Annual Report 2012-2013

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A: C/- National Trust House, 95 William Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 T: 07 3223 6606 E: info@brisbanelivingheritage.org W: www.blhn.org ACN: 49 108 737 695

The Annual Report is an account of the financial and non-financial performance of Brisbane’s Living Heritage

Network.

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network welcomes feedback on this report and suggestions for improvement. We

encourage you to email any feedback you may have to info@brisbanelivingheritage.org.

Cover image: Diamantina Health Care Museum by Tim Nemeth Photography.

Other images: Page 12, Miegunyah House Museum collection item by Tim Nemeth Photography.

© Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network Ltd.

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Chair’s report 17 September 2013

As a first time Chair, I must first of all sincerely thank my fellow Board Directors: Ian Jempson, Lisa Jones,

Stewart Armstrong, David Gibson, John Wright, Nicole Schellback, Brittany Trubody and Deannah

Veith for not only generously volunteering their time, but for their guidance and encouragement during the last

12 months.

It has been both a busy and a successful year, and even the briefest glance over the network's achievements,

presented in this Annual Report, clearly reflects this. While I encourage you all to read through these

highlights, I would like to pay particular attention to two of these achievements. Firstly, our jointly organised

and hosted Milestones not millstones members’ seminar held in May in partnership with the National Trust

of Queensland. As an inaugural event, our expectations were exceeded, both in the willingness of the

speakers to be involved, and to volunteer their time, and by the interest and attendance of our members on the

day. Aspects of the feedback have already been incorporated into the programming for the SEQ Museums

Conference 2013 being held at the Mercy Heritage Centre in late October. Plans are also afoot to hold a

similar seminar for our members next year. Secondly, for me, the launch of our new website has been a

particularly rewarding process, though at times it was challenging for our Coordinator Natasha Lewis

Honeyman and Web designer Leisha Lawrence. I thank you both personally and on behalf of the network for

your patience and work on the website! We are now close to uploading our member profiles and in

combination with the new logo, colour scheme, layout and image focus, the network is being presented with a

new vibrancy to Brisbane tourists/visitors, locals, and the larger heritage community.

These achievements are made possible by the commitment of our network members, our Board Directors and

by the Brisbane City Council's ongoing and generous financial support to the network.

I thank again all who have contributed to making this year so productive and successful. In particular, my

sincere thanks and appreciation to Natasha our Coordinator for all her work in support of our network members

and directors.

Yours sincerely

Dr Katie McConnel

Chair

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network

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Contents

Chair’s report 4

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network 6

Sponsors and major partners 7

List of organisational members 8

Organisational structure 10

Highlights and achievements 11

Financial report 15

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Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network (BLHN) is a member-based organisation that aims to raise awareness

of Brisbane region’s many fantastic public museums, galleries and heritage places. As a network, we

share information about our member sites and encourage people to connect with and participate in

Brisbane region’s rich cultural heritage.

Since the establishment of BLHN by Brisbane City Council in 2001, the Cultural & Heritage Places of

Greater Brisbane guidebook and website continues to be a leading point of contact for information about

cultural heritage venues and history and heritage service organisations within the greater Brisbane region.

The initial spark of an idea to connect Brisbane’s small museums and heritage places within a larger

network to pool marketing efforts, has expanded to become a strong network that delivers quality

information publications, online collateral, member events, public information tours, and public seminars.

BLHN now acts as an umbrella network to almost 80 public museums, galleries and heritage places and

has become a central point of contact for members of the public to find out more about our member

organisations. This is achieved by listing our members on the www.blhn.org website, publishing and

distributing the Cultural & Heritage Places of Greater Brisbane guidebook and implementing innovative

marketing strategies.

Members’ sites add special chapters to the narrative of Brisbane’s story, whether through the telling and

retelling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait and Islander history, social history, visual art, architecture, religion,

medicine or science… As people increasingly become aware of the value of Brisbane’s cultural heritage,

and we continue to welcome new diverse cultures to our region, BLHN members reflect the living heritage

of the city and BLHN strives to promote their endeavours. As such, BLHN welcomes new members to the

organisation who are providing a public space or resources to tell Brisbane’s story, whether past or

present, even as Brisbane’s story continues to be written.

As always… the fun does begin when you explore Brisbane’s rich culture and heritage for yourself. So get

your copy of the Cultural & Heritage Places of Greater Brisbane guidebook and go exploring!

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Sponsors and partners

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network is proudly sponsored by Brisbane City Council.

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network gratefully acknowledges the partnership support received from National Trust of Queensland and Old Government House, Queensland University of Technology, in supporting the

2012-2013 member events, public programs, and operational support, and sharing their volunteers and interns.

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network appreciatively acknowledges the support received by: organisational members in supporting representatives on the volunteer Board of Directors and delivering the annual public cultural heritage tours program; Christ Church Community Precinct Milton hosting the End of Year Members’

Function in December 2012, and Mercy Heritage Centre hosting the Annual General Meeting 2012 in September 2012.

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List of organisational members Member organisation Membership type

2nd/14th LH Regiment (QMI) Museum Institutional

Albert Street Uniting Church (Wesley Mission Brisbane) Institutional

All Saint's Church Institutional

ANZAC Square War Memorial (Brisbane City Council) Institutional

Army Museum South Queensland (Formerly Victoria Barracks Museum) Institutional

Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha (Brisbane City Council) Institutional

Brisbane City Hall (Brisbane City Council) Institutional Brisbane Tramway Museum Institutional

Brookfield District Museum Institutional

Cathedral of St. Stephen Institutional

Christ Church Community Precinct Milton Institutional

City Botanic Gardens (Brisbane City Council) Institutional

Commissariat Store (RHSQ) Institutional

Diamantina Healthcare Museum Institutional

Embroiderers' Guild Queensland Institutional

Enoggera & Districts Historical Society Institutional

Fort Lytton National Park (DNP,R,S&R) Institutional

Freemasons Ann St Memorial Centre Institutional Friends of Balmoral Cemetery Inc Institutional

Friends of Toowong Cemetery Institutional

Girl Guides Museum (QLD) Institutional

John Oxley Library (State Library Queensland) Institutional

MacArthur Museum Brisbane Institutional

Mater Archives Institutional

Mercy Heritage Centre Institutional

Miegunyah House Museum (QWHA) Institutional

Museum of Brisbane Institutional

Museum of Radio (4MBS Radio) Institutional

Newstead House Institutional Nundah & Districts Historical Society Institutional

Nursing Museum RWBH (The Royal Brisbane Hospitals Nurses Association) Institutional

Old Government House (QUT) Institutional

Old Tote Racing Museum & Archive Institutional

Queensland Ambulance Museum Institutional

Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art Institutional

Queensland Maritime Museum Institutional

Queensland Military Memorial Museum (Victoria Barracks Historical Society) Brisbane Institutional

Queensland Museum & Science Centre, South Bank Institutional

Queensland Parliament House Institutional

Queensland Police Museum Institutional Queensland State Archives Institutional

RAR National Memorial Walk Institutional

RD Milns Antiquities Museum Institutional

Sandgate & District Historical Society & Museum Institutional

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Member organisation Membership type

St Andrew's Uniting Church Institutional

St Helena Island National Park (DNP,R,S&R) Institutional

St John's Cathedral Institutional

Telstra Museum Brisbane (Telecommunications Historical Society of QLD) Institutional

The University of Queensland Art Museum Institutional

Tingalpa Pioneers' Chapel & Cemetery Institutional

Tony Gould Gallery (QPAC Museum) Institutional

UQ Anthropology Museum Institutional UQ Customs House Institutional

UQ Fryer Library Institutional

UQ Marks-Hirschfeld Museum Institutional

UQ Physics Museum Institutional

Windsor and Districts Historical Society Institutional

Wolston House (National Trust of Queensland) Institutional

Bribie Island Seaside Museum Associate

Brisbane History Group Associate

Caboolture Historical Village Associate

Friends of Peel Island Associate Logan Art Gallery (Logan City Council) Associate

Logan City Historical Museum Society Associate

Mayes Cottage (Logan City Council) Associate

North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum Associate

Oral History Assoc of Australia (QLD) Associate

Ormiston House (Historic) Associate

Pine Rivers Heritage Museum Associate

RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre Associate

Redcliffe Museum & Historical Society Associate

Redland Art Gallery Associate

Redland Museum Associate Rosewood Scrub Historical Society Associate

Samford District Historical Museum Society Inc Associate

The Workshops Rail Museum (Queensland Museum) Associate

Wynnum Manly Historical Society Associate

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network welcomes new organisational members;

All Saint's Church (Institutional Member)

RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre (Associate Member)

Samford District Historical Museum Society Inc (Associate Member).

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network regretfully announces the recently discontinued membership of the following organisations;

Eagle Farm Aviation Society (discontinued funding)

Fire Brigades Historical Society Queensland (change in strategic direction)

Ipswich Art Gallery (change in strategic direction)

Musgrave Park Cultural Centre (discontinued funding)

QUT Art Museums (change in strategic direction).

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network also acknowledges the support of Individual Members.

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Organisational structure

Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network’s Board of Directors and Employee/s

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Highlights and achievements Marketing, promotions and communications

Launching a new website with smart phone functionality in the lead up to end of financial year.

Promoting member sites and events through www.blhn.org.

A new Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network brand.

Implementing a social media strategy including the use of Facebook and Twitter. Brisbane’s Living

Heritage Network now has 151 individual ‘likes’ on Facebook and 48 ‘followers’ on Twitter.

Using social media to promote member events, cultural heritage events across the region, and to

build a connected community of culture and heritage interested online users.

Representing BLHN members at a Brisbane City Council showcase for the Local Government

Association Queensland’s annual conference in October 2012. Key member representatives attending

and promoting their own organisations as well as representing BLHN.

Distributing a monthly e-bulletin to members and a BLHN Friend’s network, promoting

organisational member events, opportunities for members to engage with BLHN activities, and listing

relevant member and sector news.

Distributing 72,000 copies of the Cultural & Heritage Places of Greater Brisbane guidebook that

promotes member sites to local residents and visitors to the region. The 2010 edition of the guidebook

is sent to Brisbane visitor information centres, public offices, libraries, popular hotels and caravan parks

and member sites. Plans for the publication of a new edition are underway.

Member events and opportunities

A successful Annual General Meeting 2012 in September 2012 at the Mercy Heritage Centre.

Receiving 43 reservations from member representatives, funding representatives from Brisbane City

Council, and welcoming Cr Vicki Howard, Councillor for Central Ward, and Helen Pithie, Museum

Development Officer for South East Queensland to present to the meeting.

Hosting a successful End of Year Members Function in December 2012 at the Christ Church

Community Precinct Milton with an attendance of 63 member representatives, funding representatives

from Brisbane City Council, and Cr Vicki Howard, Councillor for Central Ward, and Cr Norm Wyndham,

Councillor for McDowall Ward.

Hosting a successful seminar session on 10 May 2013 for our members and the public, titled,

Milestones not millstones. Delivering the seminar session in partnership with National Trust of

Queensland as part of the annual National Trust Heritage Festival and hosted by Old Government

House. Exceeding anticipated attendance, with seating capacity filled with approximately 50 guests.

Receiving acknowledgement and support from key dignitaries addressing the meeting: Cr Amanda

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Cooper, Chair for Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment and Councillor for Bracken

Ridge Ward; Stephen Sheaffe, President of the National Trust of Queensland. Receiving positive

feedback from guests, with 89% of guests surveyed being more than satisfied with the overall event.

Implementing a Members’ Photography Pilot Project in collaboration with Tim Nemeth Photography.

This project was open for expressions of interest from Institutional Members during the 2012-2013

financial period. Supporting six member organisations with photographic documentation to support their

marketing efforts and extend BLHNs standard of promotional stock images for promoting the network

brand online and in marketing materials.

Sharing opportunities with member representatives to participate in free and paid professional

development workshops, seminars, and training opportunities, in the monthly e-bulletin.

Partnerships and connections

Working with the National Trust of Queensland and Old Government House to deliver the

Milestones not millstones seminar event.

Connecting emerging curators from The Fashion Archives with BLHN member organisations with

textile and fashion collections in their project collaboration with the State Library of Queensland.

Coordinating opportunities for member representatives to participate in free professional development

training workshops offered by the State Library of Queensland and Museum and Gallery Services

Queensland.

Continuing our public referral and information service for our members by referring on public

enquiries to our members and responding to general queries about cultural heritage resources.

BLHN extends special thanks to our interns and volunteers, Rachel Kite and Anna Temby, who have

assisted with the Milestones not millstones seminar event and the National Trust of Queensland

exchange students’ from Japan, Tomoko Kakimoto and Mariko Toshima, for their contribution to

office administration tasks. We are also grateful for the assistance of Lise den Brok for her

communications support on member profiles for the new website.

BLHN thanks our web designer Leisha Lawrence, our graphic designer Angelina Martinez, and

Liveworm Design Studios, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, for their design support on the

South East Queensland Museums Conference 2013 promotional material.

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Annual public program (cultural heritage tours)

Collaborating with member organisations and members of our Board of Directors and Tours Sub-

committee to offer a quality annual public program of cultural heritage tours featuring six tours for up to

135 participants within the past financial year.

Collaborations between July 2012 and June 2013

o Ian Jempson, Queensland Maritime Museum – July 2012

o David Gibson, Talking History with David Gibson – August 2012

o Brittany Trubody, MacArthur Museum Brisbane – August 2012

o Lisa Jones, Queensland Police Museum – September 2012

o Jessica Dowdell, RD Milns Antiquities Museum – April 2013

o Jane Willcock and Chris, UQ Anthropology Museum – April 2013

o Professor Norman Heckenberg, UQ Physics Museum – April 2013

o Hilda Maclean, Friends of Toowong Cemetery – May 2013

o Jan Veacock, Christ Church Community Precinct Milton – May 2013

o David Gibson, Old Tote Racing Museum & Archive – June 2013

Collaborations between July 2013 and December 2013 (outside reporting dates)

o Ian Jempson, Queensland Maritime Museum – July 2013

o David Gibson, Old Tote Racing Museum & Archive – August 2013

o Daley Donnelly, St Helena Island National Park (DNP,R,S&R) – October 2013

o Blair Allsopp, Brisbane Greeter – November 2013

10 tours selected from across BLHNs 2012 and 2013 annual program for Brisbane City Council’s

Active & Healthy Program, Growing Old and Living Dangerously.

Increasing the audience of cultural heritage tours within the Brisbane City Council metropolitan

area by maintaining the quality of service and diversity of tours offered through the Growing Old

and Living Dangerously program.

Improving the quality and promotion of the annual cultural heritage tours program to the point that the

majority of tours on the 2013 program are being booked out weeks in advance.

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Financial report 2012/2013

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