The Burke Museum has been awarded a prestigious award for excellence by the Australian Museums and Galleries Association, the peak body for over 1000 museums and collecting organisations, at the Victorian Museums and Galleries Awards on Tuesday night.
The awards, now in their 28th year, are conducted annually to highlight the outstanding achievements in the Victorian museum, gallery and collecting sector and the Burke was awarded the Victorian Collections Award for Excellence in Museum Cataloguing (Organisations with paid staff).
The award acknowledges the hard work undertaken by the Burke Museum team in cataloguing the Burke collections online using Victorian Collections, a free online cataloguing system that allows cultural treasures to be accessible and discoverable to the online community.
The Burke team was thrilled to be recognised.
"We are a small, regional Museum so to be recognised alongside some of the largest museums in the State is really gratifying and a testament to the many hours of hard work by our staff and volunteers throughout the difficult 2020/21 period," said Cameron Auty, Manager Burke Museum and Cultural Heritage.
Over 1000 objects from the Burke museum collection have now been photographed, catalogued and shared online on the Victorian Collections website, enabling the public, researchers and students to share in the region's heritage from anywhere in the country.
"We have over 30,000 objects in the collection, so there is a long way to go but this award recognises the great start we've made so far," says Ashleigh Giffney, the Burke's Collection Manager, who led the cataloguing project.
The Burke was also nominated for the Archival Survival Award for small museums/galleries for its innovative online cataloguing program, the Burke Museum Online Cataloguing Program (BMOCP). It was highly commended in this category with the judges commending the museum for its successful adaption to COVID-19 and for creating a good partnership program that strengthens skill levels in the sector.
Indigo Shire Mayor Jenny O'Connor says that the award, as well as the second nomination, is a reflection of the Burke team's ability to be adaptable and innovative and show's their commitment to celebrating and sharing the region's unique heritage with the wider community.
"We are immensely proud of the Burke Museum team. Not only have they undertaken important cataloguing work to preserve and share our unique place in the region's history books, but they've also forged relationships with tertiary students across Australia through the BMOCP, allowing them to gain valuable experience. Their work not only honours the past but also assists in ensuring a prosperous future for the sector."
