KOWANYAMA PROJECT NEWS
A safe home for two regionally significant wommera collections Thanks to the Mitchell River Group, formed at Kowanyama in 1990, the Atherton and Palmer Wommera Collections have a safe space in the Kowanyama Collection room. John Brisbin, of the Mareeba based Group donated and transported a cabinet surplus to office needs, by road, 9 hours travel to Kowanyama for our museum.
CULTURAL CENTRE WORKS Improving museum environmental conditions Works are ongoing to address the 2018 Recommendations to protect the Kowanyama Collection. Very late in 2018 Ian Miles of Sic Air Conditioning, Townsville raced to beat wet season rains to upgrade the air conditioning system in the residential part of the building, and to improve the existing ducted system into the museum. Jane Woolcock of the Anthropology Museum at the University of QLD provided advice on the environmental requirements for protection of the Kowanyama Collection against the high temperatures and mould. Tropical hot wet weather is not a museum’s best friend. Recommendations were that the beehive be removed from the back of the building allowing the safe removal of the cluster fig trees there. Trees were damaging the foundations of the building and the roots were lifting the ducting of the air-conditioning system letting moist air in through a tear in the ducting. This was a threat to keeping the humidity down during the wet season. A roof over the main cabinet was recommended to protect the container from the weather. The bees were removed by Joe Adams to the Men’s Shed Farm to allow works to begin. Council had the main tree removed and later Rangers Anzac Frank and Fitzy Lawrence cut out the remaining two smaller trees already growing over the Centre’s storage shed and rainwater tanks. Bartlett’s Builders erected a roof over the cabinet just before the wet season. Work will begin early this dry season to remove the damaged duct and removal and grinding of the stump to allow the final necessary repairs to the system. The Cultural Centre’s first Cyclone Management Plan is our next job this year to keep Kowanyama Collection safe. Thank you everyone for your supporting maintenance work at the Cultural Centre
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