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Volunteers in Action
Trevor Nixon tells the story of how the
Friends of the Waverly City Gallery saved the day.
The Monash Gallery of Art, previously named
the Waverley City Gallery, has now reached its ten-year milestone.
And almost of the same age, are the Friends of the Gallery, having
been formed following a public meeting of interested people in May
1991. At that meeting a number of volunteers established a steering
committee that subsequently became the Executive Committee of the
Friends.
Over the ensuing years the number of Friends
increased, albeit slowly. Nevertheless the membership of the Committee
remained fairly static; as most people involved with running a voluntary
organisation would know, it can be difficult to fill committee positions.
During 1997 the Friends became aware that, with
a new band of representatives constituting the Monash City Council,
a partial subdivision of the reserve on which the gallery is situated
was under consideration. The Friends Committee made submissions
to the Council opposing the sale of any of the publicly owned land.
This opposition included accepting an opportunity, with other community
groups, to address a Council Meeting on the proposed sale.
Late in 1997 a supportive Councillor warned
us that, horror of horrors, the future of the Gallery itself was
in jeopardy! A number of Councillors apparently thought that the
cost to the community of running a municipal gallery was not justified.
The Friends Committee immediately swung into action.
Lobbying of the Councillors took place. Among
other things, it was argued that many community activities are worthy
of, and receive, monetary support from the rates income-including
sports clubs. Why exclude the visual arts, remembering it accounted
for only some 0.5% of the Council budget?
It became evident that the eight members of
Council were evenly divided on the issue, but the mayor was against
continuing with the Gallery and he had the casting vote as chairman.
At the Council Meeting in December 1997 a motion to close the Gallery
was carried on the casting vote of the chairman.
In the latter part of December and early January
the Friends Committee contacted a number of kindred organisations
for assistance in voicing strong disapproval of the decision of
Council. Resulting from these contacts, many letters were sent to
Councillors from organisations and from individuals. Additionally,
two protest meetings were arranged by the Committee-one outside
the Council offices and one at the Gallery. The Friends spent some
$1500 advertising these events and they were well supported by the
community.
A motion to rescind the closure resolution was
prepared by supportive Councillors and this was put to a meeting
of Council in January 1998. At this January meeting one of the Councillors
who had previously supported the closure changed his view on the
matter and, with some specific provisos relating to future funding
of the Gallery, voted for the rescission motion. Success!
Subsequently Council has made a decision to
build a small extension to the Gallery, add on a largish municipal
library and carry out significant landscaping in the reserve. This
is to be financed by selling some of the reserve for housing.
The fight to save the Gallery has had some good
outcomes. The attendant publicity has made it better known, with
the consequence of attracting more visitors to the Gallery and more
members joining the Friends. It is a good example of what a concentrated
effort by enthusiastic volunteers can achieve.
Trevor Nixon was the first President of the
Friends and maintained that role until 1998 when he resigned to
take up the position of Secretary. There are 600 Friends of Monash
Gallery of Art and monthly meetings for coffee with a guest speaker
and a full program of activities arranged in consultation with the
Gallery. The Friends can be contacted by calling the Monash Gallery
of Art on (03) 9562 1569. The Monash Gallery of Art is located at
170 Jells Road (corner of Ferntree Gully Road), Wheelers Hill Victoria,
map ref 6J. It is open Tuesday-Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday-Sunday
from 12-5pm.
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