“Losing anything from a museum collection is sad … because it’s not just the museum who loses, it’s the people who live in that community.”

In 1974, when Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin, the museum building was flattened. Two blocks away, where some of the first artworks from the Papunya Desert Art movement hung, the roof blown off, rain streamed in and strong winds ripped the celebrated artworks from the walls. In this episode we find out how the artworks were rescued and what it takes to keep collections safe in the tropics.

This is The Collection, a podcast that blends science and storytelling to showcase fascinating objects from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.   

In this episode hear from MAGNT’s Curator of Territory History, Jared Archibald, MAGNT conservator, Lisa Nolan, and Aboriginal artist Candy Nakamarra Nelson from Papunya.

The Collection is produced by StoryProjects with production by Cinnamon Nippard and Lori Uden, music composition by James Mangohig and mixing by Hamish Robertson. Johanna Bell is the Executive Producer.

Thanks to Elliott Fleming at Papunya Tjupi Arts who translated the interview with Candy from Luritja and Emma Collard, the manager of Papunya Tjupi Arts. The voice of MAGNT's founding director Colin Jack Hinton, kindly shared with us by the Library and Archives NT, was from an oral history interview by Francis Good. Additional recordings thanks to Rod Louey-Gung, Ryan Louis, turchinoa, Keith Selmes.

Season One was created on Larrakia land in the tropical Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory with funding from National Science Week NT.

For more information visit magnt.net.au/thecollection