Our historical collection has successfully undergone a National Significance Assessment conducted by Dr. Fiona Starr from Australian Lived Histories. This important process was made possible by receiving the Community Heritage Grant from the National Library of Australia.
The significance assessment aimed to evaluate the HNE Health Libraries historical collection to understand their provenance in relation to Australian medical history and other collections across Australia.
The Collection, donated by several local clinicians, many of whom have passed away or retired, aims to support the education of health professionals. The most notable resources come from John Algie and Dr. Irvine John Hunter, honoring the only Australian namesake of the John Hunter Hospital. These materials related to John Irvine Hunter are considered nationally and potentially internationally significant due to their substantial research potential.
The outcome of the report is intended to help guide the planning and allocation of future resources for collection management and conservation, community engagement, learning programs and interpretation. We would like to express our gratitude to the volunteers who contributed their time to share their testimonies about the significance of the collection to themselves, the organisation, and the community. The significance assessment identifies that these resources serve not only as historical artefacts but as tangible links to the ingenuity and dedication that have shaped modern health care. They are a reminder to the health professionals of the Hunter New England region, and the wider community, of the shoulders on which we stand, and of the visionaries who have laid the path for the future.
Our next step is to seek further grants and other funding sources to continue preserving the collection.
You can read the complete report here.
Information about the Historical Collection Significance Assessment can be directed to Cherish McDonald.