historic houses trust - Parliament of NSW · 2016-02-16 · Historic Houses trust annual report...

historic houses trust

of new south wales

annual report 2011–2012

25 Conserving our collections

25 Endangered Houses Fund

26 Maintaining our properties

27 Stability

27 Investing in and upgrading our facilities

27 Generating income

27 Raising awareness of the HHT

27 Controlling our costs

28 Reducing our carbon footprint

29 Wellbeing

29 Developing skills and training

29 Improving workplace health and safety

29 Keeping better records

30 Knowledge

30 Sharing our specialist knowledge

30 Researching the past

31 Making research and knowledge accessible to the community

32 ABOUT THE HHT33 Who we are

34 Our properties

34 Justice & Police Museum

34 Museum of Sydney

34 Susannah Place Museum

35 Elizabeth Bay House

35 Government House

35 Rose Seidler House

36 Vaucluse House

36 Hyde Park Barracks Museum

36 The Mint

37 Elizabeth Farm

37 Meroogal

37 Rouse Hill House & Farm

39 Our collections

4 From the Chairman

5 From the Director

6 OUR ACHIEVEMENTS7 Corporate Plan and performance reporting

7 Vision

7 Mission

7 Corporate framework

8 Performance reporting

9 Performance results

10 Involvement

10 Collaborating with Aboriginal communities

10 Broadening our audiences

10 Creating new partnerships

11 Supporting our volunteers

11 Strengthening ties with local communities

11 Involving over 55s

12 Access and enjoyment

12 Creating new exhibitions and publications

12 Refreshing interpretation

12 Expanding our digital presence

13 Taking the HHT to regional New South Wales

14 Public programs

14 Access to collections

15 Reaching out to multicultural communities

16 Improving access for people with disabilities

17 Visitation charts and tables

22 Outreach maps

24 Conservation and curatorship

24 Conservation projects

24 Acquiring new collection material

Contents

39 Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection

39 Photographic collections

40 Breakdown of visitor numbers

42 Endangered Houses Fund

42 Beulah

43 Exeter Farm

43 Glenfield

43 Moruya manse

44 Nissen hut

44 Throsby Park

45 How we are managed

45 Board of Trustees

45 Management Group

45 Heritage and Portfolio Group

45 Creative Services Group

46 Commercial and Marketing Services Group

46 Operations Group

46 Committees

46 Volunteers

47 Organisational chart

48 Foundation for the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales

49 Historic Houses Trust Members

50 APPENDICES51 Trustees

52 Management Group

52 Board standing committees

52 Audit and Risk Committee

52 Creative Services Advisory Committee

53 Commercial and Marketing Advisory Committee

53 Heritage and Endangered Houses Advisory Committee

53 HHT standing committees

53 Collections Valuation Committee

53 IT Strategic Planning Committee (ITSPC)

53 Joint Consultative Committee

53 Workplace Health and Safety Committee (WHSC)

54 Security Committee

54 Staff and Management Participatory and Advisory Committee (SAMPAC)

54 Associated groups

54 Foundation for the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales

54 Historic Houses Trust Executive Committee

54 Rouse Hill Hamilton Collection Pty Ltd

55 Admission fees

55 Self-generated income

55 Sponsors

55 Special donations, and grants

56 Fundraising

56 Disability Action Plan

57 Multicultural Policies and Services Program

57 Ethical standards

57 Privacy Management Plan

57 Records

57 Access to government information

57 Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA)

57 Our information

57 Access to information

60 Charges

60 Consumer response

60 Electronic service delivery

61 Legal change

61 Land disposal

61 Cost of the annual report

61 Human resources

61 Exceptional movements in employee wages, salaries and allowances

61 Personnel policies and practices

61 Workplace health and safety

61 Equal employment opportunity (EEO)

64 Financial information

64 Risk management and insurances

64 Credit card certification

64 Delegations

64 Economic and other factors affecting the achievement of operational activities

65 Volunteers

66 Internal audit and risk management attestation

67 FINANCIAl STATEMENTS

102 FOUNDATION FINANCIAl STATEMENTS

122 Contacts

123 Thank you to our partners and program supporters

124 Sponsors

4 Historic Houses trust annual report 2011–2012

food. At Susannah Place Museum we see examples of the inventive use and re-use of materials by people whose circumstances demanded resourcefulness.

Because of their histories, our houses have much to teach us about the successful and sustainable interaction of our built and natural environments. Our houses provide stories and examples of self-sufficient living from a time when people were less reliant on technology. Many of our public events this year were designed to bring people to our kitchens, gardens and farm buildings to hear these stories. In particular, more than 60,000 students had an opportunity to join in the HHT's education programs. These programs, including our online Connected Classrooms initiative, allow the HHT to bring history, a sense of place, culture and continuity to a new generation. By doing so, we hope to frame complex issues of the present, such as sustainability, in a way that draws on lessons from the past.

More than 900,000 visitors attended our properties, exhibitions, travelling exhibitions and activities in the last year. All of these visitors had an opportunity to experience the unique properties, curatorship and scholarship of the HHT, and to learn from its dynamic and entertaining presentation of history and places.

The work of the HHT is supported by the Foundation for the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, which brings together a dedicated group of donors and supporters. The Foundation’s support has been fundamental to the development of our Connected Classrooms program

Today, more than ever, there is a deep public interest in the sustainability of our lifestyles and the relationship between our built and natural environments. Planners, communities, the media and individuals are participating in an ongoing conversation about the way we live and the resources we use. At one level, these are questions of national policy. At another level, they are personal.

At the personal level, the focus on sustainability can be found in the increased interest in self-sufficiency: growing and cooking real food, collecting and conserving water, maximising energy efficiency and re-using valuable materials.

These ideals of sustainability are embodied in the HHT's houses, most of which were built at a time when self-sufficiency was a necessity rather than a personal choice. At Elizabeth Farm and Rouse Hill House & Farm we can see the choices made about design and materials, access to water, and the production and storage of

Michael Rose, Chairman

30 June 2012

from the chairman

Michael rose. photograph scott hill © hht

and the acquisition of significant items for the HHT's collection. We are extremely grateful for the continued support of the Foundation and our many supporters.

We are also grateful to the Historic Houses Trust Members, an independent organisation that works with us to deliver a program of exciting events. HHT Members also helps us to support initiatives such as the Philip Kent Staff Development Scholarship, which enables our staff to develop their skills.

In presenting its properties and collections, the HHT is offering an insight into the lives of the people who once lived and worked in our houses, and who used the items found there. In other words, we are offering insights into personal stories and histories. Our success in this is personal – it relies on the engagement, energy and enthusiasm of our staff and volunteers. That energy and enthusiasm is evident to our many visitors, members and supporters. On behalf of my fellow Trustees, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of the HHT in the last year.

5Historic Houses trust annual report 2011–2012

want to thank the Office of the Governor, the NSW Police Force and the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, for all of their support in delivering a very successful collaborative partnership.

There is so much else to be proud of this year. I would particularly like to highlight and to thank the wide range of different groups who have worked with us. The Aboriginal community at La Perouse, the Darug community, the History Council of New South Wales, the Department of Education’s Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre, the City of Sydney, the NSW Architects Registration Board, the NSW Police Force, the Returned and Services League of Australia, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs are just some of the groups that have helped us over the year to deliver successful events, programs, exhibitions and activities. Television presenter Claudia Chan Shaw helped us to celebrate Chinese New Year at the Museum of Sydney, while comedian Tim Ross, who has a passion for modern architecture, brought his comedy show (and a whole new audience) to Rose Seidler House.

Our eclectic mix of exhibitions, which this year has included Persons of interest: the ASIO files, Surf city, Home front: wartime Sydney 1939–45 and The Force: 150 years of NSW Police, as ever cast light on our city and on our history, while our three travelling exhibitions, Built for the bush, Smalltown and Femme fatale, contributed to our extraordinary regional outreach. The beautiful House book, in collaboration with artist Robyn Stacey, brought our house collections to a wider audience, and is a reminder of the importance

Kate Clark, Director

30 June 2012

This has been our first full year within the Office of Environment and Heritage under the aegis of the Minister for Heritage, the Hon Robyn Parker. Minister Parker has come to know our different museums and houses well over the year, and we are immensely grateful for the support that she and her staff have provided.

This year our priority has been to enable the Governor to once more live at Government House. Working closely with the Department of Premier and Cabinet we have upgraded the Chalet as a short-term solution, while the long-term project to create modern office spaces and household accommodation within Government House itself gets underway. We are proud of our record of managing this busy working house to accommodate a major program of vice-regal and high-level government events, in addition to enabling charitable and community organisations to use the house, and ensuring that it also remains open to the public at other times. I particularly

Kate Clark. photograph scott hill © hht

Michael Rose, Chairman

30 June 2012

from the director

of our museum collections. And the lavishly illustrated Government House Sydney publication is a fitting tribute to all those who have played a part in the history of the property.

The last touch to the celebration of Governor Macquarie’s bicentenary has been the completion of the guardhouse domes at Hyde Park Barracks, with support from our Foundation. I love seeing conservation in action, and at our annual Redcoats and convicts day, there was a chance to see how the shakes were made, and to climb the scaffolding to see the restoration work in progress.

Like Michael, I want to say a special thanks to all of our supporters, but in particular to HHT Members, our Foundation and, of course, to the many volunteers who help us deliver our activities and programs. I want to thank our Trustees and members of our advisory committees for their wisdom and support over the year, but most of all, I want to thank our clever, generous, passionate, skilled and enthusiastic staff. Their utter professionalism has enabled us to continue to deliver a fantastic range of exhibitions, events and activities that bring to life some of the most important and special places in New South Wales.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

‘WONDERFUl INSIgHTS INTO A MOST FORMATIVE TIME IN THE HISTORy OF AUSTRAlIA. DIANA [gUIDE] COMPlETEly COMPEllINg. SO MUCH INFORMATION WEll TOlD. ENjOyED IT SO MUCH.’

Scott from Philadelphia on the Convict Sydney exhibition


OUR Achievements

7

corporate plan & performance reporting

corporate framework

The Historic Houses Trust Corporate Plan 2010–2015 is underpinned by six key aims and objectives, each supported by a list of actions that drives our strategic direction.

4 5 6STABIlITyThe HHT becomes a more resilient organisation with a secure future.

WEllBEINgThe wellbeing of our staff improves.

KNOWlEDgEWe use our knowledge and expertise, and work with others, to change the way people think about heritage and the past.

1 2 3ACCESS & ENjOyMENTWe provide more people and a wider range of people access to our properties, collections, programs and knowledge.

CONSERVATION & CURATORSHIPOur properties and collections are handed on to future generations in good heart.

INVOlVEMENTA wider range of people are involved in understanding, interpreting and caring for the past.

VisionA FUTURE FOR THE PAST

mission TO CARE FOR SIgNIFICANT HISTORIC PlACES, BUIlDINgS, COllECTIONS AND lANDSCAPES WITH INTEgRITy, AND ENABlE PEOPlE TO ENjOy AND lEARN ABOUT THEM


On-Site PROPeRty viSitatiOn*

performaNce reportiNg

Self-geneRateD Revenue*

* Includes paid admissions and free entry (see table on page 20). Excludes all outreach and the grounds component of Government House.

* Dollar value is in millions.

625,292 726,266 721,187703,437

20

08

–20

09

20

09

–201

0

201

0–2

011

201

1–2

012

693,979 (average)

$11.993

$9.213 (average)$7.483 $7.304

$10.071

20

08

–20

09

20

09

–201

0

201

0–2

011

201

1–2

012

July 2008 – June 2012July 2008 – June 2012

$11.993 million$31.340 million $326.681 million

Our performance against the Corporate Plan is outlined in the following charts and table. More detailed reporting against the Corporate Plan can be found listed according to each aim and objective: Involvement, pages 10–11; Access and enjoyment, pages 12–23; Conservation and curatorship, pages 24–6; Stability, pages 27–8; Wellbeing, page 29; and Knowledge, pages 30–11.

61% Personnel services18% Other operating costs8% Maintenance7% Services provided free of charge3% Contract staff2% Depreciation1% Insurance

28% Grants18% Other services provided free of charge*14% Miscellaneous†

13% Admission11% Venue hire and catering8% Rental – commercial activities8% Retail sales

* Other services provided free of charge are for Government House, courtesy of the NSW Police Force and the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.

† Miscellaneous includes revenue from investments, sponsorship, donations, filming and photography, special activities, openings and other income.

87% Land & buildings

11% Collection assets

1% Cash and cash equivalents

1% Other assets†

* As at 30 June 2012.† Other assets include capital work in progress

($163,000), intangible assets ($291,000), trade and other receivables ($367,000), inventories ($441,000), plant and equipment ($571,000) and non-current assets held for resale ($1.74 million).

exPenDituRe 2011–12 tOtal aSSetS*Self-geneRateD Revenue 2011–12

87%28%

61%


aiMS & ObjeCtiveS aCtiOnS ReSultS inDiCatORS taRget* aCtual

1 involvement 1.2 Embrace lifelong learning Number of primary and secondary students†

65,190 63,157

1.5 Encourage and support volunteers

Number of volunteers 195 187

2 access and enjoyment

2.1 Find more and different ways for people to enjoy our properties, collections, programs and knowledge

Number of major public programs held (paid)

7 4

Number of minor public programs held (paid and free)

237 277

2.2 Improve access to information about our properties, collections, programs and knowledge

Number of temporary exhibitions and displays

24 19

Number of collection objects digitised and publicly available

2,200 2,903

2.4 Use digital and other media to engage people with our properties, collections, programs and knowledge

Number of web visits 545,070 604,819

3 Conservation and curatorship

3.5 Maintain our properties and collections well

Expenditure on maintenance (actual) $2,374,096 $1,872,335

3.7 Endangered Houses Fund Number of completed projects 1 1

4 Stability 4.1 Improve awareness of each property and of the HHT as a whole

Number of media stories 1,739 2,488

4.4 Increase earned revenue Trading revenue – general admission $1,217,450 $1,141,404

Trading revenue – rent (including commercial turnover)

$827,408 $979,093

4.8 Evaluate our effectiveness Number of compliments 79 210

5 Wellbeing 5.2 Develop the skills of our staff

Number of hours of training received

1,483 2,358

6 Knowledge 6.4 Encourage more people to discover their own past

Number of actual library users (public, associates, displays)

1,273 2,125

Number of virtual users to library web page, online databases and online exhibitions

45,376 56,017

performaNce resuLts

* Targets based on last year's actuals. † Includes adult education, school holiday activities and general tours.

OUR Achievements


We are dedicated to increasing the opportunities for people to become involved with the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales (HHT) through a range of programs. We value people's involvement in helping us to learn about and enjoy our sites and collections. Two of the best ways we can do this are through collaborating with other organisations to strengthen community involvement with our properties, and by encouraging and supporting volunteers.

coLLaboratiNg witH aborigiNaL commuNities

Every year the HHT develops programming for NAIDOC Week (1–8 July in 2012). This year we extended the annual program of workshops and films at the Museum of Sydney (MOS) on the site of first Government House to include a celebration that brought members of the La Perouse Aboriginal Community to Vaucluse House for the first time in many years, for tours and workshops showcasing Indigenous involvement in the site. The event was part of the HHT’s ongoing collaboration with Michael Ingrey, a Dharawal man from the La Perouse Aboriginal Community of Botany Bay, and Paul Irish, an Aboriginal history and heritage consultant, in researching the Indigenous heritage of this site.

Rouse Hill House & Farm became the focus of ongoing collaboration with the local Darug elders and descendant Leanne Watson, who together curated the new Darug showcase in the Visitor Centre. As part of broadening the Aboriginal interpretation both at the property and online, a six-minute film of Elder Uncle Greg Simms making wooden tools and weapons for the showcase was produced. This film will also aid visitors in interpreting the Darug tools and weapons on display.

broaDeNiNg our auDieNces

The History Extension Project Seminar Day, an important annual event on our calendar for students of the HSC subject, was expanded and reimagined thanks to a partnership with the State Library of New South Wales, who co-presented the seminar day held in November. There were 241 participants in the seminar day, an increase of more than 100% on the previous year. This year, for the first time, the keynote presentations at the seminar were broadcast to remote audiences via videoconferencing technology, giving those who could not secure places or who live too far away to travel to Sydney for the day an opportunity to participate and learn. The program was enthusiastically received; for example, Pamela Buchanan, Head Teacher, Human Society in its Environment, Hunters

Hill High School, said, 'This day has been enriching for myself and my students. New angles/great research ideas/fantastic for the initial stages of the HIP (History Project)’.

creatiNg New partNersHips

Over the year we developed and enhanced a number of important partnerships with other organisations.

> During History Week 2011 we hosted the History Council of New South Wales’ launch of EAT history at Elizabeth Bay House, and developed specific programming related to food history at Hyde Park Barracks Museum, Vaucluse House and Susannah Place Museum for adults and families.

> The development of Building the Future, a Built Environment unit of work for primary school students, is an ongoing collaboration with the NSW Architects Registration Board and the Department of Education and Communities. The new unit of work meets Stage 3 Design and Technology outcomes that are consistent with the Board of Studies NSW Science and Technology syllabus, and it is currently being piloted by a number of Sydney-region primary schools. The pilot will enable the unit to be refined and finalised before being published and made widely available to teachers throughout New South Wales.

> We collaborated successfully with the City of Sydney’s Art & About for the launch of the Surf city exhibition at MOS in September 2011.

> A new partnership was developed with the Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre for the exhibition Home front: wartime Sydney 1939–45 at MOS, with focused education programs and teacher forums for history teachers. The joint initiative created two online resources based on the exhibition.

> The NSW Architects Registration Board sponsored and partnered with the HHT to deliver Sydney Open: Talks, a successful new series of night-time talks, workshops and walking tours, which attracted more than 600 attendees, based on the theme of 'the house'. Architects, historians and property specialists discussed different types of houses, including inner-city terrace housing, bungalows and beach shacks.

> As a member of the Harris Park Neighbourhood Week group, Elizabeth Farm has developed a partnership with Old Government House and Experiment Farm to develop a walking tour of the three properties as part of the next event, to be held in October 2012. The group will also be used to develop partnerships with other local services, agencies and community-based organisations.

A WIDER RANgE OF PEOPlE ARE INVOlVED IN UNDERSTANDINg, INTERPRETINg AND CARINg FOR THE PAST.

1involvement


supportiNg our voLuNteers

The HHT has more than 180 volunteers, the majority of whom are retired people who contribute many hours each week giving interpretive tours at our properties and working on projects across our portfolios and Creative Services. Volunteers are also critical to the successful delivery of major public programs such as Jazz in the garden.

This year volunteers donated 13,860 hours to the HHT. This includes the contribution of the 24 event volunteers who assisted with the successful staging of the Fifties Fair at Rose Seidler House in August. The Soft Furnishings Volunteer Group continued their association with Vaucluse House and Elizabeth Bay House, carrying out repairs to and replacement of curtains and other furnishings.

Volunteers meetings were held at all properties and a forum was held to discuss specific issues at the HHT. More than 30 outreach presentations were presented to interested groups across the Sydney metropolitan region, attended by over 1500 people.

streNgtHeNiNg ties witH LocaL commuNities

> Property staff at Rouse Hill House & Farm continued to work with Families Connect and Paint the Town REaD to connect with the local community.

> Staff at Elizabeth Farm and Meroogal worked with HHT Members to host very successful Christmas Carol events in December. Attendance was 500 at Elizabeth Farm and 100 at Meroogal, with many locals and community groups enjoying the atmosphere.

> The Meroogal Women’s Arts Prize (MWAP) was exhibited at Shoalhaven City Arts Centre, before heading to the HHT Members Lounge from November 2011 to January 2012. Members awarded their special prize to Veronica O’Leary’s painting Tottie Thorburn's diary … a lot of sewing. On Australia Day more than 1000 people visited The Mint and viewed the MWAP.

> Vaucluse House (in partnership with Fresh Catering) hosted a ‘meet the neighbours’ event on 14 June 2012. Local residents were invited, and those who attended were very supportive of the HHT’s management of the property.

iNvoLviNg over 55s

Older people comprise a significant cohort of visitors to HHT properties and events. They are mostly tertiary educated, well informed and discerning, with time and disposable income available. In particular, we attract Probus, special interest and community groups, such as Aboriginal elders working with the HHT, as well as general visitors.

Much of the content for our exhibitions focuses on the history of Sydney and attracts strong senior visitation and participation. For example, our Home front exhibition at MOS shared the memories and stories of people who lived through World War II in Sydney. Now And Then, also at MOS, was produced in conjunction with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and specifically focused on the sharing of stories between generations through photography. Both exhibitions were marketed through seniors networks and encouraged visitation by older people along with their families.

A stand-out event was the Centenarians reception held at Government House by Her Excellency the Governor Marie Bashir in October 2011 with more than 50 Australians aged 100 and over attending.

HHT properties provide free entry for senior citizens each year during Seniors Week (March). We often develop specific programs for senior audiences

during this week.

Young visitor looking at objects in the Darug showcase at the rouse hill house & farm Visitor Centre during naIDoC week 2012 (detail). photograph © Joy lai

OUR Achievements


2 WE PROVIDE MORE PEOPlE AND A WIDER RANgE OF PEOPlE ACCESS TO OUR PROPERTIES, COllECTIONS, PROgRAMS AND KNOWlEDgE.

In the past year we have focused on growing our digital media resources so that more people engage with us.

creatiNg New exHibitioNs aND pubLicatioNs

The HHT developed a series of significant new exhibitions this year. Highlights include Home front: wartime Sydney 1939–45, The Force: 150 years of NSW Police and House.

Home front was launched in March at the Museum of Sydney (MOS). The exhibition invited visitors to explore the stories of Sydneysiders living on the home front and see how World War II shaped, challenged and transformed the lives of generations of Australians. The exhibition was produced with significant sponsorship from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Returned and Services League of Australia, NSW Branch.

The HHT engaged in a new partnership with the NSW Police Force to deliver The Force exhibition at the Justice & Police Museum, marking the force's 150th anniversary. The NSW Police worked intensively with our staff to develop the content and, along with the Police Association of NSW and the Police Credit Union, they also provided funding for the exhibition.

A major project, House, was the result of a significant four-year collaboration between curatorial and collection staff and Robyn Stacey, a leading contemporary artist. Stacey mined the collections of Elizabeth Bay House, Vaucluse House, Rouse Hill House & Farm and the Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection (CSL&RC) to produce a suite of still lifes that were showcased in a major publication, as well as in an exhibition at MOS along with silverware, books, tassels and a dinner service from our collections. The Government House Sydney publication was launched in November 2011 (see page 31).

refresHiNg iNterpretatioN

A suite of new interpretation has been completed at Rouse Hill and opened to visitors this year, including new site interpretation signage, Visitor Centre displays and a Darug showcase. These elements provide new stories and allow visitors to explore different aspects of the history of the site. A 16-minute introductory film was produced to assist visitors in understanding the wider history of the area, the Rouse family, and the significance of sites and buildings on the property.

A major review of the interpretation of and visitor experience at the Justice & Police Museum was undertaken by Interpretation and City Portfolio staff. A report, detailed space-by-space review and presentation now form the basis for a much larger project, developing new interpretation for the site as part of property master planning. A key outcome of the review is the decision to reinvigorate audience engagement by shifting the interpretation to focus more on our site and the complex of buildings, as well as the collection, in ways that tell stories about individuals and what happened to them in these buildings, the justice system, policing and criminal history in New South Wales. This will be gradually implemented over the next three to five years.

expaNDiNg our DigitaL preseNce

Our virtual presence continued to grow this year with a clear strategy of significantly increasing how we share our sites, collections and knowledge with our virtual audiences. The new Web and Screen Media Team also developed a number of strategies to build our social media presence and give our followers more opportunities to engage with our programs. This included photography competitions through Facebook to augment exhibitions and daily promotions of our activities via Facebook and Twitter.

We developed specific digital resources for exhibitions and interpretive projects, including a range of interactive elements for Surf city, for example exhibition audiovisuals and a microsite. Stop-motion documentation of the installation was also produced and was used to promote the exhibition. Short documentary pieces have been produced by our Web and Screen Media Team for inclusion in displays such as that at the Rouse Hill House & Farm Visitor Centre. The MOS Trade Wall display focusing on goods traded in Sydney in the 1830s was enhanced this year with a new interactive element, providing more information about the objects on display.

'Change over to a victory job' (detail), artist unknown, 1943. australian war Memorial: artV01060

ACCESS and enjoyment


takiNg tHe HHt to regioNaL New soutH waLes

Our active regional program included three travelling exhibitions in regional New South Wales and interstate, Endangered Houses Fund projects, Connected Classrooms and online education resources, the Justice & Police Museum outreach education project, regional volunteers and staff who provided professional expertise to regional museums and collections, and a number of HHT collection objects on loan to regional museums.

More than 65,000 visitors attended HHT travelling exhibitions in various regional and interstate museums and galleries. These exhibitions included Built for the bush, Smalltown and Femme fatale, with all three tours either partially or wholly externally funded. The 13th Meroogal Women’s Arts Prize, with the theme ‘Made by hand’, attracted 134 entries in a range of media and began its regional tour at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre in Nowra. Our Connected Classrooms program continued to grow, with delivery of A convict story to more than 45 schools (3329 students) across New South Wales. To further enhance this program the HHT launched a digital resource with the New South Wales Department of Education and Training’s Curriculum Learning and Innovation Centre, allowing teachers to extend the Convict story learning into their classroom. Our Programs Team hosted a session with other cultural institutions to discuss greater collaboration in the area of digital excursions, and continues to contribute to the Connected Classrooms working group steered by the Office for Science and Medical Research.

clockwise from above left: Margaret fulton oam and hht curator annie Campbell at the opening of the Home front exhibition. photograph Malcolm Zahra © hht nsw Mounted police officer rob hyde outside the Justice & police Museum at the family fun Day on the opening weekend of The Force exhibition. photograph holly schulte © hht | nsw police officers John o'reilly and Mark Croft at The Force exhibition opening. photograph © william newell

OUR Achievements


pubLic programs

We engaged thousands of people this year in a range of popular programs, as well as developing some new initiatives to grow different audiences.

A new initiative was developed with the Red Room Company that matched poets to HHT properties, creating a smartphone app to allow people to interpret our properties and share their work. The project involved staff across the HHT and was supported by workshops targeting new audiences to our house museums.

Through an innovative partnership with artists’ collective Polyartistry, we created a series of activities to engage the general public in the Hyde Park Barracks Domes Restoration Project. We developed Skyline Design workshops for visitors to create adaptive re-use designs for real and imagined buildings in Sydney. Polyartistry also interviewed 140 people in Queens Square and asked them to share their thoughts on the city and its architecture. A blog has followed the program, with contributions to Twitter and Facebook. The project culminated in November 2011 at Domes Day, when an artwork was created using ideas and art contributed by the public.

In February 2012, Man about the house brought 200 people to Rose Seidler House through a new linkage with the(sydney)magazine and the Sydney Comedy Festival. The live comedy performances by broadcaster Tim Ross and music by Kit Warhurst allowed participants to enjoy the house in an informal setting.

The 2012 House music concert program has once again been a big success, with artists including Sydney Symphony Fellows, Grigoryan Brothers, New Sydney Wind Quintet, Sydney Chamber Choir, Pinchgut Opera, Kathryn Selby & Clancy Newman, Streeton Trio, Joseph Tawadros Trio, Osmosis, and Goldner String Quartet.

access to coLLectioNs

The CSL&RC continued its active learning and outreach program with a range of new displays in the library and elsewhere at The Mint including material associated with Marion Hall Best and a selection from the trade archive of James Castle & Sons, art metal workers. The library also hosted student groups from various tertiary institutions such as Enmore TAFE History of Interiors, COFA Design, the University of Sydney Heritage Conservation, Southbank Institute of Technology (QLD), UTS Interior and Spatial Design, Lidcombe TAFE Architectural Styles, and Ultimo TAFE Textiles. Staff have also contributed to public access to and enjoyment of our collections by speaking with the media, providing entries for the Dictionary of Sydney and articles for journals, and giving public talks. For example, the HHT Research Librarian gave a talk on ‘The Historic House Libraries Database: Providing Access to Local Histories of the Book in a Globally Digitised Environment’ at the 2011 conference of the Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand. Our project of digitising manufacturers' trade catalogues has grown, with 14 categories of material now available on the HHT's website.

firing muskets during Redcoats and convicts, hyde park Barracks Museum, 2011. photograph © James alcock

15Historic Houses trust annual report 2011–2012 15

right: red heads, 2009–10 © louise hawson below: life drawing class at the GI Ball at elizabeth Bay house. photograph pedro de almeida © hht

including Auburn, Arncliffe, Bonnyrigg and Harris Park. Highly praised for its expression of diversity, the exhibition was visited by the Minister for Citizenship and Communities, Victor Dominello. The enemy at home exhibition explored the history and experiences of Germans and German Australians interned as ‘enemy aliens’ in camps across Australia during World War I, in particular that of the men interned at Holsworthy Concentration Camp, Trial Bay Gaol and Berrima Gaol.

In January we celebrated and profiled Chinese New Year at MOS with Tales from a camphorwood chest: a Chinese–Australian family story, a highly popular event presented in partnership with the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia and hosted by television presenter Claudia Chan Shaw. Also at the museum, the HHT continued its successful partnership with the 30th Greek Festival of Sydney, hosting Homer Day: the Ulysses theme from Homer to Joyce and Kazantzakis in March. The HHT also attracted a number of international delegations including a visit by Vietnamese police to the Justice & Police Museum and a general tour of MOS by officials from the Guangxi Department of Culture, China.

There are a number of projects currently being planned and developed for multicultural audiences. The HHT is working on translations of the Hyde Park Barracks audio tour (launched in July 2012) that will enable culturally and linguistically diverse audiences to engage more fully with the museum. Mandarin, Korean and Japanese versions of the audio tour will be delivered at the end of 2012. In the coming year the community engagement process that will be part of the Rouse Hill House & Farm Conservation Management and Interpretation Strategy development project will help to identify local multicultural communities and how we can engage with them in the future. And curatorial work has begun on the exhibition Quong Tart, who was a leading 19th-century Sydney merchant and importer from China, to be held at MOS in 2014. The exhibition will highlight the political battles and experiences of immigration, and will reveal the complex interweaving of cultural diversity and racial tensions in 19th-century Sydney.

A number of the HHT’s significant objects went on tour in a range of exhibitions in Australia. For example, the Wentworth court costume, a bonnet from the Hyde Park Barracks Museum archaeology collection and the portrait of Lord Belmore from Government House were included in Not just Ned: a true history of the Irish in Australia at the National Museum of Australia, seen by over 72,000 people in four months (March–July 2011).

reacHiNg out to muLticuLturaL commuNities

The HHT has continued to reach out to multicultural communities this year through exhibitions, public programs and our curriculum-related education programs, which growing numbers of children from non-English-speaking backgrounds are attending. The exhibition 52 suburbs by photographer and blogger Louise Hawson celebrated multiculturalism across Sydney with a focus on suburbs

OUR Achievements


CommendationNATIONAl TRUST OF AUSTRAlIA (NSW) HERITAgE AWARDS 2012

for education, Interpretation and Community engagement – highly commended for the Government House book

awardNATIONAl TRUST OF AUSTRAlIA (NSW) HERITAgE AWARDS 2012

for education, Interpretation and Community engagement – awarded to The enemy at home book and exhibition project, with the Migration heritage Centre and powerhouse Museum

improviNg access for peopLe witH DisabiLities

The HHT continued to offer programs improving access to our sites for people with disabilities. This year we welcomed 152 education bookings from groups with special needs, including audio-descriptive tours of the 52 suburbs exhibition for visually impaired people, conducted by guides and curators.

We have produced our first English-language acoustic guide for the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. The 20 stops on the guide assist visitors in interpreting the site and also reveal ‘secrets’ about its history, use and occupants not available through the museum's displays. Planning for the audio guide in Auslan (the Australian Sign Language) for deaf and hearing-impaired visitors has begun, and will be completed next year.

Redcoats and convicts activities at the hyde park Barracks Museum. photograph © James alcock


titLe LocatioN totaL visitors Date

Fifties fair Rose Seidler House 3,585 Saturday 21 Aug 2011

House music Government House 1,558 Various dates

Jazz in the garden Vaucluse House 662 Sunday 20 Nov 2011

Sydney Open talks The Mint & outreach 604 Various dates

graND totaL 6,409

maJor eveNts

syDNey visitatioN Numbers*visitatioN Numbers*

29,350 (26.1%)

24,113 (19.9%)

no

rth

er

n s

yd

ne

y

inn

er

cit

y

ea

ste

rn

su

bu

rb

s

we

ste

rn

su

bu

rb

s

sou

th s

yd

ne

y

inn

er

we

st

89,148 (32.5%)

syd

ne

y

ov

er

sea

s

ru

ra

l

nsw

vic

n/a

†

Qld

oth

er

st

ate

s‡138,792 (43.2%)

23,692 (9.1%)

11,403 (4.3%)

* Includes general public, public programs, complimentary tickets, free public programs and Government House tours (see table on page 20).

† Data not collected or not provided.‡ Includes ACT, NT, SA, Tas and WA.

* Includes general admission, public programs, venue hire, education and outreach.

10,124 (3.9%)

9,614 (3.8%)

8,618 (3.3%)

22,140 (18.6%) 19,185

(17.5%)

10,762 (9.5%) 9,551

(8.3%)

OUR Achievements


title location exhibition dates visitors Days av visitors Days av

Convict SydneyHyde Park Barracks Museum

11 Sept 10 – ongoing 122,495 655 187 63,015 364 173

The enemy at home: the story of German internees in World War I Australia

Museum of Sydney 7 May – 11 Sept 11 28,262 128 221 15,381 73 211

52 suburbs Museum of Sydney 14 May – 9 Oct 11 33,982 149 228 21,998 101 218

Persons of interest: the ASIO files

Justice & Police Museum 18 Jun 11 – 29 Apr 12 32,399 315 103 30,245 302 100

Surf city Museum of Sydney 24 Sept 11 – 18 Mar 12 35,572 176 202 35,572 176 202

House: Robyn Stacey Museum of Sydney 15 Oct 11 – 5 Feb 12 21,246 113 188 21,246 113 188

Culture jammers: Dean Sewell

Museum of Sydney 11 Feb – 11 Jun 12 23,240 121 192 23,240 121 192

Home front: wartime Sydney 1939–45

Museum of Sydney 31 Mar – 9 Sept 12 17,331 91 190 17,331 91 190

The Force: 150 years of NSW Police

Justice & Police Museum 12 May – 7 Oct 12 5,865 50 117 5,865 50 117

Now And Then Museum of Sydney 16 Jun – 4 Nov 12 3,126 15 208 3,126 15 208

totaL 323,518 237,019

visitation since opening of exhibition

(until 30 june 2012)

visitation 1 july 2011 – 30 june 2012exHibitioNs*

* Only major exhibitions are included in the table.


visitation since opening of exhibition

(until 30 june 2012)

visitation 1 july 2011 – 30 june 2012

title location exhibition dates visitors Days av visitors Days av

Built for the bush: the green architecture of rural Australia

National Archives of Australia – Canberra

3 Jun – 11 Sept 11 8,572 92 93 6,556 73 90

Eden Killer Whale Museum – Eden

17 Sept 11 – 13 Feb 12 21,238 149 143 21,238 149 143

Deniliquin Visitors Centre – Deniliquin

18 Feb – 15 Apr 12 1,199 58 21 1,199 58 21

Femme fatale: the female criminal

Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery – Launceston

25 Jun – 4 Sept 11 19,614 72 272 17,980 66 272

Orange Regional Gallery – Orange

19 Sept – 30 Oct 11 1,646 36 46 1,646 36 46

Liverpool Regional Museum – Liverpool

12 Nov 11 – 25 Mar 12 397 95 4 397 95 4

Museum of the Riverina – Wagga Wagga

31 Mar – 10 Jun 12 2,006 62 32 2,006 62 32

Meroogal Women's Arts Prize 2011–12: Made by hand

Shoalhaven City Arts Centre – Nowra

27 Aug – 20 Sept 11 1,332 17 78 1,332 17 78

Spiral Gallery – Bega 23 Sept – 13 Oct 11 472 18 26 472 18 26

Lady Denman Heritage Complex – Huskisson

1 Oct – 30 Oct 11 846 30 28 846 30 28

Sturt Gallery – Mittagong 12 Feb – 25 Mar 12 2,700 43 63 2,700 43 63

Smalltown Port Augusta Cultural Centre – Port Augusta

22 Jul – 20 Aug 11 294 27 11 294 27 11

Keith Institute – Keith 1 Sept – 31 Oct 11 175 51 3 175 51 3

National Archives of Australia – Canberra

2 Dec 11 – 12 Feb 12 5,691 72 79 5,691 72 79

Civic Centre – Gunnedah 3 Apr – 6 May 12 829 25 33 829 25 33

New England Regional Art Museum – Armidale

11 May – 5 Aug 12 3,810 47 81 3,810 47 81

totaL 70,821 67,171

traveLLiNg exHibitioNs

OUR Achievements


visitor breakDowN

2012 % DiffereNce* 2011 2010

Paid admissions

General public 155,234 -10% 172,096 154,232

Education 58,704 -2% 59,682 57,082

Public programs 13,480 -11% 15,078 22,659

Venue hire 69,022 -29% 97,279 98,931

Outreach 3,819 -67% 11,571 4,414

Outreach education (Connected Classrooms) 3,411 34% 2,543 552

Paid admissions total 303,670 -15% 358,249 337,870

free entry

Complimentary tickets 62,093 5% 58,918 67,002

Free public programs 1,531 -77% 6,608 8,023

Government House† 160,195 8% 147,966 153,861

Government House education 1,308 -8% 1,418 1,693

Other‡ 324,453 16% 280,095 260,584

Outreach free 468 – – –

free entry total 550,048 11% 495,005 491,163

travelling exhibitions

Built for the bush: the green architecture of rural Australia

28,993 – 8,569 9,814

Femme fatale: the female criminal 22,029 – 46,184 1,926

Smalltown 10,799 – 11,410 –

Meroogal Women's Arts Prize 2011–12: Made by hand 5,350 – – –

Meroogal Women's Arts Prize 2009–10: Books and the world of ideas

– – – 5,353

travelling exhibitions total 67,171 – 66,163 17,093

total (properties, exhibitions and activities) 920,889 – 919,417 846,126

grounds

Hyde Park Barracks Museum 381,059 23% 309,358 312,406

Museum of Sydney 700,346 -16% 829,294 789,081

Vaucluse House 74,420 8% 68,935 61,075

grounds total 1,155,825 -4% 1,207,587 1,162,562

gRanD tOtal 2,076,714 -2% 2,127,004 2,008,688

* Percentage difference from the previous year.† Includes house tours, vice-regal and grounds.‡ Includes site visits, internal bookings and events, cafes, shops, public sculptures, etc.


DigitaL eNgagemeNt

2012

Social media

Facebook interactions 2,343

Twitter interactions* 388

HHt content – videos

Vimeo downloads 77,344

YouTube downloads 1,978

Web activity

Website page views 1,808,801

Website visits 604,819

Ecommerce page views 291,518

Microsite/blogs page views 80,553

Collections 24,553

interactions total 2,892,297

eDucatioN program DeLivery*

stuDeNts by regioN 2012

City Portfolio

Primary schools 6,952

Secondary schools 10,299

government House & eastern Sydney Portfolio



Macquarie Street Portfolio



Meroogal & Western Sydney Portfolio


Secondary schools 608

Primary total 46,476

Secondary total 13,536

total 60,012

meDia coverage

2012 2011 2010 2009

Print and online 2,322 1,596 1,285 1,120

Radio* 114 111 235 212

Television 52 32 32 19

total 2,488 1,739 1,552 1,351

* Last year’s figure was incorrect.

outreacH

2012 2011 2010 2009

Paid admissions

Education (includes Connected Classrooms)

3,411 2,543 552 257

Members 879 1,121 1,533 1,211

Properties 38 546 2,255 2,053

Public programs* 631 7,239 626 5,278

Volunteers† 2,271 2,665 – –

Travelling exhibitions‡ 67,171 66,163 17,093 253,802

free admissions§ 468 – – –

grand total 74,869 80,277 22,059 262,601

* The increases in 2011 and 2009 reflect the biennual event Sydney Open.† In 2011 volunteer figures were separated from property figures.‡ Numbers vary according to number and type of exhibitions toured and

the size of the venue.§ Includes Endangered Houses Fund open days and visits.

* Interactions include likes, posts and sharing.

* Does not include Connected Classrooms.

OUR Achievements

Historic Houses trust annual report 2011–201222

travelling exhibitions

volunteers, Members and other programs

Built for the bush

Femme fatale

Meroogal Women's Arts Prize

Smalltown

Curator talks

Members' events

public programs

Volunteers

Wagga Wagga

Deniliquin Canberra

Eden

Bega

Nowra

Mittagong

Huskisson

Liverpool

Orange

Armidale

Gunnedah

Wagga Wagga

Moruya

Nowra Berry Moss Vale

Mt Wilson

Orange

Canberra

Helensburgh

Sussex Inlet

Greater sydney

australia

outreacH maps


OUR Achievements

Our properties

Vaucluse house, Vaucluse

elizabeth Bay house, elizabeth Bay

elizabeth farm, parramatta

Meroogal, nowra

rouse hill house & farm, rouse hill

rose seidler house, wahroonga

hyde park Barracks Museum, sydney

Justice & police Museum, sydney

Museum of sydney on the site of First Government House, sydney

Young street terraces, sydney

susannah place Museum, sydney

Government house, sydney

the Mint, sydney

former rouse hill public school, rouse hill

endanGered houses Fund

tusculum, sydney

exeter farm, Glenwood

Glenfield, Casula

nissen hut, Belmont north

Moruya presbyterian manse, Moruya

throsby park, Moss Vale

Beulah, appin

sydney cbd

Connected Classrooms

Aberdare

Aberdeen

Alstonville

Balranald

Bentley

Bibbenluke

Bulli

Captains Flat

Corowa

Cowra

Cullen Bullen

Dungog

Duranbah

East Ballina

Ettalong

Hill End

Greater sydney

Jamberoo

Kingscliff

Kotara south

Mathoura

Moruya

Mount austin

north nowra

nundle

o’Connel

orange

port Macquarie

scone

scotts head

sofala

tamworth

tullamore

uralla

Valentine

Yass

Yeoval

Yerong Creek

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