Introduction

Purpose

The Policy sets out Council's commitment to, and the key principles for, the development, management, preservation, access and de-accessioning / disposal of the City of Greater Geelong's Art and Heritage Collection (the Collection) in alignment with Australian and internationally recognised museum practice standard

Scope

This Policy applies to all art, heritage and cultural objects (tangible and intangible) offered to, received by, commissioned by, purchased by, that are or might become, part of the City of Greater Geelong art, heritage and cultural collections. These include, but may not be limited to

• Geelong Indoor Collection – incorporating four distinct sub-collections:
  • Council Art and Heritage Collection (CAC)
  • Geelong Naval and Maritime Collection (GNM)
  • Old Geelong Gaol Collection (GGC)
  • National Wool Museum Collection (NWM)
• Geelong Outdoor Collection (GOC) – incorporating three distinct sub-collections:
  • Outdoor Artefacts Collection
  • Outdoor Artefacts Collection
  • Public Art Collection

This Policy applies to the Council, City employees, consultants, contractors and volunteers.
 

Definitions

The following definitions apply to this Policy:

Policy

Council acknowledges its role as caretakers of the Collection, a significant public inheritance of materials managed on behalf of the community. Council recognises its responsibility for governance and administration, physical preservation and ethical decision-making in relation to the Collection.

Council is committed to the ongoing preservation, care, growth of and access to its art, heritage and cultural collections in line with the Council adopted Greater Geelong: A Clever and Creative Future, Our Heritage Our Collection Report, the Municipal Heritage Strategy, the Arts and Cultural Strategy and the National Wool Museum 30 Year Future Vision.

Council and the City are committed to informed professional collections management practices and guidelines aligned with the International Convention of Museums (ICOM) Code of Ethics, National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries and the Victorian Museum Accreditation Standards.

1. Principles
   1. The following internationally recognised art, heritage and cultural principles underpin this Policy:
      1. The Collection shall include important holdings of art and heritage with themes relating to key aspects of Geelong's contemporary and historic character.
      2. The Collection shall reflect the 60,000-year histories, cultures and stories of the Geelong region, representing the ongoing presence, knowledges and living cultures of First Peoples, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners.
      3. The Collection shall recognise all voices and experiences including those of marginalised groups and peoples.
      4. This Policy shall align to, or with, First Peoples / Indigenous rights documents and cultural safety protocols regarding collection, storage and handling of, as well as access to and interpretation of, First People's cultural material – tangible or intangible.
      5. The legal and ethical obligations of art, heritage and cultural collections management are: sound governance, health, safety and protection, rights including copyright, moral, cultural and privacy rights, protection of culture and heritage, regular auditing, external valuation and significance assessments.
      6. Council commits to thoroughly documenting and authenticating the origin and/or history of the material to the highest standards, including documenting its chain of ownership.
      7. Council commits to supporting the needs of the Collection to facilitate planning, care, management and access.
      8. Council commits to understanding the full significance of the Collection and its key objects.
      9. Council understands that managing the Collection shall be undertaken with consideration for sustainability. Choices about materials, acquisition, storage, display, access, de-accession and disposal will be considered for their impact on the environment, resources, fiscal responsibility and community well-being.
      10. The City may, at its discretion and upon written agreement, loan items to a third party for public display. The borrower must demonstrate that they are able to appropriately secure, display and care for the item in question including consideration of environmental conditions.
2. Acquisition
   1. Objects may be added to the Collection by purchase, commission, donation, bequest and/or by gift through the Commonwealth Taxation Incentives – Cultural Gifts Program.
   2. The acquisition of objects into public collections is a process that must be carried out in a transparent manner as implemented through the Collections Management Guidelines and in accordance with internationally recognised art, heritage and cultural principles.
3. De-accessioning and disposal
   1. Objects may from time to time be de-accessioned from the Collection. The proposed removal of an item from the Collection will be considered against pre-determined assessment criteria by designated staff and / or persons with expertise in relation to the item proposed.
   2. De-accessioning and disposal are sensitive issues for public collections and the process must be carried out in a transparent manner as implemented through the Collections Management Guidelines and in accordance with internationally recognised art, heritage and cultural principles.
4. Assessment and evaluation
   1. The City will commission or carry out regular assessments and evaluations that will inform this Policy. These may include asset audits, significance assessments and financial evaluations, additionally when and where appropriate, independent assessments are to be commissioned for the Collection.
5. Action plans
   1. Where appropriate separate plans may also be developed by responsible Council Officers to guide or improve certain aspects of the Collection.

Implementation of this Policy

Implementation framework

This Policy shall be implemented by the Community Programs and Venues Department through the National Wool Museum and through the Collections Management Guidelines.

Monitoring and reporting

The National Wool Museum is responsible for monitoring, implementing and reporting on this Policy. Significant activities related to the Collection will be published periodically on:

• The Geelong Australia website www.geelongaustralia.com.au ; and
• Geelong Heritage Collections online collection www.geelongheritagecollections.com.au

Advice and assistance

The Community Programs and Venues Department and National Wool Museum are responsible for implementing and managing this Policy.

The Arts and Heritage Collections Officer provides advice related to this Policy and aligned Management Guidelines.

A person who is uncertain how to comply with this policy should seek advice from this person or from their Manager.

Records

The City must retain records associated with this Policy and its implementation in accordance with its Records Information Management Policy
 

Review

This Art and Heritage Collection Policy will be reviewed and, if necessary, amended every four years.
 

References

Other Documents

• Records Information Management Policy
• Arts and Cultural Strategy 2021 - 2031 and 4-Year Action Plan 2021-2025
• National Wool Museum 30 Year Future Vision (2022)
• Our Heritage, Our Collection: Strategic Report on the Use and Management of the City of Greater Geelong's Heritage Collection (2020)
• UNESCO - ICOM (International Council of Museums) Code of Ethics for Museums
• Gifts and Hospitality Management Policy