16 Aug 2023National Science Week 2023 at the WA Maritime Museum and WA Shipwrecks MuseumDid you know the ocean is home to a huge population of creatures that can’t be shown in a display case but are very important to life? We might not think about these tiny, living organisms when we are swimming or out on a boat, but they are critically important to all life on Earth, not just those living underwater. These tiny organisms which can be found in plankton and slimy algae are so small that they can only be seen under a microscope! And you will be surprised by their amazing colours and shapes!Read more News Flora Perrella
15 Aug 2023National Science Week with Dr. Lisa Kirkendale and Corey Whisson: From field to app with Snail SnapTo celebrate National Science Week 2023, we are excited to share some of the stories and highlight some of the research undertaken by our very own scientists this year.Read more News Madeleine Pengelly
8 Aug 2023WA Museum Boola Bardip welcomes new Visitor Services Officers We recently had the pleasure of welcoming thirteen vibrant and passionate Visitor Services Officers (VSOs) to our team at WA Museum Boola Bardip. The Visitor Services team are the smiling faces you are greeted by when you come to any of our museums. These vibrant and friendly people help ensure your visit is fun and inviting. Each Visitor Service Officer brings a unique flair and expertise, contributing to the immersive experience that sets the Western Australian Museum apart.Read more News Kasper Johansen
8 Aug 2023National Science Week with Dr Kailah Thorn: Early career researcher bridging the divide between herpetology and palaeontology.To celebrate National Science Week 2023, the Western Australian Museum is excited to share some of the stories and highlight some of the research undertaken by our very own scientists this year. Working as a Technical Officer in Terrestrial Vertebrates, Dr. Thorn’s role involves collecting, preparing, archiving, and loaning out the museum’s mammal, bird, reptile, and amphibian specimens.Read more News Kasper Johansen
2 Aug 2023 3D model of Esperance shipwreck unveiled on 199th anniversary of loss.To commemorate the 199th anniversary of the wrecking of the Belinda vessel near Esperance on 19 July 1824, Western Australian Museum and Curtin University released a digital 3D model of this sealing vessel. The model enables researchers and the public virtual access to this remote and significant archaeological site and to learn more about Western Australia’s early maritime history.Read more News Flora Perrella
28 Jul 2023Bush Mechanics on the road to the Museum of GeraldtonA free exhibition showcasing the creativity of bush mechanics and their inventive repair techniques will open at the Museum of Geraldton on Saturday, 5 August. The Bush Mechanics exhibition is based on the incredibly popular ABC television series of the same name, co-created by David Batty and Francis Jupurrurla Kelly. Through the show’s distinctive brand of humour, this exhibition showcases the ingenuity of outback mechanics whose clever resourcefulness can turn branches, spinifex and sand into tools and spare parts to get cars back on the road.Read more News Kasper Johansen
26 Jul 2023Major cross-cultural art project Reclaim the Void opens hub at Museum of the Great SouthernThe Museum of the Great Southern has become the host of cross-cultural art project Reclaim the Void’s new fortnightly Rug Hub. Reclaim the Void will create a huge ‘dot artwork’ from thousands of small, circular rugs made by people from across the world using recycled fabric. The artwork will be based on an original painting by Ngalia artist Dolly Walker and used to symbolically seal the “scars” left behind on Country affected by mining in the northern Goldfields.Read more News Kasper Johansen
17 Jul 2023New exhibition to take visitors through Australia’s deepest caves and into a world of twisted beauty at the Museum of the Great SouthernA new exhibition that explores a hidden underground world overseen by giant prehistoric spiders and includes collaborations with best-selling author Neil Gaiman, has crawled its way into the Museum of the Great Southern. The Sixteen Legs travelling exhibition is based around the environmental and cultural significance of Australia’s deepest caves and the still-living 200-million-year-old Tasmanian Cave Spiders hidden within them.Read more News Kasper Johansen
17 Jul 2023Unique Gascoyne bee species showcased at Gwoonwardu Mia’s Mungurragurra Burrowing Bee Community DayA unique and culturally significant species of burrowing bee has caused a buzz in the Gascoyne region after making an appearance at Gwoonwardu Mia’s Burrowing Bee Community Day. Funded by the Western Australian Museum Foundation, the June 24 event encouraged the community to celebrate the cultural significance of the region's Mungurragurra, known as the Dawson’s Burrowing Bee species.Read more News Kasper Johansen
17 Jul 2023Trans-Tasman museum investment in production of ground-breaking VR filmsThree museums spanning Australia and New Zealand have joined forces for a funding partnership to develop a trio of majestic and ground-breaking virtual reality (VR) films for exhibitions at the museums from 2024 onwards.Read more News Flora Perrella
7 Jul 2023Amazing specimens discovered up to 5,000m below sea level in WA’s Gascoyne Marine Park.For most of the Western Australian Museum’s Aquatic Zoology team, a recent expedition to Gascoyne Marine Park delivered a treasure trove of weird and wonderful creatures from depths of up to 5000m below sea level.Read more News Flora Perrella
30 Jun 2023Australia II: 40 Years On exhibition to launch September 2023A special exhibition to mark 40 years since Australia II won the America’s Cup will take place at the yacht’s permanent home, the WA Maritime Museum, Victoria Quay, in September 2023. The exhibition titled Australia II: 40 Years On will include a brand-new film featuring untold stories by the 1983 winning team members.Read more News Flora Perrella
21 Jun 2023Karlis and Daina Skele arrived in Fremantle from Latvia in 1949. A reflection on Refugee Week.WA Museum Boola Bardip’s Connections gallery highlights compelling stories of refugees from around the world who have made Western Australia home. We encourage you to visit the gallery during Refugee Week to learn of the prolific stories of those who fled their homelands in the hope of a new and safer life in Western Australia. This article highlights one of those stories: the Skele family who fled Latvia, arriving in Fremantle in 1949.Read more News Flora Perrella
16 Jun 2023Western Australian Museum and University of New South Wales entomologists discover unclassified stink bugEntomologists from the Western Australian Museum and University of New South Wales have made the fascinating discovery of a stink bug species that is believed to be new to science, during a two-week Bush Blitz expedition near Kepa Kurl (Esperance) in Western Australia. The currently unclassified bug, measuring around the size of a pea, has two curved horns as well as bright yellow tusks and was found camouflaged on a local Hakea species of plant.Read more News Kasper Johansen
15 Jun 2023Super-sized Shingleback: WA Museum and Flinders University researchers discover Australia's gigantic extinct armoured lizard A fossil lizard discovered by researchers at Flinders University and a member of Western Australian Museum staff has been described as by far the largest and most bizarre skink that ever lived. Related to the Shinglebacks – commonly known as sleepy lizards or bobtails – found in gardens today, Tiliqua frangens or 'Frangens’, was covered in thick spiny armour and measured roughly the size of a human arm.Read more News Kasper Johansen
30 May 2023In Conversation: Uluru Statement from the Heart, opening the door to what it all means Six years ago, under the shadow of Uluru in Mutitjulu, 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Delegates signed a historic statement. The statement comprised two core values, Voice and Makarrata, which aimed to enshrine a First Nations Voice in the Australian Constitution and catalyse a truthful mediation between governments and First Nations, respectively. On May 24 at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip a distinguished panel of guest speakers returned to those core values in the lead up to The Voice to Parliament referendum.Read more News Kasper Johansen
30 May 2023One-of-a-kind performance by internationally revered instrumental trio The Necks at WA Museum Boola BardipLegendary Australian instrumental trio The Necks are set to conjure up some one-of-a-kind luminous soundscapes at Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip in a series of two performances on June 2 and 3. Revered internationally for their unique brand of slow burn hybrid instrumentals the trio – consisting of Chris Abrahams (piano), Tony Buck (drums and percussion) and Lloyd Swanton (bass) – will take to the stage with nothing prepared in advance.Read more News Kasper Johansen
24 May 2023Reconciliation Week at WA MuseumBe a Voice for Generations Saturday 27 May – Saturday 3 June Read more News Madeleine Pengelly
19 May 2023One of the world’s largest public sculpture projects hits PerthOne of the world's largest public art projects has arrived in Western Australia to raise awareness about endangered animals. 'Wild About Babies' is designed by artists Gillie and Marc and features 21 bronze sculptures of endangered species from across the globe. The free exhibition is launching on International Endangered Species Day.Read more News Robyn Ambrosius
18 May 2023Saving the World… Museums, Sustainability and Well-beingInternational Museum Day Opinion Piece by Alec Coles, CEO WA Museum On May 18th we celebrate International Museums Day. Since 2020, the theme for this annual celebration has supported the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s theme Museums, Sustainability and Well-being, focuses on the following three goals:Read more News Robyn Ambrosius