Author: qldmuseum

5 minutes with

5 minutes with Espen Knutsen, Senior Curator Palaeontology

Dr Espen Knutsen is a Senior Curator Palaeontology at the Queensland Museum Network. As a key collaborator on the new exhibition, Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators, we chatted to Espen to uncover more about his fascinating career and discoveries. What is your favourite species in the collection and why? I have many favourite specimens in the Queensland Museum collections, one of which is the skull … Continue reading 5 minutes with Espen Knutsen, Senior Curator Palaeontology

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QMN History

1862 – 1918 (56 Years) A Fledgling Natural History Museum

159 years ago in a little windmill on the hill is where Queensland Museum had its beginnings. Our story begins with the Queensland Philosophical Society (QPS), who was granted temporary use of rooms in the Windmill in Wickham Terrace, along with a grant of 100 pounds which equates to roughly $15,500 today from the Government. In the early days the focus of the QPS was … Continue reading 1862 – 1918 (56 Years) A Fledgling Natural History Museum

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The Workshops Rail Museum, War

Queensland Remembers – Badges 1914-1918

When you think about war and its aftermath, it’s unlikely that badges will spring to mind. Yet in the Queensland Museum’s Anzac Legacy Gallery over a hundred badges and commemorative ribbons are on display. As former Social History Curator Tracy Ryan wrote about in her recent paper “Forgotten Organisations from the First World War”, the humble badge stands as one form of reminder of the … Continue reading Queensland Remembers – Badges 1914-1918

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Queensland Museum

Watch out for these tiny paralysis ticks

Recently there’s been an explosion of paralysis ticks in Queensland. The combination of wet and warm weather over recent weeks has likely contributed to the increased numbers and reports of paralysis ticks this season. Paralysis Ticks The paralysis tick is found within a relatively narrow band down the east coast of Australia and is often encountered by bushwalkers and those in rural areas. In most … Continue reading Watch out for these tiny paralysis ticks

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Maritime Archaeology, Maritime History, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum

SS Gothenburg – A haunting watery grave

The 60m long steam ship Gothenburg was built in Essex (UK) in 1854. In 1862, Gothenburg began operation in an Australian-New Zealand run as a passenger steamer and later travelled the route from Port Darwin to Melbourne with a crew of 37 and 98 passengers including some prestigious members of society. Much like the infamous Titanic, Gothenburg’s last trip focused on making the best possible … Continue reading SS Gothenburg – A haunting watery grave

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Collection, Education, Exhibitions & Events, Queensland Museum, Queensland Stories, Uncategorized

Seven Fascinating Stories to Discover at I Do! Wedding Stories from Queensland

Few things change our life more than getting married. It binds us legally or emotionally to a person, a family, a community and a shared future. Currently on display at Queensland Museum are more than 40 ensembles from the museum’s collection together with loans and commissioned artwork that explore the significant rolefashion plays in revealing the diverse, rich, heartbreaking and hopeful stories behind wedding garments. … Continue reading Seven Fascinating Stories to Discover at I Do! Wedding Stories from Queensland

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Biodiversity, Mammals & Birds

Have you seen Bruce the Brolga?

Standing at up to a 1.3 metres tall, with a wingspan of up to 2.4 metres, brolgas have featured on the Queensland coat of arms since 1977 and were formally declared as the state emblem of Queensland in 1986. Despite its emblematic status in Queensland, this beautiful bird can be easy to overlook as it spends much of its time quietly searching for food in … Continue reading Have you seen Bruce the Brolga?

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Insects & Spiders

It’s Christmas Beetle time

As we head into the festive season, one sure sign that Christmas is on its way is the emergence of the infamous Christmas Beetle. The familiar whirring and clicking of the beetle as it haphazardly makes its way through the air, often crashing into a screen door or gathering around lights, stirs up a sense of melancholy of childhood Christmases for many. Although many bemoan … Continue reading It’s Christmas Beetle time

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Cobb+Co Museum, Collection, Queensland Stories, Social history, The Workshops Rail Museum, Uncategorized

Once Made in Queensland (including the kitchen sink!)

2020 has been a year when many accepted practices have come under review; commuting to work, socialising with friends and family, how and where we take holidays to name a few. Covid-19 has also focused scrutiny on the origins and reliability of commodities we have come to expect as necessary for life. There was concern about the supply of toilet paper, antiseptic hand wash and … Continue reading Once Made in Queensland (including the kitchen sink!)

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Collection, Conservation, Exhibitions & Events, Queensland Museum, Queensland Stories, Social history, Uncategorized

A Wedding Anniversary on Christmas Eve!

How many couples do you know celebrate their wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve? One married couple whose wedding story features in the museum’s exhibition I Do! Wedding Stories from Queensland did so throughout their married life. Mary Ann and John Dunlop were married 157 years ago today in 1863. What a big day it must have been for the couple to travel from Oxley down … Continue reading A Wedding Anniversary on Christmas Eve!

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5 minutes with

5 minutes with Dr Michael Rix, Principal Curator & Research Fellow, Arachnology

What is your favourite object in the collection and why? My favourite objects in the arachnology scientific collection are our Pelican Spiders of the family Archaeidae. Pelican Spiders were actually known from fossils before living specimens were first discovered in the forests of Madagascar in the 19th Century. Today, living species are known only from Australia, Madagascar and southern Africa, but fossils are known from … Continue reading 5 minutes with Dr Michael Rix, Principal Curator & Research Fellow, Arachnology

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New species

Oh Snap! A new turtle has been described

It’s a case of a mistaken identity for a population of snapping turtles in northwestern Queensland which have now been officially identified as a new species thanks to the help of Queensland Museum scientists. The freshwater turtle, Elseya oneiros, commonly known as the Gulf Snapping Turtle, lives in deep water pools in the Nicholson and Gregory Rivers that flow into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Until … Continue reading Oh Snap! A new turtle has been described

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5 minutes with

5 minutes with Dr Andrew Amey, Collection Manager for Herpetology

What is your favourite object in the collection and why? My favourite object is a large, stuffed turtle said to be from the Fly River region of New Guinea, donated to us in the 19th century.  Ogilby, a curator at Queensland Museum, described Devisia mythodes in 1907, in honour of Charles De Vis, the Director of the museum at the time.  It was a most … Continue reading 5 minutes with Dr Andrew Amey, Collection Manager for Herpetology

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Exhibitions & Events, Marine Environments, Palaeontology, Sea Monsters

The reign of the reptiles: Meet the monsters

From the depths of the ocean to Queensland Museum, discover the secrets of the monsters from the deep with Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators. Presenting the profiles of the three giant marine reptiles that ruled the sea. Ichthyosaur Ichthyosaur (pronounced ick-thee-o-sore) remains the original marine reptile or “sea lizard” as they’re often referred to, marking their reign of the ocean for nearly 150 million years. … Continue reading The reign of the reptiles: Meet the monsters

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5 minutes with

5 minutes with Nick Hadnutt, Curator of Archaeology

Did you know…. archaeology is also a science? Spend 5 minutes with Nick Hadnutt, Curator of Archaeology and find out what his favourite collection item is. What is your favourite object in the collection and why? The Investigator Tree. I’m interested in this amazing artefact due to its connection with early Australian exploration. It was located on Sweers Island, Gulf of Carpentaria – a place … Continue reading 5 minutes with Nick Hadnutt, Curator of Archaeology

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Queensland Museum Shop

4 unique Holiday Hampers to give this Christmas

Home Grown Hamper We have gathered some of Australia’s finest products to create this delightfully home-grown hamper. Treat a special friend, sibling, mother, teacher or partner with this luxurious array of high-quality products. Featuring decadent treats from New Farm Confectionary Co, lush hand cream and handmade soap from Olieve & Oli, a hand-poured soy candle by Ivy & Wood and a beautiful ceramic Christmas decoration … Continue reading 4 unique Holiday Hampers to give this Christmas

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5 minutes with

5 minutes with Jeff Johnson, Senior Collection Manager and Ichthyologist

On average there are around 30 new fish species from Australian waters described annually – how fin-tastic! Spend 5 minutes with Jeff Johnson, Senior Collection Manager of Ichthyologist and find out what his favourite collection item is. What is your favourite object/species in the collection and why? My favourite collection object is a pair of dried vertebrae from a huge White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias. The … Continue reading 5 minutes with Jeff Johnson, Senior Collection Manager and Ichthyologist

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SparkLab, Sciencentre

Humans of SparkLab – Jesse

JesseSparkLab Learning OfficerQueensland Museum With a background in chemistry at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Jesse loves learning and studying so much that he went on to obtain a first class Honours and is currently writing up his PhD thesis. What first sparked your interest in science? I always looked forward to chemistry class because of how experimental and hands on it was. It was much … Continue reading Humans of SparkLab – Jesse

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Cobb+Co Museum, Collection, Conservation, Queensland Stories, Social history, Uncategorized

Is it a buckboard?

Cobb+Co Museum has always wanted a Queensland buckboard, and we think we have one… By Jeff Powell, Curator, Cobb+Co Museum The American buckboard was about as simple a four wheeled vehicle as it was possible to build. They looked like someone had taken a section of picket fence, attached a wheel in each corner and placed a seat on top and halfway back. Comfort was … Continue reading Is it a buckboard?

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