Where you’ll find SparkLab science in the real world

There are real-world links to almost all the exhibits in SparkLab! Here are some of our favourites. Alligator water dance When a male alligator is ready to find a companion, he produces a sound from his lungs too low to be heard by the human ear. This infrasound creates vibrations through his body which cause the water above him to ‘dance’ in a liquid splash. … Continue reading Where you’ll find SparkLab science in the real world

From showcase to online gallery

How we can use virtual displays to learn about our collections Written by Sophie Price, Assistant Curator, Anthropology Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre (TATSICC)   For many years, if you strolled past Museum of Tropical Queensland to the end of Flinders Street in Gurrambilbarra (Townsville), you’d reach the cultural hub that was the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre. The centre … Continue reading From showcase to online gallery

Understanding the diversity of some of Queensland’s oddest lizards

By Paul Oliver At first sight a Spiny Knob-tailed Gecko looks more like a Pokemon character than a lizard! Not only do they have perhaps the smallest tail of any lizard, but they also have strange enlarged knob of unknown purpose at their tail tip. Furthermore, their tail is so attenuated that they are one of the few geckos that have also lost the ability … Continue reading Understanding the diversity of some of Queensland’s oddest lizards

Music to my ears!

Celebrating International Music Day – 1st October Photos and text by Karen Kindt, Collection Manager, First Nations Cultures I start my day off listening to classical music on the radio. As the day progresses my music choices transition to 70s, 80s and 90s pop culture. In the evenings, I love exploring and listening to different music genres and musicians. What do you listen to?  A recent … Continue reading Music to my ears!

Throwaway living – decades of marine damage

Written by Patrick Couper, Senior Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians, Queensland Museum The beginning of the Plastic Age Large-scale plastic production began in the 1940s. Over the following decade, production was stepped-up to supply items for the mass consumer market. Plastic quickly became an integral part of our daily lives. It was hailed as a wonder product, versatile, light weight and cheap, manufactured from hydrocarbons … Continue reading Throwaway living – decades of marine damage

The dive helmet: A revolution in underwater coral reef science

Dr Sarah Hamylton, President of the Australian Coral Reef Society explains why the dive helmet used on the 1928-29 Great Barrier Reef Expedition brought the coral reef underwater environment within reach for scientists to take measurements for the first time. The exhibition Making Waves: A Century of Australian Coral Reef Science opened at Queensland Museum in August 2022. Over the last nine months Queensland Museum … Continue reading The dive helmet: A revolution in underwater coral reef science

Reflecting on the collection

Karen Kindt, Collection Manager, First Nations Cultures Today is World Rhino Day. In acknowledgement of the importance of these amazing creatures and the demise of their populations, the museum has delved into the World Cultures Collection, to showcase a rare, valuable, interesting object – a carved, rhinoceros horn libation cup. Why does the museum hold a cup made of rhinoceros horn? Most people are collectors … Continue reading Reflecting on the collection

Unboxing the mystery of the Tibetan Thangka

Written by Karen Kindt, Collection Manager First Nations Cultures Queensland Museum’s collection is built upon over a hundred years of sourcing and documenting items from Australia and around the world, many of which come into our possession through donations. Recently, the museum received a postal delivery containing a thangka (a Tibetan Buddhist painting on silk applique), however the package was missing any information of the … Continue reading Unboxing the mystery of the Tibetan Thangka

Celebrating First Nations Languages this Indigenous Literacy Day

Wednesday 7 September is Indigenous Literacy Day – a national day to raise awareness and funds to support literacy in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. It aims to improve access to educational resources for these communities, as well as create greater opportunity for First Nations voices in publishing. Lead by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF), it is also a chance to celebrate the revitalisation and … Continue reading Celebrating First Nations Languages this Indigenous Literacy Day

Competitive Hedge – How a competition helped Queensland’s railway stations transform from barren to beautiful

In 1905 Queensland Railways were publicly criticised for the poor appearance of their stations. the railways acted by planting more trees. They even hired a gardener to maintain gardens at stations across Brisbane. Continue reading Competitive Hedge – How a competition helped Queensland’s railway stations transform from barren to beautiful