Australian and International Conventions

Acquiring and Borrowing Cultural Material

A large spherical sculpture hanging from large wires in the sky is visible through a gap in tree branches

The National Gallery adheres to the principles of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The obligations and principles under this treaty are reflected in the international and Australian codes of museum ethics that the National Gallery subscribes to.

The National Gallery is also subject to Australian legislation including the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986. In 2014 the Ministry for the Arts released the Australian Best Practice Guide to Collecting Cultural Material. The guide outlines the legal obligations and ethical standards to which Australia’s public collecting institutions should adhere when acquiring and borrowing cultural material. The National Gallery is committed to ensuring the guidelines are followed.

Related

Provenance and Due Diligence

A man is showing a woman images on a piece of paper in an art conservation laboratory

The National Gallery of Australia is committed to only acquiring and exhibiting works of art in line with the highest standards of due diligence.

Environmental Policy Statement

Close up photograph of ferns in Fiona Hall's Fern Garden

The Gallery makes a strong commitment to environmental best practice and the prevention of pollution in its operations.

Outward Loans Guidelines

Photograph of installation of Hockney's 'A diver, paper pool 17' 1978

Making the national collection accessible across Australia and internationally.

Policies & Plans

the edge of a large concrete brutalist building against a blue sky with a giant spherical sculpture suspended in the air

The functions, policies and plans of the National Gallery, the Commonwealth of Australia's national cultural institution for the visual arts.

Provenance

Photograph of building exterior at night with camera facing up

Understanding where our collection comes from.

Business Continuity Plan

a person in blurred motion is walking through a gallery space

At the National Gallery, business continuity planning is an integral part of the Risk Management Framework.