Category: Discovery Centre

Collection, Collections Uncovered, Discovery Centre, Queensland Museum

Collections uncovered: Taxidermy – the inside view!

Written by Steve Wilson, Information Officer Among the numerous objects and specimens on display at Queensland Museum are some with truly extraordinary stories! Today Steve Wilson from the Discovery Centre joins us to share one of his favourite specimens from the museum’s displays. ‘They look so alive!’ Countless visitors to Queensland Museum’s Discovery Centre and Wild State marvel at our wildlife collection. Fixed frozen in … Continue reading Collections uncovered: Taxidermy – the inside view!

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Collection, Collections Uncovered, Discovery Centre, Insects & Spiders, Uncategorized

Obscure by name, obscure by nature: A cryptic insect, little known, rarely seen

By Kieran Aland & Christine Lambkin, Queensland Museum Among the numerous objects and specimens on display at the Queensland Museum are some with truly extraordinary stories! Today Kieran from the Discovery Centre joins us to share one of his favourite specimens from the museum’s displays. This insect displayed in the Discovery Centre appears rather drab. It is so poorly known that it lacks a common … Continue reading Obscure by name, obscure by nature: A cryptic insect, little known, rarely seen

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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, 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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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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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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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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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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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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Discovery Centre, Mystery of the month

Mystery Object: Can you hear the ocean with this?

Identifying obscure and bizarre objects is all in a day’s work for staff in the Queensland Museum Discovery Centre! Today Dr Jonathan Cramb, Information Officer joins us to share his mystery object of the month. Can you hear the ocean with this? The Mystery These objects were given to the museum as part of an old teaching collection. They are about 10.5 centimetres long and … Continue reading Mystery Object: Can you hear the ocean with this?

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Discovery Centre, Mystery of the month

Mystery Object: A life-size giant of the ocean?

Identifying obscure and bizarre objects is all in a day’s work for staff in the Queensland Museum Discovery Centre! Today Colleen Foelz joins us to share her mystery object of the month for August. What am I? At 30 centimetres in length, am I: An over-sized model of a small land animal? A life-size giant of the ocean? Or a replica of a prehistoric sea … Continue reading Mystery Object: A life-size giant of the ocean?

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Biodiversity, Discovery Centre, Insects & Spiders

Colour in insects

by Susan, Discovery Centre Information Officer Jewel beetles (Buprestidae) and Christmas beetles (Scarabaidae) are common names given to particular groups of beetles due to their spectacular iridescent or metallic colouring. The gold, green, blue or purple colour shifts as the insect moves delighting us (and presumably any potential mate) with their beauty. But what causes these shifting colours?   Colour in nature is produced using … Continue reading Colour in insects

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Discovery Centre, Mystery of the month

Mystery Object: What kind of skull am I?

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 June. What kind of skull am I? Hint! Am I a honey-badger skull, a marsupial lion skull or a boxer dog skull? When this skull was brought to the attention … Continue reading Mystery Object: What kind of skull am I?

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Collection, Discovery Centre

Of course everybody wonders what a crocodile hairball looks like! Or do they?

by Marisa Giorgi, Discovery Centre Information Officer When cabinets of curiosity were fashionable, this strange looking smooth ball would be a worthy addition. In those early 16th century permutations of what would become museums, what could be more appropriate than a crocodile bezoar or hairball nestled among a collection of peculiar oddities on display? Hair, along with hooves, claws, and fingernails for that matter, is … Continue reading Of course everybody wonders what a crocodile hairball looks like! Or do they?

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Discovery Centre, Mystery of the month

Mystery Object: Lifesavers of the Coral Sea

Identifying obscure and bizarre objects is all in a day’s work for staff in the Queensland Museum Discovery Centre! Today Dr Jonathan Cramb, Information Officer, shares the mystery object of the month. The mystery These objects are found in large numbers on some beaches in tropical Queensland. These particular examples are from Airlie Beach on the Whitsunday Coast. Close examination shows that the objects are … Continue reading Mystery Object: Lifesavers of the Coral Sea

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Discovery Centre, Exhibitions & Events, Queensland Museum, Sea Monsters

We uncover – so you discover. Get the most out of our holiday programs in April!

These school holidays, visit Queensland Museum as we explore all things dive in to a range of interactive experiences for the whole family! Last days of Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators Don’t miss your last chance to visit our latest exhibition Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators. Discover more about the giant ancient marine reptiles that hunted the depths of the ocean and see how our … Continue reading We uncover – so you discover. Get the most out of our holiday programs in April!

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