Arabic version: متحف جنوب أستراليا يخزّن قطعاً أثرية ميلانيزية لأعمال الترميم
According to ABC News, the South Australian Museum will place about 2,500 Melanesian artefacts in off-site storage as it begins a restoration and preservation project expected to last years. The Pacific Cultures Gallery, described as the largest display of Melanesian artefacts in the Southern Hemisphere, is scheduled to close to the public from Monday August 3.
Members of South Australia’s Pacific Island community gathered for a Melanesian lullaby ceremony to put the collection “to sleep”. Community member Wasodawa Mathews said it was special to help rest culturally significant crocodile artefacts, but said she felt sad about uncertainty over their future. Most of the museum’s collection originated from Papua New Guinea and dates from the late 19th century to the First World War.
Museum director Samantha Hamilton said the institution was committed to returning the collection to the same gallery space in coming years, though there is no completion timeline. She said the project was being carried out in consultation with Pacific communities, and that the artefacts need protection from factors including light, temperature, humidity, pests and dust. The collection will be digitised in 3D, while the museum plans pop-up exhibitions.
Retired City of Adelaide senior heritage architect John Greenshields questioned the need for the project and raised concerns about relocating exhibits, including a nearly 100-year-old Trobriand hut. He said he feared the gallery closure was linked to a desire to host ticketed blockbuster exhibitions. Hamilton rejected that suggestion, saying the space was intended to remain the Pacific cultures gallery. She said specialist conservators from Artlab would help disassemble, pack and move items with high-quality care.
Hamilton said Pacific Island community members would help design the collection’s future “re-awakening”, including selecting objects and themes for displays that could better represent other Melanesian nations. Community member Fred Ovia said he hoped preservation would allow younger generations to enjoy the artefacts in decades to come.
