By Cameron Weston
SCIENCEWORKS recently won a major Victorian tourism award for the fourth time, cementing the popular Spotswood attraction as one of the premier museums in Victoria.
The naming of Scienceworks as Victoria’s Most Significant Tourism Attraction follows its induction into the Tourism Awards Hall of Fame in 2004.
Manager Genevieve Fahey said the latest success in the Victorian awards had prompted management to enter the Australian Tourism Awards, to be held in February.
Ms Fahey said the latest win built on the museum’s already strong reputation and was something the whole region should be proud of.
“For Scienceworks to be recognised throughout the state is what is really great about it – it is a boost for the Western suburbs.”
Submitting an entry for the awards was like sitting an exam, Ms Fahey said, with a series of detailed questions probing the inner workings of the museum, from occupational health and safety and accounting to the creativity shown in displays and exhibitions.
Scienceworks had a simple brief, but through creative thinking and an emphasis on practical demonstration and interaction, the museum had broken the mould and was now reaping the rewards, Ms Fahey said.
“We want people to understand how things happen and what is going on in the world around them. We want to make people excited about those things.
“Our primary objective is to encourage our visitors to have an interest in science and technology and to realise that it is not just for the boffins but it is for everybody.
“The more you understand what is going on around you, the better you will be able to live – in a whole range of ways.”
