About COTMA 

Vision

To promote and support excellence in tramway heritage in Australia and New Zealand.

General

The Council of Tramway Museums of Australasia was established in Ballarat in 1975 as the peak or umbrella body to provide a forum for the discussion of matters of mutual interest to urban transport museums, including acting as a clearing house for information, maintaining and improving the standards of conservation and presentation of exhibits, together with sharing technologies and access to parts and equipment required to maintain operating trams, trolley buses and associated infrastructure.

It is a non-profit organisation assisting museums to achieve their objectives. It is incorporated in Australia in the State of Victoria as Victorian Incorporated Association No. A0030417B

Membership of the Council is open to all incorporated museums having urban transport exhibits within Australia and New Zealand, and which are open to the public. Associate Membership is available too.

The Council operates through an elected Executive comprising the President, Vice President, Secretary, Committee Member, Treasurer, an Australian Museums Liaison Officer and New Zealand Museums Liaison Officer.

Each Museum appoints a delegate to represent it, including at the general meetings of the Council held in association with the biennial Australasian Tramway Museum Conferences, which are hosted by individual the member museums.

The Council has for over three decades assisted and improved the preservation of Australasian urban transport heritage through it's work assisting member museums in achieving their individual goals.

 

Objectives

  1. Promote heritage tramways
  2. Foster excellence in Museum practice and presentations
  3. Represent Members interests to Government agencies and corporate bodies.
  4. Facilitate regular gatherings of members
  5. Communicate relevant information to Members and members.
  6. Encourage sharing of resources between Members
  7. Distribute responsibility and equitably resources that are made available to COTMA
  8. Ensure sound management and accountability for the operation of COTMA

Goals

  1. Co-ordinate a bi-annual conference
  2. Establish and maintain a spare parts service
  3. Promote and market Member activities and achievements to the wider community
  4. Publish COTMA past transactions and other documents
  5. Prepare recommended practice guidelines for tramway museums.

| Credits |
Council of Tramway Museums of Australasia Inc. - A0030417B - ABN 81 315 085 479