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| The Hon. Barry O’Farrell, Prof Colin Rhodes, Michael Rolfe and the Hon. George Souris. |
On Thursday 2nd June, following representations to the State Government, M&G NSW Chair, Prof Colin Rhodes and I were invited to meet with NSW Premier, the Hon. Barry O’Farrell and Minister for the Arts, the Hon. George Souris in the Premier’s Parliament House office.
The purpose of the meeting was to introduce our organization to the new state government and to advocate for programs and activities provided by museums & galleries throughout NSW. We emphasised the strength & commitment of work undertaken within the sector and championed the significant role local government plays in the provision of such services.
Both the Premier and Minister indicated that they were well aware of the overall value and community wide benefit bestowed by galleries and museums within communities large and small. There was an acknowledgement of how well the sector was served by volunteers and a further acknowledgement that more needs to be done to empower Aboriginal communities through support for cultural knowledge, identity and participation.
I outlined the history of galleries in NSW, noting in particular their century old contribution to regional NSW, and that this history continues to be created out of significant community aspiration. Similarly it was noted that the State’s many volunteer and professionally run museums characterise an innate desire to research history, collect objects and tell stories about people and their lives.
On behalf of all museums and galleries in NSW we thanked the Premier and Minister for their valuable time. We also encouraged them to continue their keen interest in the sector and of course, to visit as many museums and galleries as possible.
Michael Rolfe
Michael Rolfe
While this was a very good move, I suggest that Michael should use every opportunity to involve the Premier and the Hon George Souris in the activities of M&G NSW. This would involve invitations to opening of exhibitions and conferences. Perhaps a senior staff member should be invited to participate in workshops and meetings of such bodies as the museum advisors.
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