• Adventuring Down Under
    Entrance to the National Museum of Australia — Canberra, ACT.
    A glimpse down into the Garden of Australian Dreams — Canberra, ACT.Garden of Australian Dreams — Canberra, ACT.Prototype of the Holden ... an Australian icon with a Propert "Trailway" touring caravan.Entrance to the gallery represents a forest of bunya trees — National Museum of Australia.An opalized cone of an Araucaria species, an ancient relative of the bunya (100M yo).Rhodochrosite with amethyst quartz ... Broken Hill, NSW — National Museum of Australia."Julawuna (Cyclone)" by Yorna 'Donny' Woolagoodja — National Museum of Australia.Danger and devastation — National Museum of Australia.An Ngarrindjeri Elder conducting a smoking ceremony near the mouth of the Murray River.Chamber Pot from late 19th-early 20th century — National Museum of Australia."Kicked Out of Parliament" by J. 'Boza' Williams — National Museum of Australia.'Hollow Log" cabin built by a geologist couple inside an iron water tank ... transported by truck.Bagu figure ... inspired by traditional fire-making equipment used in the rainforest.Engraving of Uluru by J Brauer from a drawing by E. Berry.Poster marking the handback of Uluru to traditional owners ... signed by Anangu people.Kulbasaibai canoe ... Torres Strait."Dhoeri" by G. Nona — National Museum of Australia.Breastplates were awarded to Aboriginals to encourage cooperation.Telling the story of Aboriginal kids being taken from their parents and sent to missions.

    Canberra: National Museum of Australia

    March 9, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    On a quiet Saturday — surprising since this is a three-day weekend … Monday is Canberra Day — we had ourselves a two museum day.

    First up was the National Museum of Australia.

    I’ve said this before … Australia knows how to do museums well. The quality of the exhibits are exceptional … and a great many of the national and state museums are “donations gratefully accepted.” This one, which “preserves and interprets Australia’s social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation. …” was no exception.

    Having been established in 1980, it is a relatively young museum. In fact, it wasn’t until 2001 that a purpose-built permanent home was constructed. Exhibits cover 50,000 years of Aboriginal heritage and the settlement of the country since 1788.

    One brochure states that the museum has the largest collection of Aboriginal bark paintings. Then there are displays that include the heart of Phar Lap, a champion race horse; the prototype Holden car; a delicate porcelain chamber pot; minerals and fossils; and more. A good amount of space is dedicated to the natural disasters — cyclones and bushfires in a particular — that plague the country frequently.

    In other words … a very eclectic collection, which I tried to portray in this footprint with the photos I selected to share.    Read more