CHRIS Bourke has welcomed completion of the first stages of a new digital project for four leading local cultural attractions: Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG), Lanyon, Calthorpes’ House and Mugga-Mugga.

“I’m excited to see these four wonderful institutions, which have become fundamental to the cultural life of our region, develop a richer and more accessible presence online. It’s particularly pleasing to see the collections of these sites begin to be made available to a wider audience through new websites, and by partnering with the Google Cultural Institute,” Chris said.

“Key CMAG works, such as Ethel Carrick Fox’s, 1944 painting Colonnades of Canberra’s Civic Centre, can now be viewed in never-before-seen definition thanks to Gigapixel technology. Viewers can explore the work in extraordinary detail and experience it far beyond what is visible to the naked eye.

“Using the Street View feature online users can move around CMAG, Lanyon Homestead, Calthorpes’ House and Mugga-Mugga, selecting objects that interest them and clicking to discover more. A specially designed Street View ‘trolley’ took 360 degree high-definition images of selected rooms, which were then stitched together to enable smooth navigation.

Google Australia’s Nic Hopkins said, “The addition of the rare and fascinating collections of CMAG and ACT Historic Places to the Google Cultural Institute opens them up to new audiences both in Australia and around the world. It’s wonderful to see leading Australian cultural institutions embracing digital technology and finding ways to make their collections live outside the walls of their buildings.”

Chris said he looked forward to the next stage in the project later this year, which will see digital interpretation resources available onsite and online to supplement the existing guided experience at Lanyon, Calthorpes’ House and Mugga-Mugga.

“This fabulous project again demonstrates the leadership being shown by the ACT Government in using digital technologies to improve access and embrace new models of engagement with our community,” Dr Bourke said.

You can experience these attractions online at cmag.com.au and historicplaces.com.au, and through the Google Cultural Institute at google.com.

The Nolan Collection, which is managed by CMAG on behalf of the Australian Government, has also recently come online and can be experienced at cmag.com.au.