21 May, 1997 SYDNEY MINT MUSEUM LEAVES THE MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES Following the May 6 budget announcement by the NSW Premier and Minister for the Arts, the Hon Bob Carr MP, the Sydney Mint Museum in Macquarie Street will be transferred from the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS) to the Historic Houses Trust (HHT). The MAAS comprises Sydney's premier science and technology museum, the Powerhouse Museum and Sydney Observatory. Terence Measham, the Director of the MAAS, states that the Sydney Mint Museum and the nearby Hyde Park Barracks (operated by HHT) form a natural historic precinct. He believes that the unification of these properties under Historic Houses Trust will strengthen the profiles of both the Mint and the Barracks. "The collection on view at the Mint will come back to the Powerhouse and be drawn upon for inclusion in future exhibitions at the Powerhouse and other venues. The Sydney Mint Museum will be open until June 20 and visitors will be allowed in for free until this date," says Mr Measham. "There will be no loss of jobs as all staff stationed at the Mint will be employed by the Powerhouse to work on our very busy exhibition schedule including Evolution and revolution: Chinese dress 1700s to now, MAP Design, Cyberzone, and our new blockbuster, STAR TREK: THE EXHIBIT. "In addition, we are undertaking a major refurbishment of Sydney Observatory for completion in November. The budget also included funding for the renewal of some permanent galleries at the Powerhouse and a very exciting project in which we are digitally imaging our entire collection. The technology involved in this work places us in the forefront of museum collection access programs worldwide," says Mr Measham. - END - For more information, please contact: Jenny Pavilack, Powerhouse Museum (02) 9217 0551 c:\jennnifer\mint\closure.pr