Hadnutt, Nick, and Mate, Geraldine (2020) Characterising the Queensland Museum historical archaeology collection: fostering engagement through partnerships. Australasian Historical Archaeology, 38. pp. 58-67.

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Abstract

Queensland Museum is custodian of a growing and significant historical archaeology collection, acquired over recent decades and originating solely within Queensland. Recent curatorial work produced a summary of the collection identifying key themes, assemblages and cultural significance. This data was collated into a collection summary document and used to strategically inform management of the Museum’s historical archaeology collection. This process of characterising the collection revealed collection gaps including under-representation of key themes and chronological periods within Queensland’s development. The characterisation also highlighted issues commonly identified in literature as a ‘curation crisis’, including storage pressures, issues of accessibility, and an ongoing lack of engagement with the collection by curators, researchers and the broader community. This paper outlines the collection summary project and details strategic activities designed to alleviate the crisis as it manifests at the Queensland Museum.

Item ID:	67131
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1322-9214
Keywords:	historical archaeology; museums; collections management
Date Deposited:	12 Mar 2021 01:36
FoR Codes:	43 HISTORY, HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 4301 Archaeology > 430107 Historical archaeology (incl. industrial archaeology) @ 70% 43 HISTORY, HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 4302 Heritage, archive and museum studies > 430202 Critical heritage, museum and archive studies @ 30%
SEO Codes:	22 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES > 2203 Information services > 220304 Museum and gallery collections @ 50% 13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1307 Understanding past societies > 130703 Understanding Australia’s past @ 50%
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