Rehousing the John and Phyllis Murphy Collection

Over three months, the labelling, barcoding, rehousing and stocktake of the collection was undertaken at the Museums Discovery Centre, with welcome assistance from Paula Thorby and Kimberley Chung from the Preservation Services team at Western Sydney Records Centre. Joining Julieanne Rabier and Annabel McWhinnie from the Registration team, they helped rehouse all 1,051 rolled wallpapers from the collection.

The rehousing of the John and Phyllis Murphy Collection is an important step in ensuring the long-term preservation and accessibility of this significant wallpaper collection. By moving the rolled wallpapers into a consistent, compact box-and-tray system, the team is reducing handling risks, improving storage efficiency and making the collection easier to identify, retrieve and manage. The project also supports collection accountability through labelling and stocktaking, helping to ensure that these materials remain available for future research, interpretation and exhibition use.