Author: qldmuseum

Archaeology, Collection Management, In the field, Queensland Museum, Research, Uncategorized

Getting Drawn into Archaeology for National Archaeology Week

Guest Blogger – Dr Emma Rehn (@BlueRehn), James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH) Alongside the fascinating artefacts and objects in the archaeological collections at Queensland Museum, you’ll also find a range of maps and drawings. Archaeological illustrations record crucial data and come in many forms – read on to learn more about visuals in archaeology in honour … Continue reading Getting Drawn into Archaeology for National Archaeology Week

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Archaeology, Collection, Collections Uncovered, Discovery Centre, Queensland Museum, Uncategorized

Resin: an essential piece of kit

By Marisa Giorgi, Information Officer, Queensland Museum There is nothing new about the use of adhesives and sealants. They have been a critical element in the technology of First Australians for thousands of years. Plant-based resin has been employed in the production of many traditional tools and when prepared correctly, resin can become as hard as rock. There is evidence of resin-use in toolmaking from … Continue reading Resin: an essential piece of kit

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Anzac, Cobb+Co Museum, Collection, War

Bring back ‘furphy’, an old word for a modern problem

There is a lot of questionable information doing the rounds on social media. Many contributions are distorted or exaggerated, and some are just plain wrong, rest assured we have made every effort to verify what follows. There is an old Australian term which can be aptly applied to a false rumour or theory: it’s a ‘furphy’. The use of the word ‘furphy’ for misinformation can … Continue reading Bring back ‘furphy’, an old word for a modern problem

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Marine Environments, Museum of Tropical Queensland, News

Spawning the new coral emoji

Love 😍 them or hate 😡 them – emoji are a universal picture language understood by all. They just magically appeared on our devices one day, right? In fact, the first emoji were designed in 1999 but that’s a whole other (very interesting) story. As more and more emoji inserted themselves into daily life, people began to lament – why don’t they have a ‘#insertwhateveremojiyouwishforhere? … Continue reading Spawning the new coral emoji

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Collection, Collection Management, Mammals & Birds, Reptiles & Amphibians

Mistakes can happen

By Patrick Couper, Senior Curator Vertebrates, Queensland Museum The biological specimens in museum collections need constant monitoring to ensure their long-term preservation. Initially they are treated in a manner that prevents decay. For wet vertebrate collections (whole specimens stored in jars or vats of alcohol), an animal’s organs, muscles and other tissues are fixed, usually with formalin. This results in the formation of covalent bonds … Continue reading Mistakes can happen

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Anzac, Collection, Collections Uncovered, War

Panzers, parsley, soap and the devil!

By Damien Fegan, Information Officer, Queensland Museum Among the numerous objects and specimens on display at Queensland Museum are some with truly extraordinary stories! Today Damien Fegan from the Discovery Centre shares new research on one of his favourite objects on display at the Anzac Legacy Gallery. Mephisto, or more formally, A7V Sturmpanzerwagen (armoured assault vehicle) #506, the only surviving German tank from the First … Continue reading Panzers, parsley, soap and the devil!

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SparkLab, Sciencentre

Humans of SparkLab – Brandon

Brandon – SparkLab Learning Officer at Queensland Museum Brandon is a scientist, teacher and science communicator with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education from QUT. What first sparked your interest in science? From a young age I have been amazed by living things and the natural world. I enjoyed going on bushwalks with my family, exploring rock pools along the … Continue reading Humans of SparkLab – Brandon

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Cobb+Co Museum, Collection, Uncategorized

Cobb+Co Museum’s Horse-Drawn Omnibus

By Jeff Powell, Curator Cobb+Co Museum Next time you catch a bus, have a thought for “commuters” of Brisbane in the nineteenth century! Cobb+Co Museum in Toowoomba contains over 50 horse-drawn vehicles, including a horse-drawn omnibus. The museum preserves the history of what was known as the ‘the horse and buggy era’, but we concede that most people could not afford a buggy, nor even … Continue reading Cobb+Co Museum’s Horse-Drawn Omnibus

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Biodiversity

Tips for finding frogs around your home | World Frog Day

Every year March 20th marks World Frog Day which aims to bring awareness to amphibians across the globe. Frogs occupy every conceivable habitat. In Australia there are over 240 known species of frog, with 105 species found in Queensland. Some frogs are brightly coloured, others drab. There are smooth frogs, warty frogs, skinny frogs, fat frogs, frilled frogs, long-legged frogs, sharp-snouted frogs and many more. … Continue reading Tips for finding frogs around your home | World Frog Day

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Uncategorized

Brisbane floods at Queensland Museum

Flooding decimated many suburbs, businesses and homes across Brisbane in February 2022. Queensland Museum at South Bank and the Cultural Precinct Centre were closed on Sunday 27 February and will remain closed for 19 days. The recent rain wasn’t unexpected but it was unpredictable. Queensland Museum staff watched and waited in anticipation. Would the falls be larger than the floods of 2011 that closed the … Continue reading Brisbane floods at Queensland Museum

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Collection Management

How to preserve a flood-damaged item

The recent weather event and flooding in Queensland and northern New South Wales has sadly destroyed many homes and the personal items they contain including photos, important documents and valuables. All hope is not lost, if you act quickly now you may have a chance of recovering some of this items. While for many the immediate focus will be cleaning out homes, there is a … Continue reading How to preserve a flood-damaged item

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Collections Uncovered, Discovery Centre

Collections uncovered: Giant fossil shark’s tooth

Among the numerous objects and specimens on display at the Queensland Museum are some with truly extraordinary stories! Today Dr Jonathan Cramb from the Discovery Centre team joins us to share one of his favourite specimens from the museum’s displays. When sharks ate whales This is a single fossil tooth of a very large shark called Otodus megalodon. These sharks are commonly called megatooth sharks … Continue reading Collections uncovered: Giant fossil shark’s tooth

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Antiquities, Archaeology

Insights from the Antiquities Revealed Exhibition visitor book

Ever wondered why we leave visitor books outside of exhibitions and what happens to them? We read them, and your feedback about our exhibitions helps us to develop better experiences! Here is some of what we have learned from the feedback from the Antiquities Revealed exhibition at Queensland Museum. Developing exhibitions   Museums routinely provide exhibitions, and these are developed by teams of people from … Continue reading Insights from the Antiquities Revealed Exhibition visitor book

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Biodiversity, New species

Museum cold case uncovers new species of sea scorpion

A fossil ‘cold case’ in Queensland Museum’s geosciences collection has led to the description of a new species of sea scorpion (eurypterid), Woodwardopterus freemanorum, which is not only the last known one of its kind in the world, but the first fossil evidence of sea scorpions in Queensland. The eurypterid was initially brought to the attention of the museum in 2013, having been discovered in … Continue reading Museum cold case uncovers new species of sea scorpion

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Anthropology, Collection, Collection Management

Celebrating World Anthropology Day 

By Karen Kindt, Collection Manager Anthropology  What is Anthropology?  Understanding who we are, where we come from and our place in the world, is critical to humanity. We can find meaning and answers through the discipline of Anthropology. Applying this discipline, through studying human behaviours and societies, we are able to understand the affects, on our physical, cultural and social environments.  Anthropology helps us understand … Continue reading Celebrating World Anthropology Day 

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Queensland Museum, SparkLab, Sciencentre

Exploring Earth and beyond with Science on a Sphere

Science on a Sphere puts the world and the universe at your fingertips! Marvel at the beauty of our blue planet and blast-off into outer space when you explore Earth and beyond in SparkLab.   Our huge 1.8m diameter sphere suspended in the centre of SparkLab uses the latest digital technology to project global, environmental and planetary data onto its surface. Choose what to investigate … Continue reading Exploring Earth and beyond with Science on a Sphere

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Collection

Bushfire Brandalism and Australia’s Black Summer 

By Charlotte Lethbridge, Volunteer Researcher, Queensland Museum With the COVID-19 pandemic at the forefront of the news and minds of most Australians, it can be easy to forget that only two years ago, Australia was dealing with one of the deadliest bushfire seasons in Australian history. A collection of 41 posters in the Queensland Museum collection documents the artistic community’s response to the 2019–2020 Bushfire … Continue reading Bushfire Brandalism and Australia’s Black Summer 

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Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultures, Collection, Exhibitions & Events, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Research

Curating ‘Connections across the Coral Sea’

Connections across the Coral Sea reveals the latest archaeological research around the earliest movements and trade between the seafaring cultures of Papua New Guinea, Torres Strait and the northeast coast of Queensland. Every new exhibition gives us an opportunity to reassess how we curate and develop displays. How can objects be used to tell a story? More importantly, whose story, and which story are we … Continue reading Curating ‘Connections across the Coral Sea’

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Exhibitions & Events, Queensland Museum

5 interesting Queensland animals to see at Wild State at Queensland Museum

Queensland is the most biodiverse state of Australia, with 70% of Australia’s mammal species, 80% of Australia’s birds, and 50% of Australia’s reptiles and frogs. How incredible is that! Our Wild State exhibition celebrates Queensland’s unique animals and their habitats, and highlights their remarkable adaptations. Here’s five Queensland animals you can see on display at Wild State: Albert’s Lyrebird, Menura alberti This is the lesser … Continue reading 5 interesting Queensland animals to see at Wild State at Queensland Museum

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Anzac, Exhibitions & Events, Queensland Stories, War

5 things to see at the Anzac Legacy Gallery at Queensland Museum 

Our Anzac Legacy Gallery tells the fascinating story of the First World War in Queensland; the people and the things they held close – objects of war and warfare, and personal items belonging to those on the front line.   Here’s five objects you can see on display at the Anzac Legacy Gallery:   Mephisto   Mephisto is the sole surviving German A7V Sturmpanzerwagen tank in the world, and one of the rarest items in our collection. Named by its crew, … Continue reading 5 things to see at the Anzac Legacy Gallery at Queensland Museum 

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