15 Apr 2024WA scientists discover new species of land snail estimated to be around three million years oldScientists at the Western Australian Museum have uncovered a new species of fossil snail in Western Australia's Nullarbor region, estimated to be around three million years old. The groundbreaking palaeontological discovery comes after two comprehensive fieldwork sessions between 2021 and 2023. The project was initiated following the discovery of a small number of Bothriembryon (land snail) specimens in the Museum’s palaeontology collection that did not align with any known species.Read more News Kasper Johansen
12 Apr 2024Lester Prize for Portraiture Youth Awards returns to WA Museum Boola Bardip for 2024 Read more News Kasper Johansen
8 Apr 2024Emerging Curators continue two-way knowledge exchange as part of the Kimberley Reef Connect ProjectA group of Uunguu Rangers from Wunambal Gaambera Country in the North Kimberley have taken part in an Emerging Curators Workshop at Western Australian Museum’s Collection and Research Centre to exchange cultural and scientific knowledge. The Emerging Curators Workshop was the second stage in the learning program following the collection of marine species during an expedition by the group to Wunambal Gaambera Wundaagu (Sea Country) in the North Kimberley Marine Park in November 2023.Read more News Kasper Johansen
8 Apr 2024OOLOGY: A hard boiled tale of obsession, plunder, and rectificationLong before Pokémon GO or Footy Cards existed, the biggest collecting mania was bird eggs! Read more News Flora Perrella
28 Mar 2024WA Museum’s latest exhibition To the Moon to include NASA Moon rock and world renown ‘Museum of the Moon’ installation The Moon – mysterious, enigmatic, changing, waxing, and waning. Throughout human history, the Moon has been an object of intrigue, reverence, and curiosity. It has influenced cultures, driven scientific discovery, fueled imagination and inspired creativity. We have endeavoured to make sense of the great, celestial body that graces our nocturnal sky. From early theories about its influence on our behaviour to monumental astronomical achievements, we have always been driven by wonder and starry-eyed curiosity to discover the truths about Earth’s moon. Read more News Kasper Johansen
17 Mar 2024Major immersive exhibition on James Cameron’s deep-ocean exploration opens at WA Maritime MuseumOn 23 March 2024, the WA Maritime Museum opens its doors to JAMES CAMERON – CHALLENGING THE DEEP, an exhibition by acclaimed explorer and award-winning film-maker James Cameron. The exhibition explores Cameron’s extensive career as a deep-sea explorer and his many history-making expeditions. JAMES CAMERON – CHALLENGING THE DEEP takes visitors to the depths of our oceans through the lens of Cameron’s underwater cameras, as well as his other incredible technological innovations that have enabled us to see one of the least known places on Earth.Read more News Robyn Ambrosius
5 Mar 2024Museum of Geraldton heads out of this world for new space focused exhibition A brand-new free exhibition that explores Australia’s role in the space race is set to touch down at the Museum of Geraldton this weekend. A touring exhibition from the National Archives of Australia, Out of This World: Australia in the space age looks back at exciting times, from the 1950s to the 1970s. It recalls the nation’s enthusiastic contribution to space exploration, including cutting-edge scientific research. It also considers the impact that the phenomenon had on popular culture, from space-inspired design to television programs and literature.Read more News Kasper Johansen
20 Feb 2024Kwini Traditional Owners and Rock Art Australia Visit the WA MuseumWA Museum Anthropology and Archaeology staff have had the pleasure of hosting special guests from Kalumburu, Melbourne and Brisbane. Kwini Traditional Owners Ian Waina, Bernadette Waina and Dorothy Djanghara were in Perth recently with Rock Art Australia CEO Samantha Hamilton and researcher Pauline Heaney, preparing for Ian’s upcoming public lecture at the WA Museum Boola Bardip.Read more News Cedar Rankin-Cheek
13 Feb 2024Museum artifacts help women prisoners develop creative storytellingA collaborative project between the Western Australian Museum (WA Museum) and the Department of Justice has encouraged prisoners at Bandyup Women's Prison to explore different styles of creative storytelling. The six-day program, titled The Museum of Stories, aimed to foster personal growth, creativity, and self-expression by using objects from the WA Museum’s collection to inspire story ideas.Read more News Kasper Johansen
8 Feb 2024Best specimen of the rare Night Parrot on display in the world.Once thought to be extinct, a specimen of the elusive Night Parrot is now on display for the first time at the WA Museum Boola Bardip. The Western Australian Museum’s recent acquisition of a whole specimen is the most significant one collected since the 1800s and only the 4th complete specimen collected in Western Australia. It is also the best representation of the Night Parrot in any museum around the world and will provide a significant opportunity for WA Museum visitors to view the elusive bird up close.Read more News Flora Perrella
6 Feb 2024Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan (PCOL) – To The MoonThe information below describes the international loans to the Western Australian Museum exhibition, To The Moon. To The Moon exhibition Venue: WA Museum Boola Bardip, Perth Cultural Centre, Perth WA 6000 Duration: Tuesday 26 March 2024 – Monday 7 October 2024 Museum of the Moon Provenance List [PDF 2.2MB]Read more Article Bec Weldon
22 Jan 2024New scientific paper disputes body shape of extinct megalodon sharkThe Western Australian Museum was part of an international team of 26 leading shark palaeontologists and neontologists who have challenged a recently published interpretation of the body shape of the megatooth shark Otodus megalodon.Read more News Flora Perrella
21 Dec 2023School Holidays at the WA MuseumAre you looking for the ultimate way to entertain the kids throughout the school holidays? The Western Australian Museum is brimming with a wide variety of programs and events, ensuring children of all ages are entertained across our six locations around the State! Here are some highlights, but for the complete list of activities, click HERE. See you soon at the WA Museum! WA MUSEUM BOOLA BARDIPRead more News Kasper Johansen
8 Dec 2023WA Museum proud to welcome repatriation of Yawuru ancestor ‘Roebuck Bay Man’ from Smithsonian Natural History MuseumThis week, we were privileged to welcome Yawuru community members to our Collections and Research facility in Boorloo / Perth for their official cultural ceremony for the return of their ancestor "RoebuckRead more News Madeleine Pengelly
8 Dec 2023Two new species of trapdoor spiders discovered in Western AustraliaA research team led by Dr Mark Harvey from the Western Australian Museum’s Terrestrial Zoology department has discovered two new species of trapdoor spiders, bringing the total of named trapdoor spiders to over 200 in WA. The other researchers, Dr Jeremy Wilson from the University of Western Australia, and Dr Michael Rix from the Queensland Museum, assisted in the study.Read more News Flora Perrella
28 Nov 2023New display at WA Shipwrecks Museum gives visitors a deeper insight into Western Australia’s first coastal steamship. A new visitor experience at the WA Shipwrecks Museum will open this Saturday 2 December with SS Xantho: unlocking hidden stories of our State which explores the amazing story of Western Australia’s first coastal steamship. In this exhibition, visitors will engage in new multi-media and interactive platforms to explore the story of how one family and the SS Xantho were intricately linked to the social, economic, and cultural development of Western Australia in the late 1800’s.Read more News Flora Perrella
27 Nov 2023WA Museum is on the lookout for Collections and Research VolunteersOur Western Australian Museum passionate volunteers make a significant contribution to our organisation in a variety of roles by donating their valuable time, knowledge and resources. We are currently recruiting for enthusiastic volunteers for WA Museum’s Collections and Research Legacy Project so if you would like to play a vital part in supporting curatorial and collections staff then please take a read of how to get in touch. Legacy Project OverviewRead more News Deanna Watson
14 Nov 2023WA Museum Boola Bardip wins gold at the 2023 Perth Airport Tourism AwardsWe are so proud to announce that the WA Museum Boola Bardip has won the gold awards for both Major Tourist Attraction and Cultural Tourism at the PRead more News Madeleine Pengelly
2 Nov 2023Six new species of mulgara identified - four believed to be already extinct.The Western Australian Museum collaborated with Curtin University on an exciting research project shedding light on three previously undiscovered species of mulgara from the WA Museum’s collection. These small carnivorous marsupials, vital to the arid and semi-arid regions of Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory are similar to the Tasmanian Devil and quoll in their ecological importance.Read more News Flora Perrella
26 Oct 2023The WA Maritime Museum's much loved HMAS Ovens submarine has re-opened!The official reopening of the Western Australian Museum’s much-loved HMAS Ovens submarine by Culture and the Arts Minister, Hon. David Templeman, takes place this morning at the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle. The former Royal Australian Navy Oberon class submarine HMAS Ovens was launched in 1967. After decommissioning in 1995, the submarine was gifted to the Western Australian Museum and docked on the historic No.1 Slipway adjacent to the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle.Read more News Madeleine Pengelly