Representatives from the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum have been able to voice their concerns about the museum’s future to a NSW Parliamentary committee looking into the state’s museums and art galleries.
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LSAFM’s custodian Donna White and secretary Kerry Guerin attended a special hearing of the committee held in Katoomba last Friday.
Mr Guerin was happy to be invited to the hearing and said the museum didn’t just want to represent itself but all the other small, regional community museums that haven’t had a chance to be heard.
“We were extremely privileged to be there in the first place and that they [committee members] came and visited our museum.”
Before the hearing in Katoomba all but one of the committee visited LSAFM.
Members of NSW’s Legislative Council make up the committee with Robert Borsak from The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party the committee chair, David Shoebridge (Greens) deputy chair, and Scott Farlow (Liberal), Shayne Mallard (Liberal) Shaoquett Moselmane (Labor) Walt Secord (Labor) and Ben Franklin (Nationals) the other members.
From social media and Mr Guerin’s comments the members all responded positively to the visit.
Mr Shoebridge did confuse some in the gun lobby with his support of the LSAFM with many attacks on his Facebook page after he posted about the visit.
The committee may have been happy to share their experiences after the event but were very hush hush beforehand about their visit to Lithgow that also included a tour of the State Mine Museum.
The parliamentary committee terms of reference are to inquire into and report on the performance or effectiveness of the NSW Government agencies responsible for the organisation, structure and funding of museums and galleries in New South Wales.
Currently the Art Gallery of NSW wants $450 million for an extension with more than $1 billion the potential cost of moving the Powerhouse Museum.
Kylie Winkworth, a museum and heritage consultant and former Powerhouse Museum trustee, said the funding of museums in NSW is based on trickle-down economics. More than 300 community museums managed by volunteers make do with funding from Museums and Galleries NSW that in 2014-15 totalled $85,000, according to Winkworth.
"The result is [a] cultural ghetto of poverty and entrenched disadvantage."
