Australian Museum
Location: 6-8 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Constructed: 1846 -
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The Australian Museum has an international reputation in the fields of natural history and indigenous studies research, community programs and exhibitions. Established in 1827 it was Australia's first museum, and over many decades the Museum has developed unique and extensive collections of natural science and cultural artefacts.
Experience the stories of Indigenous Australians in their own words, or discover more about Australia's strange and notorious animals. With its combination of the latest technology, ongoing research and impressive collections, the Australia Museum always surprises. Visitors can explore exhibitions, CD-ROMs, Internet access, mini-labs or speak with trained scientific staff.
Find out about our plants, animals and ecosystems and how they work together.
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History
In 1832 George Bennett, curator of the Australian Museum, explained the role of the museum: 'Here, in a public museum, the remains of the arts, etc., as existing among them, may be preserved as lasting memorials of the former races inhabiting the lands, when they have ceased to exist." Australia's first museum was a primary conduit through which colonial expansion was represented to the general public. This was occurring even as the dispossession and destruction of Aboriginal life and land continued unabated. Musea were seen as mausolea for Indigenous culture. Indigenous peoples themselves, needless to say, have historically been silenced in responding to these representations. Early colonial museum practices saw European and Australian msuem representations of Indigenous Australians that reiterated and reinforced the political and social norms and agendae of the dominant society. These representations have seen Indigenous Australians portrayed as primiate people, aggressive barbarians, nature's children and of course as noble savages (Hammond, 2009, 1).
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Internet links
| Webpage |
Source |
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Attraction Homepage |
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Tourism NSW |
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Data
| Name of Item: |
Australian Museum |
| Type of Item: |
Built |
| Collection: |
Education |
| Category: |
Other - Education |
| Location: |
6-8 College Street, Sydney,
NSW 2000 |
| Local Govt: |
Sydney |
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| Constructed: |
1846 - |
| Current Use: |
Museum |
| Former Use: |
Museum |
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