Imelda Miller

Imelda Miller is the Curator of Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Indigenous Studies at Queensland Museum. Imelda works with material culture and archival collections inside and outside of traditional museum environment and spaces to create access to collections for communities of origin. Her collaborative curatorial practice incorporates a combination of cultural practice, community engagement and community-led research and development. Imelda’s research focus is primarily on Australian South Sea Islander history, heritage and identity.

Imelda began working at Queensland Museum in 1993. She has worked across many museum roles working in major and regional cultural institutions, local and state government, small local museums and volunteer run organisations, in both paid and volunteer capacity. This has included work on temporary and touring exhibitions, public programs, online collections, digital stories and collections. Imelda continues to engage and work collaboratively with many diverse and vibrant communities across Queensland and the Pacific, in particular Torres Strait Islanders and Australian South Sea Islanders communities.

Projects

Current Projects

• Australian Research Council: Australian South Sea Islander Lived Identities Project

Past Projects

• Queensland Historical Atlas (2010): Australian South Sea Islanders and Sugar slaves.

Exhibitions

• 2021 – Island Futures: What lies ahead for Zenadth Kes, Queensland Museum. Co-curated with Rhianna Patrick.
• 2020 – Threads: weaving past, present and future, Queensland Museum.
• 2019 – Plantation Voices: Contemporary conversations with Australian South Sea Islanders, The State Library of Queensland.
• 2014 - From Here and There, Noosa Regional Art Gallery. Co-curated with John Waldron.
• 2013 - The Australian South Sea Islanders, The State Library of Queensland. Co-curated with John Waldron.
• 2012 - I’ve been working on the Railways, The Workshop Rail Museum, Ipswich, and Queensland Museum. Co-curated with Dr Geraldine Mate.
• 2011 - Awakening: Stories from the Torres Strait, Queensland Museum.
• 2011 - My Island Homes, Floating Lands 2011, Cooroy Butter Factory.
• 2009 - Paperskin: Barkcloth across the Pacific. Queensland Art Gallery l Gallery of Modern Art collaboration with Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Queensland Museum.
• 2001 - Refined White, Mackay City Library.

Collaborations

• 2017 - unsettle is a multi-arts project delivered by Digi Youth Arts, Australia’s largest Indigenous Youth multi-arts organization, as part of a long-term artist in residency at the Queensland Museum. Supported by renowned Queensland-based Indigenous artists, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people will respond to the cultural landscape of major arts institutions through street art, theatre, film, visual art, dance and music.
• 2013 - Memories from a Forgotten People: 150 years of Australian South Sea Islander contributions to Queensland, a Cross Precinct Initiative, a collaboration project between Queensland Museum, State Library of Queensland and Queensland Art Gallery l Gallery of Modern Art.
• 2011 - The Torres Strait Islands; A celebration, a cross-cultural precinct collaboration between, Queensland Art Gallery I Gallery of Modern Art, State Library of Queensland, Queensland Museum and Queensland Performing Arts Complex, Brisbane.