House Museum Curator

Position:         House Museum Curator
Hours:              Permanent Part-time (20 hours per week)

Reports to:      Buda Committee of Management
Effective date: Negotiable with successful applicant

Location:         Castlemaine
Supervises:     Volunteers and Contractors 

Application must include: 

• Covering letter 
• An outline of your skills and experience in relation to the Key Selection Criteria. 
• Names and contact numbers of two referees. 
• A contact number that we can easily reach you on during and/or after work hours. 
• Resume 
• Email address 

Send your applications to *********@budacastlemaine.org 

Proposed schedule: 

Applications Close 5pm 1st March 2024

Short listing 8th March 2024

Interviews will occur week beginning 11th March 2024

Notification - All applicants will be notified via email by 15th March 2024

ABOUT BUDA

budacastlemaine.org

Buda Historic Home and Garden, recognised home of the talented artistic Leviny family from 1863- 1981, has enjoyed prominence as a place of heritage significance and a major draw card for tourists to Castlemaine, Central Victoria, since opening to the public in 1982. The house, garden, and contents are held in trust for the people of Victoria by the Trustees of the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum and managed by a voluntary, not for profit organisation, Buda Historic Home & Garden Incorporated. The property is listed as Victorian Heritage Registration. HO134 and has achieved Museum Accreditation status. Buda hosts an annual program of public events and activities with more than 8,000 visitors and community users each year. 

Further information is available through the website https://budacastlemaine.org/ 

HOUSE CURATOR ROLE

The House Curator is responsible for the management, preservation. Interpretation and display of the house and its collections. This includes maintenance of the house interior, exhibitions development, and the training and supervision of house cleaning staff, collections volunteers and tour guides. The House Curator reports directly to the Buda Committee of Management through the President.

The House Curator liaises with a small team of staff and subcommittee members who have a shared responsibility for: 

• the house exterior
• collection objects in the garden
• development of property interpretation
• visitor services and tours
• public and educational programs 
• gift shop merchandise development relating to the collection

The House Curator is required to directly deliver services as outlined below.  Due consideration is given for their hours of employment and budgetary constraints.

KEY OUTCOMES: 

Effective preservation and management of the museum and its collection

• Develop a good working knowledge of the Buda House and Collection and its history.
• Work within the framework of Buda’s Heritage Maintenance Plan 2021 & Buda’s Interpretation Policy 2019.
• Ensure Buda is maintained according to the standards of the Museum and Tourist Accreditation program.
• Consolidate and maintain the collection catalogue records (manual & digitised), registers, inventories and indexes.

Visitors enjoy their time at Buda

• Curate and present engaging in-house displays and exhibitions drawn from the Buda collection rotating any vulnerable collection items that have been on display. 
• Create new content about the house and collection for a range of audiences.

Professional development of self, house and collections staff and volunteers

• Recruit, train and supervise volunteers in collections management including cataloguing, house maintenance and conservation cleaning of the house interior and artefacts.
• Provide regular updates on relevant research and interpretation for tour guides and front of house personnel.

Provision of information and advice to appropriate personnel regarding house and collections management

• Advise Committee on collections conservation and building maintenance issues needing attention, maintaining an annual list of of goals and priorities. 
• Liaise with specialist advisors, contractors and tradespeople on conservation and preservation projects.
• Advise Committee on any potential grants and sponsorships that might assist with the upkeep of the house and collections and prepare timely and well written grant applications.

Effective communication with Committee members, colleagues, and volunteers

• Attend Committee, Sub-committee and staff meetings as deemed appropriate. 
• Confer with Buda management and staff to ensure that all facets of Buda interpretation, promotion and marketing are of high quality. 
• Liaise with tour guides for public program events and maintain responsibility for their roster when Administration staff are not on site.
• Write reports or articles for the quarterly Friends of Buda Newsletter, Volunteers newsletter and Committee reports as requested.

A safe environment maintained for staff, volunteers and visitors

• Monitor security of the house, ensuring that adequate OH&S procedures are in place for the house interior and collections. 
• Maintain and monitor the Emergency plan (Disaster Preparedness) as it refers to the house.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential

• Tertiary qualifications in relevant discipline e.g.  Museum Studies, Cultural Heritage, History, Arts or equivalent curatorial qualification
• Previous relevant museum or curatorial experience

Specialist Knowledge (not listed in order of priority)

•  Cultural Heritage site and building management within the context of the Burra Charter 
•   Museum Collections management
•   Museum standards, policy and procedures
•   Museum conservation and preservation practices
•   Curatorial research, writing and presentation skills
•   Public Programs and exhibition development and co-ordination

Skills and Experience

• Experience in managing the conservation and maintenance of heritage buildings
• Skills in curatorial research, interpretation and exhibition creation
• Demonstrated ability in database management and specialist Museum cataloguing software such as Lucidea PrestoWorks
• Skills in time management and workload priority setting to meet objectives and deadlines 
• Ability to manage within a limited budget
• High level of self-motivation and problem-solving skills
• Experience in managing volunteers with a range of skills and personal attributes
• Strong interpersonal skills 
• Working knowledge and understanding of OH&S Guidelines 

Desirable 

• Current First Aid Certificate 
• Victorian Driver’s Licence 
• Working with Children Check

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

• This permanent part time position comes under Employment Award; Amusements Events and Recreation  https://awardviewer.fwo.gov.au/award/show/MA000080#P336_29095
• Grade 7: $56,451.20 annual pro rata 20 hour week + 17.5% annual leave loading + 11% statuary superannuation. Salary sacrifice provisions are available.
• Signing of a Conditions of Employment Agreement contract on acceptance of position.
• A police check may be required prior to making a job offer to any person.
• Buda Historic Home and Garden Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and does not tolerate harassment of any kind.

Download position description

https://budacastlemaine.org/about-us/jobs/

If you have any questions please contact Pat Grumont *********@budacastlemaine.org

Buda Historic Home and Garden acknowledges the Dja Dja Wurrung people as the traditional owners of the land on which we operate. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.