The job opportunity

The National Museum of Australia has an exciting opportunity for a professional to join our Curatorial Centre as the Fellow of Australian Garden History.

As a Fellow, you will represent the Museum as an expert in Australian Garden history. You will provide intellectual, creative, and practical leadership to deliver on the Museum’s goal of being a leading national forum for discussions about Australian history, and a world leader in audience engagement. You will use these skills to develop a series of outcomes to help audiences understand and engage with Australian garden history, design and purpose.

You will have a well-developed knowledge of curatorial practice and Australian garden history, and an ability to foster an appreciation of the influences and futures in Australian gardening. Your work will complement that of the Senior Fellow of Culture and Environment, and the Swayn Senior Fellow in Australian Design, ensuring that common themes and programs enhance the ongoing work of the museum.

Key outputs of the role will include engagement with the museum’s collections, contributions to digital and online content and exhibitions; a series of public events, lectures and programs; and a research and publication program. You will be responsible for establishing and managing relationships with key professional bodies and associations, and joining practitioners and others in associated industries and enterprise to the work of the Museum. You will also be responsible for drawings together grant applications to other bodies and forging new collaborations and partnerships.

The role will form part of a team of named curatorial Fellows, Senior Fellows, and Associates who are brought together to focus on areas of particular thematic interest to the Museum.

The Fellow will also work collaboratively with the broader curatorial teams and other programming streams to maximize the potential of the Christina and Trevor Kennedy Museum’s Garden, the Garden of Australian Dreams, and location on the Acton Peninsula as a practical and theoretical learning resource.

What will the successful candidate bring to the role?

The successful candidate will bring a comprehensive knowledge of contemporary museum practices with specific understanding or experience in Australian culture and environment, curatorship and/or collections.

The successful candidate will contribute intellectual, creative and practical skills to the Museum’s curatorial activities and have the ability to contribute to the vision and strategic framework for the Curatorial Centre. They will have the ability to link the work of an Australian culture and environment stream to the broader program and ambitions of the Museum.

They will enhance public access, knowledge and interest in Australian culture and environment through collections, ideas and programs. They will demonstrate an understanding of audience centric practices and represent the Museum as an expert in Australian history.

They will have demonstrated knowledge and experience in research, testing and exploring ideas with the ability to bring a unique combination of community engagement, culture, science and history to bear on the National Historical Collection and storytelling. They will have the skills and desire to engage in an active way with contemporary curatorial practice and collecting.

The incumbent will demonstrate flexibility, agility and resilience. They will have experience in developing successful programs and teams to achieve the desired high-level expectations. They will have program management skills, including planning and resource management experience. They will be able to build external partnerships and collaborate and negotiate with internal and external partners and stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

A comprehensive knowledge of contemporary museum practices, with specific understanding or experience in Australian design, curatorship and/or collections is critical.

For more information or to apply visit the NMA website.