Affairs.
•
Human remains and the museum follows national guidelines for treatment of human remains.
•
Items that pose danger to staff, visitors or other areas of the collection, such as chemicals.
•
Items that are ethically questionable, such as ivory.
•
Taxidermy, unless known to be of early Beechworth provenance.
The museum contracts an independent valuer to value its collections on a regular basis, according to Indigo
Shire policy.
Burke Museum staff do not provide valuations to members of the public or other organisations.
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HOW THE MUSEUM WILL COLLECT
Method of Acquisition
The Burke Museum acquires objects for the permanent collection by donation, bequest, purchase (by or on
behalf of the museum) or transfer. The Museum will not accept conditional donations.
Acquisition of Australian Aboriginal material will only occur in consultation with, and guided by, relevant
Australian Aboriginal representatives and in the case of Australian material, by the Office of Aboriginal
Affairs.
Acquisition Committee
The Burke Museum Acquisition Committee consists of:
Museum Director
Museum Collections Manager
Chair of Burke Museum Advisory Committee (or representative)
Chair of the Friends of Burke Museum (or representative)
The committee is formed to consider the acquisition of objects that may be of significance but may present
issues in terms of storage, safety, and provenance.
The committee is formed to consider the acquisition of objects that require the payment of more than
$250.00
Acquisition Criteria
The Committee will consider the following criteria before approving acquisition of an object:
•
Relevance
The museum only collects objects that relate to the museum’s purpose and key collecting areas
•
Significance
Priority is given to objects which are significant for their historic, aesthetic, scientific/research or
social/spiritual value.
•
Provenance and Documentation
Priority will be given to objects where the history of the object is known and associated
documentation and support material can be provided. Items without clear provenance will only be
accepted under exceptional circumstances.
•
Condition, intactness, integrity
The condition of the object must be taken into consideration when acquiring material. Badly
damaged material will not normally be accepted into the collection.
•
Interpretive Potential
Objects that tell a story that adds to the interpretation of museum themes will be prioritised.
•
Rarity
Objects may be prioritised if they are rare examples of a particular kind of object.
•
Representativeness
Objects may be prioritised if they are an excellent representative example of a particular kind of
object.
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•
Duplications
Objects that duplicate items already in the collection will not be accepted unless they are of superior
condition and/or historic value. In such a case the duplicate may be considered for de-accessioning.
•
Legal Requirements
The museum only accepts objects where the donor/vendor has legal title to the object.
COLLECTION CARE: DOCUMENTATION, CONSERVATION & STORAGE
DOCUMENTATION & RECORD KEEPING
Steps of donation:
1. Owner or agent brings the object to the Museum. If the object has clear interpretive value and
relevance, it may be accepted immediately and process proceeds from point 5. In all other cases:
2. A receipt is issued to the owner recording the object name, address of the owner and contact
number and date. Copy of this receipt is stored with the object.
This records that the museum is holding the object and does not mean or imply the object has been
accepted as part of the permanent collection.
Notes on the history and associations of the object will be taken, for the Acquisition Committee
(where applicable) to consider when assessing the object.
3. Where applicable (refer 4.2 of this document), the Acquisition Committee meets to assess the
donation for inclusion in the Museum collection. The decision of the Acquisition Committee is
documented.
4. Refused objects are returned to the owner with an explanatory letter.
5. If the object is accepted donors sign two copies of the Transfer of Title form, retain one copy and
return the other to the museum. A letter of thanks is sent to the donor.
6. Where necessary, an object may be isolated or placed into freezer for a set period to prevent pests
or moulds from being introduced into storage areas.
7. The object will be registered, numbered and catalogued. Where documentation relating to the
significance of the object is available, an object file will be kept. Where applicable, restrictions (such
as imposed by firearms regulations and copyright) will be evaluated and noted, and necessary steps
taken to fulfil obligations (such as registering firearms with Licensing Board).
8. The object and object number is listed under the name of the donor in the donor book/files and
catalogue entry added to the collection database.
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STORAGE & CONSERVATION
The Burke Museum aims to achieve high standards of collection care and storage. The Burke Museum has
entered 9,300 objects on its database (June 2014). Some of this is on display; the remainder is in the
collection store. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 objects remain to be catalogued. Cataloguing is an
on-going process as the Burke Museum continues to add to its collection.
Environment:
Storage areas must remain clean, secure and sealed against the weather.
Temperature and relative humidity should be kept as stable as possible and monitored periodically.
Ultra-violet light should be excluded from storage areas. When storage areas are not in use lights must be
turned off.
Archival quality storage materials should be used for all significant material.
Storage and display areas must be regularly checked for pests and other problems. Particularly susceptible
materials will be inspected regularly, such as feather and fur.
New acquisitions may be isolated from other collection items for a set period to prevent the introduction of
infestations
Storage:
Objects are not to be stored on the floor.
Access to storage areas is to be controlled.
Where necessary, large objects may be stored off-site according to item’s stability.
More susceptible and valuable items will be stored in the museum store; more durable items will be stored
in the museum workroom until additional collection storage has been secured.
Heavy items will not be stored above shoulder height. High shelving will contain lighter objects.
Where practicable, materials will be stored like-with-like. E.g. textiles and paper will not be stored with
metals.
The museum will endeavour to identify the origins of Aboriginal objects and store according to area or
attributed Aboriginal group.
Public Records will be stored in appropriate archival sleeves
Where possible, inappropriate chemicals will be removed according to best practice.
Firearms will be stored and displayed according to Firearms Regulations.
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Conservation:
Untrained personnel should never attempt to treat or restore museum objects.
Objects will be tagged and marked with removable labels. Inks will not be used to mark documents and
photographs.
Collection staff will endeavour to raise funds for conservation where there is an identified need. Objects
leaving the museum for this purpose will be recorded in Exit Form file.
Conservation projects will be documented and recorded in the Conservation Project file.
Conservation of Aboriginal collection items shall not be planned or undertaken without prior consultation
with Traditional Owners and the Office of Aboriginal Affairs.
Paper based collections: Original photographs will be stored separately to their copies and the museum will
continue an on-going program of digitisation of images and documents to preclude repeated exposure to
light and handling.
Garments and textiles will be mounted and padded as permitted by the constraints of space.
Chemicals will be inspected and advice sought as to their disposal/safety.
No chemicals will be used to clean objects unless recommended under conservation guidelines.
While on display and in store, textiles and objects will be mounted on appropriate
mounts/shelving/supports. Suitable inert barriers will be placed between object and shelf where necessary.
Photographs and documents will be reproduced for use in long-term display.
Textiles and other items identified as fragile will be rotated according to materials guidelines for length of
exposure.
Taxidermy collections will be cleaned on a needs basis by independent contractors using appropriate
protective covering. During cleaning, the museum will be closed to the public.
Handling:
Objects will be lifted according to OH&S standards and supported appropriately. Appropriate trolley will be
used where necessary.
Prior to movement of objects, checks will be made to ascertain pathways are clear of obstructions.
Hazardous material will be clearly labelled and appropriate protection worn.
Objects will not be handled without authorisation from appropriate staff.
Appropriate protective gloves will be worn in accordance with best museum practice.
Firearms will be handled by the staff member/s identified according to Firearms Regulations.
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DE-ACCESSIONING AND DISPOSAL PROCEDURES
De-accessioning is the administrative process of removing an item from the collection.
CRITERIA FOR DE-ACCESSIONING
•
An object can be de-accessioned from the Museum’s collection if:
•
It does not comply with the current collection policy of the museum.
•
It is damaged beyond repair.
•
The conservation and storage costs for it are beyond the means of the museum.
•
It is a lesser quality duplicate of an object the museum already owns.
•
It lacks any supporting information to enable proper identification or to establish its relevance to the
collection.
•
Its means of appropriation cannot be reasonably ascertained.
•
A substantiated request for the return of the object to its original owner/donor is received. This
could be the return of cultural material to Aboriginal peoples.
DE-ACCESSION PROCEDURES
The object identified for removal from the collection must come before the Acquisition Committee or
Museum and Collection managers, for consideration, with close reference to the criteria stated above.
A De-Accession committee comprising the Burke Manager, Collections Manager, Chair of the Burke Advisory
Committee and the President of the Friends of the Burke Committee will meet to discuss the proposal and
follow the procedures.
A report and motion will be presented to Council and voted upon.
Upon Council agreement, a de-accession form will be prepared and signed by the CEO and the Museum’s
Manager or Collection Manager, filed in De-accession File and recorded on datasheet.
The object identified for de-accession should be held for a six month “cooling off” period before it is finally
disposed of.
Staff, volunteers, committee members and their families are prohibited from purchasing, or otherwise
obtaining a de-accessioned object.
Any funds acquired from the sale of the de-accessioned item should be used for acquisitions or care of the
collection.
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DISPOSAL PROCEDURES
In priority order the object must be:
Returned to the donor or family. If after a thorough search this is impossible, the object should be;
•
Transferred to another appropriate institution.
•
Sold by public auction, where appropriate.
•
Used as an educative/interpretive tool.
•
Destroyed or recycled if appropriate.
LOANS
LOAN PROCEDURES
Permanent and long term loans will not be accepted by the Museum, unless under exceptional
circumstances as deemed appropriate by Management, and with the exception of loans displayed in the
museum annexed Ned Kelly Vault.
The Museum is not a safe-keeping place that incurs the cost of storage, insurance and labour for the sake of
other peoples’ collections.
In such exceptional circumstances, the loan will be reviewed annually and documentation revised.
The Museum will lend and borrow material to help meet its purpose.
The Museum holds separate forms for inward and outward loans.
The maximum loan period is by prior agreement.
INWARD LOANS
Inward loans shall only be accepted for specific exhibitions or research and for fixed periods of time.
A representative of both the museum and the lender will be required to sign an agreed inward loan form.
Each party will hold a copy of this agreement. This form will record conditions of the loan and the period of
the loan.
Inward loans are recorded and stored electronically and hard-copy kept on file.
The Museum agrees to exercise the same care with respect to loans as it does for its own collection.
Loans shall remain in the possession of the Museum for the time specified on the form.
The Museum can request to renew loans if required. Documentation recording renewal must be signed by a
Museum Officer and the lender.
An inward loan form should include the period of the loan and conditions of the loan.
Proof of ownership and ethical collection should be made available to the museum on request.
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The Burke Museum will not accept loans of Aboriginal items without prior consent from Traditional Owners
and the Office of Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.
OUTWARD LOANS
The Museum will lend objects to other museums and organisations holding collections, where deemed
appropriate. It will not lend to private collectors.
Borrowers and a representative from the Museum will be required to sign two outward loan agreement
forms. Each party will hold a copy of this agreement. This form will record condition of the loan and the
period of the loan.
The borrower must exercise care in the handling, storage and display of the loan object and must be
prepared to meet the conditions outlined in the outward loan agreement.
The borrower will provide a secure display and/or storage area.
The maximum loan period is 12 months. Applications for extension of this period must be made prior to the
loan expiry date.
Objects cannot be treated or altered in any way without the written permission of the Museum.
Loans will remain in the possession of the borrower until returned to the Museum.
ORAL HISTORY POLICY
From time to time, the Burke Museum will collect oral histories in contemporary collecting formats.
A Oral History Agreement is signed by the person interviewed, which clearly states the purpose and
intended uses of the interviews and what copyright provisions apply.
The museum abides by the Guidelines of Ethical Practice of the Oral History Association of Australia.
ACCESS
The Burke Museum collections are available to the public between 10am and 5pm every day of the year.
(closed Christmas day).
The Burke Museum provides access to its specific collections as follows:
General collection:
Access to collection items held at the museum are available through displays and talks. Objects and
documents held in store are accessible by request to the Collection Manager or appropriate staff member,
with prior notice. Information regarding collection items is available via telephone, email and mail to the
Collection Manager or other appropriate staff member. Collection items are also be accessible by loan from
approved organisations, by agreement.
Requests for images of objects will, in the absence of an existing image, be charged at the set fee for
photography. The museum aims, in the future, to make part of its collections available online.
Archival, Genealogical and General History, and Public Records:
As the North-East Repository of the Public Records Office, Victoria:
These records are held at the Burke Museum and are available free of charge following the guidelines of the
PROV and under the supervision of appointed staff and approved volunteers, by appointment.
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Public access to the Museum’s research collection (Archival, Genealogical and General history) is available at
the Museum at the current set fee.
Currently these records are accessible by appointment.
Research requested by client at an hourly rate will incur the current hourly fee.
Photocopies will be taken of secondary items only and are reproduced according to set fee.
Requests for images of primary documents will be reproduced photographically or by scan according to set
fee. An additional fee will be charged for publication and certain reproductions, according to use (eg. size of
print run, commercial/private use, display).
PHOTOGRAPHS
Photographs are reproduced according to a set fee, where copyright restrictions do not apply.
Formal agreements are signed that images / material will be for personal use only.
An additional fee for publication is charged.
Copyright, and/or acknowledgement of the Burke Museum, will be required when used for publication.
Access to the collection is via the Collection Manager or appropriate museum staff, by agreement.
ABORIGINAL COLLECTION
The Burke Museum will facilitate access by Traditional owners to its Aboriginal collections through display
and access to stored collections, and images of objects.
The Museum will endeavour to increase awareness of its collections of Aboriginal and Pacific artefacts and
to recognise the broader political and social importance of museum collections for Aboriginal culture.
The Museum will give serious consideration to requests relating to cultural items where current museum
practice may not be practicable, for example, requests for use of objects for ceremonial purposes or
repatriation.
The Museum will provide Aboriginal people with access to research on its Aboriginal collections and
recognises Aboriginal people’s significant contribution to research by providing knowledge through access to
the collections.
The Museum will not lend the collections without reasonable attempts to secure permission from
Traditional owners.
Access by Traditional owners to collections held in storage, and related documents, will be available through
the Collection Manager, or appointed staff, with notice.
Where identifiable, the Museum will endeavour to form dialogue and agreements with Traditional Owners
regarding the future management of its Indigenous collections, such as joint-management, partnerships,
custodianship or return.
Where identified, the museum will store Aboriginal collections according to origins or group, to facilitate
access by those groups.
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