Author: qldmuseum

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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QMN History

Chapter 4: A museum of the future… 2000 to present | QMN History

Heading into the new century, the future is bright for Queensland Museum, with the new location at South Bank proving to be popular with visitors and cementing its place as a cultural icon in Brisbane. In 2002, The Workshops Rail Museum was opened on 30 August and joined Cobb+Co Museum in Toowoomba and Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville. At South Bank, the Molecular Identities … Continue reading Chapter 4: A museum of the future… 2000 to present | QMN History

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Discovery Centre

10 interesting things to see at the Discovery Centre at Queensland Museum 

With every visit to the Discovery Centre, we promise you’ll walk away having learnt something new.    There’s over 1300 objects and specimens to explore at your fingertips in this interactive space, so it was quite the challenge to narrow down this list!    Here’s ten interesting things you can see on display at the Discovery Centre:   Grindstone   Why’s it special? It’s one of the oldest forms of evidence of continuous human occupation of Australia. The larger stone … Continue reading 10 interesting things to see at the Discovery Centre at Queensland Museum 

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Archaeology, Queensland Museum Library

Fishy stories from the Queensland Museum Archives

By Dr Brit Asmussen, Senior Curator, Archaeology, Queensland Museum It’s funny the weird and wonderful things you come across in the correspondence, held in the Queensland Museum Library and Archives! Searching through the archives Part of the work of a curator is to research the histories of objects in the State Collection and how we come to care for them. Part of this work often … Continue reading Fishy stories from the Queensland Museum Archives

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Discovery Centre, Mystery of the month

Mystery object: Long in the tooth

Identifying obscure and bizarre objects is all in a day’s work for staff in the Queensland Museum Discovery Centre! Today Kieran Aland joins us to share his mystery object of the month. This object came from the Torres Strait. It was gift from a family friend. It is remarkably heavy and shows a polished surface where it has been exposed to use, forming a sharp … Continue reading Mystery object: Long in the tooth

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SparkLab, Sciencentre

Humans of SparkLab – Chelsea

Chelsea – SparkLab Learning Officer at Queensland Museum Chelsea is a passionate science communicator with a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Clinical Sciences) from Griffith University. Chelsea loves working in SparkLab because she discovers something new and exciting every day through the perspectives of visitors as they lead their own investigations. What first sparked your interest in science? I have always adored learning, … Continue reading Humans of SparkLab – Chelsea

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Research, SparkLab, Sciencentre

Understanding the world through a child’s eyes

Have you crossed paths with researchers from the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Early Cognitive Development Centre (ECDC) at Queensland Museum before? Queensland Museum hosts ECDC researchers each week as they test theories about inquiry-based learning and development patterns with some of the children visiting the museum. This world-renowned research is facilitated as part of an established academic partnership between SparkLab and UQ and reveals important … Continue reading Understanding the world through a child’s eyes

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Collection, Guest Posts

A Glimpse into the Porcelain Cabinet: Ceramics & Antiquity in the Ben Ronalds Collection 

By Alessandra Schultz, Cultures & Histories Volunteer, Queensland Museum Take a look into the cabinets of the Ben Ronalds Collection of Fine Ceramics and Glassware, in the State Collection, with Cultures & Histories Program Volunteer, Alessandra Schultz.  For many of us, gazing into the prized porcelain and china cabinets of a mother or grandmother is a fond and familiar childhood memory. As a volunteer, researching the Ben Ronalds Collection in the Cultures and Histories Program at Queensland Museum, I have found myself … Continue reading A Glimpse into the Porcelain Cabinet: Ceramics & Antiquity in the Ben Ronalds Collection 

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Antiquities, Archaeology, War

Ancient Middle Eastern Antiquities and the First World War

By Mr James Donaldson (Manager/Curator, R D Milns Antiquities Museum, The University of Queensland) and Dr Brit Asmussen (Senior Curator, Archaeology, Cultures and Histories, Queensland Museum). The First World War Antiquities Project (Queensland) This blog is one in a series developed from research conducted during “The First World War Antiquities Project (Queensland)”, a collaborative project between the R D Milns Antiquities Museum, The University of … Continue reading Ancient Middle Eastern Antiquities and the First World War

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SparkLab, Sciencentre

SparkLab – 5 reasons to visit these school holidays!

By Rebekah Collins, SparkLab Learning Manager, Queensland Museum. SparkLab is a space for curious young minds to explore and unleash the scientist within, and as school holidays commence in Queensland, now is the perfect time to discover why so many memories are made in SparkLab! Budding scientists visiting the space these school holidays will find unique and interactive displays where they’re encouraged to follow their … Continue reading SparkLab – 5 reasons to visit these school holidays!

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

What has four legs, two wheels and flies?

By Jeff Powell, Curator Cobb+Co Museum. Transport museums are not usually associated with presenting medical advances, but few objects in any museum had a bigger impact on public health than our dunny cart. It is difficult for us in the twenty-first century to imagine a time when people were left to their own devices regarding human waste or ‘night soil’, as it was genteelly called … Continue reading What has four legs, two wheels and flies?

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Mystery of the month

Mystery Object: A shell of its former self

Identifying obscure and bizarre objects is all in a day’s work for staff in the Queensland Museum Discovery Centre! Today Steve Wilson, Information Officer, joins us to share the mystery object of the month for December. This specimen was found in a shallow pool in the Einasleigh Uplands region of north Queensland. The general shape of a praying mantis is clearly visible, as though the unfortunate insect … Continue reading Mystery Object: A shell of its former self

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Archaeology

Collecting Ancient Egyptian antiquities during the First World War

By Mr James Donaldson (Manager/Curator, R D Milns Antiquities Museum, The University of Queensland) and Dr Brit Asmussen (Senior Curator, Archaeology, Cultures and Histories, Queensland Museum) The First World War Antiquities Project (Queensland) This blog is one in a series developed from research conducted during “The First World War Antiquities Project (Queensland)”, a collaborative project between the R.D. Milns Antiquities Museum, The University of Queensland, … Continue reading Collecting Ancient Egyptian antiquities during the First World War

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Discovery Centre

Giant Mantid crawls into the Discovery Centre

The Discovery Centre welcomes our newest insect species this week – a Giant Mantid, Hierodula majuscula. Giant Mantids are inhabitants of rainforests in far north Queensland. This individual on display is a female, most easily distinguished from males by her larger size. Mantids are well camouflaged among vegetation, allowing them to hide from both predators and their own prey. They commonly prey on other insects … Continue reading Giant Mantid crawls into the Discovery Centre

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Archaeology

Convalescing and collecting: Antiquities in the First World War

By Mr James Donaldson (Manager/Curator, R.D. Milns Antiquities Museum, The University of Queensland) and Dr Brit Asmussen (Senior Curator, Archaeology, Cultures and Histories, Queensland Museum.) In this blog, we remember the First World War service of Samuel Emmett, and discover why he was drawn to collect Roman antiquities in England while convalescing there after the war.  This blog is one in a series developed from … Continue reading Convalescing and collecting: Antiquities in the First World War

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Discovery Centre, Mystery of the month

Mystery Object: What animal laid this enormous egg?

By Dr Jonathan Cramb, Discovery Centre Information Officer Identifying obscure and bizarre objects is all in a day’s work for staff in the Queensland Museum Discovery Centre! What animal laid this enormous egg? The replica egg is huge! It’s much bigger than any egg laid by any living Australian bird. The giant egg replica even dwarfs the egg of an Ostrich, which has the largest … Continue reading Mystery Object: What animal laid this enormous egg?

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QMN History

Chapter 3: 1969 – 1999 (30 years) Out with the old and in with the new | QMN History

In 1969, Alan Bartholomai was appointed Director, coming into office in a time of great growth in Queensland. Museums and universities were expanding at a fast pace and graduates were being employed. At Queensland Museum new curatorships were created in arachnology, molluscs, history and technology, higher invertebrates, lower invertebrates, industrial archaeology, maritime archaeology, lower entomology and scientist in charge of materials conservation. It was also … Continue reading Chapter 3: 1969 – 1999 (30 years) Out with the old and in with the new | QMN History

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Biodiversity

Telling the snail story

by Dr John Stanisic OAM ‘The Snail Whisperer’, Honorary Research Fellow, Queensland Museum As Curator of Molluscs at Queensland Museum for 26 years, I spent most of my time collecting and documenting the land snails of Queensland. Over that time, more than 900 new species were discovered. Now as Honorary Research Fellow, I divide my time between research and telling the snail story in schools … Continue reading Telling the snail story

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Biodiversity, New species

Scientists shell shocked at rare new species

A donation of an extensive and scientifically important shell collection to Queensland Museum has led to the discovery of a new species of mollusc by a museum curator. Amoria thorae, a new species of the carnivorous volute family of marine snails, was named in honour of long-time Brisbane resident Mrs Thora Whitehead, whose collection was recently donated to the museum. I knew of a possible … Continue reading Scientists shell shocked at rare new species

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