Business leader Robert Champion de Crespigny lashes proposed cuts to SA Museum

A respected business leader and former SA Museum chairman is condemning the axing of world-class researchers at the beloved institution.

The South Australian Museum front entrance on North Tce. Picture: Matt Loxton

Tycoon Robert Champion de Crespigny is lashing proposed cuts to the South Australian Museum, warning axing world-class researchers would make the state “the laughing stock of the scientific world”.

In a rare interview, the former museum chairman and Adelaide University chancellor argued plans to sack 27 researchers would undermine the planned merger of UniSA and Adelaide.

Mr Champion de Crespigny, a highly respected business leader who made his fortune in mining, said the museum needed to change but the current board lacked a detailed, scoped plan.

The Ancient Egypt gallery was originally established in 1939 and has changed very little since. Picture: SA Museum.

As revealed by The Advertiser last week, the museum is reviewing the future of its “outdated” and “inflexible” natural science and cultural heritage displays, including the Egyptian and Polar exhibitions. The major restructure, which aims to make it more “sustainable” and “accessible” for the 21st century, would also include the loss of 27 research and collection positions.

Backing 350 prominent Australians who have signed an open letter to Premier Peter Malinauskas criticising the proposed changes, Mr Champion de Crespigny said government funding alone was not the answer and urged a revival of corporate fundraising.

A past hefty museum benefactor, Mr Champion de Crespigny said he would be prepared to contribute again if a proper reform plan was in place.

“I don’t understand how anyone can change a 165-year-old institution without having a plan to change,” he said.

“I don’t think you get rid of some of these (researchers) – some of these people are the best in the world. You’d be the laughing stock, literally, of the scientific world.

“We’re trying to build the biggest university and the best university – presumably we want to be good at sciences – and we’re getting rid of a great cohort of scientists who, in their area, they’re known as the best in their field, but they’re not household names.”

The-then premier Mike Rann (right) announces in 2002 that Robert Champion de Crespigny (left) is to become chairman of the Economic Development Board. Pic James Knowler.

Mr Champion de Crespigny, an Economic Development Board chairman during the Rann government, said: “You’ve got to make the museum relevant to this community now … There are lots of people that can do that but it isn’t by putting it out and reinventing it by a group of people. This needs a lot of collaboration and it will always be emotional.”

Museum chief executive officer Dr David Gaimster said research had “tended to be very focused in scope, servicing for the most part subject specialist interests”.

“Very little of the output published by museum researchers in academic journals has been shared with our audiences and the new knowledge that we have generated has not significantly informed or changed the museum experience in over 20 years. Currently the museum does not have a single curatorial position on staff,” he said.

Arts Minister Andrea Michaels said the proposed restructure was approved by the museum board, which had a diverse range of business, arts, science and cultural expertise, after a formal and transparent review.

Ms Michaels said consultation on “the reimagining of the museum” would start soon. She said the museum was “incredibly important” to the SA public and new chief executive Dr Gaimster was “seeking to create new experiences to engage people with the scientific and cultural heritage” of the state.

This included “encouraging new research and knowledge” through “promoting the widest possible access to the museum’s globally significant collections”.

Originally published as Business leader Robert Champion de Crespigny lashes proposed cuts to SA Museum