Sponsorship and development
Donations
During the reporting year, the Museum received over $120,000 in cash donations and pledges to the National Museum of Australia Fund supporting the acquisition, conservation and exhibition of the National Historical Collection. The Museum has established a growing donor base on which to build regular giving, major gift and bequests programs. The Museum continues to build a community of interest around the Royal Daimler Project, which and development Donations During the reporting year, the Museum received over $120,000 in cash donations and pledges to the National Museum of Australia Fund supporting the acquisition, conservation and exhibition of the National Historical Collection. The Museum has established a growing donor base on which to build regular giving, major gift and bequests programs.
The Museum continues to build a community of interest around the Royal Daimler Project, which supports the conservation of the 1948 Daimler used by Queen Elizabeth II in the 1954 royal tour of Australia. Over 150 individuals are currently following the conservation project and have contributed $24,000 to the vehicle’s restoration.
Grants
In 2012–13 the Museum received over $900,000 in government and philanthropic grant funding supporting a range of key projects. These include:
- $576,000 from the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and CSIRO to support the CSIRO/Museum collaborative Museum Robot Project
- $35,000 from the Office for the Arts to support travelling exhibitions
- $25,000 from the Gordon Darling Foundation for the publication of a book featuring 200 paintings from the National Museum of Australia’s extensive barks collection. This publication will support the Museum’s planned December 2013 exhibition, Old Masters: Australia’s Great Bark Artists
- $20,000 from the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities for the development of an Indigenous photographic exhibition, On Country: Connect, Work, Celebrate.
Corporate support
The Museum has received a range of services valued at over $500,000 during the period. Companies that have contributed to this include:
ADS Solutions
Bearcage Productions
Botanics on Jardine
Capital Wines
Crowne Plaza Canberra
Foxtel: History Channel
Qantas
Virgin Australia
Merchandising and retail
Retail operations
Merchandising and retail operations raise revenue for the Museum and enhance visitor experiences by providing merchandise that is largely inspired by the Museum’s exhibitions, programs and its unique building. In 2012–13 average retail sales were 25 per cent above budget, which was 17 per cent above the previous year and the highest ever achieved.
The Museum Shop successfully leveraged commercial opportunities from the 2012–13 exhibitions program, with temporary exhibition shops operating for Travelling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World and Glorious Days: Australia 1913. The Glorious Days shop was themed around vintage nostalgia and proved very popular with exhibition visitors. The Museum Shop continued to support the travelling exhibition Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route by providing merchandise that features artworks from the exhibition to host venues.
A review of retail operations also took place during this year, with recommendations that will see the business develop a five-year strategic plan to include business development, enhanced technology and improved processes and customer service.