Audio on demand

The history of the Springfield collection, more than 2000 objects from a major rural property near Sydney, is outlined by registrar Carol Cooper. She explores the remarkable family who cared for it and the Museum’s work to make this collection available.

Curator Guy Hansen traces the history of the National Museum’s National Historical Collection. He argues that the collection is eclectic – that there is no single story but many stories, with various collectors bringing different perspectives.

Collections and Content General Manager Mathew Trinca outlines the National Museum of Australia’s Collections Development Plan, designed to support collecting efforts for five years.

Historian Ian McShane analyses social history as museum theme and practice from 1981 to 2000.

Historian Angela Philp explores Aboriginal art and culture, and the tensions between aesthetics, history and politics that have been critical in the institutional histories of the National Museum of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia.

Sylvia Schaffarczyk reconstructs the history of the Official Papuan collection at the National Museum of Australia and examines Australian collecting in Papua during a key period in the development of anthropology and Australia’s colonial interests.