Dolla Merrillees

Dolla Merrillees (born 18 December 1966) is a cultural historian, museologist and author. Throughout her career, Merrillees has specialised in museum collections and the biographies of objects.
==Early life==
Merrillees was born in Canberra, but spent most of her childhood living overseas. Her father, Robert Merrillees was an Australian diplomat and Ambassador as well as an archaeologist. Her mother, Parvine Helen Merrillees (nee Razavi) was also an archaeologist specialising in Near Eastern cylinder seals. Merrillees was educated in New York, London, Beirut, France, and Canberra and spent two years studying in Oxford to complete the International Baccalaureate.
==Education==
Merrillees completed her undergraduate studies at the Murdoch University (1995), specialising in Australian Social History and Aboriginal History, and attained a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies at Deakin University (1997).
==Career==
After completing her studies, Merrillees worked as an Interpretation Assistant at the Laperouse Museumin Sydney, before moving to Tasmania and working as the Curator of Craft at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (1994-1996). In 1996, Merrillees was appointed Assistant Program Officer, Visual Arts/Craft Fund, Australia Council for the Arts. before taking up the appointment of Assistant Curator, Decorative Arts and Design at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney in 1998. A year later Merrillees took on the role of Exhibition Manager for the Biennale of Sydney working under the artistic direction of Nicholas Waterlow OAM for the 12th Biennale of Sydney. Merrillees also worked on the 13th Biennale of Sydney (The World May be Fantastic) directed by Richard Grayson.
In 2003 she took on the role of Director Visual Arts at Museums and Galleries New South Wales. From October 2008 she worked at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation first as General Manager and then as Associate Director. She assumed the role of Director Curatorial, Collections and Exhibitions in January 2013 of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Observatory, Museums Discovery Centre), before being appointed Acting Director in January 2016 and Director in April 2016 to August 2018. Later that year Merrillees was appointed as Project Leader, Arts and Design Decadal Strategy for Western Sydney University as well as working as a consultant on the development of the City of Launceston's Cultural Strategy. Merrillees guest curated Thuy Nguyen: An Everyday Dream at the Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (2020).
In 2018 Merrillees was awarded an Australia Design Centre Honour for her commitment to supporting Australian design through the Museum of Art and Applied Sciences and for the creation of the MAAS Centre of Fashion. Merrillees has been a Global Emissary for the Sherman Centre for Culture and Ideas since 2019 and a member of Chief Executive Women Australia since 2018. 
==In the media==
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== External links ==
* ‪Dolla Merrillees‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬
* Dolla S Merrillees | The University of Sydney - Academia.edu
* Dolla Merrillees Merrillees - The University of Sydney
* Dolla S. Merrillees (Author of The Woodcutter's Wife)
* Dolla Merrillees · Australian Design Centre
* Powerhouse director steps down after public funds used to pay for fashion party
* Dolla S. Merrillees: Books - Amazon.in
Category:1966 births
Category:Cultural historians
Category:Museologists
Category:Author
Category:Murdoch University alumni
Category:Deakin University alumni