Dinosaur Discovery: Lost Creatures of the Cretaceous exhibition


Dinosaurs, Pompeii and Heath Ledger headline a spectacular suite of exhibitions to be presented by the Western Australian Museum this spring at a range of venues.

First up, the Museum’s most popular exhibition ever is heading back to Perth. From 20 September, the Museum will present its incredibly popular Dinosaur Discovery: Lost Creatures of the Cretaceous exhibition at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.  First seen in 2014, the exhibition comes back from a tour over east bigger and better than ever before with more incredible animatronic creatures.

Just two days later, a new international exhibition Escape from Pompeii: the untold Roman rescue will go on display at the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle, featuring rare artefacts from Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Bay of Naples in a breath-taking display which will include precious gold and jewellery, every-day household objects, as well as five haunting body casts of victims of the eruption, capturing their final moments.

Then, in October, the Museum is proud to partner with the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) to present a world exclusive exhibition about one of WA’s favourite sons.  Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures exhibition will open at the AGWA on 14 October.

WA Museum CEO Alec Coles said with such an incredible line-up of extraordinary exhibitions going on display within weeks of each other, your Western Australian Museum will have something for everyone this year.

“We are delighted to see the return of our own Dinosaur Discovery exhibition which I know will thrill audiences of all ages,” Mr Coles said. “More than 170,000 visitors enjoyed an amazing experience the last time we showed this exhibition and this year we’ve added some new elements to excite adventurers of all ages. 

“We are also very excited to be able to show Western Australian audiences the incredible new Escape from Pompeii exhibition which reveals the untold story of the Roman navy’s dramatic rescue attempt, ordering ships into the heart of the danger whilst everyone else fled Mount Vesuvius’ devastating destruction.

“When you add our world-first Heath Ledger exhibition, developed in partnership with the Art Gallery of Western Australia, to that line-up there is certainly a fantastic experience available for every West Australian.”

Dinosaur Discovery will feature more than 23 life-size animatronic models of some of the most extraordinary creatures ever to walk the Earth, including two magnificent Tyrannosaurus rex. Prepare for a close encounter of the Cretaceous kind as these magnificent beasts, made to rigorous scientific specifications, inhabit an authentic prehistoric habitat with thrilling lifelike accuracy.

Dinosaur Discovery: Creatures of the Cretaceous will feature cutting-edge augmented reality experiences, a digital dinosaur track encounter and dedicated kids’ activities to encourage learning and discovery. The exhibition, which has been developed by the Western Australian Museum, opens at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on 20 September 2017.

Escape from Pompeii is a new exhibition and, while many people are aware of the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius which buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under huge waves of volcanic ash and debris, few would know that the Roman navy attempted an heroic but ultimately tragic rescue of victims stranded at the foot of the volcano.

Developed in association with the Australian National Maritime Museum, Expona and Contemporanea Progetti, Escape from Pompeii: the untold Roman rescue will open at the WA Maritime Museum on 22 September 2017.

Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures is a free exhibition presented by the WA Museum with the Art Gallery of Western Australia, which opens at AGWA on 14 October 2017.

Please visit the WA Museum’s website www.museum.wa.gov.au for more information about all of the Museum’s exhibitions and for advance ticket purchases.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Ends

Media contact:
Di Ingelse
A/Manager Communications and Media, Western Australian Museum
(08) 6552 7803 di.ingelse@museum.wa.gov.au