What are the typical aspects of fine art shipping to and from Australia?
Arranging exhibitions and loans from Australia involves substantial foresight and careful planning. It is a complex and relatively expensive business to ship such long distances, so courier and shipment consolidation is vital for the success of our exhibitions. Because of this our registrars will often work directly with the lending institution rather than through the nominated freight agent.

As there are few direct cargo flights into the major Australian cities transshipping is frequently a hallmark of our shipments. Transshipping is often an area of concern of lenders to Australia. We therefore must rely on agents professionalism and experience during these stopovers.

At the Art Gallery of New South Wales we are very lucky to have an extraordinary state indemnity scheme called the NSW Treasury Managed Fund. It is a self insurance scheme that pools the contributions from member agencies and is managed by the GIO for the NSW State Treasury. It provides a comprehensive cover that can include war and terrorism risks. Other Australian museums also have access to other state and national indemnity schemes.

What are the problems getting people to agree to loans? Is it because of the distance between Australia and Europe/USA?
The distance between Australia and the main museums in the Northern Hemisphere is certainly a challenge when negotiating sensitive loans. However, we are blessed with a charismatic director who has the ability to either directly inspire museums to lend or to bring together a powerful committee to negotiate loans on our behalf. Furthermore our unspoiled record of caring for rare and valuable loans ensures that our loan requests are looked upon favorably.

The conditions in Australia regarding transports, security, distances?
The major Australian art freight companies are highly experienced and have air-ride, climate controlled trucks. These trucks are equipped with GPS Tracking and have a registered sleeping cabin for distances that take more than a day to complete. The climate controlled facility is used on all journeys containing valuable art work.

Shipments are usually accompanied by a courier overseeing the long journey between major cities. For example, the distance from Sydney to Melbourne is approximately 1,000km whilst the distance from Sydney to Perth is about 4,000km.

For valuable shipments we can contract security escorts to accompany the trucks to their destination.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is equipped with the highest level of electronic security systems as well as 24hours security guards.

What kind of exhibitions are most common to borrow from abroad?
About 6 years ago the AGNSW made a commitment to focus on creating our own exhibitions and to not rely on picking up touring shows. We wanted to raise the quality and relevance of the shows we offered our audiences. It was a fantastic challenge and the results have been impressive. Recent exhibitions have been: Classic Cezanne, Buddha and Papunya Tula. However, we do also borrow significant touring exhibitions such as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Your personal advice to museums and transporters who want to work with Australian museums and exhibitors..
My advice to other museums and transports would be to not underestimate our levels of experience and professionalism, and to always feel free to ask us for any information you may require.