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New Vision for the National Wool Museum

City of Greater Geelong Councillors have endorsed a 30-year vision for the National Wool Museum to extend its focus beyond wool to represent the broader story of Geelong.

The vision aims to broaden the scope and purpose of the Museum to reflect the region’s 60,000-year living culture and history, from First Nations People to the emerging and advanced industries of today. However, research and engagement studies have shown that the Museum’s focus on wool limits its ability to connect with a broader audience and align with Council’s strategic objectives. Since 2010 the Museum has been broadening its programming to reflect changes in the Geelong community and the expectations of visitors.

The vision builds on the successes and legacy of the National Wool Museum.

Greater Geelong Mayor, Peter Murrihy;

A business case will be developed to fully explore the opportunities for the reimagined and expanded museum, including a potential development of the Dennys Lascelles Wool Stores to display and interpret Council’s large and diverse art and heritage collection.

The City will seek funding support from the Victorian Government to undertake the business case as well consider funding in future City budgets.

Creative Communities and Culture Chair, Trent Sullivan

“The new vision will help community and visitors connect with our region’s remarkable cultural heritage.

This is an important step towards expanding and evolving the Museum so that it’s a place that everyone can enjoy in the heart of Geelong.

Independent analysis shows that the expanded vision could deliver a net benefit of up to $72 million to the region over a 30-year period – or around $2.3 million a year.”

“The Museum will become an institution dedicated to Geelong’s human ingenuity, resilience, and enterprise – and actively shape the region’s future through its relationships, programs and legacy.

We’re responding to feedback from visitors and members of our local community who have told us they want to experience and understand more about Geelong’s unique culture and shared future.

We want to create a museum that is of and for Greater Geelong. The story of wool and the related collections will remain a core component of the Museum and the new vision will build on its success and legacy.”

The multi-award-winning National Wool Museum was opened by the City in 1988 with a focus on the cultural life of Australians as told through wool, fibre and textiles. It is an evolution and expansion of scope. The story of wool and collections will remain a core component of the Museum. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Museum and Shop attracted between 65,000 and 80,000 on-site visitors and 257,000 online exhibition and program participants annually.

The Museum’s current collection of wool related items comprises more than 8,200 objects of state, national and international significance valued at more than $8 million. The expanded Museum would become the home of Council’s larger Art and Heritage Collection, comprising approximately 20,000 items valued at approximately $20 million.

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Councillor Jim Mason, Chair of the Environment portfolio, said residents should be prepared to modify their behaviour during this period.

Swooping Season is here

“Native birds are a vital feature of our natural environment and are rightly afforded legal protection. Residents can use some simple measures, like protecting your head and either avoiding or moving through a breeding area quickly, to minimise the chances of being swooped. We encourage residents who want to report a swooping bird on City-managed land to contact us.”

Breeding season for swooping native birds has begun and is expected to continue until the middle of November.

Residents are advised to take extra precautions when outdoors during this period, as swooping birds can be present across urban and rural areas.

Many native birds, such as magpies and masked lapwings (also known as spur-winged plovers), swoop to protect their eggs and young during breeding season.

Residents can minimise the risk of being swooped by: • Avoiding nesting areas where birds are swooping if possible; or • Protecting head and eyes; and • Moving through the area quickly.

While swooping birds can be alarming, the behaviour is confined to approximately 10 per cent of birds and it’s rare for a bird to cause an injury.

Each breeding pair will also normally only swoop for four to six weeks until the chicks can fly.

All native birds are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, so please do not harm or scare swooping birds, or interfere with their nests. To report a swooping bird on Citymanaged land, please call 5272 5272.

The behaviour of the bird will be assessed and, if necessary, warning signs will be placed at the site.

The Victorian Swooping Bird Map shows hot spots where people have been swooped during the current or previous breeding season.

To access this map and report swooping locations please visit: www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/managingwildlife/swooping-birds