State Support Urged For Museum Research

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 14

State Support Urged For Museum Research

The Canterbury Museum intends to prepare a report which may be t-he basis for others. throughout the country seeking Government support for museum research. The Director (Dr. R. S. Duff) told the Museum Trust Board that the recent conference of the Art Galleries and Museums’ Association heard from the Secretary for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Dr. W. M. Hamilton) that the £ll,OOO annual grant to the Dominion Museum, Wellington, -was the only Government financial assistance to scientific research ' by museums in the country. It was important to research and to the status of museum scientists that efforts should be stepped up, Dr. Duff said. The Government could help either by direct annual grants for work in museums’ special fields or by placing D.S.I.R. officers in museums to carry out research which would be of interest and benefit to both parties, for instance in geology. Museums throughout the country had grown in size and in the excellence of their displays, but staffing for research lagged seriously, said Professor G. A. Knox. Unlike university teachers, museum scientists had no direct access to central research funds. The Commission on State Services several times had evidence that the whole scope and support of research in New Zealand should be separately investigated, Professor Knox said. If that occurred, the museums could state a case. But something should be done to encourage museum research in the meantime. There might be some difficulty in getting unanimity among museums in a national claim for Government support, said Dr. Duff. Some museums were fearful that their independence might be impaired. The Canterbury Museum had an impressive research record in spite of the limitations of finance and staff, said Mr C. E. Fenwick. That record, alongside a report of investigations the museum was competent and willing to undertake, would make a strong case for Government help.

It was agreed to prepare : a report on these lines as a ■ basis for a national or group : approach to the Government . for an extension of research , grants to museums. The board also supported ' a proposal by the retiring ’ president of the Art Gal- . leries and Museums’ Association (Mr P. A. Tomory, of ' Auckland) that the Govern- , ment should set up a standing committee on art galleries and museums to administer a central fund which would balance their building and staffing development. An allocation from lottery profits could finance such a fund, it was suggested.