Objects and collections
Heritage objects and collections, not just places, are included on the Victorian Heritage Register and be given the State’s highest level of heritage protection.
Objects can be included on the Victorian Heritage Register as part of a heritage place, or in its own right.
Examples of objects/collections included in their own right, and are on the Victorian Heritage Register:
Objects and collections included in the Victorian Heritage Register are considered to have 'state-wide' cultural heritage significance and be important to all Victorians.
Please note: Objects and collections registered in association with a heritage place may not always be of state-wide significance on their own, but must contribute to the importance of the place at a state level.
Significance assessment
A significance assessment is a document that:
- Investigates and documents the meanings and values of heritage objects and collections.
- Identifies and describe how and why an object or collection is important, and to whom.
- Significance assessments might identify or recommend a ‘level’ or threshold of importance, eg. local significance.
Local significance indicates a place or object is characteristic of a community’s local history.
State-wide significance means the place or object contributes to a broader understanding of Victoria and its history.
Why is significance assessment important?
Statements of significance help owners and custodians to:
- broaden their understanding of the heritage values associated with an object or collection
- prioritise collection management and conservation activities
- interpret the heritage values of objects and collections to a variety of audiences
- seek funding opportunities for conservation and interpretation projects
Benefits
A statement of significance becomes the basis for policy and management decisions that affect the long term research, conservation and interpretation of the object or collection by residents, visitors, authorities and institutions.
Case study - Briagalong
The Briagolong Community Collections Forum – 30 May 2008
People are passionate about their collections, and this was evident in Briagalong, Gippsland, 32 kilometres north of Sale.
The forum was an opportunity for Gippsland heritage collectors to come together and share experiences. Custodians of collections from over 25 collecting organisations in Gippsland attended.
The theme was ‘significance’ and its importance in collections management. The forum aimed to:
- Raise awareness of the Victorian Heritage Register’s role in protecting significant objects;
- Promote best practice in the management of heritage collections and objects and endorse the role of significance assessment in this context;
- Better understand the range of heritage objects in the region; and
- Identify what resources might be needed to assist in the care of heritage collections and objects.
'Significance' was introduced by several key speakers including Dr Meredith Fletcher, of Monash Gippsland on an evocative story of the many lives of the Emden Steam Whistle;
Dr Belinda Nemec, cultural collections co-ordinator of the University of Melbourne provided practical insight into the ‘Significance’ document for assessing cultural collections, and;
Tsari Anderson, Professional Historians Association member, who talked about her experiences as a consultant historian.
All participants were then invited to ‘bring along to Briagolong’ a significant cultural object to discuss significance.
Objects presented included a carved wooden sheep branding tool, a snake bone necklace and an early 20th century Book Box used for the country library lending service - thought to be a rare surviving example.
Supporting significance assessment is a priority funding activity for Heritage Victoria’s Community Collections Management Grants program delivered by the Government’s strategy Victoria’s Heritage: Strengthening our communities.