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The Standards Review Committee plays a pivotal role in the delivery of Museums & Galleries NSW Standards Review Program. This key activity of M&G NSW provides a strategic opportunity for museums to recognise their achievements, improve their practice and to develop community confidence in their activities. This structured program supports museums through a process of self and external review that will facilitate the museum’s ability to develop and attract community support.
Members of the Standards Review Committee are selected for their capacity to represent the diversity of the museum sector and museum networks. All members of the committee are very familiar with the day-to-day operations of the small to medium museums that the Standards Review Program targets.
Standards Review Committee members
Louise Douglas
Associate, Centre for Historical Research, National Museum of Australia
Louise has worked in cultural heritage for more than 30 years and has recently retired as the National Museum of Australia’s Assistant Director, Audience, Programs and Partnerships.
Initially working as a research and oral historian for the Bicentennial History Project, Louise joined the Powerhouse Museum in 1984 and coordinated the delivery of five social history exhibitions for the Museum’s opening in 1988. In 1994 she became part of the executive management team which opened the National Museum’s new building in 2001. She has been active in Australia’s professional museum association for many years and has published in the areas of oral history, cultural heritage and popular culture.
Louise is currently working on a doctorate at the Australian National University exploring Australian representation at international exhibitions from 1851-1939 and is part of the Museums Australia-ACT team developing the national conference to be held in Canberra in 2013.
Louise’s message to new Standards Participants:
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my time in museums has been working with regional museums through a range of outreach programs. Participating in the Standards Program gives me a chance to support the important work undertaken by regional museums and I’m very much looking to forward to meeting you.
Susan Hutchinson
Former Director, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery
Susan Hutchinson has been involved with Museums for the past 20 years. Her museum career started as a volunteer at the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium in Townsville, where she later became Manager of Visitor Service and Volunteers. While at the Aquarium she was involved in organising a National Conference for Volunteers in the Heritage, Arts and Environment.
In 1999 she moved to Sydney and took up the position of Director of Fairfield City Museum and Gallery where she worked until her retirement in late 2008. While in this position she worked with the diverse community in Fairfield to develop the Museum and Gallery into an organization that reflected and involved the local community. The work done at Fairfield City Museum and Gallery was recognized through winning two NSW Local Government Cultural Awards – the Infrastructure Management Award in 2005 and the project award in 2007 for the exhibition Bodgies, Westies and Homies. Susan was a member of the ArtsNSW Museum Board for two years. Her main area of interest within the museum field is audience development and community engagement ensuring sustainability of local museums into the future.
Susan’s Message to new Standards Participants:
Welcome to the Museum’s Standards Program for 2012. I am sure that you will find it a very worthwhile process to help you understand your museum and set goals for the future. Enjoy your involvement and the resources available to you.
Tamara Lavrencic
Former Collections Manager, Historic Houses Trust of NSW
Tamara has held various roles within the museum sector including Collections Manager for the Historic Houses Trust of NSW, Preservation Consultant with Conservation Access at the State Library of NSW, Manager of Preservation Services at the State Library of Queensland and positions as conservator at both the Queensland Art Gallery and State Archives.
Tamara has been an assessor for the Community Heritage Grants since 1995 and serves on the Curatorial Advisory Committee of the National Trust NSW.
She is a Professional Member of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials and brings a wealth of museum and collections management expertise to the Standards Review Committee. Tamara joined the Standards Review Committee in 2004.
Tamara’s message to new Standards participants:
I am delighted to be involved in the Standards Program once again and look forward to meeting with you later in the year. I hope that you find the experience as rewarding as I have. During the time that I’ve been involved with this program, I’ve been continually surprised at the amount of energy that the review process stimulates in the participating museums and at the results achieved with limited resources and unlimited dedication.
Sam Malloy
Manager, Chifley Home Bathurst
Sam is currently the Coordinator of Chifley Home, the home of Prime Minister Ben Chifley and his wife, Elizabeth, which is owned by Bathurst Regional Council. He is also the Coordinator of the recently opened Chifley Home Education Centre.
For 13 years he was the Manager of Miss Traill’s House and Garden, a National Trust property in Bathurst. Sam’s interest in house museums and community heritage has inspired diverse projects, including oral history research, volunteer training programs, exhibitions, and specialised lectures and public programs. He has an Associate Diploma in Local Museum Studies with Merit from the University of Sydney and has a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Deakin University - currently he is studying for a Master of Cultural Heritage [Hons] at Deakin University.
Sam’s message to new Standards Participants:
I always look forward with much enthusiasm to working with all those involved in the Standards Program. I have been involved with regional and city based museums as a volunteer and a paid staff-member since my teenage years. I am constantly amazed at the diverse collections that Australia has to offer and the sincere love and dedication of those who care and present these collections for others to be inspired by and enjoy.
Ellie McFadyen
Ellie McFadyen has worked in Australian museums for the last 25 years. She was a conservator at the Powerhouse Museum, The Australian Museum, The National Museum of Australia, and the National Archives of Australia. Her main focus was exhibitions and preventive conservation.
Ellie has also been a presenter at Working Spaces for the last three years. She retired from full time work three years ago. Ellie has always enjoyed working with regional museums and she has recently begun working as a volunteer at the Queanbeyan Museum.
Ellie, since retiring, has done more travelling through rural Australia and particularly enjoys visiting local museums. She has a very good appreciation of the efforts that country people have taken to tell their stories and preserve the heritage of their region.
Ellie’s message to new Standards Participants:
I enjoy providing support and encouragement to regional museums. I look forward to working with the wide variety of interesting people active in regional museums. I intend that my efforts will support your ability to preserve the heritage and tell the stories of your people and your region.
Kerrie Ruth
Queanbeyan Museum
Kerrie’s biggest passion is the Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum Society, which operates Queanbeyan Museum in partnership with Queanbeyan City Council. She is keen on developing interesting events and raising the profile of the Museum, and also works hard on Collection Management issues, in partnership with Council, with a storage building completed and Collection Management Workroom almost completed.
Kerrie was awarded a QCC Heritage Award for Outstanding Contribution to Heritage for her achievements at the Museum. This includes strategic development and acquiring funds for museum development.
After completing a BA in History and Political Science with Honours in Australian History from ANU, Kerrie obtained a Graduate Diploma in Information Management, Archives Administration, from the University of NSW. She is a member of the QCC Cultural Development Council and the QCC Public Art Advisory Board.
Kerrie’s message to new Standards Participants:
Our Museum participated in the M&G NSW Standards Program last year. Don’t be afraid of the word "standards" - the program is not a pass or fail and there is a huge amount of supporting documentation to assist you. Also, your friendly M&G NSW staff are extremely well organised! It is a good way to get you thinking outside the box and maybe get you kick started on thinking about possible projects for your museum and how you might obtain some funding to assist you with these projects.
Myfanwy Thompson
Curator, Old Courthouse Museum Batemans Bay
Myf is a practicing oral historian with an Associate Diploma in Local and Applied History (UNE).
A member of the Clyde River & Batemans Bay Historical Society, Myf is a committee member and curator of the heritage-listed Old Courthouse Museum which completed the Standards Program in 2011.
Myf’s message to new Standards Participants:
I consider myself a ‘coalface’ representative on the Standards Committee, as I work with a small, self-funded and voluntary group, which has just started to embrace new technologies and ways of engaging with our audience. I fully appreciate the challenges facing similar organisations - often on a ‘shoe string’. Although we are a coastal community, our reliance on tourism reflects the experience of the Riverina. I consider it a privilege to be involved in the development of its diverse and invaluable cultural resources.
