2023 Community Heritage Grant recipients announced

National Library

59 community-led organisations have received a 2023 Community Heritage Grant. Recipients include Australian Red Cross Heritage Archives, Woolmers Foundation, Broken Hill Historical Society, Australian Sugar Industry Museum, The Ration Shed Museum, Buda Historic Home & Garden, the Callaway Centre and many others.

Constance Thurley-Hart, Assistant Archivist from the Australian Red Cross, said: 'Australian Red Cross Heritage Archives are delighted to receive this grant, and we are grateful for the CHG program partners for their support of our project. This grant represents an important first step to enable us to get a more comprehensive understanding of our film collection and its conservation needs and sets us on the path to digitising this collection and enabling us to share it with the Australian public.'

The Australian Red Cross was established at the outbreak of the First World War and by 1945 was the largest charitable organisation in the country. The Heritage Archives was established in the 1990s to care for a diverse collection including over 700 films dating from 1948 to early 21st century. The films include short educational features, training, live event footage and fundraising promotions.

Dr Marie-Louise Ayres, Director-General of the National Library of Australia, said: 'This year, we have awarded funding of $459,987 to 59 community projects to help staff and volunteers assess their collections or to assist with preservation activities. We are delighted that the program continues to provide practical support and build professional skills within organisations.'

Since the Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program began in 1994, more than 1,650 projects have received grants totalling over $8.9 million, helping to preserve significant Australian community history and heritage for future generations.

CHG is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts; National Library of Australia; National Archives of Australia; National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and National Museum of Australia.

New South Wales

OrganisationProject Title
Adaminaby Snowy Scheme Collection IncSignificance Assessment of the Adaminaby Snowy Scheme Museum Collection$6,260
Assyrian Australian AssociationSignificance Assessment of the Ashurbanipal Library of the Assyrian Australian Association$5,658
Australian Jewish Historical SocietyDigitisation of Audio Reels and Audio Cassettes$8,865
Australian Railway Historical Society NSW DivisionARHS Archive Storage Project$11,950
Bathurst District Historical Society IncSignificance Assessment of the Textile Collection of the Bathurst District Historical Society$6,807
Blacktown City CouncilGarage Graphix Collection Management and Conservation activities$18,132
Braidwood and District Historical SocietyCollection Conservation Project$13,448
Broken Hill Historical SocietyThe Next Big Step: Preservation Needs Assessment of the Broken Hill's Silverton Gaol and Synagogue Museum Collections$10,104
City of Canada Bay LibrariesSignificance Assessment of Canada Bay Local Studies Collection$5,500
Forbes and District Historical Society IncSignificance Assessment of the Paul and Hettie Wenz Collection$6,670
Goulburn Mulwaree CouncilSignificance Assessment of the Rocky Hill War Memorial Museum Collection$5,500
Hawkesbury Library ServiceSignificance Assessment of the Local Studies Collection, Hawkesbury Library Service$6,404
National Trust of Australia NSW - BedervaleConservation and Preservation of the Bedervale Collection$9,267
National Trust of Australia NSW - Miss Porters HouseMiss Porter's House Conservation and Collection Management Activities$18,182
Royal Flying Doctor Service (Australia South Eastern Section)Significance Assessment of RFDS Broken Hill Collection$8,114
Sea Heritage Foundation Pty LtdSignificance Assessment of the MV Cape Don Archive$6,280
Society of Australian GenealogistsPreservation Needs Assessment of the Society of Australian Genealogists Archives$5,500

Victoria

OrganisationProject Title
Australian Jazz Archive IncPreserving Australia's Rich Cultural Jazz Heritage$4,174
Australian Racing Museum LtdDisaster Response and Recovery Workshop$3,768
Australian Red Cross Society (Heritage Archives)Significance Assessment of the Australian Red Cross Heritage Archives Film Collection$5,500
Ballarat Mechanics' InstituteSignificance Assessment of the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute Collection$5,500
Benalla Art GalleryPreservation Needs Assessment of the Benalla Art Gallery Collection$5,900
Buda Castlemaine IncSignificance Assessment of Buda Historic Home and Garden Collection$7,053
Castlemaine Art MuseumPreservation Needs Assessment of the Art Collection$5,500
City of BoroondaraEnhanced storage of the Town Hall Gallery Collection store rooms and Conservation Treatment of Collection items$3,140
Duldig Gallery IncConservation of items from the Singapore Collection$1,460
Emerald and District MuseumDigitisation of the Nobelius Ledgers and Catalogues$7,087
Ethnic Community Broadcasting Association of Victoria LtdSignificance Assessment of the 3ZZZ Collection$5,500
Jewish Library of Australia LtdSignificance Assessment of Community Ephemera Collection$5,500
Kew Historical Society IncSignificance Assessment of the Henty Family Collection$5,500
Lions Club of Lake Boga Inc (Flying Boat Museum)Preservation Needs Assessment of the Flying Boat Museum Collection$4,524
Royal Historical Society of VictoriaPreservation Needs Assessment of the RHSV Photography and Postcard Collection$5,000
Trafalgar Holden MuseumEnvironmental conditions enhancements for Trafalgar Holden Museum$17,045
Ukrainian Museum of AustraliaSignificance Assessment of the Ukrainian Museum of Australia$5,500

Queensland

OrganisationProject Title
Australian Sugar Industry MuseumSignificance Assessment of the Australian Sugar Industry Museum (ASIM) Collection$4,922
Bundaberg Regional Council (Hinkler Hall of Aviation)Preservation Needs Assessment of the Hinkler Hall of Aviation Memorabilia Trust Collection$6,900
Cherbourg Historical Cultural and Community Precinct groupBroadening access to the Ration Shed Collection, Rehousing and Recording $14,086
Cloncurry and District Historical and Museum Society IncSignificance Assessment of the Conclurry and District Historical and Museum Society Archives$8,660
Mount Isa City LibraryPreservation Needs Assessment of the Mount Isa City Library Historical Collection$7,036
Museum and Gallery Services Queensland LtdCollections Skills Development Workshop Program$13,720
Outback Gondwana Foundation LtdUpgrade Collection Management System - Eromanga Natural History Museum$18,040
Queensland Braille Writing Association (Braille House)Preservation Needs Assessment of the Queensland Braille Writing Association (Braille House) Collection$5,500
Queensland Maritime Museum AssociationPreservation Needs Assessment of Queensland Maritime Museum's Artefacts and Artworks Storage Rooms$5,000
Royal Geographical Society of Queensland LtdConservation and Collection Management Activities$6,555
Royal Historical Society of QueenslandCollection Storage and Environmental Control$17,820

Western Australia

OrganisationProject Title
Callaway CentreSignificance Assessment of the Phonograph Cylinder Collection$5,500
Northam Army Camp Heritage Association IncNACHA Mosaic Training Workshop$6,548
Northcliffe Pioneer Museum IncMosaic Training for new NPM Volunteers$1,964

South Australia

OrganisationProject Title
Flinders PalaeontologyPreservation Needs Assessment of the Flinders University Palaeontology Collection$6,700
Hahndorf Academy Foundation IncSignificance Assessment of the Hahndorf Academy Collection$5,500
Lutheran ArchivesDigitisation of Parish, Congregation and Mission Registers$18,182
National Railway Museum IncPreservation Needs Assessment of the National Railway Museum$5,500

Tasmania

OrganisationProject Title
Woolmers Foundation IncPreservation Needs Assessment of Woolmers Estate Convict and Colonial Collections$5,928

Australian Capital Territory

OrganisationProject Title
Australian Academy of ScienceFenner Archives Digitisation, Preservation and Access project$9,245
Australian National Museum of EducationDigitisation of the Australian National Museum of Education Ephemera Collection$6,840
Fire Brigade Historical Society of the ACTCollection Management Software Subscription$2,080
Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra IncPreservation Needs Assessment of the Father Brian Maher Collection$5,500
Manning Clark House IncPreservation of Art and Paper-based works at Manning Clark House$13,780

Northern Territory

OrganisationProject Title
Ngurratjuta/Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal CorporationPreservation Needs Assessment of the Ngurratjuta Art Collection$8,189
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