Frequently asked questions about donating objects to the
Cultural Environments collections at the Queensland Museum
1. How do I donate an object to the Museum?
Please complete a Donation Proposal Form providing your contact details along with
information about the object you would like to donate. Museum staff will then contact
you and either discuss your donation further, or let you know whether or not your
object is suitable for the State collection.
Please note that Queensland Museum receives a large number of donation
proposals. Depending on staff resources, donation proposals may take up to three
months to process.
If your object is considered suitable for the State collection, we will arrange for
collection or ask you to drop the object in on your next visit. We will also ask you to
complete a standard Queensland Museum Gift Agreement form.
2. What kind of objects can I donate to the Museum?
The Cultural Environments Program at the Queensland Museum is potentially
interested in anything to do with Queensland’s cultural heritage – both historical and
contemporary. We are particularly interested in objects that tell a story – about
people, places or events. The more information we have about an object the better.
Items of clothing are frequently offered to the Museum. The following guidelines will
give you some idea about the type of material we are interested in:
.
Priority is given to clothing made or worn in Queensland, or brought to
Queensland by migrants, preferably with accompanying history and/or
photographs and in good condition.
Clothing of outstanding design and/or craftsmanship and with
designer/maker’s label.
Clothing which is representative of particular lifestyles, practices, subcultures, locations, and eras.
Beachwear (including accessories)
The Museum will only accept objects that you legally own. We cannot accept objects
that belong to someone else, have been stolen, illegally exported from their country
of origin or illegally removed from archaeological, historic or significant sites.
3. Do the objects have to be in perfect condition?
We prefer objects that are in good condition, but even an object in poor condition
may still be of great significance in telling a particular story. In fact the damage an
object received during its life might tell an important story in itself.
November 2014
4. Will objects I donate go on display in the Museum?
There is no guarantee that your object will ever be on public display. However, a
major role of the museum is to make the collection available to the public for
research and education purposes. All objects which are accepted as donations are
important to the Museum, whether they are on display or not.
5. Can I ask for my object back at a later stage after I’ve donated it?
No. Once you have donated an object it becomes the property of the Queensland
Museum. However, anyone can access information about objects in the collection
through the Discovery Centre.
For further information, please contact:
The Queensland Museum
PO Box 3300, South Brisbane
Queensland 4101
Phone (07) 3840 7555
Fax (07) 3846 1918
www.qmuseum.qld.gov.au
Email: records@qm.qld.gov.au
November 2014