Living 1,500 kilometres away has not stopped ancient history lover Dani Borrillo becoming a committed volunteer at UNE’s Museum of Antiquities (UNEMA).
Looking for museum experience to complement her studies in Adelaide, Dani contacted UNE, where she’d previously studied some units online, and was put in touch with Dr Bronwyn Hopwood, curator of UNE’s Museum of Antiquities. Soon, Dani was an enthusiastic ‘virtual volunteer’.
As part of the experience, she began to learn just how much work goes into maintaining a museum.
“The work and dedication of Dr Hopwood and the volunteers is truly astounding,” Dani says. “When you visit a museum, you have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. To be able to learn has been such a great experience.”
Despite the distance, Dani says volunteering at UNEMA is “the best decision I made”.
“Dr Hopwood is such a great mentor. There are seriously no stupid questions and she's a great listener. She has patiently answered every single one of my many questions, spending hours explaining things to me, which I'm eternally grateful for,” she says.
“A big realisation for me is that being a curator isn’t just putting artefacts on display and talking about them.
“You have to provide top-notch security to protect your artefacts, you need to conserve artefacts to keep their memory alive, you’ve got so many legal and ethical issues to deal with and you’ve got to curate your museum to fit different people's needs and wants.
“Learning how much the environment affects artefacts was something I didn’t consider at first, but Dr Hopwood's explanations made complete sense. Understanding copyright and its implications on museums and their work was another big thing that I learned.”
Dani has loved the connection she’s experienced as part of the museum team.
No one in my family has a background in history, so finding like-minded people is probably the best thing I’ve gained from this experience. I highly recommend students that have a passion for history should join the UNEMA!
Dani has even had the opportunity to visit for a week-long intensive school to see and learn about the objects in person, particularly deepening her fascination with Ancient Egypt.
“I was excited to get into the papyri collection and test my deciphering skills! Another highlight was working with the 20 little scarabs and amulets that we have in the collection, which played a significant role in Ancient Egyptian life, especially in regards to mourning and protection.
“Aside from the Egyptian collection we found a Lekythos [an ancient Greek vessel for storing oil] with Nike the Goddess of Victory depicted. She is a part of Greek mythology and another favourite character of mine.
“To be able to hold something (with gloves!) so spectacular and ancient made my jaw drop to the floor and made me feel connected to a civilisation that I had only read about in text.
“Lastly, learning how exhibitions are packed down was another highlight for me. The last day I was there we went to NERAM to pack down an exhibition. Understanding the logistics behind exhibitions gave me considerable insight into the work of museums.”
Volunteering at UNEMA has played a significant role in reassuring Dani of her study and career path.
“I had a lot of fear and anxiety that I wasn’t studying the right thing, but volunteering squashed those fears. I hope to use my experience from UNEMA in other museums in my state and eventually pursue a career in museum curation. In the future I would love to open my own classical museum in Adelaide, so I can share my love for the past with others.”
To inquire about becoming a volunteer at the UNE Museum of Antiquities contact the curator, Dr Bronwyn Hopwood, on: CuratorUNEMA@une.edu.au
