Law Society Awarded Lotterywest Grant Towards Preservation of Legal Cultural Heritage

Law Society Awarded Lotterywest Grant Towards Preservation of Legal Cultural Heritage

Thursday, 20 June 2022

 

The Law Society of Western Australia has been awarded a grant of $96,810 from Lotterywest towards the preservation and sharing of Western Australia’s legal cultural heritage. The State Attorney General, the Hon John Quigley MLA formally presented the grant certificate to Law Society President Rebecca Lee yesterday, at the Law Society’s offices.

The funds will be invested in transforming the Old Court House Law Museum, using powerful exhibits to further educate and connect the public to West Australia’s cultural heritage. The project includes the creation of a film on traditional Aboriginal law by respected film maker Taryne Laffar and conservation work on the wooden desk compendium that belonged to William Henry Mackie, the first legal appointee in the Swan River Colony. The grant will also help complete the final stages of a social impact measurement framework which will position the Law Society’s Education and Community Services in a strong position to diversify income and ensure future sustainability.

The Old Court House Law Museum is one of only a handful of law museums in the world. Located in the City of Perth’s oldest building, constructed in 1836, the Museum preserves the history of the law and legal profession in Western Australia and promotes an understanding of the law in the Western Australian community.

The President of the Law Society, Rebecca Lee, said: “I would like to warmly thank Lotterywest for its generous grant. These funds are important to deliver projects and initiatives that will achieve positive and long-lasting outcomes to the benefit for our community. History informs our present and the legal history of Western Australia is interesting and valuable. I encourage Western Australians to visit the Old Court House Law Museum and engage with the exhibit.”

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For comment please contact:

Madeleine McErlain
Manager Corporate Communications
(08) 9324 8650
mmcerlain@lawsocietywa.asn.au

The Law Society of Western Australia is the peak professional association for lawyers in the State. The Society is a not-for-profit association dedicated to the representation of its more than 4,000 members. The Society enhances the legal profession through its position as a respected leader and contributor on law reform, access to justice and the rule of law. The Society is widely acknowledged by the legal profession, government and the community as the voice of the legal profession in Western Australia.