Museums Australia - Attractions

The new Melbourne Museum tags itself as a museum for the 21st century and reflects a move to merge major museums and galleries under one roof. Three particular focal points of the Melbourne Museum are: Bunjilaka, providing a focus for Aboriginal activity in Victoria; the Children's Museum, in the form of a tilted cube, and the open-air Gallery of Life, exhibiting Victoria's flora and fauna. Improved Internet access is also a key feature, providing better public access to superb collections, research, exhibitions and educational packages. Three theme cafe/restaurants provide refreshments.

The Jewish Museum is a modern museum set up to conserve and exhibit Jewish heritage, custom, religious practice and arts. Interactive displays are used to tell the unique story of Jewish life in Australia. Other permanent exhibitions are The Jewish Year; Belief and Ritual; and The Timeline of Jewish History. Temporary exhibitions tell remarkable and moving personal stories, show beautiful works of art and explore the history and lives of Jewish people throughout the world. The museum shop has a wide selection of books, gifts and unique finely crafted Judaica by Australian artists. The museum also has a function room with full kosher catering as well as private guided tours of the exhibitions.

The Monash University Museum Of Art is a large public art museum located within the university campus. The museum's extensive collection focuses on Australian art from the 1960s onwards and comprises more than 1300 works in a variety of media. This year the museum offers an exciting mixture of Australian and international contemporary work. Exhibitions are often accompanied by artists' talks and forums. Admission is free. Group bookings welcome.

Derived from Britain's first social history museum, established in 1934, the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology was brought to Australia after World War II and is now one of the most popular museums in the Brisbane region. The museum's collections include original artifacts, such as ceramics, glass, textiles and more, from Europe, America, Africa and Asia covering the last 50,000 years of human history. One of the highlights is a re-creation of an archaeological dig at an Egyptian tomb, where a hands-on experience of excavation techniques is available for pre-booked groups.

The Air Force Aviation Museum exhibits Australia's aviation history from the two world wars to early commercial aircrafts. Apart from actual planes, visitors can see models, posters, pictures, old radios, old plane engines and other paraphernalia. The museum organizes events for a number of groups including the Royal Australian Air Force Association (RAAFA) and Aviation Museum Youth Club. The museum shop sells everything from badges to model aircraft and books.

With numerous tours, including a "Behind the Scenes" look, and some highly regarded collections, this museum has something for everyone. Serious students and wide-eyed novices alike will marvel at the collections, including those embracing Ancient Egyptian and Early Pacific cultures. This museum's piece de resistance is the largest collection of Aboriginal artifacts and archival material in the world. There is an on-site coffee shop, and the museum shop offers a good range of gifts, souvenirs and books.

This rather different museum is no rusty collection of ancient war planes, but a busy restoration workshop staffed by volunteers. Current displays at Classic Jets Fighter Museum, taht  visitors can touch and feel include military jet aircraft built between 1950 and 1980. You can even squeeze into the confines of a real jet fighter cockpit! The museum contains engines, flight-suits, photos and historical aviation artifacts.

A small social history museum that can be found in a wing of the Hunters Hill Town Hall, a lovely sandstone building dating back to 1866. Hunters Hill Museum collection focuses on the local area, with information on the historic houses, architecture and social history of the Hunters Hill peninsula. On display are a many photographs of the harbor suburbs including many historical houses, as well as antique fashions, uniforms and accessories and other artifacts. The museum is open every second and fourth Sunday of the month, and by appointment. Admission is free.

In the heart of Melbourne's Chinatown, you will find the Chinese Museum: established in 1985 to document, preserve and display the history of Australians of Chinese descent. Australia's Chinese community shares its past, culture and values through an exciting range of changing exhibitions, audio-visual presentations, heritage tours and public seminars. Hosted here are a variety of exhibitions drawn from the museum's growing collection of antiques and social history artifacts. Temporary shows also include touring exhibitions from China, and the work of Chinese artists from Melbourne and around the world. A stimulating, vibrant and colorful museum. It is also the starting point for the Chinatown Heritage Tour. See website for complete visitor details.

The National Sports Museum is located in the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the north eastern sector of the new stand. This museum exhibits the sports memorabilia awarded to Australian sports men and women all at one place. Achievement of success in sports is celebrated, thereby inspiring the Australian youth to set definite goals, achieve them with fair play and win laurels. The country's sporting heritage is preserved and appreciated in this one-of-a-kind museum.

Overlooking Glenelg beach, the Rodney Fox Shark Experience Museum  pays homage to the shark. Ironically, it was only a short distance from here where Rodney was savaged by a shark in 1963. This marine museum promotes respect and understanding of the behavior of sharks. Rodney Fox's amazing life, producing documentaries and movies for National Geographic and Universal Studios, is highlighted on film. Exhibits, models and photographs depict his fascinating underwater adventures. The nautical-themed gift shop also serves as booking center for underwater shark watching excursions with Rodney and Andrew Fox - something for the true adventurer. The museums is currently closed check the website for more details on when it re opens.

National Artillery Museum is housed in the North Head Army Barracks, much of which is underground. Its exhibits include guns and memorabilia dating back to the mid-19th century. Guided tours are available, taking in the museum and North Head Fort, which was built in the 1930s to protect the approaches to Sydney Harbor. From here there are also some spectacular views over the harbor and the heads. The museum also has a café.

Queensland's Maritime Museum is situated at the end of the newly opened Goodwill Pedestrian Bridge at the southern entrance of the South Bank Parklands. The museum, founded in 1971, preserves Queensland's fascinating maritime heritage and memorabilia. One can find a vast range of historic sailing ship models and learn about some of the 1,500 plus shipwrecks that have occurred along the Great Barrier Reef.Extensive Australian Naval records and memorabilia of World War II, presented on board the permanently displayed HMAS Diamantina, provide a fascinating insight. The museum also has a souvenir shop.

Western Australia's largest and most comprehensive museum houses more than two million artifacts and specimens. The museum's permanent exhibitions include the Katta Djinoong display which focuses on Western Australia's Aboriginal heritage, bird, butterfly, marine, mammal and dinosaur galleries. The Old Perth Gaol, also on site, features a number of regularly changing and special exhibits. The museum shop and coffee shop are worth a quick visit. Admission is free!!

Set in a shady riverside park with picnic and playground facilities, Claremont Museum occupies the old Freshwater Bay School. Built in 1862, the museum explores the history of Perth's oldest suburb. The museum recaptures aspects of Claremont life such as the barber and shoemaker shops, the lovingly restored kitchen and wash house. Many informative displays retell the history of the suburb and finely crafted miniature scenes conjure up the early days of the convicts and Pensioner Guards. Admission is free.