Regional Services Program

The Powerhouse Museum’s Regional Outreach Program is supporting cultural heritage organisations across New South Wales to record, preserve and display their collections for the benefit of regional communities. Organisations and individuals with a specific project are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for support through Regional Internships, the Movable Heritage Fellowship, and the Professional Advice and Project Assistance program.

Project Assistance
Professional Advice and Project Assistance is available across all the collection areas and other areas of museum practice such as developing exhibitions, museum learning, publishing, security and marketing. Note, if a site visit is arranged then a fee to cover costs incurred may apply.

pdf Project Assistance Guidelines (PDF document)
pdf Project Assistance Application form (PDF Document)
pdf Project Assistance Application form (WORD document)

Regional Internships
The Powerhouse Museum Regional Internships provide training and development opportunities for regional and rural cultural heritage workers. Placements are for up to four weeks and interns can apply for financial assistance (maximum of $750 per week) towards their accommodation and travel costs. Small groups working on projects are also encouraged to apply.

NEW in 2012 the program will be offered in three parts:

  • Collection management (3 day course March 2012)
  • Interpretation and exhibition development (3 day course May 2012)
  • Project-based internship with assistance and ongoing mentoring from Powerhouse Museum staff (timing and location to be negotiated on an individual basis)

Read 2011 intern Marsha Rennie’s blog of her experience

pdf Regional Internship Guidelines (PDF document)
pdf Regional Internship Application form (PDF Document)
pdf Regional Internship Application form (WORD document)

Powerhouse Museum Movable Heritage Fellowship
Movable heritage is a term used to define any natural or manufactured object of heritage significance. A tertiary student enrolled in a course relevant to the research and documentation of an aspect of the movable heritage of NSW, is annually awarded the Fellowship to undertake a research project on an object or group of objects in a NSW community museum, historical society or other collecting institution. The student will receive $5,000 and spend a minimum of one week at the Powerhouse Museum working with a supervisor.

The project outcome will depend on the student’s interests. For example, in the Albury Regional Museum there is a small collection of objects relating to two Chinese market gardening families in the town. Students could: write a background paper on the history of market gardening in Albury as told through these objects and include significance statements for some of these objects; having researched the objects and their significance in Albury history, write a radio play based around the experiences of Chinese market gardeners in the district; or develop an activity for primary aged school children using these objects.

Read 2010 intern Carly Todhunter’s blog of her experience

pdf Movable Heritage Fellowship Guidelines (PDF document)
pdf Movable Heritage Fellowship form (PDF Document)
pdf Movable Heritage Fellowship form (WORD document)

Further information and how to apply
Applications for 2012 Project Assistance close 2 September 2011.
Applications for 2012 Regional Internships close 2 September 2011.
Applications for the 2012 Movable Heritage Fellowship close 3 February 2012.

Successful 2012 program recipients
There will be 20 organisations involved in the 2012 program with ten organisations benefitting from professional advice, workshops and site visits by Powerhouse Museum staff and staff and volunteers from eleven organisations receiving internships. Congratulations to all those listed below:    

Professional Advice and Project Assistance 

  • Doreen Lyon, The Oaks Historical Society,
  • Jean Hegarty, Wauchope Historical Society
  • Graham Hinton, Lady Denman Heritage Complex
  • Ruth Walker, Gerringong and District Historical Society
  • Libby Newell, Tenterfield Shire Council
  • Yvonne Hutton, Parkes and District Historical Society
  • Barrie Brennan Australian Country Music Foundation Museum
  • Myfanwy Thompson, Clyde River and Batemans Bay Historical Society 

Workshops

  • Alison Russell, Orange City Council,
  • Christine Adams, Broken Hill Migrant Heritage Committee

Internship

  • Catherine Farry, Broken Hill City Council, education and public programs
  • Susan Nicholls, Gulgong Historical Society Inc., textile conservation
  • Marie Gorrie, Gulgong Historical Society Inc., textile conservation
  • Michael Brogan, Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place, public programs and holiday workshops
  • Albury Library Museum, for four Albury City Council Staff, museum storage
  • Julie Keogh, Lady Denman Heritage Complex, collection management
  • Jane Davies, Lady Denman Heritage Complex, collection management
  • Kent Mayo, Uralla Historical Society, exhibition design and interpretation
  • Gay Hendriksen, Parramatta Heritage Centre, collection management
  • Jane Gardiner, Alstonville Plateau Historical Society Inc, exhibition development
  • Genevieve Mott, Museum of the Riverina, collection management
  • Margaret Clark, Manning Valley Historical Society, collection management
  • Leanne Wicks, Kandos Bicentennial Museum, exhibitions and public programming

Movable Heritage Fellowship

2012 applications now open (see guidelines and application form above) closing 3 February 2012.

In 2011 there were two successful applicants.

Sally Inchbold, enrolled in Masters of Museums Studies University of Sydney, research project with the Tamworth Powerstation Museum steam collection. (Powerhouse Museum 2011 Movable Heritage Fellow) see blog post

Claire Baddeley, enrolled in Phd University of Canberra, research project with the Lady Denman Museum and Heritage Complex whaling collections (Australian National Maritime Museum Movable Heritage Fellow).