AusLeisure

Museums and heritage attractions are today marking International Museum Day.

International Museum Day events focus on the motto 'museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples'.

Each year since 1977, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) organises International Museum Day (IMD), a special time for the global museum community. On this day, participating museums interpret a topic affecting cultural institutions.

International Museum Day also presents the opportunity for museum professionals to meet their public.

Recently released figures for the last financial year show that a record 12.3 million visitors visited the 14 Australian member museums represented by the Council of Australasian Museum Directors (CAMD). The number represents an increase of 900,000 on the previous year.

The 21 museums in CAMD's membership operate in 67 locations across Australia and New Zealand and include natural science and social history museums, industry and technology collections, science centres, combined museums and art galleries, heritage houses and outdoor museum sites.

The NSW Government has marked International Museum Day 2012 with the online launch of the State Collections Report allowing people to better appreciate and understand the major cultural collections of NSW.

The report complements the extensive online resources of the State's major cultural institutions, which includes digital images of many of the objects in their collections.

NSW Minister for the Arts, George Souris explained "the collections of NSW's major cultural institutions have a market value of about $4.3 billion, but are priceless in terms of their historical and cultural significance to past, current and future generations.

"The State Collections Report ... maps the cultural collections of the Art Gallery of NSW, the Australian Museum, the Historic Houses Trust, the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, and the State Library of NSW.

"The online State Collections Report will bring our cultural collections to people's computers and smartphones, helping market our institutions and their treasures to not only State, but also national and international audiences.

"NSW citizens should be proud of the State's diverse cultural collections built up over two centuries, which span the visual arts, design, technology, literature, natural sciences, culture and history, as well as historic properties.

"We want to ensure our museums and galleries continue to play an important role in supporting cultural exchange and enrichment as well as mutual understanding, cooperation and peace in our communities."

For more information go to www.museumsaustralia.org.au/site/icom_imd.php 

2nd March 2012 - OFFICIALLY REOPENED NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA 'A SYMBOL OF NATIONAL PRIDE'

5th April 2011 - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA TOPS ASIAN MUSEUM ATTENDANCES

31st December 2010 - SINGAPORE CASINO TO LAUNCH WORLD’S FIRST ARTSCIENCE MUSEUM

3rd November 2009 - OVERSEAS VISITORS IMPRESSED WITH SINGAPORE’S MUSEUMS 

Asking a small favour
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

Click here to subscribe.

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.