The preservation of Australian cultural heritage received a major uplift today, with the Braidwood & District Historical Society in Eden-Monaro awarded a share of $4,500, under the Australian Government’s Community Heritage Grants program.
The program provides grants of up to $15,000 to community organisations such as libraries, archives, museums, galleries, genealogical and historical societies, multicultural and Indigenous groups, to assist with the preservation of locally owned, but nationally significant collections of materials that are publicly accessible.
Senator for New South Wales Jim Molan said “the funding was a boost for local organisations working tirelessly to preserve Australia’s cultural heritage, including artwork, artefacts, letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and audiovisual material.”
“I am pleased to announce this funding will support the Braidwood & District Historical Society organisations in Eden-Monaro to conserve and display unique local objects for today’s audiences and future generations,” Senator Molan said.
“This project is to engage the services of a professional consultant to identify specific items requiring preservation and to establish a priority listing within each category. This will enable the Society to concentrate its resources on those items requiring preservation and in the order of priority.”
“You can’t put a value on our cultural heritage, but this funding will mean that staff and volunteers in Eden-Monaro can continue their vital preservation works, which means the world to them and their entire community.”
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP said the grants were an important part of the Government’s commitment to safeguarding Australian’s national story.
“Cultural heritage can provide a sense of unity and belonging for Australians and allows us to better understand previous generations and the history of where we come from,” Minister Fletcher said.
“Our funding of $395,000 across 61 projects this year will enable more regional and community organisations to care for and manage their own collections, so they can be made available to the public.
“I am pleased to see the diversity of both the communities and organisations that have been awarded grants, which will help protect collections ranging from Papunya Tula boards from central Australia
to a collection of artefacts from Luna Park.”
Launching this year are a series of online workshops and tutorials to assist grant recipients, which have replaced the annual on-site event at the National Library of Australia. The online resources will assist recipients to prepare significance assessments of their collections and provide useful tips and insights.
“These new online resources will give grant participants the information needed to care for the incredible collections that tell so many parts of our Australian story,” Minister Fletcher said.
“These grants are about building community and regional capability so that nationally significant cultural heritage materials and collections, spread across Australia, can be enjoyed for generations to come.”
The program is funded by the Australian Government and managed by the National Library of Australia, with support provided by the National Archives of Australia; the National Film and Sound Archive; and the National Museum of Australia.
The Australian Government has provided almost $7.7 million in grants to community organisations throughout Australia over the past 27 years to support nationally significant collections, managed by community organisations, for the benefit of all Australians.