Australian Museums
Australia's museums provide the background reading to an astonishing continent. Australia's history, its plants and animals and its people are just some of the elements that make
it unique, and Australia's museums turn the microscope on the richness and grandeur of the island continent.
Cultural Warehouse
 Opened in March 2001, the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, is the first in Australia devoted to the stories of Australia and Australians. With the vision ‘Yesterday,
Tomorrow,’ the National Museum takes an innovative approach to the key issues, events and people that have shaped and influenced our nation.
The museum is being developed as a
forum for sharing stories and exchanging information about different cultures, as well as displaying rare and unique objects and interpreting the origins of the Australian continent.
Rare objects that illustrate the complex origins of the Australian continent have been collected over the past 20 years and form
the focus of the Museum’s stories and exhibitions.
Stories of Australia’s past are presented in an exciting and innovative style, including the use of multi-media, live performances and hands-on-activities, meaning there is
something to interest everyone.
The Museum occupies a striking setting on the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin, with sweeping views of Canberra, the parliamentary zone and farther afield to the National Botanic
Gardens and the Brindabella Ranges. The Museum also includes a restaurant that, with its magnificent views, has become a significant destination in its own right. In addition, the
Museum also offers two relaxed cafes.
Sydney's Powerhouse
 The Powerhouse Museum is Sydney's largest museum. With over twenty five exhibitions on at any one time exploring an array of phenomena, the
Powerhouse provides insight into the already rich and diverse history of decorative arts and sciences in Australia.
Explore the frontiers of space in a unique exhibition displaying Soviet, Chinese and Australian space technology. Experience fashion and design as it has defined
Australian trends and discover environmental care practises pioneered in Australia. The Powerhouse allows visitors to see science in action with interactive
installations allowing visitors to create electricity or learn about chocolate's unusual chemical properties (samples available).
Home to an array of
Australian culture and history, the Powerhouse allows an interesting insight into this diverse country. Visit the Museum to find out more about Australian cultural icons and inventions.
Explore how Australians live, work and entertain themselves. Find out about the nation's extraordinary range of inventions including Vegemite, splayds and aeroplane black boxes,
and explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
More than 250 interactive opportunities bring the Powerhouse Museum to life for visitors. A program of displays, regular demonstrations, performances, workshops and other special
events makes the museum a worthwhile visit for families.
Melbourne's Marvel
 Melbourne Museum, the largest museum complex south of the equator, opened in 2000 and has become highly popular. It includes Bunjilaka (an Aboriginal centre), the Pasifika Gallery
(Pacific artefacts), a Living Forest Gallery, a Science and Life gallery, a Children's Museum (a place of discovery, fun, and learning for the whole family) and a theatre.
The Forest Gallery is just that - a living exhibition capturing the spirit of Victoria's tall mountain forests. Visitors feel fog, splashes of water, sun and shade. They can
smell the forest, touch the plants and hear frogs croaking. Native fish dart along the stream and small forest birds hop past on the pathway. As well as being a refreshingly
different experience, the Forest Gallery captivates visitors with stories drawn from the forests.
The
Australia Gallery houses one of Australia's greatest racehorses, still lifelike after a visit to the taxidermist. Phar Lap, a chestnut gelding, is considered a national hero.
This magnificent horse won the 1930 Melbourne Cup by three lengths, before his heart failed in 1932 shortly after winning California's Agua Caliente Handicap.
Melbourne Museum is
open from 10am to 6pm daily except Good Friday and Christmas Day. It stands in Carlton Gardens beside the historic Royal Exhibition Building, completed in 1880 for Melbourne's
first International Exhibition, which displayed the cultural, industrial and technological achievements of more than 25 nations.
The Seafaring Story
On the edge of Sydney Harbour, the Australian National Maritime Museum tells the story of Australia and the sea in brass, canvas and
polished woodwork, in a style that rates high for verve and imagination.
Australia at War
The Australian War Memorial is situated at the head of Anzac Parade (Canberra) and is one of Australia's most popular attractions. The Australian War Memorial is regarded as one
of the most impressive war museums in the world.
You can see actual fighter planes, view dioramas of some of the significant battles Australians have fought and spend hours poring over military memorabilia.
The Hall of Memory, where the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier is located, is the centre of the formal commemorative areas of the memorial.
The newly opened Bradbury Aircraft Hall provides a window on our aviation history, while in 2001 the multi-million dollar Anzac Hall exhibition area opened as a permanant home for
the Memorial's larger wartime relics, including a Japanese submarine, tanks and aircraft.
The War Memorial attracts a myriad of visitors throughout the year, who are drawn there to commemorate, remember, or to take in it’s thought provoking view on history.
Jewish museum of Australia
For those interested in the diversity of Australian culture, the Jewish Museum of Australia is situated in St Kilda, Melbourne’s colourful
seaside suburb.
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