History and Heritage

An Acknowledgement of Country is a statement that pays respect to the Traditional Custodians of the Country that you are learning or meeting on and recognises their ongoing relationship with Country. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the Custodians of the land on which the Museum stands.

Which First Nations Country or Nation was your school built upon? If you are unsure contact a local First Nations organisation to find out. You might like to start with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group.

Ask your students to write an Acknowledgement of Country for your school. To get them started, read more about why an Acknowledgement of Country is important and how to write one in this ABC article.

Create a museum exhibition that explores the history and heritage of your class, the people within it and the unique stories they have to tell.

Objects in museums hold both historical and heritage value. The historical value refers to the objects ability to provide evidence about the past, and from this, museums are able to create stories to pass on to the visitor. The objects heritage speaks to its significance to future generations, determining the need to preserve it.

1. Choose an object to include in the exhibition
The object you choose should hold historical significance for you, and something that you think deserves to be saved if anyone was to write a history of your life. This could be a photograph, a letter, a childhood toy, etc.

2. Historical questions
Answer the following historical questions to understand the object:
- Where did this come from?
- What was it used for?
- Who has owned it?
- Why is it important?
- When was it made or acquired?

This may require asking people who may know more about the object or researching similar objects to gain a better understanding of it.

3. Develop your museum text

Introductory panel
Museum exhibitions have an introductory text panel that describes the intention of the whole exhibition. As a class discuss what this exhibition will be about and create a 200-word paragraph that introduces your exhibition to visitors.

Object labels
Labels share information about what is on display. Write a label that includes the:
- name of the object
- the date it was made or acquired (if known)
- a brief description of the object
- the object's story, this is where you can explore its history and heritage.

Remember, this object is telling YOUR story!

4. Launch your exhibition

Place your objects and labels around the classroom and begin exploring their heritage and the historical stories they tell about your classmates.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a global organisation that establishes professional and ethical standards for the museum sector. Since 1946, it has provided a definition for museums, however it has changed numerous times since then.

Read the following ICOM definitions and answer the questions.

Musuem Definitions

1946: The word 'museum' includes all collections, open to the public, of artistic, technical, scientific, historical or archaeological material, including zoos and botanical gardens, but excluding libraries, except in so far as they maintain permanent exhibition rooms.

1974: A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of the society and its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and his environment.

2007: “A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.”

2022: “A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”

Questions

1. List what has remained the same and what has changed across the four definitions
2. Why do you think the definition of a museum is periodically revised?
3. What does the changing definition of the museum say about the evolving ethics of the 21st century?

Extension Research Task

In 2019, debate erupted regarding a new vision of the 21st century museum. The definition that was proposed in this year was deferred indefinitely, eventually leading to the 2022 definition.

1. Find out what the 2019 ICOM museum definition proposal was.
2. Why do you think this definition ultimately failed?
3. Do you agree with this museum definition, why/why not?

Visit and explore our exhibitions which showcase the history and heritage of Australia and around the world. Our 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum exhibition showcases 100 objects that tell the story of Australia, alongside the stories of 100 of Australia's most influential people.

We have also a range of free learning resources to support your visit, which you can access below.

This 2-hour program is designed for Stage 5 History Elective students completing History, Heritage and Archaeology, and preliminary Stage 6 Ancient History Students completing Cultural Heritage and the Role of Museums. It will also be suitable for any Stage 5 or 6 History student looking to deepen their understanding of History and develop their historical skills.

Students will learn about the development of museums, historical construction, museum ethics, and some of the Australian Museum's work in First Nations' history. Students will also participate in an engaging escape room that will have them analysing historical sources from a range of cultures in the Westpac Long Gallery.

Access an audio guide of the 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum collection at the Australian Museum website here.

You have been asked to write a review of one of the galleries you visited during your trip to the Australian Museum for the school newspaper.

In your review, develop a critique that engages with at least two of the following points:

1. How was the exhibition curated and how does this contribute to the historical narratives it is trying to tell?
2. What are the main interpretative strategies used in the gallery? This could include the use of labels, images, digital interactives, etc.
3. What ethical issues arose from the gallery?
4. What is one object or display that sparked your interest?