The Australian women's movement goes to the museum: The ‘cultures of Australian feminist activism, 1970–1990’ project’

Bartlett, A & Henderson, M 2013, ‘The Australian women's movement goes to the museum: The ‘cultures of Australian feminist activism, 1970–1990’ project’, Women's Studies International Forum, vol. 37, March-April, pp. 85-94, viewed on 19 May 2014, ScienceDirect Database.

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This article details and reflects on a project commissioned by the National Museum of Australia (NMA), in which the authors produced a dedicated museum collection focussing on Australian second wave feminism. They provide a logical rationale to justify the collection, identifying a gap in museum collections on this subject, with most existing historical feminist collections being text-based. The authors explore the importance of objects to illustrate history, including an examination of two items collected and how their use and meaning changed over time. Of particular relevance to our research is the discussion about the power suit, however the article as a whole provides useful context and justification for the focus of our case study as a feminist collection. The authors are aware of personal biases within their research and detail how they tried to combat this through input from feminist communities and networks. Also identified are limitations and gaps in the collection, with proposals of how to address these if the collection continues to grow. The language used is quite accessible, with arguments positioned within a wider context of feminist, historical theory. A detailed reference list provides further reading in both museum studies, feminism and feminist history.