In an article that appeared in The Australian Financial Review on 15 December 2018 entitled ‘Australian Museum collection hits $1 billion mark’ (by Elouise Fowler, p. 3), it was reported that Kim McKay who took up the position of director of the Australian Museum almost five years ago was of the view that to be a genuine custodian of the museum she also needed to know how much it was worth and the cost of replacing objects should something go wrong. It was also reported that she said that ‘a true valuation was important to maintain and protect the museum’s collection and fund research and that such a valuation ‘assists our understanding of the most pressing environmental and social challenges facing our region: the loss of biodiversity, a changing climate and the search for cultural identity’.

REQUIRED

Critically evaluate the view of Kim McKay.