2024 Community Heritage Grant Recipients Announced

National Library

55 community-led organisations have received a 2024 Community Heritage Grant. Recipients include the Robin Boyd Foundation, the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (Queensland), Australian Aircraft Restoration Group, the Royal Perth Hospital Museum, Nutcote Trust, Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Archives of SA, Murchison RSL Sub-Branch, Port Adelaide United Workers Club, Good Shepherd and many others.

A spokesperson for the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA) said: 'These books, reports and papers went into the production of the evidence that supported FAIRA's action in the courts, the public arena and on the streets, challenging unfair laws; securing compensation for discriminatory treatment, incarceration and wages; demanding the return by museums of Ancestral Remains stolen from their communities. Through this archive, we can track how all that research and advocacy led to direct action in community and on the streets. By making the library and archives more accessible to our community, these stories of family, resistance and community take on new purpose in current research action.'

Since 1977, the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA) has been pursuing the rights of First Peoples of Australia through research, education and lobbying. FAIRA has built a valuable collection of archives, newsletters, correspondence, photographs, audiovisual material and government reports spanning 50 years, that tell the story of this small but influential organisation and the communities it serves. FAIRA and its project partner, the Institute for Collaborative Race Relations (ICRR) are committed to preserving the collection that will be the basis for a future community library. The significance assessment by their nominated historian, is an important step in achieving this goal.

Sarah Toohey, Museum Curator at the Royal Perth Hospital Museum, said: 'The Royal Perth Hospital Museum is excited to begin working with an independent historian on a significance assessment. The RPH collection provides insight into the role of a major public hospital in caring for the sick, and how that role and its challenges change over time. Thanks to the support of the Community Heritage Grant, we are looking forward to identifying and improving the care of the most significant artefacts in the collection and finding new ways to share our social and medical history.'

The Royal Perth Hospital Museum documents the history of the first public hospital in Western Australia, which has been in continuous use since 1855. The Museum was established in 1979 and cares for a diverse heritage collection including pioneering medical and surgical equipment, uniforms, ephemera and oral histories. It also has a rich archival collection with patient admission registers, correspondence, and staff notebooks.

Dr Marie-Louise Ayres, Director-General of the National Library of Australia, said: 'This year, we have awarded funding of $443,786 to 55 community projects to help staff and volunteers assess their collections or to assist with preservation activities. For three decades, this program has provided long-term support for community organisations across Australia - we are delighted that Community Heritage Grants program continues to be an enduring presence for hardworking groups caring for our national collection.'

The Community Heritage Grants program is celebrating 30 years in 2024. Since the program began in 1994, more than 1,700 projects have received grants totalling over $8.3 million, helping to preserve significant Australian community history and heritage for future generations.

The Community Heritage Grants program 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
Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural CentrePreservation of Display Items - Display Cabinets$12,439
National Trust of Australia NSW - Miss Porter's HouseConservation and Collection Management Activities Miss Porter's House$8,541
Lithgow City Council LibrariesTraining for preventive conservation of collections, collection handling and basic paper conservation$5,010
Hunter New England Local Health DistrictSignificance Assessment of Hunter New England Health Libraries Historical Collection$6,300
Shoalhaven Historical SocietyConservation Condition Assessment of Elyard Art Collection$16,579
Singleton CouncilSignificance Assessment of the Singleton Library Historical Map and Area Planning Collection$5,710
Kangaroo Valley Historical Society IncPreservation Needs Assessment of the Kangaroo Valley Historical Society Collection$7,083
Assyrian Australian AssociationPreservation Needs Assessment of the Ashurbanipal Library, Sydney$5,500
Georges River CouncilConservation training, cleaning and archival rehousing of local studies document based collections$13,230
Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative LimitedCollection Management System implementation$9,500
Nutcote Trust Pty LtdPreservation Needs Assessment and Collection Management of the May Gibbs' Nutcote Collection$13,545
Broken Hill Art GalleryPreservation Needs Assessment - Broken Hill Art Gallery Collection$7,841
The Fort Street Foundation IncSignificance Assessment of the Fort Street Archives$5,500
National Trust of Australia NSW - BedervaleConservation and Collection Management activities - Bedervale Collection$6,883
Braidwood & District Historical SocietyConservation Project - Jeremiah Jones Clothing$3,905
National Trust of Australia (NSW) - Saumarez HomesteadSignificance Assessment of the Saumarez Homestead Collection$6,680
Society of Australian GenealogistsCollection Management & Rehousing Society of the Australian Genealogists Archive$4,377
Wallangang Aboriginal Corporation and the Randwick City CouncilSignificance Assessment - Timbery Family Collection$9,721
The Concordians IncSignificance Assessment of the EM Lane Concordians Museum collection$5,500

Victoria

OrganisationProject Title
Australian Aircraft Restoration GroupUpdated Significance Assessment for Moorabbin Air Museum Archive Collection$5,570
National Trust of Australia (Victoria) - Mulberry HillPreservation Needs Assessment of Mulberry Hill Collection$5,950
Robin Boyd FoundationSignificance Assessment of the Walsh Street Archive$5,500
Ethnic Community Broadcasting Association of Victoria LimitedPreservation Needs Assessment of 3ZZZ Historic Collection$5,500
Good Shepherd Australia New ZealandSignificance Assessment of the Good Shepherd Archives$5,500
Murchison RSL Sub-BranchSignificance assessment of Prisoner of War Camp 13 Murchison murals$6,380
Ballarat City CouncilSignificance Assessment of The City of Ballarat Libraries' Rare Book Collection$6,715
Ballarat Mechanics' InstitutePreservation Needs Assessment of the Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute Heritage Registered Collection$6,700
Bendigo District RSL Sub-Branch IncSignificance Assessment of the Bendigo Military Museum collection$5,600
Australian Queer Archives IncDigitisation project - Bill West Community Radio Collection $17,400
Mansfield Historical Society IncSignificance Assessment of the History of the Forestry Industry in Victoria Collection$6,400
Kew Historical Society IncorporatedConservation of the Henty Costume Collection$19,375
Duldig Studio & Sculpture GardenPreventative Conservation of drawings, ephemera & ceramics collection - Duldig Museum$1,799
Carmelite Memorial Library of Spirituality and MariologyConservation and Collection Management Activities - Carmelite Library Rare Books Collection$7,550
Australian Aircraft Restoration GroupUpdated Significance Assessment for Moorabbin Air Museum Archive Collection$5,570
National Trust of Australia (Victoria) - Mulberry HillPreservation Needs Assessment of Mulberry Hill Collection$5,950
Robin Boyd FoundationSignificance Assessment of the Walsh Street Archive$5,500

Queensland

OrganisationProject Title
Queensland Braille Writing Association (Braille House)Conservation and Collection Management of Braille House Items of Significance$7,900
Woorabinda Aboriginal CouncilSignificance Assessment - Woorabinda Cultural Heritage Collection Project$10,022
Ninth Battalions Association IncPreservation Needs Assessment of the 9th Battalions War Memorial Museum collection$5,500
Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research ActionSignificance Assessment - Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action Archives$5,500
Buderim Historical Society IncPreservation Needs Assessment Implementation$16,330
Outback Gondwana Foundation LimitedCollection Management Project for Biodiversity and Paleobotanical Collection$5,952

Western Australia

OrganisationProject Title
East Metropolitan Health ServiceSignificance Assessment of the Royal Perth Hospital Museum collection$5,500
Northam Army Camp Heritage Association IncPreservation Needs Assessment for Northam Army Camp Heritage Association Inc$5,900
Discovery Bay Tourism Precinct LtdSignificance Assessment of Albany's Historic Whaling Station Collection$8,542
Edward de Courcy Clarke Earth Science Museum (University of Western Australia)Significance Assessment of the Edward de Courcy Clarke Earth Science Museum's Research Collection$7,795

South Australia

OrganisationProject Title
Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of South Australia ArchivesSignificance Assessment of the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural of South Australia Archives$5,500
National Aboriginal Cultural Institute IncSignificance Assessment of the Tandanya Visual Art Collection$5,500
Flinders University Museum of ArtDigitisation of at-risk magnetic media$18,182
National Trust of South Australia, Willunga BranchSignificance Assessment of Willunga Branch collections$5,500
Archives Office, Anglican Diocese of AdelaidePreservation Needs Assessment of the Adelaide Diocesan Archives collection$5,500
Port Adelaide United Workers ClubSignificance Assessment of Semaphore Workers Club Heritage Collection$5,500
Flinders University Palaeontology Research GroupCollection Management, Conservation and Rehousing of the Flinders University Palaeontology Research Group$17,980

Tasmania

OrganisationProject Title
Maritime Museum of Tasmania IncCollection Management - enhanced archival storage of eighteenth and nineteenth century works on paper$1,135
The Royal Society of TasmaniaConservation Project the Royal Society of Tasmania Art Collection$6,870
Mawson's Huts Foundation LimitedPreservation Needs Assessment Mawson's Huts Replica Museum$5,500

Northern Territory

OrganisationProject Title
Ngurratjuta/Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal CorporationConservation treatments for the Ngurratjuta Collection$17,190
Warlpiri Media Aboriginal CorporationThe Warlpiri Project$10,525
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