RESOURCE CENTRE

We have finally made headway in the backlog of resource centre cataloguing, thanks to the valiant efforts of our volunteers Marie Earle and Jessica O'Callaghan. Over a thousand new entries have been made on the computer database catalogue, while the bulk of the items originally catalogued under a paper register and index card system have been transferred to the computer database. Marie has also labelled spines with catalogue numbers and titles on many reports to make finding them easier.

The next step in this process is to provide better physical storage for the material, and public access to the computer catalogue. One small advance here was the donation of library card drawers from a Brunswick school which have proved ideal for storing oral history tapes.

The Museum's resources have been supplemented by specific purchases, including recent publications on themes of women's heritage, environmental activism and planning, as a response to the many requests from visitors for information on these topics. Projects have also brought new additions to the resource centre, including oral history interviews (e.g. River People) copies of photographs (including an album of photos of the Maribyrnong River, a collection of historic bridges, and women of the west from various sources connected with the 'Hear our Voices' exhibition). As always we have continued to document contemporary happenings in the region, including our own events and programs, all of which adds to the visual recording of the Western Region.

Few artefacts were added to the collection during the year, reflecting the different focus of projects and the continuing storage constraints as the resource centre has expanded to fill every nook and cranny. A particular acquisition of note is a collection of timber foundry patterns made by local pattern-maker Alan Steele, for a unique type of drill press. These complement other patterns we hold from Hume Pipes, D. Richardson, the Sunshine Harvester Works and Spotswood Pumping Station. While they may seem a rather prosaic form of industrial artefact, they actually tell us a lot about the form and function of manufacturing industry and embody a great sense of craftsmanship and the art of the pattern-maker.