South Australian Museum

TheSouth Australian Museumis anatural history museumand research institution inAdelaide,South Australia,founded in 1856 and owned by theGovernment of South Australia.It occupies a complex of buildings onNorth Terracein the cultural precinct of theAdelaide Parklands.Plans are under way to move much of itsAustralian Aboriginal culturalcollection (the largest in the world), into a new National Gallery for Aboriginal Art and Cultures.

South Australian Museum

The South Australian Museum, viewed fromAdelaide's cultural boulevard,North Terrace.
Former name	South Australian Institute
Established	1856
Location	Adelaide,South Australia
Type	Natural history
Collection size	4.84 million objects
Visitors	1.1 million
Director	Dr David Gaimster
Owner	Government of South Australia
Employees	<90fte,>200 volunteers, students and Honoraries
Website	www.samuseum.sa.gov.au

The Mortlock Library, part of theState Library of South Australia,forms the west side of the courtyard at the front of the South Australian Museum

South Australian Museum

History

19th century

Further information:State Library of South Australia § 19th century,andMechanics' Institutes of Australia

There had been earlier attempts at setting upmechanics' institutesin the colony, but they struggled to find buildings which could hold their library collections and provide spaces for lectures and entertainments. In 1856, the colonial government promised support for all institutes, in the form of provision the first government-funded purpose-built cultural institution building.The South Australian Institute, incorporating a public library and a museum, was established in 1861in the rented premises of the Library and Mechanics' Institute inKing William Streetwhile awaiting construction of the Institute building on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue.

In June 1856 theSouth Australian Legislative Councilpassed Act No. 16 of 1855–6, theSouth Australian Institute Act(An Act to establish and incorporate an Institution to be called the South Australian Institute),which incorporated theSouth Australian Instituteunder the control of aBoard of Governors,to whose ownership all materials belonging to the old Library and Mechanics' Institute was immediately transferred. The Act provided for a library and a museum as part of the new organisation.

Frederick George Waterhouseoffered his services as curator of the South Australian Institute Museum in June 1859 in an honorary capacity. When the Institute building was completed, the Board appointed him as the first curator, a position he held until his retirement in February 1882. He was succeeded byWilhelm Haacke,who in January 1883 recommended the South Australian Institute Museum be renamed the South Australian Museum (which did not happen then), and the position of Curator be changed to Director. Haacke was appointed the first Director,but only held the position until he resigned in October 1884 after a series of disputes with the Museum's management

20th century

TheMuseum Act (1939)gave the South Australian Museum autonomy from theArt GalleryandLibrary,and the South Australian Institute Museum was officially renamed the South Australian Museum.This legislation was superseded by theSouth Australian Museum Act (1976).At some point between 1996 and 2002, the Museum became part ofArts SA.

In 1997, championed by state Arts MinisterDiana Laidlaw,the SA Museum was funded to develop its ground floor Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery.

21st century

14 Pieces,based on the forms ofichthyosaurvertebrae.

The following decade,Mike Rann,Premier and Arts Minister from 2002 to 2011, funded the redevelopment of the Pacific Cultures Gallery and the development of the South Australian Biodiversity Gallery.

In October 2005, a piece of public art incorporating water,14 Pieces,situated on the forecourt of the museum, was officially unveiled by the Premier. Created by artistsAngela and Hossein Valamaneshand commissioned by theCity of Adelaide,it replaced theLavington Bonythonfountain that had occupied the site from 1965. Its form is based on thevertebraeof an extinctmarine reptile,theichthyosaur.

Management and governance

Statutory obligations and board

The official role of the museum, as per the 2017/8 annual report, is:

...the conservation, study and appreciation of nature and culture for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations. The Museum's exhibitions, collections, programs and science research activities contribute to global understanding of human cultures and the natural world as well as supporting life-long learning in the community.

Its vision is to "...use [its] world-class collections to create and share new knowledge, focusing on Australian Aboriginal and Pacific cultures, Earth and Life Sciences".

As astatutory corporation,management of the museum is prescribed under theSouth Australian Museum Act 1976andstateandfederalgovernment regulations. The museum was a division ofArts South Australia(previously Arts SA) within theDepartment of State Developmentuntil 2018.After the election of theMarshall governmentin March 2018, the Arts Ministry was removed, Arts SA was dismantled, and its functions were transferred to direct oversight by theDepartment of the Premier and Cabinet.The board of eight people appointed by the Minister oversees the management of the Museum.

In 2011 Premier Mike Rann appointed formerAdelaide Lord Mayorand Education MinisterJane Lomax-Smithas chair of the museum board.

In November 2020 Kim Cheater was appointed chair of the board.

Following the shelving of the2024 restructure plans,Cheater resigned and Robert Saint took over as presiding officer.

Management team

Brian Oldman was appointed director of the museum in December 2013.

In March 2023,David Gaimsterwas appointed director,with the role being termedCEOas of May 2024.

Planned restructure (2024)

In February 2024, CEO David Gaimster announced a "reimagining" of the museum, to make it into a more relevant contemporary experience for visitors. However the restructure would entail abolishing 27 research and collections positions, replacing them with 22 new jobs of lower classification. After a public outcry as well as concern expressed by museum staff, including a protest atParliament Housein Adelaide, PremierPeter Malinauskasintervened and in late April launched a review panel to examine the plan. He said that both the previous government and his government had made cuts to the museum's budget.On 14 April 2024, volunteers, staff, and supporters of the museum demonstrated at theParliament of South Australiain protest over a planned restructuring of staff that entailed the abolition of 27 positions in its research and collections department and their replacement by 22 lower-paid roles. The Public Service Unionas well as major donors voiced their concerns about the proposed restructure, and a former museum scientist said that she did not think that the review committee understood the contributions made by scientists to the museum, including important research.On 28 August 2024, Deputy Opposition leaderJohn Gardnerhanded a petition to Parliament with over 10,000 signatories with concerns over the restructuring.

On 19 September 2024 PremierPeter Malinauskasannounced that on the basis of the parliamentary review recommendations, the proposed restructure would not go ahead, and that a new strategic plan would be developed through collaborative consultative process. Kim Cheater resigned as chair, with Robert Saint taking over as presiding officer.There would be "no functional or structural changes...to the museum's research and collection priorities and business models". The museum was called upon to work with local and regional universities to develop sustainable research and funding models for the museum, and the state government will provide the museum with AU$4.1 million over two years to develop the new strategic plan.

New Aboriginal cultural centre

As of 2019the South Australian government was committed to splitting the museum, retaining a natural history museum on its existing site and creating a new gallery forAboriginal artandcultureon the site of the oldRoyal Adelaide Hospital,now known asLot Fourteen.In early 2019 a consultation process was begun, involving the state government, the Museum, theArt Gallery of South Australia,theState Library,Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute,and South Australia's Aboriginal communities, in particular theKaurna.

An update on the Lot Fourteen gallery was announced by PremierSteven Marshallin February 2020, with a scheduled completion date of 2023.However, the plans have been revisited since the change of state government in 2023, and a decision on the Tarrkarri Aboriginal centre has been postponed until 2024, as the state government underPeter Malinauskassearches for philanthropic funding. After an initial cost estimate of $200m, a government-appointed panel led byKen Wyattand includingBob CarrandAustralian Reserve Bankboard memberCarolyn Hewson,recommended in April 2023 that between $400 million to $600 million should be spent on the project in order to make Tarrkarri an internationally significant centre.

Collections

The museum houses over four million objects and specimens. Permanent galleries include:

• Ancient Egypt
• Australian Aboriginal Cultures
• Australian Polar Collection
• EdiacaranFossils
• Megafauna
• Minerals and Meteorites
• OpalFossils, includinggembones
• Pacific Cultures
• South AustralianBiodiversity
• Whales and Dolphins
• World Mammals

Indigenous artefacts collection

The museum contains the most significant collection ofAustralian Aboriginal culturalartefacts in the world,housing about 30,000 objects.This collection, along with several others in the museum, is being digitised, with many images and a great deal of data about each item now available for online browsing.

In 2016, a private benefactor, Margaret DavyAM,provided funding for a new position for an Indigenous curator for five years, which she requested be named in honour of her late husband, William Geary. This position is known as The William and Margaret Geary Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and Material Culture, with the first appointee being Glenn Iseger-Pilkington, aWadjarri,NhandaandNyoongarman fromWestern Australiawith a background in art curating.This was the first time in the history of the museum that a lead curatorial role had been designated for an Indigenous person, and it is hoped that the collection will be developed in a way informed by Indigenous voices and worldview, and also help to make it, in the words of Iseger-Pilkington, "more relevant and accessible to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities".

The museum holds the biggest collection of carvings byArrernteartist andanthropological interpreterErlikilyika,also known as Jim Kite, who lived at the tiny and remote European settlement atCharlotte Waters telegraph station.It also holds a boundsketchbookof 24 pencil drawings of native trees, created during the Spencer and Gillen expedition and bought byHerbert Basedowbefore being acquired by the Museum, as well as photographs of "Jimmy Kite" and other related materials.

Repatriation of human remains

For general article, seeRepatriation and reburial of human remains.

A new museum policy has committed to the repatriation of returning the ancestral remains of about 4600 Old People, currently held in storage at the museum, to Country. Some of the remains now being returned from overseas institutions were "collected" by men like former Museum DirectorEdward C. Stirling,University of AdelaideProfessorArchibald Watsonand physician and city coronerWilliam Ramsay Smith(who also bought remains stolen from burial grounds atHindmarsh Island). However these numbers are small when compared with the vast majority of the remains, which were disturbed byland clearing,construction projects or members of the public.

An Aboriginal heritage and repatriation manager, Anna Russo, was appointed in 2018 as part of a wider restructure to make repatriation and Aboriginal agency a priority for the museum.Kaurnaelder Jeffrey Newchurch had been lobbying the museum for years, and SAM Head of Humanities John Carty said the Museum was one of the last cultural institutions in Australia to return ownership and management of ancestral remains to Aboriginal people.

On 1 August 2019, the remains of 11 Kaurna people were laid to rest at a ceremony led by Newchurch atKingston ParkCoastal Reserve. Carty said the museum was "passionate" about working with the Kaurna people to repatriate their ancestors, and would also be helping to educate the community about what it means to Aboriginal people. The Museum continues to receive further remains, and together with the community would need to find a good solution to accommodate the many remains of Old People, such as a memorial park.

Notable exhibitions

• Waterhouse Art Prize exhibitions.The annualWaterhouse Natural Science Art Prize,the richest prize for natural science art in Australia and named after the museum's first curator, has been awarded in most years since 2003.Exhibitions of the work submitted for the prizes are held at the Museum.
• Traversing Antarctica: the Australian Experience(December 2013 – March 2014). Rare artefacts and displays highlighting the scientific, historical, and cultural legacy of Australia's interactions with Antarctica.
• Shimmer(October–November 2015). A collaborative exhibition with betweenJamFactory,the South Australian Museum andTarnanthi,a national event held annually by theArt Gallery of South Australiato showcase Indigenous art and culture.
• Ngurra:Home in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands(October 2017 – January 2018)Ngurrais a word with complex connotations, meaning home, country, camp, birthplace and belonging. Showed the creativity and ingenuity of theNgaanyatjarrapeople of Western Australia in all aspects of their life and art.Curated by Glenn Iseger-Pilkington.
• "Yurtu Ardla"(March–June 2019).Yurtu Ardlameans wood in the Nukunu andAdnyamathanhalanguages. The exhibition, curated by Jared Thomas, is a continuation of the Ku Arts workshop series in 2015, which consisted of carving camps by Nukunu (of the SouthernFlinders Ranges) and Adnyamathanha (of the Northern Flinders andGammonRanges) and which revitalised the Nukunu carving practices. Before this exhibition, there were fewer than 20 known Nukunu objects held by the Museum, mostly made by Nukunu man Paddy Thompson and acquired by anthropologistNorman Tindalein the 1920s.The specially commissionedpiti(coolamon),thiparra(shields),wadna(boomerangs),yakadi(walking sticks) andwirri(clubs) have added to the historic items to illustrate the continuation of the tradition. Roy Coulthard is a third-generation carver in his family, who visits schools to share his knowledge. With this exhibition, SAM is adopting the practice of naming artists and identifying works for their individual artistry rather than their ethnic identity.

People associated with the Museum

Historical

• Edgar Ravenswood Waite,zoologist,ichthyologist,herpetologist,andornithologist,Director of the SA Museum 1914–1928.
• Amandus Heinrich Christian Zietz,zoologist, assistant director of the SA Museum 1900–1910.
• Sir Douglas Mawson,Antarctic explorer,geologistand academic, Honorary Curator of Minerals at SA Museum 1907–1958, and Chair of the Museum Board of Governors 1951–1958.

Contemporary

• Philip Jones,senior curator, historian and award-winning author
• Jared Thomas,Nukunuman and award-winningchildren's fictionauthor, playwright and poet,is the William and Margaret Geary Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and Material Culture (from May 2018 and as of April 2019). He is also Ambassador of theIndigenous Literacy Foundation,member of the Australia Council for the Arts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy Panel.

Partnerships and corporate sponsorships

Partnerships and sponsorships help the museum facilitate events, conduct research and develop exhibits.

Public sector partners have included theUniversity of Adelaide,University of South Australia,Flinders University,theBotanic Gardens of South Australia,CSIROandSARDI.The museum also collaborates with national and international universities.

Corporate partners have included theAdelaide Festival,theAdelaide Festival of Ideas,theAdelaide Film Festival,Australian Geographic,BHP,Beach Energy,NewmontandSantos

Gallery

Opal fossils at the South Australian Museum

• 
  Precious opal replacing calcite of bivalve shells,
  fromCoober Pedy
• 
  Precious opal replacingIchthyosaurbackbone
• 
  Display panel for theopalisedAddymanPlesiosaurfossil fromAndamooka
• 
  Display of theopalisedAddymanPlesiosaurfossil fromAndamooka
• 
  Rear view of theopalisedAddymanPlesiosaurfossil fromAndamooka

See also

• List of museums in South Australia

Further reading

• Hancock, Joelie (2021)."South Australian Institute".Institutes of South Australia.

External links

• Official website