The Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo is in imminent danger. Its Board and CEO Lisa Havilah are pressing ahead with plans to close it on 31 December for three years – despite the NSW Labor Government’s stated intention to retain it as Australia’s leading science and technology museum.
Museum supporters are being urged to contact Arts Minister John Graham, 02 7225 6030, to call on him to halt the closure and implement a transparent process of research and planning for the museum’s future.
Today, 30 November, the NSW Upper House will debate a motion “to preserve the Wran legacy and keep the Powerhouse Museum open as a centre for technology and innovation suitable for all of the citizens of NSW including families and children”. Moved by Robert Borsak MLC, who led the inquiries that unmasked the previous Coalition Government’s plans for the museum’s destrcution, it also calls on the Government to “replace the CEO, Senior Directors, and Board of Directors for the Powerhouse Museum with a Board and Senior management committed to a museum run on world’s-best museological practice”. (Full text of motion here.)
The current Board is chaired by former Liberal leader Peter Collins and includes powerful business figures such as developer Lang Walker.
The plan to break up the museum – a first in the developed world – was hatched under the Coalition Governments of Mike Baird, Gladys Berejiklian and Dominic Perrotet. It involved the $800m construction of an events and entertainment palace on the flood plain at Parramatta, the dismantling of the priceless collection at Ultimo and destruction of its award-winning museum design in favour of a fashion, events and commercial precinct, and removal of much of the collection to the Castle Hill storage facility which museums specialist Kylie Winkworth and others have deemed completely unsuitable. [Ed 30/11 10am: See Kylie Winkworth’s comment below: the museum is being destroyed before our eyes!]
The plan was part of the disastrous acceleration of the corporatisation of the arts and culture sector which included the construction of Sydney Modern – another function venue – at the Art Gallery of NSW, while leaving it millions short on its operating budget. The Museum of Contemporary Art, facing a similar crisis, is contemplating the introduction of admission fees.
The Minns Labor Government inherited an unholy mess at the State’s cultural institutions, and fine words alone will not fix it. On 2 September Arts Minister John Graham issued a statement saying: “We promised at the election that we would preserve the Wran legacy and keep the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo open. We are doing just that.” Treasury was happy that he had halved the $500m budget for “revitalisation” of the Ultimo site. Two months later came the announcement that closure would go ahead at the end of the year – with no detailed plans for renovation made public.
If you are going to “preserve the Wran legacy” and “keep the Museum open”, why close it less than halfway through the school holidays? To allow the Board and CEO to do this shows flagrant disregard for the people of NSW.
The secrecy surrounding this manoeuvring is particularly disturbing. Australia already has the distinction of being the world’s “most secretive democracy”. For this to apply to the cultural sector is positively Kafkaesque – a prime example being the Berejiklian Government’s refusal to publish the business case for Sydney Modern, and we can see how that’s worked out.
The Minns Government must stop the closure of Ultimo, replace the Board and CEO, publish all documents relating to renovation plans and restore the integrity of the collection.
For more information, see the Powerhouse Museum Alliance website.
This is a fair and balanced assessment of what has been and remains a scandalous deconstruction of a museum. That it has been conducted by the very agencies whose duty is to safeguard the cultural heritage of citizens of NSW makes it imperative that a review is undertaken and that the Ultimo site is saved.
You’re a voice of authority on all this, Ross – and yes, there must be a full and open review.
There is no credible reason for shutting the PHM. Numerous museums in much older buildings have remained open during refurbishments. The PHM does not need to be closed for three years, or longer. The Powerhouse Museum is only 35 years old. It was built with the highest quality materials and designed for a working life of more than 100 years. The only reason the Powerhouse Museum is closing is to cover the cost over runs at Parramatta. None of Labor’s promises about the PHM have made it to the end of the year, including this one from the Arts Minister; I have said all along that we will be transparent with regards to the Powerhouse Ultimo Renewal. Not true. Not a single document has been released. They are closing the museum before the plans are approved, or even put on exhibition. Wran’s legacy is being destroyed. They may keep the shell of the buildings but this is the end of the Powerhouse Museum. It will never reopen in any recognisable form as a museum. It has already lost its brand and the museum word. It’s just Powerhouse Ultimo now. It is shameful that Labor is delivering the coup de grace to the Powerhouse Museum, realising the LNP’s plan to rip the heart out of a Labor cultural monument.
Thank you, Kylie, for this essential advice. Shameful indeed of Labor.
I strongly support all these comments, especially by Kylie Winkworth who has worked tirelessly in this caause. I note Ross’s comments with pleasure.. One of the more important sstatements in Mr Borsak’s Notice of Motion is the call for the removal of the present CEO and Board. They have failed utterly to maintain and adsvance the integity and purpose of the legislsted functions of the Museum! It is absoluely imperstive that Mr Borak’s motion be agreed to and implemented without reserevation by the Minister and the Govcernment.
Des, you and Kylie are the greatest advocates for museums and their essential educational role. It’s extraordinary that successive governments fail to listen to you. They must be made to!
I completely agree with your sentiments and thoughts Judith.
Thank you for posting this.
And with those of Des, Kylie, Ross and others.
Even if the Labor Government is sincere in its stated desire to ‘Revitalise’ the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Ultimo,
keeping the same team of museum wreckers to ‘plan’ this aspiration is an exercise in magical thinking.
A new team needs to be brought in as the Hon Robert Borsak pointed out.
The present lot- a Ship of Fools- should be sent to Parramatta to get on with the massive task they have created for themselves.
And good luck with their ‘Business Plan’.
To close the Museum so it can be opened displays irrationality and ignorance: it does not need to be closed during progressive
maintenance programmes, retrofitting of older equipment and upgrading of all displays.
Instead a creative schedule of events, temporary exhibits, visible storage and restoration works should be instituted.
Let visitors see more of the innovations and collections and the ‘revitalisation’ work as it happens.
To close the Museum in Ultimo is robbing Peter- especially at the busiest season after spending $2 million + on the current major temporary exhibition- to pay Paul: the events and ‘commercial’ centre in Parramatta.
This is merely a gift wrapping at Christmas of the Coalition’s previous plan for ‘renewal’ (destruction), honoured in the breech by the present museum regime.
This Government has failed to do what it said it would do.
One might be forgiven in thinking this Minister is the ‘Minister for gaslighting’.
How appropriate.
Lindsay.
(Dr Lindsay Sharp- Founding Director)
You would think a Labor Minister would listen to the museum’s distinguished former director, rather than to the Coalition and developers – but apparently not. It has long looked as though some dirty secret deal has been done over the Ultimo site, and neither Liberal nor Labor now wants it brought to light.
Decades of mismanagement, neglect and asset-stripping have left the Powerhouse in a very sad state. The extraordinary collection and the amazing curatorial expertise have been dessimated.
There is no need to shut down for 3 years. They are just hoping that people will forget about the museum. We have to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Thank you Judith and the distinguished museum and galleries coterie for generously offering your experience and guiding vision and for the courage to protest what is manifestly wrong. Visit the exhibition 1001 objects to view aspects of the glorious PHM/MAAS collection. (Yes closing on 31 December.) Then imagine a re-vitalised teaching/learning museum for all ages and for all NSW residents. Would London’s Victoria & Albert Museum or the NY’s Met or Berlin’s museum precinct even consider becoming faddish “fun” houses?
As a former primary school teacher and educator at Sydney Observatory who cherished what the Powerhouse/MAAS and Sydney Observatory had to offer the students of NSW in the form of curriculum-based, hands on learning experiences in many areas of applied science and applied arts, I am deeply saddened but still hopeful that something good can still be salvaged. There needs to be a change of leadership at multiple levels and the Minister and the Government needs to step up and take control.
To shut down for three years without having Paramatta up and running and substantive programs offered at the Observatory and Discovery Centre is an irresponsible waste of resources, manpower and community goodwill!
Let me hazzard a guess why they want it closed. is it possible this could be ‘Sirus MII’.? Great location for more monied aprtment views.