‘Fresh air to a stagnant leadership’: Long-awaited SA Museum director revealed
A new leader has been named for the SA Museum after months of controversy thwarting one of the state’s leading cultural institutions.
Dr Samantha Hamilton was named the new director of the South Australian Museum in a museum staff email this morning.
After a tumultuous period that led to the departure of former CEO Dr David Gaimster and chair Kim Cheater, one staff member claimed it would “bring fresh air to a stagnant leadership”.
SA Museum chair and Emeritus Professor Robert Saint AM announced the news to museum staff in an email this morning, stating that “Dr Hamilton has a wealth of experience that closely aligns with the strengths of the SA Museum”.
“For example, her leadership of national and international research initiatives and commitment to museum-based research aligns with the board’s determination to maintain the SA Museum as a research powerhouse,” he said.
Melbourne-based Dr Hamilton has more than two decades of strategic leadership in cultural institutions and is currently CEO of Rock Art Australia and president of the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials.
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She previously also held senior leadership roles with Museums Victoria and Arts Centre Melbourne.
According to Arts Minister Andrea Michaels, she has extensive experience in materials science and working alongside First Nations communities, having completed a PhD focused on ensuring best practice protocols in the preservation and accessibility of First Nations collections.
“I congratulate Dr Hamilton on her appointment and I look forward to seeing the South Australian Museum thrive under her leadership,” said Michaels.
“The South Australian Museum is a much-loved institution in South Australia, and Dr Hamilton brings a wealth of experience to this important role.
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“I’m confident she will continue to strengthen the museum as the home of South Australia’s cultural and scientific heritage, ensuring future generations benefit from the research and engagement with its vast collections, as we continue to deliver on the outcomes of the Premier’s Review.”
One SA Museum staff member, who wanted to remain anonymous, told InDaily that Dr Hamilton will “bring fresh air to a stagnant leadership that the museum has endured over a decade”.
Controversy has dogged one of SA’s leading cultural institutions since the former CEO planned to axe 27 scientists in favour of new roles in “curatorial research” in February 2024.
An outcry from the scientific community and public led to a State Government inquiry, a Premier’s Review, the cancellation of the restructure and the eventual departure of the former CEO.
In his email, Saint said Dr Hamilton is “committed to ethical engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through the co-design of protocols and programs that celebrate and preserve cultural heritage with integrity and respect.”
“Dr Hamilton brings to the position of director enormous energy, drive and passion, a wonderful match for those same characteristics that you, our wonderful museum staff, have shown so stunningly recently through the outstanding Viking Age exhibition and its fabulous associated activities, events surrounding the restitution of the Maori pou, and impressive recent research grant awards, all of which were noted and applauded by the board at its recent meeting,” he said.
Dr Hamilton will relocate to Adelaide and begin her role as SA Museum director on October 20.
