Brendan Penzer has started in the new role as part of a leadership reshuffle at the museum.

He previously worked at Godinymayin Yijard Rivers and Arts and Culture Centre.

"My role is to ... manage the day to day functioning of the museum but also to secure funding for its future," he said.

Mr Penzer said his most important job is to secure funding for the museum so it can continue to tell Katherine's story.

"This region has so much history and culture, tens of thousands of years."

He said the museum will open up for the dry season next year as planned.

Museum chair Robert Buzzo said Mr Penzer has the full backing of the museum board.

"I think his leadership is going to be exceptional for this place," he said.

"I welcome him onboard."

Museum curator Simmone Croft said the museum is an important cultural feature of Katherine.

"It's always a community museum, it's the people's museum, it's not our museum," she said.

"We're the keeper of their history."

Mrs Croft said the museum is important because it tells the story of the Katherine region and the heritage of the area would be damaged if it closed for good.

"Without a museum we've got not heritage, we've got no culture, we've got no respect," she said.

"If you take that away, all that is lost."

She said Katherine was lucky to be one of few towns who have their own history museum.

"It's really important to every regional town that they actually have a museum."

Community support has been strong for the museum with over $100,000 being raised by Katherine residents at the last fundraiser.

"We have an auction dinner night ... this year was just to keep the doors open," said Mrs Croft.

"We ended up raising $110,000."

Mrs Croft said the auction received record breaking support.

"We had 250 guests that night and it's the biggest one we've ever held," she said.

"There's a big investment from the community and they love this place," Mr Penzer said.

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