1 Feb 2018Capturing the spirit of Western Australia in words The Western Australian Museum is calling for members of the public to share their thoughts about the literary works they think best reflect the spirit and place of Western Australia. WA in Words is a project launched by the WA Museum as part of the 2018 Perth Writers Festival. WA Museum CEO Alec Coles is encouraging people from around the State to get involved.Read more News Sharna Craig
21 Dec 2017From the Collections: Christmas cardsIn 1843, prominent English socialite and arts patron Henry Cole was inundated with seasonal greetings. In response, he commissioned the very first Christmas card. Friend and artist John Callcott Horsley created an illustration depicting acts of charity and the Cole family enjoying the festivities. Space was left so the card could be quickly personalised for the recipient.Read more Article Western Australian Museum
20 Dec 2017We want to hear from youThe WA Museum is for everyone. This includes the 16% of Western Australians who identify as having a disability of some form (ABS, 2012). In 2007 we developed our first Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP), and have continually worked to improve and implement it across our organisation. As part of our disability services consultation we want to hear your feedback.Read more Article Western Australian Museum
11 Dec 2017The WA Collections Sector Working Group - December 2017The Collections Sector Working Group (CSWG) held its first meeting on 19 July 2016. The purpose of the Working Group is to respond to a series of structural and funding changes in the collections sector and consider how to meet the highest strategic priorities of the sector. Read more Article Alec Coles
7 Dec 2017Expressions of Interest: WA Museum Advisory Committee - Museum of the Great SouthernExpressions of Interest are sought from residents of the Great Southern Region to join the Advisory Committee for the Museum of the Great Southern. The primary role of the Advisory Committee is to link the Museum with the community it serves. This is a “two-way” liaison: representing the community to the Museum, and acting as an advocate for the Museum in the community.Read more News Western Australian Museum
30 Nov 2017Love wins in WA Image copyright WA Museum The New Museum for WA will reflect our State’s past, present and future. Moments in our history will be shared through the new exhibitions using first-person stories, important objects, and incredible new displays.Read more Article Erika Jellis
30 Nov 2017Australia's oldest grapevine?You’ve probably heard the term ‘heritage buildings’, but what about ‘heritage plants’? On the site of the New Museum we have grapevines that are part of WAs heritage. They are being meticulously cared for while construction is taking place. Image copyright WA Museum Read more Article New Museum Project
30 Nov 2017Pride of place: Wadjuk/Whadjuk boodjaWhen visitors come to the New Museum in the Perth Cultural Centre in 2020, they will be welcomed onto Wadjuk/Whadjuk land. As the host peoples of the land on which the New Museum is being developed, we are working closely with Wadjuk/Whadjuk community members to determine ways to represent their stories, traditions and cultural materials in the exhibitions and design.Read more Article New Museum Project
29 Nov 2017Securing the foundations The New Museum building is starting to take shape and the first concrete slab expected to be poured in early 2018. In preparation for this work, Multiplex and its subcontractors are drilling pilings to support and stabilise the new building. Read more News Erika Jellis
29 Nov 2017Welcome to Western Australia! The spirit of campground hostsIn the Voices gallery of the New Museum we are showcasing the spirit of our people, including the ways in which Western Australians come together through volunteering and other community activities. In Western Australia’s national parks there are a number of special volunteers who make camping and travelling in WA a truly unique experience. Campground hosts are volunteers with the Parks and Wildlife Service in the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and they support the vital work of national park rangers.Read more Article New Museum Project
29 Nov 2017The way we playIn the Discovery Zone at the State Library of WA a group of inquisitive and curious and children have been participating in new hands-on programs, and letting us know what they think. As they play, explore, experiment and solve problems they are also helping us shape new programs for young audiences that will be delivered in the New Museum.Read more Article New Museum Project
23 Nov 2017Batavia's mysteries unfold with discovery of mass grave An international team of archaeologists, including scientists from The University of Western Australia and the Western Australian Museum, has discovered a new communal grave in the Abrolhos Islands, the result of deaths after a shipwreck of the Dutch East India company ship Batavia.Read more News Mara Pritchard
23 Nov 2017Batavia's mysteries unfold with discovery of mass grave An international team of archaeologists, including scientists from The University of Western Australia and the Western Australian Museum, has discovered a new communal grave in the Abrolhos Islands, the result of deaths after a shipwreck of the Dutch East India company ship Batavia. Read more Article Mara Pritchard
13 Nov 2017Exhibition highlights build-up of plastic pollution on beaches and in oceans A thought-provoking exhibition about the build-up of small scale plastic rubbish on Western Australia’s beaches and the wider issue of waste on the world’s oceans opens at the Museum of Geraldton this week. On the Beach by artist Tim Pearn, documents a year in which Pearn collected more than 1,600 pieces of washed-up plastic while on his regular walks along just one beach in the State’s south.Read more News Flora Perrella
10 Nov 2017Help save our frogs with your mobile phoneKids, mums and dads, amateur scientists and community groups are being asked to pick up their mobile phones and head into their backyards and beyond to help save Australia’s native frogs. The Western Australian Museum is partnering with the Australian Museum and other museums around the country as part of FrogID – a major citizen science project which explores where frogs are at risk and how to conserve them and our waterways. Frogs are one of the most threatened groups of animals on Earth.Read more News Sharna Craig
8 Nov 2017Exhibition tells of historic relations between the ANZAC and Belgium during World War OneAn exhibition that tells shared stories about the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or ANZAC, and Belgium during World War One is now open at the Museum of the Great Southern. The Great War in Broad Outlines pays tribute to the sacrifice of the ANZAC, and is a reminder that Belgium is forever grateful and continues to honour the fallen. Museum of the Great Southern Regional Manager Rachael Wilsher-Saa said the exhibition depicts defining moments and memorable battles of World War One.Read more News Sharna Craig
8 Nov 2017Traditional art meets modern technologyAn exhibition celebrating the stories and Law of Anangu culture through intricate carvings and artefacts will go on display at the Museum of the Goldfields next weekend. Punuku Tjukurpa is the first touring exhibition of artworks from the Maruku Arts archive based at Mutitjulu, near Uluru in the Northern Territory. Museum of the Goldfields Regional Manager Zoe Scott said Punuku Tjukurpa, presented by Artback NT, showcases a rich sacred history.Read more News Sharna Craig
7 Nov 2017Research noting impact of climate change on native species graces cover of prestigious science journalResearch which notes the impact of climate change on the evolution of Australia’s native bilbies and bandicoots has featured on the cover of the prestigious Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The article was authored by the Western Australian Museum’s Mammals Curator Dr Kenny Travouillon. “Climate change has been a very important factor in the evolution of bilbies and bandicoots, placing a selective pressure for survival in a harsh, arid environment,” Dr Travouillon said.Read more News Sharna Craig
26 Oct 2017Working together in the Kimberley WA Museum Curators Michelle Broun and Stephen Kinnane and Community Engagement Officer Barbara Paulson attended last month’s Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC) Festival at the invitation of KALACC’s Board of Directors. The trip followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the WA Museum and KALACC. The MOU outlines a commitment for the two organisations to work together to engage with Aboriginal peoples from the Kimberley and identify ways local stories could be shared in the New Museum.Read more News Erika Jellis