Preserving history

Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

Fitting more than 170 years of policing history into the new, state-of-the-art Victoria Police Museum is a massive task.

It’s a responsibility Victoria Police’s Museum and Historical Services team has tackled with expertise and determination.

The relocated museum will reopen in early 2023 and feature select items on display from a collection of more than 200,000 pieces, including 13,000 physical objects.

The team is working on the new design with other museum sector suppliers including Thylacine, POD Museum and Art Services, Arterial Design, Grace Fine Art, and Commando Storage Systems.

The museum showcases Victorian history through the lens of policing and social history.

Victoria Police was formed in January 1853, with police present in Victoria since the 1830s.

Part of the collection are two sets of armour worn by the Kelly Gang and the remains of the car that was used in the bombing of the former police headquarters on Russell Street.

Museum and Historical Services Manager Laura Miles said the new museum at the Victoria Police Centre (VPC) on Spencer Street in Melbourne will attract a variety of visitors.

“The space is designed to create a meaningful experience for all visitors, whether they stay for two minutes or two hours,” Ms Miles said.

“The aim of the museum is to interpret Victoria Police’s history in a representative way.

“We’ve created seven thematic zones of permanent displays from the 19th century to modern policing, and we also have space for two temporary exhibitions.

“Both types of exhibitions have static and dynamic displays, a deliberate design decision by our curatorial team to best engage a wide range of visitors, from school groups to individuals with an interest in policing and social history.”

Ms Miles said it is a huge advantage that the new museum now has a street frontage, allowing it to attract people who are just passing by as well as people who intend to visit.

The new museum has a purpose-built expansive area with a 13-metre-high ceiling with clever engineering structures where collection items can be hung on walls and suspended from the ceiling.

Designers impression, permanent exhibition design and installation by Thylacine.

Photo: Supplied

The museum team has been hard at work to get the priceless collection ready for the move to the new space.

“It’s been a mammoth challenge,” Ms Miles said.

“Museum collections require great care, and that means we precisely control how they are displayed, stored and handled.

“We have invested in world-class systems in our museum spaces to control the temperature and relative humidity.

“Our expert collections team also has a strict system for rotating out collection items, because some are only allowed to be displayed for a certain time, before they are removed from display and ‘rested’ to avoid damage from light, heat and other risk factors.

“Every showcase, shelf, drawer, hanging rail and archival sleeve has been selected to hold collection items in place, whether it’s a vintage breathalyser machine, tactical vest, vintage tunic, or photograph.”

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the museum played a pivotal part in understanding Victoria Police over the years.

“Understanding our past is the key to being part of a better future,” CCP Patton said.

“The museum will detail Victoria Police’s history and its role within and as part of the community. “This includes the public’s response to positive events and difficult events.

“We have a great responsibility to present a fair history of the organisation, in a way that encourages visitors to question and reflect.”

The museum team has been hard at work to get the priceless collection ready for the move to the new space.

Photo: Jesse Wray-McCann

The museum shop will also be returning to the new space and include some old favourite items for sale, alongside some exciting new additions that are expected to gallop off the shelves.

Entry to the museum at 313 Spencer Street, Docklands will be free, and visitors are encouraged to check the website for updates on the reopening.

www.policemuseum.vic.gov.au