Katherine Museum, Northern Territory

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Katherine Museum, Northern Territory

• The Historical Society of Katherine Ltd (runs the museum)
• Katherine Outback Heritage Museum, Northern Territory

• Community

The Katherine Museum has been in operation since 21 April 1985. It is a not for profit organisation, run by The Historical Society of Katherine Ltd. It is sponsored by the Katherine Town Council, The Katherine Club and the Northern Territory Government.

The Katherine Museum works in partnership with the Stolen Generation of Katherine to create a healing garden used on special occasions and for healing and reflection. Many stories of the Traditional Custodians are shared in the Clyde Fenton Gallery.

Officer in charge: Manager/Curator

The museum collects objects, photographs and documents that relate to the Katherine region and its residents, in particular, items that reflect the development of the community and diversity of its cultural heritage. New donations are always welcomed. (See http://www.katherinemuseum.com/our-stories)

The museum building was the passenger terminal and air radio building for the Katherine Aerodrome. It was used for 30 years from 1945 until the aerodrome officially closed in 1975. Services were moved in that year to the present site at Tindal.

With the initiation of a new museum building, there will be a resource room, archive facility and temperature controlled collection keeping area.

The Katherine Museum has a wide range of collections that have been donated to the museum from 1972 to present day.

Material held includes, for example, documents, photographs, audiovisual collections (such as oral histories and documentaries) and a large collection of historical books for reference.

Holdings relate to Katherine history, for example:

• Aboriginal history
• Katherine schools
• Katherine floods
• Overland telegraph, 1872-
• World War II, 1939-1945
• Bush graves, 1870- .

A full assessment of collections was undertaken in 2007/2008. From this assessment the Overland Telegraph Display was created bringing all telecommunication objects and documents to be displayed together as a complete collection.

Open daily 9am to 4pm.
Closed Christmas Day.

The Museum has a large collection of historical books for reference and, if prior arrangements are made, for certain topics relevant books can be available for viewing when you visit.

An application form should be filled out for permission to publish from collections.

A staff member will brief researchers on what is available. If extensive research is required by a staff member, fees apply.
For further information, see http://www.katherinemuseum.com/the-museum/research

Material can be scanned and photocopied on request. Fees apply to printing, photocopying and laminating.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Thematic area)
• Arts and Culture (Thematic area)
• Communication (Thematic area)
• Education (Thematic area)
• Immigration (Thematic area)
• Law and Justice (Thematic area)
• Local Studies (Thematic area)
• Recreation / Leisure / Sports (Thematic area)
• Transportation (Thematic area)