Home & Community

Home is many things a repository of memory, a centre for family life and social activity, the focus of personal accumulation of material culture, an intensely personal place of retreat and solace, and the wellspring of personal identity. This collection reflects the broad range of cultural, social and economic activities of the home in both urban and rural settings. It has been developed largely through donation and in partnership with communities. Community engagement will continue to be a prime methodology to develop and interpret the collections.

Significance

The strength of the Home and Community Collection lies within the home environment in early to mid-20th-century Victoria - particularly the technologies and tools used in food preparation, cooking, storage, preservation and cleaning, and in the laundry. It focuses on Victorian innovation and use through a number of collections such as the South Melbourne Oral History Project, the Aldred Collection and the SEC Collection.