Category: Uncategorised

How might a place inform our understandings of historical objects? The National Museum of Australia yesterday launched The Springfield Collection, a new online feature that illuminates an extraordinary set of objects with intimate ties to a particular locale near the inland city of Goulburn in southern New South Wales. About ten years ago the National Museum of Australia began negotiating the acquisition of a collection generated by the establishment and operation of Springfield, one of Australia’s oldest...

A spectacular Chinese ceremonial costume was recently installed in the Museum’s Landmarks: People and Places across Australia gallery and it got me thinking about the lives of all those who for over a century wore this intricate creation – proudly and somewhat defiantly – as part of the annual Bendigo Easter Fair. You see, before this costume and many like it joined the extensive regalia collection at the Golden Dragon...

I’m a volunteer in the People and Environment curatorial team, and I’ve just started working on an online feature about water history. Recently, on a bakingly hot day, I had my first visit to the Museum’s stores. It was a little bit Dr Who, frankly. Some of what I saw could easily have come off a set from the Tom Baker years. The Doctor, in whatever regeneration he’s in, has the capacity...

When I first started working at the National Museum, I felt as though I’d arrived in an Aladdin’s cave – a treasure trove of collections from which I could choose whatever I wanted to explore and to write about.

Huge thanks to the year seven students and teachers at Burgmann Anglican School for inviting me to talk to them about the history of rabbits as an invasive species in Australia. We had over one hundred students for the talk and it was impressive how focused the entire group was on the subject. We covered the first fleet’s introduction of rabbits to the continent, the 1859 diffusion of wild rabbits,...

“The Opera House will have something the pyramids never had – it will have life. They were built as tombs, but this building is built to give happiness and refreshment to millions.”   – Queen Elizabeth II speaking at the opening of the Sydney Opera House, 20 October 1973 The Sydney Opera House turned 40 this month and observing its jubilant birthday celebrations, it is hard to imagine a time when...

Are you a ‘Briney’? Perhaps you know someone with that last name? Maybe your family traces its roots back to the Tamworth area of the Liverpool Plains? Or perhaps you are a budding detective and would relish the opportunity to solve an old mystery? If so, you may be able to assist us in our search for information about an Aboriginal breastplate from our collection that was recently installed in...