Dawn Casey - Interview - Powerhouse Museum

Were you always a bit of a museum buff? Not at all. I originally come from Cairns, so I didn't even see my first museum until I went to Brisbane when I was 27. Actually, I remember thinking it was very, very boring and dull.

So when did museums stop being boring and dull and become your life's work? I was director of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in South Australia and worked very closely with the director of the Museums. What really motivated me was seeing the breakdown of culture in South Australia. There was petrol sniffing and a whole range of other terrible issues arising in the community and you could tell that it was due to a break down in culture. I funded a program for the repatriation of human remains and secret sacred material back to those communities.

Does the general public care about museums? When I was asked to look after the National Museum of Australia as a policy advisor, I could truly see the importance of museums. Within the first three years, two million visitors passed through. Seeing people move through those galleries and the way they related to their grandparents or themselves - because the National Museum covers people who are still alive today, not just dead people - the way they related to everyday items was amazing.

What's the real point of museums? I think museums play a very important role, to engage with people and create an understanding of why some things happen. They almost look for it. After the bush fires in Canberra which killed so many, people came to the museum to leave their different stories. Museums can play a calming role and provide an understanding within that bigger story and that bigger space. Also, when you walk through a museum it's more confronting  and real when it's there in three dimensions than, say, when you read about it in a book or an article.

You're new to Sydney. What do you make of it so far? I really enjoy Sydney. There are many aspects of it that for me are inspiring but I also think are its downfall in many respects.

In which respects? Because it's so stunningly beautiful, it's so engaging and interesting, it's buzzing streets and suburbs are so diverse. It's so beautiful that it hasn't really had to market itself very much and consequently other people and other cities are jumping ahead. Melbourne, for example, is doing exceptionally well in design; Brisbane is out targeting new audiences. I just don't think we do enough for our cultural tourism. It's almost like Sydney's living off its past reputation and I think it's starting to look run down too. We need to look at more cultural events. I used to work in overseas aid programs for the United Nations and people were always looking to Australians for their creativity and innovation. NSW has so much to offer but we're simply not promoting it enough.

What one exhibit would you love to display? I think a piece of the moon rock. I would like it because the story about reaching out and travelling to the moon is such an incredible one. It's like it was impossible but people did it. Nothing's impossible if you put your mind to it.

If you were behind glass, what would the caption read? I've never been asked that question before. It's a bit like: what would you want put on your gravestone? While this is my third museum and I've had much experience, I'm the most un-museum-like person. I guess the caption might read: "For somebody who had never known a museum and never visited a museum, she deserves to be collected. But does she really belong here?"

Life & times

1950 Born in Cairns, North Queensland, eldest of five
1985 Receives three Commonwealth public service Australia Day medals
1991 Serves in the department of the prime minister and cabinet. Establishes Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and chairs Heritage Collections Committee
1999 Director of National Museum of Australia. Casey's contract was not renewed in 2003, and her dismissal caused national controversy and accusations of racism
2001 Oversees opening of the National Museum in Canberra, amping up the original $4 million budget to $43 million and bringing in over two million visitors
2003 Awarded Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa in recognition of a distinguished career and contribution to indigenous society
2008 Takes over as director of Sydney's Powerhouse Museum

Events at and details of Powerhouse Museum.

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