Veterans and students: enhancing community engagement at the Returned Services League LifeCare War Museum, Narrabeen

Abstract

AbstractThe on-going partnership between the Australian War Memorial, the managers and residents of a Returned Services League retirement village, and the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, University of Melbourne, constitutes an excellent case study of conservation-led student, volunteer and community empowerment. This community-engagement project is focused on gradually developing the museological skills of the volunteers running the retirement village's War Museum, enlisting conservation students to help them establish good museum practices. The students and volunteers acquired new collection care capabilities. The students' appreciation of their positive contribution to stakeholder engagement, community museums and commemorative displays deepened as residents demonstrated the links between their wartime experiences and the collection. With increasing professional activity the museum's public profile expanded, inducing more residents to donate time, objects and stories. The project's beneficia...