After ten years in the top position, the Director of the National Museum of Australia, Dr Matthew Trinca AM, has announced that this year will be his last with the institution.

Dr Trinca will stay in the position until early next year. He says his decision to not seek reappointment for a third term was to make way for renewal for the organisation. The Museum’s council and the federal government are hoping to select Dr Trinca’s successor by the end of 2023.

For the past decade, Dr Trinca has worked to redevelop the Museum and redefine it as one of the country’s great institutions. Under his guidance, visitor numbers have been significantly higher and his lasting legacies include the award-winning initiative to engage with school-aged children in Australia’s Defining Moments Digital Classroom.

Just last year, Dr Trinca oversaw the Museum’s biggest redevelopment since it opened its doors in 2001 – the opening of the Great Southern Land environmental gallery and the immersive play hub, the Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre.

Expanding the Museum’s programs, Dr Trinca brought exhibitions from around the globe to Canberra’s doorstep. Partnerships with the British Museum, the Vatican, the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, the National Art Museum of China, the National Museum of China and the National Museum of Singapore all toured to the NMA.

It wasn’t just overseas reach; Dr Trinca was also instrumental in the Museum’s development of a number of ground-breaking exhibitions, such as Encounters in 2015, Endeavour Voyage in 2020 and Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, which is now running at Musee de Quai Branly in Paris, France.

The announcement comes after the federal government awarded the NMA $78 million in additional funding as part of its pre-budget announcement. Dr Trinca thanked the government for the funding, as well as thanking them, the council and the staff at NMA for their support over the years.

“It has been an honour to serve the Australian people by bringing national stories to life and exploring what it means to live in this country,” said Dr Trinca. “I look forward to seeing the next chapter in the Museum’s work and will work hard over the next six months to prepare the ground for my successor.”

Keep up to date with the National Museum of Australia at nma.gov.au

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