9 Feb 2015A behind-the-scenes look at our Roe Calcarenite fossil collectionAbout 3 million years ago the Leeuwin Current flowed strongly, warming the waters along the south-west Australian coast to such an extent that mangroves flourished and corals grew. This warm sea also supported rich molluscan faunas. Nearly 600 species are known from a thin limestone called the Roe Calcarenite which outcrops on the Roe Plains. Because of their recent age about two-thirds of the species are still living today, although some are now found in warmer waters to the north.Read more Photo Galleries Jessica Scholle
6 Feb 2015Redback spider bite - what to doRedback spiders (Latrodectus hasseltii) are extremely common in Australia, and are often found in considerable numbers around houses and other buildings in many towns and cities in Western Australia. They rarely bite humans, and when disturbed, they usually try to escape or feign death by curling its legs and dropping to the ground.Read more Article Western Australian Museum
4 Feb 2015Expedition reveals new Batavia burial siteArchaeologists from the Western Australian Museum and The University of Western Australia are back at Beacon Island examining archaeological sites related to one of WA’s most famous shipwrecks, the Batavia. One burial site containing the remains of an adolescent person was carefully excavated by the team yesterday. Further investigations of other sites are continuingRead more News Sharna Craig
4 Feb 2015Scientific investigations on Baler shellsThe Western Australian Museum is performing research on Baler shells to determine how many different species occur in our waters and to better understand their distribution around the country. The Baler shell is a large marine mollusc that belongs to the gastropod family Volutidae (volute shells). Of the 200 species of volutes distributed worldwide, around 70 are known from Australia. Many of those from Western Australian are endemic, found nowhere else in the world.Read more Article Western Australian Museum
2 Feb 2015A behind-the-scenes look at our butterfly collectionButterflies are a group of insects which belong to the order Lepidoptera and include about 17,950 species. Of the 400 butterfly species distributed in Australia, approximately half are endemic, found nowhere else in the world.Read more Photo Galleries Jessica Scholle
27 Jan 2015Bird capture and release storyThis is a bird capture and release story told by the Western Australian Museum's Curator of Ornithology Ron Johnstone. Thousands of kilometres from the Western Australian coast, shipwrecked sailors tagged a giant petrel. The bird flew to Western Australia and the note was found. Listen below to hear what happens next: Read more Article Western Australian Museum
23 Jan 2015A behind-the-scenes look at our beetle collectionThe Coleoptera, commonly called beetles, are by far the largest order of insects. More than 420,000 species are described worldwide, making up about 40% of all known insects species and almost 25% of all known animals. This large order includes diving beetles, ladybugs, stag beetles, weevils and ground beetles. Beetles occur in all terrestrial habitats including dry regions, tropical forests and freshwater or beach environments, except in the Polar Regions.Read more Photo Galleries Western Australian Museum
23 Jan 2015How do we know where meteorites come from?Meteorites are solid pieces of natural space debris that do not completely disintegrate during their descent through the atmosphere. Available evidence and research suggest most meteorites appear to be fragments of asteroids in solar orbits between Mars and Jupiter, but some meteorites also originate from Mars and the Moon. Today, seventy meteorites are recognised to have come from the planet Mars. In its collections, the Western Australian Museum contains samples of three Martian meteorites and two samples of lunar meteorites. Read more Article Western Australian Museum
20 Jan 2015New app puts the WA Museum in your pocket The Western Australian Museum’s incredible collections and valuable research are now more accessible than ever with the release of a new app that effectively puts the Museum in your pocket. The new app – Reveal WAM – streams WA Museum content direct to your smartphone or tablet, and was released this morning. Reveal WAM packages articles, blogs, videos and web features into a simple mobile app. Digital Services Manager Morgan Strong said the Museum aims to reach the public in as many ways as possible.Read more News Sharna Craig
19 Jan 2015The spider that weaves goldOften mistaken for a dangerous creature, the Australian golden orb-weaving spider is in fact harmless to humans. They have a dark-brown carapace (the “head”), a cream coloured abdomen, and yellow banded legs. Males are very small, and are often difficult to locate in the web of the female. They occur all over Australia, building large webs with yellow silk which shine like gold in sunlight. Read more Article Western Australian Museum
19 Jan 2015Historic shipwreck hunt bound for Christmas IslandHalf a century after making a major shipwreck discovery that would lead to a lifelong passion for maritime archaeology, Graeme Henderson is setting out once more to find a Fortuyn. On 19 January, Graeme and a team of Australian shipwreck archaeologists plan to leave Perth bound for Australia’s Indian Ocean territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos Keeling Islands on a quest they’re calling ‘Closing in on the Fortuyn’.Read more News Sharna Craig
12 Jan 2015Would you like to help plan our New Museum?Forty West Australians are being asked to join the team planning the State’s New Museum. A number of community panels are being established to provide input and feedback into the content and proposed design of the Museum that will open in 2020. Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said a people-first approach was being adopted to create a landmark museum building and unique visitor experience. You can read the Minister's full statement here. Read more News Western Australian Museum
30 Dec 2014World’s smallest goanna lizard species discovered in the Kimberley regionThe WA Museum is pleased to announce the discovery of a new species of goanna lizard from the Kimberley region. The name of the new species is the ‘Dampier Peninsula Goanna’, so-called as this species is only known from the peninsula north of Broome and Derby, in the western Kimberley region of Western Australia. The scientific name is Varanus sparnus.Read more News Sharna Craig
24 Dec 2014New management for Brig Amity replicaThe Western Australian Museum – Albany is proud to announce it has taken over visitor management for the Brig Amity replica after an extensive refurbishment program by the City of Albany. Rachel Wilsher-Saa, WA Museum – Albany Regional Manager said since opening in 1976, the replica of the Brig Amity has been an integral part of the Albany landscape.Read more News Sharna Craig
19 Dec 2014Holiday Closure at the MuseumThe holiday season is fast approaching and, as usual, the Museum’s metropolitan and regional sites will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Read more News Western Australian Museum
18 Dec 2014Historic Australian photographs now onlineA collection of photographs documenting Australian life at the turn of the 20th century is now available on the Western Australian Museum’s website. Five thousand images taken by Goldfields photographers John Joseph Dwyer and Thomas Faulkner Mackay have been digitised and are accessible to the public. The collection documents everyday life on the Goldfields: from the development of the mining industry, to landscapes, to the personal lives of locals through portraits.Read more News Danny Murphy
15 Dec 2014A new species of deep-sea bone worm turns a reproductive strategy on its headA study published today in Current Biology reveals a new species of marine bone-eating worm whose mating system defies what scientists thought they knew about this already bizarre creature. Unlike previously discovered species, these males are the same size as females. When Osedax worms were first discovered 12 years ago, only females were found, feasting on bones deep in the ocean. The males were all dwarfs, permanently attached to females’ tubes in groups like harems.Read more News Sharna Craig
9 Dec 2014Muslim women’s style on display at WA Museum – GeraldtonAn exhibition showcasing Muslim women’s contemporary fashion will open at the Western Australian Museum – Geraldton this week. Faith Fashion Fusion: Muslim women’s style in Australia focuses on an emerging modest fashion market and the work of Australian Muslim designers and entrepreneurs. A group of well-respected Australian Muslim women also share their experiences of faith and fashion, including three Geraldton women.Read more News Sharna Craig
4 Dec 2014Santa visits WA Museum – Kalgoorlie-BoulderSanta will pay a special visit to the Western Australian Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder during its Open Day this week. Children will have the opportunity to have their photograph taken with Santa, as well as participate in free activities on St Barbara’s Day, Saturday 6 December. WA Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder Manager Zoe Scott said there will be Christmas card making, hula hoop decorating, face-painting and poppy making activities on the day.Read more News Sharna Craig
26 Nov 2014Kimberley marine research findings and challengesThe Western Australian Museum has concluded its sixth and final expedition of an award-winning research project into the Kimberley’s unique marine life. Aquatic Zoology Senior Project Officer Clay Bryce will present Kimberley Marine Life Secrets Revealed at the WA Maritime Museum this Wednesday 26 November as part of the Western Australian Museum’s In the Wild West lecture series.Read more News Sharna Craig