Donate to our Collection

Help us enrich our collection with important local stories and objects.

Thank you for your interest in donating to the museum’s collection

Your donations help us to preserve and share Wagga Wagga’s rich history for generations to come.

What we collect?

We collect objects that help us tell the stories of the history and development of the Wagga Wagga. Our collection includes a wide variety of material, ranging from everyday household items and personal photographs to machinery, tools, artworks, uniforms and digital media.

We are interested in more than just rare or valuable items. We collect objects that reflect the lives, experiences and identities of people in our community, past and present. This sometimes means that ordinary, well-used or seemingly unremarkable items can be just as significant as large or unique objects, particularly when they are connected to a local story.

If an item can help people to better understand Wagga Wagga’s people, places, events or way of life, we are interested in hearing about it. Our capacity is limited, both in terms of staffing and storage, but we meet regularly to consider the donation offers we receive.

Our collecting is guided by our Collections Management Policy. Our Collections management Policy stipulates that, at minimum, and object mustmeet the following criteria:

  1. The item relates to Wagga Wagga, its history, development and people in a significant way.
  2. The item has a provenance that enhances its historical value.
  3. The item is in a good original condition, complete and unmodified.
  4. The donor or vendor has legal title to offer the item to the Museum.
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How do I offer an object for donation?

To offer an object for donation, please fill out the form at the link below with as much detail as possible.

Complete the donation form

I’ve made an offer, what happens now?

Once you have submitted a donation offer, you will receive an email confirming that we’ve received it.

Our collections and curatorial team carefully review all donation offers to determine whether the object aligns with our Collections Management Policy and whether we have the capacity to care for and store it appropriately. We may reach out to you for more information about your offer before making a final decision.

Once we have made a decision, we will reach out to you via email.

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Frequently Asked Questions

We cannot guarantee that objects donated to our collection will be put on display. With a collection in excess of 22,000 objects, it is unlikely that a particular object will be on display at any given time. However, all objects are cared for as a valuable part of our city’s history

Assessment time can vary depending on the complexity of the offer and the volume of submissions we are processing. At a minimum, we meet monthly to review our potential acquisitions. We appreciate your patience and will inform you of our decision as soon as possible

In most cases we do not accept items with restrictions or conditions. Donations are accepted on the basis that the Museum is granted full ownership and discretion for their use, care and display.

Yes. Financial contributions support the conservation, storage, and interpretation of our collection. You can find out more about our current donations appeal on our Donate page.

Most likely. Donor information is recorded in our collection records, and we may acknowledge your contribution in exhibitions or publications where appropriate.