Executive exodus at Sydney cultural institutions

Australian Museum Director Frank Howarth is the latest in a list of senior executives at cultural agencies in NSW who have left their jobs this year.

61-year-old Howarth (pictured), who had been in the post for nine years, told the Sydney Morning Herald "next year we will be announcing a major renewal plan that will probably take another 10 years and I think in fairness to the organisation you need one person seeing that through."

Howarth was appointed in 2004 after the theft of thousands of artefacts by employee Hank van Leeuwen, which ignited a public feud between former Director Mike Archer and Tim Flannery, then Director of the South Australian Museum.

NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption also berated the Australian Museum for management failures.

Meanwhile it has also been reported that Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Executive Director David Mabberley is to leave his post, with Trust Chairman Ken Boundy saying that Professor Mabberley and the Trust were "moving apart".

Kate Clark also left her position as Director of Sydney Living Museums in July.

20th June 2013 - $311 MILLION INVESTMENT IN NSW ARTS AND CULTURE