Performance Management FrameworkOutcome Based Management Framework Outcome 1: Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections are preserved, accessible and sustainable Key Effectiveness Indicators Preservation Extent to which Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections, that require preservation, are preserved. Accessibility The number of accesses to Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections per capita. Percentage of clients satisfied with the services associated with accessing Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections. Sustainability Value of collection renewal, content development, expansion and/or maintaining the physical integrity of the collection as a proportion of collection value. Service 6: Museum Services Key Effectiveness Indicators Average cost of Museum Services per Museum Access. Report on Operations Section Financial overview Revenue The Western Australian Museum receives revenue from a variety of sources as mandated by the Museums Act 1969 (WA). The State Government provides the majority of revenue as an appropriation to fund services. In addition, the Museum receives grants, sponsorships donations and bequests which fund almost all of the Museum’s science and research activities, and without which the Museum could not continue to break new scientific ground or capitalise on the significant research already conducted. Much of this revenue is restricted to specific purposes, such as the Commonwealth Your Community Heritage grant to reimage the World War II wrecks of HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran; and the ongoing use of the Harry Butler Bequest for zoological fieldwork. The Museum also generates a proportion of its own revenue through paid exhibitions and commercial activities including venue hire and retail sales. Total revenue of more than $41.92 million was received in 2013–14, of which $11.1 million was generated by the Museum from commercial activity, and from public, private and charitable sources – an increase of 33% on last year’s figure of $8.3 million. This significant increase was the result of concentrated efforts targeting activity around popular temporary exhibitions such as Secrets of the Afterlife and Dinosaur Discovery. Examples include an additional $400,000 from ticket sales and $385,000 from the sale of merchandise. Also, as part of the mid-year review, the Museum received supplementary funding of $4.4 million for cost escalation of fixed costs, and for the reversal of salary corrective measures imposed in 2012–13 which were maintained in 2013–14. In addition, the Museum received $4.5 million to clear an historic salary deficit owed to the DCA. Actual results versus budget targets 2013–14 Target[1] Actual Variation[2] Total cost of services (expense limit) (sourced from Statement of Comprehensive Income) $34,923,000 $34,711,000 ($212,000)[a] Net cost of services (sourced from ‘Statement of Comprehensive Income’) $26,594,000 $23,596,000 ($2,998,000)[b] Total equity (sourced from ‘Statement of Financial Position’) $780,149,000 $475,879,000 ($304,270,000)[c] Net increase/(decrease) in cash held (sourced from ‘Statement of Cash Flows’) $4,646,000 $309,000 ($4,337,000)[d] Approved full time equivalent (FTE) staff level 218 209.6 8.4[e] [1] As specified in the Budget Statements. [2] Further explanations are contained in note 37 ‘Explanatory statement’ to the financial statements. [a] The variation is mainly due to underspend in employee benefits expense ($2.291 million) which has resulted from the late commencement of the Gorgon Project and vacant positions not filled due to a government freeze on recruitment. The savings were partially offset by a one-off payment to DCA for prior years’ salary cost ($1.889 million) and increase cost of sales of merchandise products which relate to the Dinosaur Discovery exhibition. [b] In addition to the explanation mentioned above regarding expenses, the variation was mainly due to an increase in revenue from user charges and fees and sales ($0.757 million), an increase in Commonwealth grants ($0.289 million) and an increase in ‘other revenue’ ($1.708 million) which consists mainly of donated collections ($0.798 million) and capital recoup to DCA ($0.760 million) and additional grant income and on-cost recoup to other private grants and contract accounts ($0.150 million). [c] The variation in ‘total equity’ is mainly attributed to the Collections valuation decrements. The last Collections valuation carried out in 2009 was inflated by $198.97 million due to a transposing error by the valuer between the working paper and the main report. The application of AASB 13 in the current valuation in 2014 has caused the fair value of the collections to decrease by $92.4 million. In the Target, it was budgeted for the Assets revaluation to increase by $12.8 million for land and building which did not occur. [d] The target shows additional appropriation ($4.5m) received this year to pay an historic salary deficit. The WA Museum expended $1.9m of this amount, as last year this was accounted as a resource received free of charge. {Other reasons for this gap is that the Museum has paid in advance for insurance ($691k), World in 100 Objects ($545k), not budgeted in this year, invoice raised to Foundation ($633k), invoice raise to BMW for Anzac project ($399k)} [e] FTE variation is mainly due to the recruitment freeze imposed in April. Collections Valuation Whilst it is recognised that most heritage and cultural assets belonging to public institutions are not intended to be sold, due primarily to, legal, financial and ethical restrictions placed upon their use and / or disposal; such assets are required to be valued for general purpose financial reporting. Regular independent revaluation of the WA Museum Collections is an accounting requirement. As part of the Museum’s five-yearly Collection valuation cycle, a full revaluation exercise was undertaken during the reporting year. The application of a revised valuation methodology; mandatory adoption of changes to accounting standards which require a collection to be valued at exit value (AASB 13); and an error detected in the previous 2009 revaluation – (identified during the current process) have resulted in a current Collections revaluation of $347.06 million. It is important to note that valuations are expert opinions provided by independent professionals. This year, an independent valuer, selected through a competitive tender, reviewed the previous valuation carried out in 2009 as part of the current process, and that valuation was adjusted by $198.970 million. In addition, the application of a revised valuation methodology and mandatory new accounting standards have resulted in a Collections valuation decrement of $92.396 million for the 2013–14 financial year. The full Collections valuation of $347.06 million, therefore, represents a $291.25 million, or 46%, reduction from the last valuation conducted in 2009. This year’s valuation has been independently audited by the Office of the Auditor General. The decrease in valuation does not affect the integrity or intrinsic value of Collections, nor does it reflect or imply a reduction in the number of items contained in the Collections which has increased during the reporting period. Summary of Key Performance Indicators 2013–14 Target Actual Variation Outcome 1: Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections are preserved, accessible and sustainable Key Effectiveness Indicator: Preservation Extent to which Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections, that require preservation, are preserved. 99.60% 97.82% -1.78%[1] Key Effectiveness Indicator: Accessibility The number of accesses to Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections per capita. Number of accesses[2] 1,981,460 2,577,385 595,925[3] Accesses per capita 0.801[4] 1.01[5] 0.209[6] Percentage of clients satisfied with the services associated with accessing Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections. 96% 96% Nil Key Effectiveness Indicator: Sustainability Value of the State collection renewal, content development and/or expansion as a proportion of collection value. 3.49% 6.82% 3.33%[7] Key Efficiency Indicator: Average cost of Museum services per Museum visitor or person accessing collection.[8] $30.95 $37.44 $6.49[9] [1] In conjunction with the collection valuation conducted in 2014, the Museum reviewed the methodology adopted for counting the collection and its stored location, then standardised this across each collection area resulting in this adjusted figure which does not represent a decrease in suitably stored material. [2] Total number of accesses is the total of visitors to Museum sites (927,014) and unique visits to www.museum.wa.gov.au (1,650,371). It does not include visits to Western Australian Museum YouTube, Facebook or third party websites. [3] The significant increase in total accesses for the year is attributed to a higher than expected number of visits to the Museum's website, driven by the online ticketing service for paid exhibitions and programs. [4] 1,981,460 (# of accesses) divided by 2,473,000 ABS Data table 3101.0 (WA for Dec 2012). [5] Accesses per capita are based on the Number of accesses and Western Australian population of 2,550,900 as quoted on ABS Data table 3101.0 (WA) for December 2013. [6] The significant increase in access per capita is attributed to the higher than expected number of visits to the Museum’s website, driven by the online ticketing service for paid exhibitions. [7] During the current collection valuation process, a review of the previous valuation done in 2009 was conducted and the collections were adjusted by $198,969,792. In addition, the valuation completed in 2014 has resulted in collections recording a decrement of $92.396 million, based on ‘fair value’. The Museum also received supplementary funding of $8.9 million in 2014, including $4.4 million for cost escalation and cost pressure funding and $4.5 million to repay an historic salary deficit to DCA. These adjustments have decreased the value of the collection to $347,062,632 and increased the average State Government rolling income to $23,680,600. [8] Actual cost of services = $34.711 million. Actual visitation = 927,014; Target cost of services = $28.113 million. Target visitation = 908,460. This Key Performance Indicator excludes visits to www.museum.wa.gov.au to provide a consistent methodology with the 2013-14 Target. [9] The major variance is in the cost of services which was $28.113 million. The $6 million difference is explained by the deficit funding received in Mid-Year Review and the historic salary payment of $1.899m to DCA. Performance Overview Government imposed Budget Corrective Measures and a recruitment freeze combined with the Museum’s requirement to reduce long standing leave liability have resulted in significant periods of reduced staffing levels across the organisation during the 2013–14 reporting year. This has impacted on certain areas of the Agency’s performance this financial year, particularly in the area of Learning and Creativity. Despite this, the Museum still managed to exceed its access target by 595,925 (more than 30%) with significant increases in both visits to museums and online accesses. Given the challenging staffing environment, this was a magnificent result which achieved more than one access per capita (exceeding target by 26%) with associated efficiencies in cost per person access[1]. The narrow shortfall on the preservation indicator (1.78%) was disappointing, however, the developments at Welshpool should address this over the next two years. The Perth site showed a noticeable drop in the highest satisfaction level with only 36% of visitors ‘very satisfied’ with their experience. The main reasons cited were the Museum’s reduction in size, and facilities that had not been upgraded since 2008. This feedback clearly supports the case for a redeveloped New Museum for Western Australia. [2] [1] The Museum closed off its reporting period for visitation and visitor satisfaction surveys this financial year on 15 June, compared to 30 June in previous years. [2] ibid. Strategic Plan Mission To inspire people to explore and share their identity, culture, environment and sense of place, and contribute to the diversity and creativity of our world. Vision To be an excellent and vibrant Museum service, valued and used by all Western Australians and admired and visited by the world. Values We are dedicated to Community Value which means that we will be: Accountable We exist for the benefit of all the people of Western Australia and recognise that we are accountable to them and are custodians of their collections. Inspirational, inclusive and accessible We will inspire people to explore our world and will advance knowledge through study, research and life-long learning making sure that our facilities, programs and resources are accessible to all. Enterprising and excellent We will be creative, resourceful, imaginative, innovative and entrepreneurial; we will be commercially astute, and aspire to excellence in all that we do. Sustainable We aspire to be socially, environmentally and economically sustainable and will work in partnership with others to maximise public benefit and value for money. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first peoples of Australia. We acknowledge the primary rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their cultural heritage and will work collaboratively to advance understanding between all peoples. Strategic Aims Learning and Growth LG1 Ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are central to ownership, governance and development of our collections and programs. LG2 Create and share knowledge with our users. LG3 Understand and respond to our audiences and communities. LG4 Develop a highly skilled, motivated and flexible workforce. LG5 Develop effective volunteer culture. Financial F1 Maximise financial sustainability by operating within our means, but maximising those means. F2 Be entrepreneurial in all that we do. F3 Maximise effectiveness of the Western Australian Museum Foundation. F4 Provide value for money by adding value and sharing costs. Customer C1 Provide the highest standards of customer service and user experience in all that we do. C2 To contribute to the health and wellbeing of our communities by facilitating people’s exploration of their identity, culture, environment and place in the world. C3 Promote tourism within and to Western Australia. C4 Deliver a Western Australian wide museum service. C5 Develop the WAM brand to reflect, support and deliver our mission and achieve our vision. Processes P1 Discharge heritage responsibilities including legislative obligations. P2 Care for Western Australia’s collections representing the natural environment, the State’s history, stories and traditions. P3 Ensure effective governance and management. P4 Contribute to the conservation of environments, landscapes, heritage, sites and traditions. P5 Ensure the highest standards of health and safety management and practice. Performance Against Strategic Plan The Museum’s reporting on its performance over the past financial year has again followed the 2011–14 Strategic Plan’s balanced scorecard approach, and links to the Government’s Goals outlined in the Public Sector Commission’s Annual Reporting Framework found at www.publicsector.wa.gov.au/node/67 Learning and Growth Ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are central to ownership, governance and development of our collections and programs This reporting year the WA Museum partnered with the WA Public Sector Commission to employ a trainee under the Aboriginal Traineeship Program. This initiative provides young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25 years and under with an opportunity to develop administration skills and competencies in Government, to enable them to build a sustainable career pathway. The trainee successfully completed his placement within the Office of the CEO, working alongside staff who provide corporate support to the Museum’s Executive Management Group. To better understand our audiences the Museum commissioned visitor demographic research in early 2013, and following the first full year of reporting has found that popularity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples remains strong. 5% of all visitors to the WA Museum this year identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is higher than the State’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 3.1%. Create and share our knowledge with our users In 2013–14, the WA Museum’s scientists, researchers and curators produced and distributed 75 peer-reviewed research papers, 3 book chapters, 1 book, 18 conference papers, 6 popular publications, 4 non-refereed reports, 3 in-house journals and 145 reports to consultants. They also undertook 37 research projects, 29 of which were collaborative with 23 involving international partner agencies or organisations; and conducted 28 field trips in WA, five interstate and three overseas. Museum staff and associates were also at the forefront of adding to the knowledge and understanding of WA’s natural environment with the description of 95 new animal species, and one new mineral species. The Museum’s online presence and community continues to grow rapidly. This year free WiFi was introduced at the WA Museum – Perth to complement the existing facility at the Maritime Museum; the Museum also created a Field Guide to Western Australian Fauna phone and tablet application (app) as part of a national collaboration between state museums to make thousands of local fauna species accessible online across Australia. Another particularly impressive augmented reality app was developed for the Dinosaur Discovery: Lost Creatures of the Cretaceous exhibition, which provided animated and 3D experiences to smart device users. 35.47% increase in unique visits to the Museum website Website visitation significantly increased again this reporting year, with increases of 35.47% in unique visitors to 1,650,371; 13.57% in video views to 544,784, and 36.08% in page views to 29,881,226. Understand and respond to our audiences and communities The 2013–14 reporting year provides the Museum with the first opportunity to publish a full year of specialist audience research, undertaken by audience development specialists Morris Hargreaves McIntyre (MHM). The ability to understand what drives audiences will inform a better response to needs and expectations. The MHM Visitor 360° report found the main driver for a visit to the Museum was ‘intellectual’, with 40% of all audiences motivated by a desire ‘to improve my knowledge and understanding’, and 38% of all audiences motivated ‘to stimulate my own / children’s imagination’. As reported last financial year, the Museum’s diverse visitors were again dominated by ‘Learning Families’ – these are families motivated by more than social factors and who want an educational experience (32% as per 2012-13). Visits to the Museum lasted an average of one hour and 35 minutes, with the longest dwell time reported at the Maritime Museum (one hour and 50 minutes); across all sites, there were more female visitors than male (56% compared to 44% again, as per last financial year) which is typical of the profile of global museum audiences. Develop a highly skilled, motivated and flexible workforce In 2013–14, staff attended a total of 645 training sessions, representing 2,077 hours or 429 training days, across a range of learning areas. The Museum’s total cash expenditure on staff training was $68,029. Not all training is delivered at a cash cost and the total commitment when staff time is added is significantly greater. Areas of focus for training this year included Mental Health Awareness and Better Buying Government Processes; with all staff encouraged to complete the online Cultural Awareness Training module provided by the Public Sector Commission, and the Cultural Competency training provided by the Office of Multicultural Interests. 92% of all Museum staff have also completed Accountable and Ethical Decision Making (AEDM) training since it was introduced in 2012–13, and the Museum continues to work with those casual members of staff, and others, who have not yet completed the training. Customer Provide the highest standards of customer service and user experience in all that we do The majority of audiences were satisfied with their visit (95.4%) with more than half ‘very satisfied’ (53%); this represents a drop from last year when 97% of people were ‘satisfied’ with their visit and 61% of people were ‘very satisfied’. While overall levels of satisfaction were high across most venues, visitors to the Perth site were least likely to be ‘very satisfied’ with only 36% recording the highest level of satisfaction with their visitor experience. The main reasons cited were that the Museum had reduced in size and facilities had not been upgraded since 2008. This feedback supports the Museum’s case that a New Museum for Western Australia is wanted by the people of WA. 92% of people would still recommend a visit to the Museum, the same result as in 2012–13. Contributing to the health and wellbeing of our communities by facilitating people’s exploration of their identity, culture, environment and place in the world This reporting year the WA Museum hosted 40 temporary exhibitions across its six public sites which explored a diverse range of themes. Exhibition highlights included, at Perth the incredibly successful WA Museum-created Dinosaur Discovery: Lost Creatures of the Cretaceous; and Aurelio Costarella: A 30 year retrospective which documented the journey of one of WA’s most renowned fashion designers. The very challenging Inside: Life in Children’s Homes and Institutions, staged at the Maritime Museum, featured poignant accounts from some of the 500,000 Australian children who lived in institutionalised care in the 20th Century. The Museum also provided an extensive range of public programs, lectures, tours performances and other activities that attracted 183,246 attendances. Promote tourism within and to WA 28% of the Museum’s visitors were from interstate and 23% from overseas; which is similar to last year’s figures of 29% and 24% respectively. When breaking down visitation from within Australia to all public sites the majority of visitors, 72%, came from WA. This is significantly higher than last year (62%) and demonstrates increasing local interest in the Museum, which is also reflected by the significant increase in regular repeat visitors. This year a quarter (25%) of all WA Museum visitors were repeat visitors who had been to a Museum site at least once within the last 12 months, significantly higher than 15% last year. Among the Museum sites, Albany and Perth attracted the highest proportion of WA visitors with 86% and 83% respectively. The WA Museum also presented seven free exhibitions at non-museum sites across WA and interstate, including two that showcased WA’s shared maritime heritage with the Netherlands, raising awareness of the upcoming 400th anniversary of first European contact with Australia – Dirk Hartog’s landing at Cape Inscription on the WA coast in 1616. Artefacts from the four 17th and 18th Century Dutch shipwrecks located off WA’s coast were displayed at the Perth Concert Hall to coincide with the visit to Perth from the Netherlands by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; a display of bricks used as ballast from two of the wrecks, the Batavia and the Vergulde Draeck, was installed at the new Dutch Embassy in Canberra. Total visitation for 2012-13 was 879,145; for 2013-14 was 927,014. 2013–14 exhibitions created and made accessible by the WA Museum at non-museum sites The total number of visitations to exhibitions created and made accessible at non-museum sites for this reporting year was 32,026. Exhibition Venue Dates Visitations Weld Spring Reserve Story: Sharing the History of Weld Spring Canning Stock Route 17/09/13 1,045 The Krait Exmouth 26/09/13 1,764 Australian Toys: A Century of Fun Perth Town Hall 16/11/13 to 22/11/13 2,525 Accidental Encounters: the Dutch Connection Perth Concert Hall 20/11/13 to 31/01/14 25,000 Batavia and Gilt Dragon Bricks Display Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canberra 22/01/14 377 Sydney-Kormoran Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre 06/04 to 30/06/14 842 The Planets Perth Concert Hall 06/06 to 09/06/14 473 Deliver a WA-wide Museum Service The WA Museum has three regional sites which operate as cultural hubs within their communities. Highlights for each site include: Western Australian Museum – Geraldton Installation of the Point Moore Lighthouse Fresnel lens display – an iconic object of historic Geraldton and the first working exhibit in the Museum. Its donation and installation was the result of significant community collaboration and generous in-kind support and sponsorship. Geraldton also welcomed the highest proportion of first time visitors, 66% compared to the Museum overall at 56%. Visitor satisfaction remains the highest of any WA Museum site – along with Albany – with 74% of visitors very satisfied with their experience. Western Australian Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder The dedication of the Miners’ Memorial within the Museum grounds was the culmination of an important community project to honour those miners who lost their lives in work accidents across the Goldfields. The WA Museum was chosen as the location for the memorial, reflecting the very strong relationship the Museum has with its local community. The memorial was designed by WA Museum staff. Kalgoorlie-Boulder had a very high proportion of first-time visitors (78%) compared to the overall figure of 56%. Western Australian Museum – Albany Community partnerships are key to Albany’s strong attraction for local visitors and these were again a highlight of 2013–14 financial year. The Museum partnered with the Great Southern Science Council and Inspiring Australia to present a range of science-based events including Science Rocks, a youth forum for Year 10 students considering science as a career. It also worked with the University of WA, South Coast Natural Resource Management, and the Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management to create a Science Symposium which attracted 150 science professionals and interested community and high school students. The Museum also hosted 15 local artists for three weeks of the Bendigo Bank Great Southern Art and Craft Trail; and worked with local Noongar elders and their younger family members to present Passing the Stories: Mungart Boodja, an exhibition of paintings and lino prints. Visitation to Albany increased overall, with the largest proportion of repeat visitors of all WA Museum sites, and particularly of regular repeat visitors who made up nearly half (46%) of all visits. Albany visitors also had the highest expectations for their visit: 29% of visitors expected their experience to be ‘absolutely excellent’ and this translated to high levels of visitor satisfaction, with 74% very satisfied with their experience compared to 53% overall. New Museum Project As part of the New Museum Project, the WA Museum has developed an online portrait project called ‘WA Faces’ which is being rolled out to the regions as part of its important community engagement activity. Starting at the Perth site during Harmony Week in March 2014, the project captured about 60 West Australian faces from a wide range of backgrounds to celebrate the State’s rich diversity. Featured in an online gallery where people from all over WA are encouraged to upload their images and explore what they love about WA, the project has also travelled to Albany and Katanning in the Great Southern, and will visit Geraldton and the Mid West, and Kalgoorlie and the Goldfields, next. The aim is to have 1,000 portraits uploaded by Harmony Day 2015. Development Services The Museum’s Development Service has an outreach program that works with regional communities across WA, providing museum and curatorial assistance. This year the team responded to 1,024 queries for assistance; provided services to 33 local governments; made 29 site visits to other client organisations; conducted 14 workshops and worked with nine Aboriginal communities. During the financial year, the Development Service also finalised a Regional Strategy which will guide its work within the regions. As part of the national Centenary of Service commemorations, the Development Service is also a founding partner in Remembering Them, a key regional initiative supporting communities to host their own exhibitions exploring the impact that World War One had on them. The project team comprises Museums Australia (WA Branch), the WA Museum and the Royal Western Australian Historical Society, and has been funded by a Lotterywest grant of $519,000. Remembering Them is assisting 32 regional museums, historical societies and local government organisations to tell their stories in their voices, for their communities over the next four years. Western Australian Museum Regional Service Provisions WA regional services Image copyright WA Museum Developing the WA Museum Brand to Achieve Our Vision The Museum continues to enjoy excellent media exposure across its many disciplines, helping to promote its mission and messages, and building understanding and trust amongst audience and stakeholders. This year traditional media coverage across print, radio and television totalled 1,456 monitored items which reached a total audience of 95,970,525 people. An equivalent amount of advertising space is calculated to cost $13,526,325.49. (Figures provided by Isentia media monitoring services.) The Museum also responded to 747 media queries from a range of WA, national and international media outlets. 95,970,525 Connections! As the Museum continues to expand its social media networks, our dedicated online communities are steadily growing. Over the reporting period our Facebook likes and check-ins almost doubled, as did our number of Twitter followers. With the addition this year of Instagram to our regular platforms, the Museum has generated more than 700 new followers with 2,880 new likes here. Currently, there is no methodology or industry standard for quantifying the dollar value of social media achieved. Financial Maximise financial sustainability The Museum received $0.414 million in Commonwealth grants and contributions, remaining restricted funds received but not yet spent include grants from the Department of the Environment, ($0.175 million); Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums (0.026 million); and the Australian Biological Research Study ($0.034 million). The Museum received $0.141 million from State grants and contributions, including grants from the Department of Culture and the Arts ($0.055 million); the Western Australian Marine Science Institution ($0.037 million); the Department of Parks and Wildlife ($0.010 million); and ARC Linkage ANU ($0.033 million). Highlights include working with the Department of Treasury to formulate a successful business case to receive supplementary funding of $4.4 million in a restricted budget environment, for cost escalation and the reversal of salary corrective measures imposed in the previous financial year and maintained in 2013–14. Be entrepreneurial in all that we do; Providing value for money by adding value and sharing costs – develop strategic partnerships with other providers A tale of two exhibitions The WA Museum presents a range of temporary exhibitions annually as part of its mission to encourage people to explore their identity, culture, environment and sense of place. This year, two of our most successful exhibitions were created in-house through two very important, strategic partnerships. In November 2013, the WA Museum – Perth hosted an exhibition celebrating WA designer Aurelio Costarella’s 30 years in the fashion industry. Aurelio Costarella: a 30 year retrospective marked the designer’s journey from the local to the international stage, with garments and other material from his career displayed throughout the Museum’s permanent galleries. Staging the exhibition as interventions amongst the Museum’s permanent collection was innovative and inspirational, juxtaposing the recorded history of WA’s natural environment with contemporary social history as told through Costarella’s personal journey. Curated specially for the Museum by Aurelio Costarella and his brand manager Paul O’Connor, the exhibition was critically acclaimed, and proved very popular with summer audiences, drawing an estimated 84,000 visitors during its three-month display. The exhibition was supported by a limited-edition book featuring some extraordinary fashion photographs taken inside our Collection and Research Centre. Entry to this exhibition was free-of-charge. Aurelio Costarella: a 30 year retrospective Image courtesy Aurelio Costarella — Photographer: Chantel Concei As part of our commitment to building the public’s understanding of science, in April 2014 the Museum launched its ground-breaking, innovative Dinosaur Discovery: Lost Creatures of the Cretaceous exhibition, also at the Perth site. Co-created by the WA Museum and commercial entity Goldie Marketing and supported by a number of project partners, the exhibition utilised the paleontological expertise of the Museum’s Dr Mikael Siversson, the investment and connections of Goldie Marketing, and the digital media resources of the Museum's web team, working with external digital technology companies, to create a dinosaur experience unlike any other. Dinosaur Discovery was a fee-paying exhibition and has been the most popular exhibition the Museum has ever staged, with more than 94,000 people visiting in the 11 weeks to 30 June 2014. The Museum adopted a clear strategy for commercial promotion, targeting well defined audiences based on demographic and geographic factors. The science was communicated across a range of traditional and multimedia platforms and different visitor experiences were designed for different audiences, including adults-only pop-up bars for Friday late-night openings through winter, which generated between 400 and 600 customers per a night. Complemented by a free 3D app and a free augmented reality experience that allows members of the public to interact with dinosaurs on the big screen in the Perth Cultural Centre every day, this exhibition has had enormous public impact and maximised financial returns to the Museum through the entrepreneurial approach taken to its development and promotion. Dinosaur Discovery Image copyright WA Museum Processes Discharging heritage responsibilities The Museum responded to 112 requests for information in relation to maritime archaeological wrecks and/or relics. This included registering and maintaining artefacts, investigating and identifying shipwrecks and providing advice about State and Commonwealth maritime archaeological sites under the Museum’s care. The Museum collaborated with more than a dozen international museums and research organisations during the year, sharing its expertise in the preservation of underwater cultural heritage (UCH). Of note, the WA Museum presentations to the National Committee for Underwater Sites in Tokyo on in situ preservation of underwater cultural heritage sites, and approaches to UCH management and protection in Australia, have led to a collaborative research project with the Kyushu National Museum in Japan. The Museum was part of the international team carrying out conservation work on the wreck of the historic Australian World War One submarine HMAS AE2 in Turkey; and signed an agreement with the Government of Oman to conduct a 12-month underwater survey at Dukham. Closer to home, Museum maritime archaeologists and conservators have been preserving, in situ, the wreck site of the James Matthews (1841) in Cockburn Sound. Work continues in partnership with the Department of Fisheries at Beacon Island in the Houtman-Abrolhos, with remote sensing completed in the third quarter of the financial year and demolition of fisher camps begun. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands contributed $15,000 to ongoing research into the fate of the Vergulde Draeck (1656) shipwreck survivors, to cover archival research and translation, a marine survey from the wreck site to the coast, and investigation of identified land sites. The Museum was also the recipient of an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant to reassess some of Australia’s earliest archaeologically excavated shipwrecks, under the ‘Shipwrecks of the Roaring Forties’ project, in partnership with the University of Western Australia, the British Museum, Flinders University, East Carolina University and Curtin University, the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, the Cultural Heritage Agency and National Archives of the Netherlands, and Prospero Productions. Caring for the State’s collections In 2013–14 the WA Museum added 29,446 items to the State’s collections; 1,145 items or collections of items were acquired by donation to the value of $789,983; nine items were purchased to the value of $10,588; and 28,292 items were collected during field work. An historically significant collection of WA sporting memorabilia was handed to the Museum this year, to be accessioned into the Collection next financial year. The objects formerly held by the WA Sports Museum include an Australian Test Cricket baggy green cap worn by fast bowler and 1965 Wisden Cricketer of the Year, Graham McKenzie, as well as his international playing contract. Other objects include motorcycle great Sig Schlam’s famous Golden Helmet and Golden Crown from Claremont Speedway in the 1920s; the bike Steele Bishop rode in the 1983 World Championship; and WA football great Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer MBE’s Hall of Fame medal. A Gaming Community Trust grant of $250,000 allowed the collection to be transferred to the WA Museum where it will be curated and prepared for future display. Ensure effective governance and management The WA Museum’s Board of Trustees took part in a performance audit of six sample public sector agency boards, conducted by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), to determine if public sector boards were providing effective governance and operating within the Public Sector Commission’s (PSC) good practice principles. While the report was generic in its references to the boards audited, it found that all policies, procedures, systems and practices were in place to ensure effective oversight of their agency’s activity, and which were consistent with PSC good practice principles. The OAG made seven recommendations to improve effectiveness across all 320 public sector boards, which the Museum has agreed to implement. Sig Schlam’s Golden Helmet from the WA Sports Museum Collection. Image copyright WA Museum Contributing to the conservation of environment, landscapes, heritage sites and traditions The Museum continues to be regarded as an authority on issues of marine and terrestrial biodiversity and matters of cultural significance, responding to more than 2,741 requests for advice from Government and the private sector. Of special significance this reporting year was work conducted by the Museum’s DNA laboratory which proved the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) was not extinct as had been previously thought. Of great cultural significance was the return to country of more than 100 secret and sacred objects to be kept by the Bardi /Jawi men. This return of cultural material to traditional owners was nearly 16 years in the making, and was part of the Museum’s ongoing Indigenous Repatriation Project. The objects had been identified by senior elders for return in 1999, but a lack of suitable and secure storage in the community meant they were left with the Museum for safe-keeping until the community could install an appropriate keeping place and were ready to accept these significant objects back into their care. The Museum also returned Ancestral Remains to three communities in the Great Southern, including one to Wagin, and four sets to Dongara. Further repatriation discussions were held with communities in the Gascoyne, Pilbara, Goldfields-Esperance and South-West regions. Health and safety performance With 250 full-time, part-time and casual staff at 30 June 2014, and 927,014 visitors across all of its sites this financial year, the WA Museum recorded a total of 65 injuries and health or safety related incidents. Of the 65 incidents, 15 involved staff or volunteers, three of which resulted in workers’ compensation claims. The remaining 50 incidents involved visitors or customers attending the Museum’s sites. 11 incidents were reported as a hazard or near-miss which had the potential to cause an injury; there was one reported theft; 44 incidents were categorised as minor where no medical or first aid was required or administered; and nine incidents were categorised as serious where the services of an ambulance, doctor or hospital were required. This total compares to 31 incidents for the previous financial year. The increase is mainly due to more rigorous reporting practices implemented as a result of recommendations from an OSH audit completed in December 2012. ‹ Operational Structure Significant Issues Impacting the Agency ›