Locals are invited to peek into the inner workings of the museum cataloguing process as Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG) curators select items of significance from the Historic Canberra Hospital Collection. In the On the Circuit Gallery, the curatorial team will uncover historic finds as the public watches, each day until 29 September.

“You can see us frantically looking through all the different boxes, uniforms, medical instruments and equipment trying to work out what they are and tick them off,” says Hannah Paddon, senior curator of social history.

The collection made its way to CMAG after volunteers from the Royal Canberra Hospital History Group approached Ms Paddon to tell her about treasures they had collected from 1998-2008. At the time it was stored in the auditorium at Canberra Hospital.

“It was really well catalogued but because of the storage it was in, it was difficult to tell what was included in the collection. So, the last couple of weeks we have been moving items from the hospital into CMAG and trying to work through the inventory,” says Ms Paddon.

This step of the process is to ensure that they have everything listed by the Royal Canberra Hospital History Group and note whether it fits in with the CMAG policy. All items that the museum accepts must have relevance to Canberra, tell part of a story and be of interest to the community.

“It is about the significance of the object, the importance that it has in telling a story, who owned it or who used it. Provenance is important and that is actually captured in the records that the volunteers made when they were collecting, it’s fantastic to have that information.”

Storage is a premium at any museum explains Ms Paddon, luckily ACT Archives are working with the museum to store some of the larger objects they would like to preserve.

“We’ve got operating tables, beautiful dividing screens on wheels, cauterising machines—which are beautiful wooden cabinetry with electric machines inside—a sewing machine which was used to sew together all the uniforms for the nurses.”

Pieces can be dated back to 1914 from Canberra’s very first hospital.

“It was built on what is now the Acton Peninsula. It still sits there as part of ANU and we know it was an eight-bed ward and we’ve got objects from that period right through to the 1990s,” says Ms Paddon.

Nurse’s uniforms from over the years showcase change in practicality, utility and fashion. Production of objects tells a story of Australia’s growth in industry with some instruments originally being made in Britain before brandishing a made in Australia marking. Tools of the trade highlight the evolving technology while promotional material note changes in marketing.

Within the collection, there will be something that appeals to every viewer, whether it be for aesthetics, history or nostalgia, much like Ms Paddon, a glasses wearer, experienced.

“I love the ophthalmic lenses, there is a case of ophthalmic lenses which really conjure up memories for me of having my eyes tested.”

The museum has programs already lined up, so Ms Paddon says realistically, they wouldn’t be able to host an exhibition based on these new acquisitions for another three years.

“I am really keen that we include oral history, people who have stories to tell have the opportunity to get involved, that we do it justice.”

Already working the gears on angles that could be told, Ms Paddon says the possibilities are endless. It could include people who were born in or have gone through the hospital system to the medical professionals who have worked there throughout the years.

“There’s an opportunity for us to tell great in-depth stories about nursing in our area, our community and the important women that were doing the job of training future nurses of Canberra as well as for Australia.”

Just a couple weeks into the process, the team have already catalogued over 700 objects with plenty more ahead of them. While the public may not be able to go in with the collection, CMAG is committed to involving the community at every step. Along with the chance to watch the process, locals can get involved on social media. Curators will be answering questions put forth, they will also share some of the incredible objects they come across.

Their programming and ethos are community-centric, Ms Paddon is thrilled that the volunteers came to them with this collection. She says exhibitions are about bringing stories to life so they can be shared with the community and encourages groups and individuals to continue to share their collections and ideas with the museum.

“These are important collections, and we want to make sure they continue to be looked after, used and celebrated.”

Peek into the history of Canberra Hospital at Canberra Museum and Gallery until 29 September; cmag.com.au

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