The Museum’s collection management, research, exhibitions and programs aim to achieve the outcome of increasing awareness and understanding of Australia’s history and culture. The Museum does this by:
- conducting activities to ensure it has a relevant and high quality collection of objects and associated material. This includes maintaining the collection in appropriate condition, and ensuring it is available to be used in exhibitions and other programs
- conducting activities that allow visitors to access objects in the collection, or information about objects and Australian history and cultures, through the provision of exhibitions and programs in Australia and overseas
- undertaking research to enhance awareness of Australian history and cultures, and maintaining a print and web publishing program for the public.
The annual PBS specify performance measures for the Museum for acquisitions, storage of the National Historical Collection, conservation treatments, documentation of the collection, access to the collection and visitor satisfaction levels.