Nightmare at the museum continues with release of damning document

InDaily understands that some South Australian Museum employees feel the proposed “reimagining” of the North Terrace institution continues, despite Premier Peter Malinauskas last month announcing the axing of a controversial restructure.

This is made clear by two submissions to the Statutory Authorities Review Committee’s inquiry into the South Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of South Australia that were made public on SA Parliament’s website last week.

The anonymous submissions are believed to have the same authors, stating they have “474 years of service to the South Australian Museum” and are among around 80 submissions into the inquiry now released on parliament’s website.

The two documents, numbered 79 and 79a, total 194 pages and include allegations that museum leadership misled parliament, that a senior member of museum leadership bullied staff, that donations have been misused, that the proposed “reimagining” continued during the Premier’s Review and that there has been a high staff turnover.

Appendixes attached to the submissions include an email chain, a screenshot of meeting minutes, a screenshot of a gift agreement, a document from BDO titled “Premiers Review Panel Employee Consultation”, grant agreements, letters, a museum finance report and other documents.

The submissions come as the SARC committee continues its probe into the SA Museum and the Art Gallery.

The SARC committee established the inquiry in May following backlash from community members and scientists to a proposed restructure at the SA Museum.

The restructure would have seen all 27 roles in the museum’s research and collections division abolished and replaced with 22 new roles focusing on curatorial research.

A government source has told InDaily that the SARC committee would continue its probe into the two institutions for the foreseeable future and is expected to begin investigating the Art Gallery in November.

The outcome of a separate Premier’s Review set up in April was made public in September, with Premier Malinauskas announcing a withdrawal of the restructure and the resignation of Kim Cheater as chair, as well as injecting an extra $4.1 million into the museum.

Museum CEO Dr David Gamister said in a statement to InDaily that the SA Museum is “currently focussed on delivering the recommendations of the Premier’s Review Panel and is working with our new Chair Professor Robert Saint, staff, and stakeholders to implement the recommendations”.

“Prof Saint, former Deputy Vice Chancellor Research at Flinders University, will be working on a sustainable research model and Robert Champion de Crespigny will work alongside the Museum board as a strategic advisor,” he said.

“The Museum will be developing existing and new opportunities with donors, philanthropists, and major corporations to enhance existing funding sources.

“Together we are steering the Museum forward to deliver the best outcomes for all South Australians.”