Re-design of a permanent new exhibition space – the History and Memory Centre – in collaboration with Ashtree Projects for Ballarat Child and Family Services (CaFS), 2022–23.
The new exhibition space presents the Ballarat Orphanage and Children’s Home history through a different perspective that acknowledges children’s diverse experiences. This current exhibition replaces a previous one that was decidedly outdated in its perspective of interpretative stories about the history of the institutions being a focus on the people who founded the orphanage. The focus is now shifted entirely to be about the children who were in it. Ashtree director Dr Ember Parkin said the centre’s rebranding was about giving as much of a voice as possible to the orphanage’s past residents (Ballarat Times, 2023).
The following article is an interview with Ashtree Co-Directors Ember Parkin and David McGinniss with Today Design that includes insight about the development and process of the exhibition.
Kerri Wilson McConchie 