We are pleased to announce that through History SA’s Community Museums Program (CMP) grant fund 29 projects have been supported for 2016, totalling $148,177.
History SA received 43 applications from 29 museums in the 2015-16 CMP annual grant round which closed on 15 September.
The majority of projects funded were for new or stage two interpretive projects, for example, for the South Australian Police Society Museum’s display to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the introduction of women police in South Australia; the City of Holdfast Bay’s upgrade to the exhibition in the historic Glenelg Air Raid Shelter and to assist the recently registered Mary Mackillop Museum’s to develop their new displays. There were also a number of cataloguing projects such as at Lock & Districts Heritage Museum and Crystal Brook Heritage Centre; as well as funding to build new storerooms or shelving and equipment. Barossa Museum, for example, will be able to purchase a new fire proof safe for their significant documents and collection items; Beachport Museum’s volunteers will benefit by the purchase of lifting and moving equipment while Hahndorf Academy purchase and install new storage shelving. Both Cobdogla Irrigation & Steam Museum and Prospect Hill Historical Museum will be able to create their new storerooms. Digitising projects were also popular and History SA will be funding scanning equipment for the South Australian Aviation Museum and Port Pirie Museum and we look forward to Ayers House Museum’s proposed new Mobile Digital room guide with CMP funding support. Two History Festival bus tours will also go ahead in May as a result of CMP funding for Brinkworth Historical Reserve Museum and Gawler National Trust Museum.
We have also enabled two organisations this year to take advantage of our professional services along with funding to assist their proposed projects. We will assist both Mount Gambier National Trust and newly registered Port Milang Historic Railway Museum to develop interpretation plans and establish firm foundations for the years ahead.