59 community-led organisations have received a 2023 Community Heritage Grant. Recipients include Australian Red Cross Heritage Archives, Woolmers Foundation, Broken Hill Historical Society, Australian Sugar Industry Museum, The Ration Shed Museum, Buda Historic Home & Garden, the Callaway Centre and many others.
Constance Thurley-Hart, Assistant Archivist from the Australian Red Cross, said: ‘Australian Red Cross Heritage Archives are delighted to receive this grant, and we are grateful for the CHG program partners for their support of our project. This grant represents an important first step to enable us to get a more comprehensive understanding of our film collection and its conservation needs and sets us on the path to digitising this collection and enabling us to share it with the Australian public.’
The Australian Red Cross was established at the outbreak of the First World War and by 1945 was the largest charitable organisation in the country. The Heritage Archives was established in the 1990s to care for a diverse collection including over 700 films dating from 1948 to early 21st century. The films include short educational features, training, live event footage and fundraising promotions.
Dr Marie-Louise Ayres, Director-General of the National Library of Australia, said: ‘This year, we have awarded funding of $459,987 to 59 community projects to help staff and volunteers assess their collections or to assist with preservation activities. We are delighted that the program continues to provide practical support and build professional skills within organisations.’
Since the Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program began in 1994, more than 1,650 projects have received grants totalling over $8.9 million, helping to preserve significant Australian community history and heritage for future generations.
CHG is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts; National Library of Australia; National Archives of Australia; National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and National Museum of Australia.
New South Wales
| Organisation | Project Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Adaminaby Snowy Scheme Collection Inc | Significance Assessment of the Adaminaby Snowy Scheme Museum Collection | $6,260 |
| Assyrian Australian Association | Significance Assessment of the Ashurbanipal Library of the Assyrian Australian Association | $5,658 |
| Australian Jewish Historical Society | Digitisation of Audio Reels and Audio Cassettes | $8,865 |
| Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division | ARHS Archive Storage Project | $11,950 |
| Bathurst District Historical Society Inc | Significance Assessment of the Textile Collection of the Bathurst District Historical Society | $6,807 |
| Blacktown City Council | Garage Graphix Collection Management and Conservation activities | $18,132 |
| Braidwood and District Historical Society | Collection Conservation Project | $13,448 |
| Broken Hill Historical Society | The Next Big Step: Preservation Needs Assessment of the Broken Hill’s Silverton Gaol and Synagogue Museum Collections | $10,104 |
| City of Canada Bay Libraries | Significance Assessment of Canada Bay Local Studies Collection | $5,500 |
| Forbes and District Historical Society Inc | Significance Assessment of the Paul and Hettie Wenz Collection | $6,670 |
| Goulburn Mulwaree Council | Significance Assessment of the Rocky Hill War Memorial Museum Collection | $5,500 |
| Hawkesbury Library Service | Significance Assessment of the Local Studies Collection, Hawkesbury Library Service | $6,404 |
| National Trust of Australia NSW – Bedervale | Conservation and Preservation of the Bedervale Collection | $9,267 |
| National Trust of Australia NSW – Miss Porters House | Miss Porter’s House Conservation and Collection Management Activities | $18,182 |
| Royal Flying Doctor Service (Australia South Eastern Section) | Significance Assessment of RFDS Broken Hill Collection | $8,114 |
| Sea Heritage Foundation Pty Ltd | Significance Assessment of the MV Cape Don Archive | $6,280 |
| Society of Australian Genealogists | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Society of Australian Genealogists Archives | $5,500 |
Victoria
| Organisation | Project Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Jazz Archive Inc | Preserving Australia’s Rich Cultural Jazz Heritage | $4,174 |
| Australian Racing Museum Ltd | Disaster Response and Recovery Workshop | $3,768 |
| Australian Red Cross Society (Heritage Archives) | Significance Assessment of the Australian Red Cross Heritage Archives Film Collection | $5,500 |
| Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute | Significance Assessment of the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute Collection | $5,500 |
| Benalla Art Gallery | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Benalla Art Gallery Collection | $5,900 |
| Buda Castlemaine Inc | Significance Assessment of Buda Historic Home and Garden Collection | $7,053 |
| Castlemaine Art Museum | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Art Collection | $5,500 |
| City of Boroondara | Enhanced storage of the Town Hall Gallery Collection store rooms and Conservation Treatment of Collection items | $3,140 |
| Duldig Gallery Inc | Conservation of items from the Singapore Collection | $1,460 |
| Emerald and District Museum | Digitisation of the Nobelius Ledgers and Catalogues | $7,087 |
| Ethnic Community Broadcasting Association of Victoria Ltd | Significance Assessment of the 3ZZZ Collection | $5,500 |
| Jewish Library of Australia Ltd | Significance Assessment of Community Ephemera Collection | $5,500 |
| Kew Historical Society Inc | Significance Assessment of the Henty Family Collection | $5,500 |
| Lions Club of Lake Boga Inc (Flying Boat Museum) | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Flying Boat Museum Collection | $4,524 |
| Royal Historical Society of Victoria | Preservation Needs Assessment of the RHSV Photography and Postcard Collection | $5,000 |
| Trafalgar Holden Museum | Environmental conditions enhancements for Trafalgar Holden Museum | $17,045 |
| Ukrainian Museum of Australia | Significance Assessment of the Ukrainian Museum of Australia | $5,500 |
Queensland
| Organisation | Project Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Sugar Industry Museum | Significance Assessment of the Australian Sugar Industry Museum (ASIM) Collection | $4,922 |
| Bundaberg Regional Council (Hinkler Hall of Aviation) | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Hinkler Hall of Aviation Memorabilia Trust Collection | $6,900 |
| Cherbourg Historical Cultural and Community Precinct group | Broadening access to the Ration Shed Collection, Rehousing and Recording | $14,086 |
| Cloncurry and District Historical and Museum Society Inc | Significance Assessment of the Conclurry and District Historical and Museum Society Archives | $8,660 |
| Mount Isa City Library | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Mount Isa City Library Historical Collection | $7,036 |
| Museum and Gallery Services Queensland Ltd | Collections Skills Development Workshop Program | $13,720 |
| Outback Gondwana Foundation Ltd | Upgrade Collection Management System – Eromanga Natural History Museum | $18,040 |
| Queensland Braille Writing Association (Braille House) | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Queensland Braille Writing Association (Braille House) Collection | $5,500 |
| Queensland Maritime Museum Association | Preservation Needs Assessment of Queensland Maritime Museum’s Artefacts and Artworks Storage Rooms | $5,000 |
| Royal Geographical Society of Queensland Ltd | Conservation and Collection Management Activities | $6,555 |
| Royal Historical Society of Queensland | Collection Storage and Environmental Control | $17,820 |
Western Australia
| Organisation | Project Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Callaway Centre | Significance Assessment of the Phonograph Cylinder Collection | $5,500 |
| Northam Army Camp Heritage Association Inc | NACHA Mosaic Training Workshop | $6,548 |
| Northcliffe Pioneer Museum Inc | Mosaic Training for new NPM Volunteers | $1,964 |
South Australia
| Organisation | Project Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Flinders Palaeontology | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Flinders University Palaeontology Collection | $6,700 |
| Hahndorf Academy Foundation Inc | Significance Assessment of the Hahndorf Academy Collection | $5,500 |
| Lutheran Archives | Digitisation of Parish, Congregation and Mission Registers | $18,182 |
| National Railway Museum Inc | Preservation Needs Assessment of the National Railway Museum | $5,500 |
Tasmania
| Organisation | Project Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Woolmers Foundation Inc | Preservation Needs Assessment of Woolmers Estate Convict and Colonial Collections | $5,928 |
Australian Capital Territory
| Organisation | Project Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Academy of Science | Fenner Archives Digitisation, Preservation and Access project | $9,245 |
| Australian National Museum of Education | Digitisation of the Australian National Museum of Education Ephemera Collection | $6,840 |
| Fire Brigade Historical Society of the ACT | Collection Management Software Subscription | $2,080 |
| Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra Inc | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Father Brian Maher Collection | $5,500 |
| Manning Clark House Inc | Preservation of Art and Paper-based works at Manning Clark House | $13,780 |
Northern Territory
| Organisation | Project Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Ngurratjuta/Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal Corporation | Preservation Needs Assessment of the Ngurratjuta Art Collection | $8,189 |
