About Victorian Collections
About us
Victorian Collections is a website that celebrates the diversity of collections held in the state of Victoria, Australia. As well as offering a free collections management system for collecting organisations in Victoria, it is a platform for all to discover more about our state through easy access to collection items and collection-based stories.
Victoria has two extraordinary and complementary resources that document the state’s fascinating history and rich cultural life; these are our State Collections and community collections.
Since 2009, the Victorian Collections website has been a pioneer in providing easy online access to many of the collections in our state. With a new look and improved accessibility, the 2020 version of the Victorian Collections website showcases over 250,000 collection items.
The Victorian Collections program is a partnership between the Australian Museums and Galleries Association Victoria and Museums Victoria. Funding for the program is provided by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
For our contributors
Victorian Collections is a central portal to Victoria's rich cultural heritage and diverse histories. Over 600 organisations use Victorian Collections to manage their collections and contribute to a growing database of items. The website is backed by ongoing support and training programs throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria – to help organisations unlock the potential of digital access to their collections. If you would like to manage your collections using the Victorian Collections management system, you may read further about how to become a contributor.
For members of the public
Members of the public do not need a user account to use Victorian Collections. Whether you are a student, a researcher or a history enthusiast, you can use the public website to explore over 250,000 objects around the state. Discover hidden gems and uncover unexpected links between Victoria's distributed collections. Delve into stories of our shared past, hone your research skills or join the conversation by curating your own online exhibition using our Stories platform. Please read the Website Use Terms and Conditions to learn about your responsibilities as a public user.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander users
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander users of this website are advised that this website may contain culturally sensitive material - images, voices and information provided by now deceased persons. Content also may include images and film of places that may cause sorrow. Some material may contain terms that reflect authors’ views, or those of the period in which the item was written or recorded, but may not be considered appropriate today. These views are not necessarily the views of Victorian Collections.
Users of this site should be aware that in many areas of Australia, reproduction of the names and photographs of deceased people is restricted during a period of mourning. The length of this time varies and is determined by the community. Reuse of any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander material on this site may require cultural clearances. Users are advised to contact the collecting organisation to discuss appropriate reuse.
For education users
Victorian Collections offers teachers access to over 250,000 collection objects, organisations and stories.
The Collections tab allows you to explore the online records of museum, gallery, library, archive objects from across Victoria. You can browse by popular topic, item type or school topic, or perform a keyword search.
The Stories tab has curated online exhibitions on a wide range of topics. These combine short films, images and text on a particular topic. To find stories relevant to your teaching, you can undertake a keyword search, browse by theme, school topic and region.
School topics are organised into Level 3/4, Level 5/6, Level 7/8 and Level 9/10. Some stories have formal education kits that are accessible via a link on relevant story pages.
The Organisations tab provides a directory of over 1,000 Victorian Collecting Organisations. You can search for useful organisations either with a keyword search or by browsing the different organisations by region, type or name.
Media reuse
If you would like to reuse a media item (image, video, etc) from this website, please refer to the conditions of use by clicking on the arrow next to ‘Media reuse’, listed directly below each item image. To reference individual items correctly, refer to the ‘Attribution’ information also found in this section. If you have a different use in mind to that provided, please contact the source collection to enquire.
Takedown policy
Victorian Collections is committed to protecting the privacy of our contributors and users, as well as the rights of copyright and moral right holders represented in contributor collections.
If you find material on Victorian Collections which you believe infringes your rights or privacy, please contact the custodial organisation (referenced on the item page in question) to issue a takedown request. If you require assistance in this matter or have any questions, please contact the Victorian Collections Program Manager at [email protected].
Similarly, if you believe your rights as a copyright or moral rights holder have been infringed by content uploaded to Victorian Collections, please contact the custodial organisation of the item in question. Upon receipt of a credible takedown notice from a rights owner, the custodial organisation will remove the cited material from public view as soon as practicable. Again, if you require assistance or have any questions, please contact Victorian Collections at [email protected].
Disclaimer
Victorian Collections provides a hosting service for the content of third party contributors. Our Terms and Conditions outline the expected standards of participation in, and use of, Victorian Collections by our contributors and users.