Monday, 2nd November 2015
New Norcia Wins Community Heritage Grant
New Norcia has been awarded a $12,727 federal Community Heritage Grant to fund custom-made storage furniture for the collection of historic Spanish Vestments.
The grant was announced at the National Library of Australia in Canberra on 27 October, 2015.
This year, grants worth $438,710 have been distributed to 75 community groups and organisations from around Australia to assist in the identification and preservation of community owned but nationally significant heritage collections. The grant will complement the capital works achieved at New Norcia in renovating a suite of rooms to house the items, and will realise design consultation with WA art touring company Art-on-the-Move for unique, archival furniture and work tables.
Museum Collections manager Marina Baker said the grant was important in supporting the effort to preserve the significant textiles cared for by Museum and Art Gallery of New Norcia.
“While the grant provides the funds, the custom-made furniture will enable the relocation, consolidation, and protection of these rare textiles, some dating from 1640.
In this way our unique heritage will be accessed for conservation, appreciation and research in an appropriate regional setting.”
Director-General of the National Library of Australia, Ms Anne-Marie Schwirtlich, said the CHG program showed the commitment by the National Library, along with its partner institutions and the Federal Government, in encouraging communities to care for the nation’s heritage, be it in small country towns or capital cities.
CHG is managed by the National Library. It is funded by the Australian Government through the Ministry for the Arts; the National Archives of Australia; the National Film and Sound Archive; the National Museum of Australia and the National Library.
Media contacts: Lucy Nicholson communications@newnorcia.com.au