First Nations Artefacts: Boosting Provenance Accuracy
Innovative Queensland-based organisations with a bright idea to improve how First Nations artefacts are identified are being encouraged to apply for a new challenge.
The Queensland Government and Queensland Museum have partnered to deliver the Private Sector Pathways (PSP) Challenge – Charting provenance with First Nations artefacts.
The initiative aims to improve the digital storing, processing, analysis and digitisation of First Nations archival materials like hunting and gathering tools, traditional baskets, boomerangs and rock engravings.
Streamlining the process ensures the original creator has their work correctly attributed by the Queensland Museum.
Participants are encouraged to develop a user-friendly system which makes cataloguing, identifying, processing and managing First Nations artefacts easier for the Queensland Museum by reducing the lengthy and labour-intensive identification process.
The successful Queensland business will receive grant funding up to $100,000 to help them develop their proposed solution with the Museum.
Queensland Museum is custodian to more than 22,000 objects in the Queensland Aboriginal collection, as well as more than 28,000 items from outside of Queensland and more than 12,000 historic photographs.
Acting Deputy Director-General of Innovation Tony King said it’s important to recognise, honour and embrace the rich and ancient cultural history of First Nations peoples, as the first custodians of Australia.
“This challenge will help support the Museum’s archiving and streamline repatriation efforts with Indigenous communities, to uphold the integrity and respect of cultural artefacts,” he said.
“I look forward to seeing what ideas Queensland innovators come up with, to store and showcase First Nations material.”
Queensland Museum CEO Dr Jim Thompson said this is a great opportunity for Queensland innovators to help improve how the museum cares for and connects with First Nations cultural items.
“By making the identification process easier and more accurate, we can better support communities and ensure these important objects are properly recognised, and if possible, returned,” he said.
Queensland Museum First Nations Director Dr Bianca Beetson said this opportunity is groundbreaking and will assist with First Nations artefact collection and recordkeeping.
“It could really improve our processes and make them quicker, transforming how the Museum works to repatriate items back to Indigenous communities,” she said.
“We’re hoping this tool will be able to pull up records of specific markings on cultural items like styles, patterns or timbers – to more effectively and efficiently identify its origin.
“We’re seeing an increasing number of First Nations items coming in from general surrenders and international returns and if this tool is successful, there’s also potential for other museums and even institutions like universities to use it as well.”
Applications close: 2pm Thursday 19 June 2025
https://www.detsi.qld.gov.au/our-department/news-media/mediareleases/first-nations-historical-artefacts-improving-provenance-accuracy-and-efficiency