A major donor to the South Australian Museum says his million-dollar gift to the institution has been "mismanaged” and has threatened to redirect it away from the Museum's coffers. The statement comes as museum staff anxiously await the findings of a Premier's review into a controversial planned restructure of the North Terrace establishment.
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00:00A million dollar donation to the South Australian Museum causing a severe case of buyer's remorse.
00:09This gift was significantly mismanaged by the museum.
00:14A sum donated personally by philanthropist Anthony Simpson targeted at creating a critical
00:19minerals research position at the North Terrace Institution, a job Mr Simpson's wife Mary
00:25Lu says hasn't been filled almost five years later.
00:29It may be necessary for the gift to be redirected to an institution that will use it for the
00:35designated scientific research.
00:38Mrs Simpson shared her concerns to a parliamentary committee investigating the South Australian
00:43Museum set up after a reimagining of the institution was proposed by management.
00:48Those planned changes led to a public outcry after it was revealed 27 research positions
00:53would be axed to make way for 22 jobs of a lower classification.
00:58Former researcher Cath Kemper also gave evidence condemning the museum's chair and CEO for
01:03leading it astray.
01:04I won't go back unless there's a change in leadership and direction and there's a return
01:11to valuing science, knowledge and research.
01:15The museum's restructure has been put on hold pending a Premier's review separate to this
01:19parliamentary inquiry.
01:21The government insists it's doing what it can to keep donors happy and is listening
01:25to feedback from concerned stakeholders.
01:27We obviously need to rebuild that trust and rebuild those lines of communication with
01:32very key stakeholders and we intend to do that.
01:34Generous donors to causes like the museum have an interest in the museum's future as
01:39does the state government and we've heard some of those concerns and that's certainly
01:43going to be reflected in the review panel's work.
01:47The Premier says his review will be handed down in the next four weeks.