Who’s involved
The Migration Heritage Centre in collaboration with Lambing Flat Museum (Young), with assistance from the Museums and Galleries NSW.
When and where
Project location: Young, southern NSW
Project status: Completed project
Date of completion: July 2003
Project description
A Museums Adviser was hired to work with the Museum’s volunteers to produce an exhibition on six local people/ families from migrant and refugee backgrounds who have contributed to industry and business in Young and surrounds. This exhibition has strengthened the existing core display on the Lambing Flats anti-Chinese riots. The riots are an important historical moment and the precursor to the introduction of the ‘White Australia Policy’ in 1901.
The Museum’s volunteers were involved in every stage of the project, working with the Adviser, Ron Gilchrist. They formed working groups covering a number of areas, including: photograph/ object selection; oral history; and selection of exhibition subjects. As far as possible, the project engaged local businesses as suppliers and encouraged local businesses to sponsor and promote the exhibition.
The project also supported the Museum’s ongoing activities by running a workshop, ‘Selling Ourselves’ which covered publicity, attracting new audiences and applying for funding. At the end of the project, the Museum was provided with an Action Plan for future activities.
What did the project achieve?
Real Stories: Migrating for Work:
encouraged a small, volunteer-run, rural-based museum to engage with local migrant and refugee communities;
generated awareness amongst the Museum volunteers and visitors about the significant migration histories of the area; and
addressed a number of issues such as applying for funding, publicity, attracting new audiences, collections management, conservation, handling and storage of objects and enhance skills in these areas.
Real Stories is a cultureworks project, an initiative of the Migration Heritage Centre.
Project contact
John Petersen – Manager
Migration Heritage Centre
Phone +61 2 9217 0625
Fax +61 2 9217 0628
Email johnp@phm.gov.au
Address:
PO Box K346
Haymarket NSW 1238
AUSTRALIA
Website
www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au
