The need for a New Zealand branch of Blue Shield has been highlighted by the Christchurch earthquakes. A group of 14 organisations across the culture and heritage sector as well as the Archives and Records Association of New Zealand (ARANZ) and the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management met for an initial meeting in November 2011 and discussed the benefits of setting up Blue Shield in New Zealand.
The articles on pages 3 and 4 of Museum and Gallery Services Queensland’s (M&GSQ) quarterly publication M&GSQ_Source_Volume7_Number2_Winter2011 feature recognition of Christine Ianna and Lydia Egunnike’s work during Queensland’s natural disasters at the the recent Queensland Disaster Heroes ceremonies held across the State as a part of Queensland Week.
Keep up to date with their work at http://www.magsq.com.au/
Blue Shield Australia has been awarded a grant by the Office of the Arts, though the Distributed National Collections program.
Blue Shield Australia has been active in promoting cultural heritage risk preparedness in Australia since its inception in 2005.
In awarding the funding the Hon Simon Crean MP, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government in Australia’s Federal Government, stated that given the recent spate of natural disasters in Australia the project is both timely and important. The project BSA: Building cultural heritage resilience in regional Australia. Please see the media release for more information.
The BSA committee is following the tragic events in Japan with great concern. We express our deepest sympathy for those people who have lost family members and for everyone who has been touched by this monumental disaster. In due course BSA will welcome contributions to our Facebook page from those who can provide helpful information for understanding the effects of the earthquake on particular examples of cultural heritage.
22 February 2011
BSA committee is shocked to hear about the earthquake damage in Christchurch, New Zealand. Our thoughts and support go to our colleagues in the affected earthquake area.
We are gathering news and information from the New Zealand library, museum, archive, gallery and build heritage profession and posting it on the BSA Facebook site as it becomes available.
January 2011
Our thoughts are with our colleagues in the devastating flood affected areas across Australia. In response to the flood disaster the BSA Committee convened two special meetings in Melbourne on 17th & 27th January 2011. The meetings gathered available information at the time as to how the floods have affected the cultural heritage sector. It also canvassed possible recovery efforts, which could be implemented immediately as well as what activities should be undertaken in the short, medium and long-term.
To assist with these activities BSA agreed to establish a central register of cultural heritage affected by the floods. The register will collate a list of all affected archives, historical societies, libraries, museums and galleries and monuments and sites and be posted on the BSA website. This register will be used to prioritise and better understand how, where and when best to respond and assist cultural heritage custodians affected by the floods.
The BSA committee has also agreed to meet more regularly with not just BSA pillars and associate members but any other cultural heritage organisations wanting to assist. In the coming weeks and months updates on BSA actions to the flood disaster will be posted on the BSA website and facebook page as well as BSA member organisations websites and discussion lists.
To contribute to the BSA flood disaster register please email the Blue Shield Secretariat at: blueshieldaustralia@gmail.com
BSA is compiling a register of all known flood affected cultural heritage collections and sites or monuments regardless of their size or if they are in private or public ownership.
The information in this register will be used by BSA and its partners to develop an effective response and recovery assistance from the Australian cultural heritage sector over the short, medium and long-term.
If you know of any cultural heritage affected by the floods please contribute to this central register by emailing BSA at: info@blueshieldaustralia.org.au