2014 McCoy Seed Fund Projects
From Mavis Bramston to Legally Brown
Cultural Representations in Australian Television,1956-Today – Dr Moya McFadzean and Professor Kate Darian-Smith will lead a study on how diverse cultural groups have been represented on Australian television since the 1950s. This Seed funded project has developed into a successful ARC Linkage project titled: "Migration, cultural diversity and television: reflecting modern Australia" for funding commencing in 2015. This project seeks to continue the collaborative research work of the McCoy Project, documenting the evolving history of popular television and its contribution to national discussions about migration, cultural diversity and citizenship. In association with Museum Victoria and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, outcomes are expected to include scholarly publications, exhibitions and public programs.
Affective encounters
Teaching and learning for schools and communities through museums and collections – Dr Diane Mulcahy and her team look at how education takes place through several of Museum Victoria’s exhibition spaces.
Self-destructive cultural heritage
Management of cellulose nitrate materials in museum collections – Dr Petronella Nel and colleagues from Museum Victoria, the University of Melbourne and CSIRO examined strategies for dealing with cellulose nitrate, an unstable polymer frequently found in films, plastics and adhesives in museum collections. This Seed funded project was developed into a successful ARC Linkage Project titled: "A national framework for managing malignant plastics in museum collections", 2017-2020. This collaborative project brings together a national pool of museum professionals and scientists from the University of Melbourne, Museum Victoria, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences – Powerhouse Museum, Queensland Museum, Art Gallery of NSW, South Australian Museum, University of Technology Sydney and Flinders University. It aims to develop methods for extending the lifespan of at risk malignant plastic or polymer-based materials in museum collections. Outcomes include two PhD scholarships and the provision of a conservation framework and database where information can be shared. Guidelines provided will enable informed decision-making, reducing risk to vulnerable sections of Australia's massive cultural collections.
Unravelling the complexity of small animals
Improving museum exhibits with the use of multi-scale imaging information – Dr David Ackland and co-workers will use state-of-the-art imaging technology to provide information on bioluminescent fishes and blue-ringed octopuses from Museum Victoria’s collection.
Establishing a modern, multi-purpose collection of Victorian venomous animals, their tissues and venoms
Dr Joanna Sumner and a team will develop a collection of marine and terrestrial venomous animals together with samples of their venoms, as a resource for further work.
Western Port
A biodiversity assessment to inform environmental decision-making – Dr Robin Wilson and a team of investigators are to use the results of a major environmental survey by the Museum in 1975 along with new evidence, to re-examine the marine fauna biodiversity of Western Port, and help inform the bay’s future management.