16 January 2021
A grant from the Territory Labor Government will enable the preservation of ancient Aboriginal artefacts from Madjebebe, an important cultural site at the base of the Arnhem Land plateau.
Jabiru-based Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation has received $19,000 for the project through the Regional Museum Support grants – part of the 2021-22 NT Arts and Culture Grants Program.
The Gundjeihmi Corporation, which represents the Mirarr people, will create a safe, secure, climate-controlled storage solution at Jabiru.
The funding will go towards secure shelving systems, a professional cataloguing system and training for the care of objects dating back many thousands of years that belong to the Mirarr People, who are the traditional custodians of the culturally and archaeologically significant Madjedbebe site.
The Regional Museums Support grants provide funding to regional museums, keeping places and community art galleries for activities that preserve, collect and display, collection and display the unique NT cultural heritage.
Nine successful applicants will share funding of $217,194 including:
Hermannsburg Historic Precinct, managed by FRM Services Ltd, was awarded $50,000 for the ‘The Hermannsburg Historic Precinct Art and Portable Objects Collection: Management Guidelines, Training and Workshop Gallery Brief’ project to preserve and manage its collections and provide training and mentorship to Western Arrernte people in preventative conservation;Ali Curung-based Arlpwe Artists Aboriginal Corporation was awarded $20,362 for the ‘Arlpwe Art and Cultural Centre Museum and Keeping Place Revitalisation’ project to create a high-quality cultural experience for visitors, community members and Traditional Custodians by upgrading key spaces in the Art and Culture Centre; andThe Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation in Maningrida was awarded $35,740 for the ‘Djomi Museum Upgrade’ project to enhance the Djomi Museum visitor experience by providing an audio option alongside the new visual interpretative signage, improving accessibility. In addition, installing new de-humidifiers and tester will protect the valuable cultural collection.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Chansey Paech:
“These grants will help to safeguard and showcase the Northern Territory’s unique history, including some of the world’s oldest artefacts.
“The Territory Labor Government supports our regional museums because they house rare and valuable collections from our past, including cultural objects that traverse many thousands of years through to items that epitomise our colonial era and more modern history.”
