First Nations keeping places - a proposal

[The following is a letter to nobody promoting the idea of a South Coast keeping place]

 

I would like to raise with you the subject of keeping places; specifically a Shoalhaven keeping place. Based on my experience gained whilst working in the Illawara since the 1980s through to the end of the 2010 and knowledge of the archives, art gallery and museum (GLAM) environment, I have a few things to say.  

Now, to date these things have been very difficult to achieve it's mostly been land, councils working with local councils talking about such things, for example, development, or come up. Um, some artifacts some archaeological digs might take place at around that there's a collection of artifacts and these are often just End up with individual Aboriginal people in their garage in the backyard, whatever. 

So there's no rule. 

Care. Professional care of these artifacts of this material. There's no real access to the wider Community to these material. That could be just Um, Stone flakes. They could be part of implements. They could be secret and sacred or they could be just ordinary functional cultural heritage items. 

And so, as a result, In most of these areas, especially New South Wales from where I'm experiencing. There's no keeping places. Because councils haven't got the money, local. Land councils haven't got the money and politics might get in the way as they do in with local councils state governments. Don't have a plan for such things. They barely have enough money to run. Um, their n, their, their their, um, State-based art galleries and 

And museums, for example, 

So, 

This is sustainability, issue comes in because you have to have money. To have a professional. 

People take care of this material. 

Need to make curators. Um, 

Manages. Promotional people. Cultural people. All sorts of people. And it it just hasn't been happening. But I can see a possible way for 

So I'll just go off on a quick tangent here. Because, the way forward involves the use of Individuals. And perhaps the federal government has a context in which you can operate. 

The take, for example, um, 

The lady Denman Museum. Service Bay. A Jervis Bay is. Is associated with the act. So it's kind of like a federal part of New South Wales like camber is. So it has linked with the federal government in regards to funding. 

So, in the recent instance, where 

The Mary Carpenter breastplate came up the director of the museum. 

Was I understand it? Able to request. 

Up to 20,000 in order to purchase that order. So, to be able to do that relatively quickly. Just shows the potential. And of utilizing. These. Kind of environment. 

In which to Set up an operate and keep in place. 

Another aspect is. Just down the road from me between Harden and jugyeong. Is a private 10 million plus Building. That is both art gallery and Museum. It was built by a 

Swiss, I think Swiss Merchant Banker who happens to be married to a former Australian. Beauty queen, a former best Australia. 

And who has a lot of money. A lot of these money. Profit goes into. Building up art collections. As many of those super wealthy people, Do. 

We saw that with Alan bond for example. Who used his some of his money too with the support of his wife. To, um, or his girlfriend. Sorry. To acquire an incredibly important collection of Australian artworks, which eventually came into public ownership. 

So, the thing about this Museum art gallery, 

And their hardened and jugyeong? Is that it contains a collection of Australian indigenous artworks and to a lesser extent artifacts. The Collection has been compiled, I understand. By both the Merchant banker and these Australian wife. But also in collaboration with The National Gallery of Australia. So here you have a An instance of 

A a multi-millionaire, perhaps, even a billionaire. Who has a resources to Do this sort of thing. It is also has contact with the upper echelons of, of the Arts, um, Paternity and Australia. 

So, I was able to connect the connection with the National Gallery of Australia. The. 

To a lesser extent. The lady Denham museum has connection with the Australian Museum, which once again is In camber and kind of federal Association. So, What I suggest is because of the lack of Practicality of a local land Council or a local government body setting up and Staining a 

A keeping place at this point in time. Perhaps, what? Could happen is over the next for the next couple of decades until I point of sustainability for indigenous, communities is reached. 

A proposal is put forward to set up a 

Thou a South Coast keeping place. The reason I say South Coast rather than just shell Haven is because we could pull in things like, um, 

Artworks by Mickey of al-adalah, for example, So, in other words, we could 

Ideally, this would be my vision. Is that the lady Denman Museum would get a 

Donation of money from the merchant Banker. Maybe also money from the State local government, state and federal governments to build a Professional living place, which is basically like an art gallery Museum and art. Storage area. 

And that could be. 

Placed at Jervis Bay. 

And, 

Many professionally. By a a a a, a, a group of people, which would include both the non-indigenous and Indigenous community. Because there's no doubt that at present. 

The non-indigenous aspect is where all the money and all the power lies. Whereas the actual cultural power lies with the indigenous community, So, it have to be working together and as you and I know in order for it to be practical and sustainable. Um, And, you know, become a A tourist attraction and all those sorts of things that would help. It's a state of ability. Um, it needs to be as independent as possible and therefore, At this point in time related, Have some sort of association with Federal Government funding. Including state government funding. Not that, that is without any political issues, but it's a lot. 

Era. And more definable than if you just um part of run by local land councils where as you know there can be Um, lots of SoCal political issues. And um, in and especially Financial issues in in regards to the use of money because all of this has to be open and accountable. In order for it to be sustainable. That's just a fact. Now in the past, these sorts of things are just being run by white fellows And there hasn't really been any. Indigenous involvement. Well, times have changed. And, That non-indigenous involvement. So you've got material in in art galleries and museums local. History collections all over Australia. You've seen the result of that where you know things like broker's best place gets stolen and and there's other local areas where indigenous issues are just and the indigenous cultural heritage. It's just not. Not visible. It's just invisible basically. So, this This is a kind of model, where You could have a. 

Not necessarily just the national thing, but just as a, as, as as, as a preliminary thing, a, a shell Haven in South Coast, keeping place, Which would have people like yourself. Um, 

As part of a committee that helps to manage it. Now, the actual Day-to-day operation of it. 

Needs to be professionally run. Now, at the moment at the At the, um, lady Denman. You've got I'm assuming the staff there are. Professional. Um, Museum and art gallery. Curators. And then you've got an organization such as women that where you've got a lot of Indigenous people, especially women who are coming through the ranks and really coming to terms with managing, managing, big budgets, and organizations, and being open and accountable to The Wider community. Because, um, to be frank, these sorts of things. This is where, even though it might be a indigenous organization institution, it's also an Australian institution and that and so, therefore, if it's not open and accountable and subject to that open and accountability that we all So yeah, that's necessary in order to achieve sustainability. Um there's going to be problems there. So the politics have to be we moved from it. You can't have any individual, or any individual group. Controlling and it needs to be seen as more like a, this is an Australian right thing, even though it is a a regional um, keeping place. 

So if you know what I mean, I'm just saying there has to be rules and regulations. And in order so that it comes to pass. 

But that's That's just my thoughts that we could then. We get, we get the Swift Banker on board. We, we get, um, the lady Denman on board, we get them to Then um, 

Achieve funding to actually build a space, build a, a keeping place. Which is a mix of a A storage place in our an archives. That's still a, an art gallery and a museum. And the tourist attraction. 

So, that's a pretty big. Call a pretty big camper, but it would do with a lot of issues, it would deal with. 

Things such as the cuff over the breastplate. You know, you'd actually be able to have On display locally things, such as not, just the Mary Carpenter, but the Corresponding Bud, Billy her husband. Billy. Um, 

Carpenter. He's played as well. You'd be able to have. Works of art from the um Swiss Bankers Museum, you know to to fill out things. You better have. Local indigenous artifacts and materials. And Could be a play. 

For Education, talks, exhibitions, all of those sorts of things. The other thing could be is would be how to acquire material such as 

The 2 important Billy. Um Mickey of al-adalah paintings that are held by the northern Rivers art historical society and is they're just seeking to make money out of that. They have really no. 

No. Local attachment to these works. You saw some of these. Mickey Rella Works recently shown at London on. So, 

I think this is a good idea. I think it's a fact. 1 of those. 

Developing. 

1 of those Visionary ideas that 

As someone who has been. 

In these. 

Now. Say, 40 years. 

Worked in his. Through the law. 

I was chairperson of. The um, long art gallery. Um, Community Committee. I mean, you an archivist for 30 years or more. 

11:15 am

Be I put on exhibitions, I've come out of things as a politician. I've, I've dealt with the medium. I've been out there, 

All these. 

Not indigenous. 

Australia's indigenous cultural heritage is just invisible. Got those people. To this issue where people such as yourself and others of Good Good Will, and good. Meaning the way in very hard to try to. Break through this invisible. This wall of invisibility and