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Oceania/Antarctic
Australian National Maritime Museum is the Australia’s museum of the sea. A place to explore our relationship to the oceans, rivers and lakes around us and to dive deeper into the rich maritime heritage that binds us all. As an island nation, we have always been fascinated by the waters that surround us. The ocean, and its ever-shifting tides, have been central to our stories throughout time, shaping the Australian identity. By sharing these stories, we want to spark curiosity and conversations about how the sea shaped our world and continues to transform us today. Our purpose is to excite people about their connection to the sea, so they value it more. Australia’s maritime history abounds with people who lived, worked, and explored our waters. The maritime museum brings a modern perspective to these narratives, exploring topics of migration, commerce, archaeology, ocean science and culture and lifestyle. We are proud to honour the stories from autonomous Indigenous voices and represent the innumerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander living cultural connections to ancestral waters. As the national centre for maritime collections, exhibitions, experiences and knowledge, we are custodians of historic vessels and a cultural hub for Australian maritime heritage and contemporary stories of the sea. These stories come to life for visitors at our Sydney Harbour site and connect with national and global audiences in immersive and innovative ways, including online experiences to explore from anywhere.
The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) forms part of a boulevard of historic cultural institutions that line North Terrace, Adelaide. It stands on the lands of the Kaurna people, in a traditional camping and meeting area known as Tarntanya (‘red kangaroo place’). The Gallery was established in 1881, originally occupying two rooms in the city’s nineteenth-century library/museum complex, then later part of the Jubilee Exhibition Building (now demolished). We moved to our current site in 1900, when a dedicated building was constructed to house the growing collection after pastoralist Sir Thomas Elder bequeathed an immense £25,000 for acquisitions. That original stone building is today AGSA’s stately Elder Wing of Australian Art. Many other benefactors have shaped the collection and building. In 1916, for example, a bequest of works from Sir Samuel Way dramatically expanded our Asian decorative arts collection. In 1935, a gift of £10,000 from Alexander Melrose helped to fund building works, creating the Melrose Wing and the neoclassical façade that visitors see today. Additions in 1962, 1979 and 1996 increased display space for a collection that now numbers more than 45,000 works of art – almost 90 per cent acquired through benefaction. From an early emphasis on works by European and Australian male artists, over time the Gallery has developed an outstanding collection of Asian art, extensive representation of Australia’s remarkable women modern artists, a rich collection of Islamic art, and international holdings of major significance. The latter includes the largest collection of Morris & Co. decorative art outside Britain, the finest body of Auguste Rodin sculptures in the Southern Hemisphere (acquired in 1996), and a rare ‘topographic’ sculpture by American Donald Judd created in 1974 in response to the terrain of our north lawn – literally a landmark piece. In 1939, we became the first state gallery to acquire a work by an Aboriginal artist, then from the mid-1950s we carefully began to develop a significant collection of art by the nation’s First Peoples. Since 2015 we have hosted the unique Tarnanthi festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. AGSA has also long fostered contemporary art. Since 1990 we have staged the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, the longest-running survey of Australian contemporary art, and since 2017 the Ramsay Art Prize, Australia’s most generous prize for young contemporary artists. In 2018 the art prize’s benefactors, James Stewart Ramsay and Diana May Ramsay, jointly bequeathed one of the nation’s most generous cultural gifts – the $38 million James and Diana Ramsay Fund – to strategically develop the Gallery’s collection. Our history has made us who we are today – and who we might become.
The Australian Museum is Australia’s first museum, and have over 21 million scientific specimens and cultural objects in our collections. Learn more from First Nations people, discover thousands of animal factsheets and explore our online education resources. More than a leading Sydney attraction, the Australian Museum is a hub of information, resources and research. To be a leading voice for the richness of life, the Earth and culture in Australia and the Pacific. We commit to transform the conversation around climate change, the environment and wildlife conservation; be a strong advocate for First Nations’ culture; and continue to develop world-leading science, collections, exhibitions and education programs. The Australian Museum is a dynamic source of reliable scientific information and a touchstone for informed debate about some of the most pressing environmental and social challenges facing our region: the loss of biodiversity, a changing climate and the search for cultural identity. Underpinning our research is an irreplaceable collection of international standing: over 22 million objects representing a timeline of the environmental and cultural histories of the Australian and Pacific regions. Our collection holds many objects from Indigenous Australia and the Pacific, a record of human diversity and a living wellspring for regional cultural diversity. It contains irreplaceable fossils, minerals, meteorites and gemstones that provide a geological perspective of the planet. It houses representative specimens of native Australian mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and countless invertebrates that tell many stories about our unique wildlife.
The National Museum of Australia brings to life the rich and diverse stories of Australia through compelling objects, ideas and events. We focus on Indigenous histories and cultures, European settlement and our interaction with the environment. The National Museum of Australia is a publicly funded institution governed as a statutory authority in the Commonwealth Arts portfolio. Established in 1980, it is headed by a Director appointed by the Governor-General. The Council is responsible for the conduct and control of the affairs of the Museum. The Museum building on Acton Peninsula opened on 11 March 2001. Although it is one of Australia’s newest cultural institutions, the National Museum of Australia was almost 100 years in the making. Over the course of the 20th century, proposals for a national museum were intermittent, interrupted by wars and financial crises and stifled by government inaction. A national inquiry in 1975 (the ‘Pigott Report’) finally resulted in the creation of the Museum in 1980 with the passing of the National Museum of Australia Act. Collecting officially began with significant collections inherited from Australian Government collections, including the Australian Institute of Anatomy. A location was identified at Yarramundi Reach, Canberra. In December 1996 the building of the Museum was announced as the key Centenary of Federation project, and Acton Peninsula was chosen as the site, with funding confirmed in 1997. The National Museum of Australia opened on 11 March 2001. It is home to the National Historical Collection and is one of the nation’s major cultural institutions.
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is Tasmania's leading natural and cultural heritage organisation. It is a combined museum, art gallery and herbarium which safeguards the physical evidence of Tasmania's natural and cultural heritage, and the cultural identity of Tasmanians. TMAG is Australia's second-oldest museum and has its origins in the collections of Australia's oldest scientific society, the Royal Society of Tasmania, established in 1843. The first permanent home of the museum opened on the corner of Argyle and Macquarie streets in 1863 and the museum has gradually expanded from this corner to occupy the entire city block. The TMAG precinct is one of Australia's most historically significant sites. Included in the precinct is Tasmania's oldest surviving public building, the 1808-10 Commissariat Store; the Private Secretary's Cottage, built prior to 1815 and originally adjacent to old Government House; and Tasmania's first federal building, the 1902 Custom House. At TMAG we care for the State Collections of Tasmania: almost 800,000 objects as diverse as fossils and fine art. Our collections represent the essence of our society's values and are a major reference point for Tasmanians to gain a greater appreciation of what it means to be Tasmanian and to understand our place within the global community.
The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) is the Northern Territory’s premier cultural organisation. Our principal facility since 1981 is on Larrakia Land at Bullocky Point in Darwin, home to internationally renowned cultural and scientific collections and research and exhibition programs. MAGNT also operates the historic Fannie Bay Gaol in Darwin, the Museum of Central Australia incorporating the Strehlow Research Centre in Alice Springs, Megafauna Central and the Alcoota Fossil Bed site north east of Alice Springs. MAGNT also manages the historic Lyons Cottage on Darwin’s Esplanade and the Defence of Darwin Experience at East Point in Darwin. MAGNT attracts over 300,000 visitors annually to our sites. Set in a scenic location overlooking Fannie Bay, MAGNT Darwin on Larrakia Country is home to internationally renowned artistic, cultural and scientific collections and research programs. Each year MAGNT presents a dynamic program of internally-developed exhibitions, carefully curated from the collection, and the best travelling exhibitions from around Australia. MAGNT Darwin is also home to the annual Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) —the most significant celebration of its kind in Australia. MAGNT was founded in 1966, with the introduction of a Bill into the Legislative Council of the Northern Territory. Dr Colin Jack-Hinton was appointed the MAGNT's first director, taking up the position in 1970. It was first housed in the renovated old Town Hall (originally known as the Palmerston Town Hall) in Darwin’s central business district. But on that fateful evening, Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin, destroying the old Town Hall and damaging much of the MAGNT collection. For the next few years both the staff and collection were housed in multiple buildings around Darwin, coming together for lunchtime lectures in the ruins of the Old Town Hall. After deliberation, approval was finally granted for the construction of a new purpose-built museum and art gallery at Bullocky Point, on the site of the old Vestey's Meatworks. It was opened on the 10 September 1981. Over the last few decades, MAGNT has grown to include six sites across Darwin and Alice Springs. MAGNT became an independent statutory body on 1 July 2014.
The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History is a world-class organisation and home to the world's largest collection of Australia's largest dinosaur fossils. Australian Age of Dinosaurs was incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation in October 2002 and was based at Belmont, a sheep station owned by David and Judy Elliott. In 2006 a rugged mesa and wilderness area 24km south-west of Winton known as "The Jump-Up" was donated by the Britton Family and the Museum relocated there in 2009. Today the Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils and comprises a Fossil Preparation Laboratory, Reception Centre and the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition at Dinosaur Canyon. Future plans include the construction of Australia’s premier natural history museum. The Museum is a non-profit organisation which draws support from across Australia. It all began with the discovery of a femur. In 1999 while mustering sheep on his property Belmont near Winton, David Elliott discovered the fossilised bone of what was, at the time, Australia’s largest dinosaur. This bone was later identified as part of a giant femur from a Cretaceous sauropod that roamed the Winton area 95 million years ago. Following the discovery of more fossils during digs held in conjunction with the Queensland Museum, David and his wife, Judy Elliott, called a public meeting in Winton on 17 August 2002 with a view to establishing a dinosaur museum at Winton. On 25 October 2002 Australian Age of Dinosaurs Incorporated (AAOD Inc) commenced operations as a not-for-profit organisation aimed at ensuring future dinosaur digs and the preparation and conservation of dinosaur fossils from the Winton Formation could continue. The organisation, with support from a strong members' volunteer base, began the initial stages of developing a major tourism attraction in the form of a dinosaur museum so that the discoveries could be preserved for perpetuity and be available to the public. While mustering sheep in March 2005 David Elliott discovered a new dinosaur site on Belmont and a subsequent dig in September that year uncovered the remains of one of Australia’s most complete sauropod skeletons. A total of 17 pallets of fossil bones trapped in a fine siltstone rock were recovered and stored in the Belmont shed. The dinosaur was nicknamed Wade, in posthumous honour of Australian Palaeontologist Dr Mary Wade who died at the time the dig was being undertaken. In late 2005 the discovery of a partial sauropod humerus on Elderslie Station, near Winton, led to a series of digs held by the Museum and the recovery of two dinosaur skeletons preserved together, one being a sauropod skeleton and the other a theropod. The sauropod was nicknamed Matilda and the theropod was nicknamed Banjo, both in honour of Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson and his classic poem "Waltzing Matilda".
Situated in the heart of Perth’s Cultural Centre, the Gallery houses the State Art Collection with works by renowned local and international artists from the 1800s to today. Immerse yourself in the Balancing Act gallery space displaying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Take a free guided tour or find something unique in the AGWA Design Store to take home. The Gallery was founded in 1895 and occupies a precinct of three heritage buildings on the south-eastern corner of the Perth Cultural Centre including the former Perth Police Courts. The main Gallery opened in 1979 and is a unique modernist building inspired by the pavilions and courtyards of the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. In 2019, the Gallery celebrated its 40th anniversary and in 2020 the Gallery celebrated 125 years. The State Art Collection is Western Australia’s greatest visual art asset. Since the first work of art was purchased in 1895, the AGWA Collection has grown into the finest public art collection in Western Australia of more than 18,000 works. One of the Collection's key strengths is its holdings of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and its representation of Western Australian art and artists. Twentieth-century Australian and British paintings and sculpture are also a particular strength. Each year, the Collection grows by 150-400 works, largely through the generous support of AGWA’s Foundation Members and private donations. The Art Gallery of Western Australia's Tom Malone Prize is a highly respected national event for contemporary Australian glass artists. The Tom Malone Prize was initiated in 2003 by Governor of the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, Elizabeth Malone. The Prize continues in 2018-2022 through the support of Foundation Benefactor, Sheryl Grimwood. An acquisitive prize, each year’s winning entrant is awarded $15,000 while their work becomes a part of the WA State Art Collection where it will join works by previous winners: Clare Belfrage, Gabriella Bisetto, Charles Butcher, Cobi Cockburn, Brian Corr, Mel Douglas, Mark Eliott, Deirdre Feeney, Kevin Gordon, Marc Leib, Jessica Loughlin, Tom Moore, Nick Mount, Benjamin Sewell and Ayano Yoshizumi. The Tom Malone Prize is a highly respected national event within the Australian glass arts community and it has played an integral role in the Gallery's acquisition of works by Australia's most inspiring, innovative and accomplished artists in this medium.
Moorabbin Air Museum. Situated at Moorabbin Airport in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, the Museum has one of the most significant collections of aircraft and engines in Australia. We provide public access to a number of aircraft on display, allowing visitors to interact and to experience life as a Military, Naval or Civilian pilot. Group tours can be arranged by appointment. Please contact the Museum for more information. Founded in 1962 and run by a dedicated group of volunteers and members, the Museum has expanded to have a collection of not just aircraft and engines, but models, uniforms and many other items associated with Australia's amazing aviation history. The collection includes a number of very rare and unique examples of Australian made aircraft, including the oldest surviving Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) aircraft - Wirraway A20-10; a Victa AirTourer and a DAP Mk21 Beaufighter, one of only two Australian made variants left in the country and the only Beaufighter left in the world capable of ground running. The Museum also owns the oldest surviving DAP / Bristol Beaufort which is now part of an ongoing restoration project. The Museum also has a shop and kiosk facility where you can purchase drinks, snacks, and pick up a book, poster, model kit or complete aircraft model for your collection. Due to a lack of available display and restoration facilities, not all aircraft are under restoration or on display. The Australian Aircraft Restoration Group has kindly loaned a number of the aircraft in its collection to other museums, to ensure that they can be viewed by aircraft enthusiasts.
The Bell Tower is one of the best things to do in Perth. The must-see tourist attractions located on Riverside Drive overlooks the picturesque Swan River. Filled with fascinating historic content and boasting a unique and distinctive design - resulting from a major architectural competition - it has become an icon for Perth and Western Australia. The Bell Tower is one of the essential places to go in Perth. Commemorating Australia's bicentenary in 1988, the twelve bells of St Martin in the Fields as well as five specially cast bells were presented to the University of Western Australia, the City of Perth and to the people of Western Australia. The London diocese of the Church of England and the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields gave authority for the project to proceed. The additional bells cast in 1988 include two from the cities of London and Westminster, who each gifted one bell to the project, and a total of three bells bestowed by a consortium of British and Australian mining companies. Completing the ring of eighteen bells, a sixth new bell was commissioned by the Western Australian Government to mark the second millennium. Our bell ringers could best be described as a musical collective, a group of like-minded players who come together to practise a style of music known as change ringing. Formally they are the St Martin’s Society of Change Ringers Inc. Informally they’re known as the Bell Ringers, and operate as the Bell Tower’s ‘house band’. Established in 2000, they’re an extremely varied group of people of all ages and from all walks of life. Over the last 20 years they’ve provided an un-interrupted service to the tower and the broader community, ringing for a range of events from Anzac Day to the Festival of Perth to corporate functions and weddings. Along with being one of the top things to see in Perth, The Bell Tower is also a unique party venue in Perth, offering venue hire for corporate functions, small weddings, parties and more.
Rising dramatically from the Central Australian desert, the huge red rock of Uluru is one of Australia’s most iconic attractions. Formerly known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is made of sandstone about half a billion years old. It stands 348 metres high and has a circumference of 9.4 km. Uluru is at its most stunning around sunrise and sunset, when the golden light makes the rock’s colours come alive. For the Anangu people, Uluru is inseparable from Tjukurpa, or traditional law. The actions of the creation ancestors are still visible around the rock, and their stories are passed on from generation to generation, just as they have been for thousands of years. Uluru is a spectacular panorama, but it’s real beauty can be found by looking closer. This ancient monolith is home to rare plants and animals, important spiritual sites and caves painted with remarkable rock art. Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the Northern Territory, 335 km southwest of Alice Springs. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area, known as the Aṉangu. The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves, and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Uluru and Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural landmarks and has been a popular destination for tourists since the late 1930s. It is also one of the most important indigenous sites in Australia.
This magnificent building is the oldest surviving from the Great Exhibition era that is still operating as an exhibition hall. Standing strong in Carlton Gardens, the Royal Exhibition Building is beautiful inside and out—a true landmark of Melbourne. In 1879 the somewhat unkempt Carlton Gardens were redeveloped with grand avenues, decorative fountains and parterre garden beds, creating an ornamental pleasure garden for the new Exhibition Building. Designed by Joseph Reed and built by David Mitchell for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition, the Exhibition Building epitomised the wealth, opulence, excitement, energy and spirit of Marvellous Melbourne. Together the 1880 and 1888 International Exhibitions attracted over three million visitors, brought cultures, technology and ideas from across the world to Melbourne, and were a place to see and be seen. The Exhibition Building cemented its status Melbourne’s leading event venue and a tourist icon on 9 May 1901, hosting the opening of Australia’s Federal Parliament. Since that time baby shows, home shows, motor shows, bicycle races and pole sitting competitions are just some of the events that have found a home in the Exhibition Building. More than just a setting for events the Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens have been at the heart of many of Melbourne’s stories. People delight in remembering childhood visits to Australia’s first aquarium or marvelling at the view over Melbourne from the dome. Recalling the building’s use as a makeshift hospital and morgue during the 1919 Spanish Influenza pandemic and the aquarium fire in 1953 prompt sombre reflections. Memories of the building filled with rows of desks and the sound of pens quietly scratching away during exams still strikes fear into the hearts of past and current Victorian students. While as a migrant reception centre in the 1950s its stories were ones of new beginnings and hope. In 1980 the Exhibition Building became the lead character in this never ending series of stories when Princess Alexandra bestowed the Royal title on the building and program of restoration works commenced. The 1 July 2004 was the start of yet another a new chapter in the history of the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens with the site inscribed onto the World Heritage List. It’s outstanding value the result of it being the only International Exhibition Place of Industry, with its garden setting, to survive largely intact and still be used as an exhibition and event venue. Today, as in the 1880s, events take over both the building and gardens and draw international crowds. First held in 1995 the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere attracting over 100,000 visitors in 5 days. While the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival continues the tradition of drawing the most fashion forward and stylish to the building and gardens to see and be seen, whether on the runway or promenading on the plaza.
The Perth Town Hall, situated on the corner of Hay and Barrack streets in Perth, Western Australia, is the only town hall built by convicts in Australia. Upon completion, it was the tallest structure in Perth. Designed by Richard Roach Jewell and James Manning in the Victorian Free Gothic style, the hall was built by convicts and free men between 1867 and 1870. Its decorations contain a number of convict motifs, including windows in the shape of the broad arrow, and decorations in the shape of a hangman's rope. The foundation stone for Perth Town Hall was laid on 24 May 1867 by Governor Hampton in a ceremony involving a lot of pomp and parade. However, there were torrential downpours. The ceremony went on anyway with an official procession from Government House and a mock battle performed by the Volunteer Regiments, Enrolled Forces of Pensioners, and the WA Country Regiment. In the 1929 centenary of Western Australia, one of the events in the city of Perth was the placing of a commemorative plaque in the northwest corner of the building by the Governor Sir William Campion. For many decades in the 20th century, shops were built into the sides of the ground floor, and the public lavatories accessible from Barrack Street were the only ones available for some distance. The shops included a pharmacy, bank, lunch bar and other shops. All these businesses and the attendant structures were removed prior to the renovation of the hall. At the time of its centenary in 1970, the ground floor was still full of commercial businesses. The Town Hall was restored in the late 1990s at the base in an award-winning restoration to repair the interior of the hall and the gothic arches at its base, which were "modernised" in the middle of the 20th century.
Fusing ancient and modernist influences, and built on a site sacred to the local Gadigal people for thousands of years, the sculptural elegance of the Sydney Opera House has made it one of the most recognisable buildings of the twentieth century, synonymous with inspiration and imagination. As Pritzker Prize judge Frank Gehry said when awarding architecture’s highest award to the Opera House’s architect in 2003: “[Jørn] Utzon made a building well ahead of its time, far ahead of available technology... a building that changed the image of an entire country.” Built to “help mould a better and more enlightened community,” in the words of New South Wales Premier Joseph Cahill in 1954, the Sydney Opera House has been home to many of the world’s greatest artists and performances, and a meeting place for matters of local and international significance since opening in 1973. Today it is Australia’s number one tourist destination, welcoming more than 8.2 million visitors a year and one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres, presenting more than 2000 shows 363 days a year for more than 1.5 million people, from the work of the seven flagship arts companies to which it is home to First Nations’ arts and culture, talks and ideas, theatre and dance and the superstars of classical and contemporary music. The breadth of those experiences reflects our visionary 1961 Act, which charges the Opera House not only with the promotion of artistic taste across all art forms, but also “scientific research into, and the encouragement of, new and improved forms of entertainment and methods of presentation.” But while the tale of the Opera House is one of breathtaking triumph, it is also one of personal cost. The building’s design was inspired - entirely unlike anything that had been seen before. Pressures piled upon its architect, Jørn Utzon, who left Australia midway through construction, never to return to see the building completed. Nevertheless, Utzon’s masterpiece would define his career, and redefine the image of Australia both to itself and the world. An exercise in nation building, as Joe Cahill underlined, it was an extraordinary collective act of dreaming in public; a work of art built for the performance of works of art and brought to life by people who believed in the power of imagination. Realising the dream took us all - visionaries and pragmatists, politicians and architects, engineers, artists and, most fundamentally, the people of Australia.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales acknowledges the traditional custodians of the country on which it is located, the Gadigal of the Eora nation, and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. From its magnificent site in Sydney, the Art Gallery of NSW is one of Australia’s flagship art museums and the state’s leading visual arts institution. Our mission is to serve the widest possible audience as a centre of excellence for the collection, preservation, documentation, interpretation and display of Australian and international art, and a forum of scholarship, art education and the exchange of ideas. The Art Gallery of New South Wales began without a collection and without a building on 24 April 1871 when a group of 30 art-loving citizens established a society to support artists and promote knowledge and enjoyment of art in the wider community. In 1874 they secured government support for their project and by 1880 they had their own dedicated building, the first of its kind in Australia. 150 years on from that foundation, after changes in name and location, the Art Gallery continues to play a vital role in the cultural life of the state and the nation. It is a cherished public art museum, not only by the artists and visitors who are at the core of its existence, but by all who have been enriched by the Gallery’s art collections, exhibitions and programs. Celebrating our 150th anniversary in 2021, as we undertake a significant expansion, the Art Gallery remains committed to making art a vital part of everyday life. Our transformation – the Sydney Modern Project – will create a new art museum experience across two buildings connected by a public art garden in one of the world’s most beautiful cultural precincts. The Art Gallery’s new building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects, SANAA, brings together art, architecture and landscape in spectacular new ways with dynamic galleries and seamless connections between indoor and outdoor spaces. It will be a new prominent destination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture. The expansion is scheduled for completion in 2022.
The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and most visited art museum. The NGV International building, designed by Sir Roy Grounds, opened in 1968, and was redeveloped by Mario Bellini before reopening in 2003. It houses the gallery's international art collection and is on the Victorian Heritage Register. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, designed by Lab Architecture Studio, opened in 2002 and houses the gallery's Australian art collection. The NGV's Australian art collection encompasses Indigenous (Australian Aboriginal) art and artefacts, Australian colonial art, Australian Impressionist art, 20th century, modern and contemporary art. The first curator of Australian Art was Brian Finemore, from 1960 until his death in 1975. The NGV's Asian art collection began in 1862, one year after the gallery's founding, when Frederick Dalgety donated two Chinese plates. The Asian collection has since grown to include significant works from across the continent.
The Old Melbourne Gaol is a former jail and current museum on Russell Street, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It consists of a bluestone building and courtyard, and is located next to the old City Police Watch House and City Courts buildings, and opposite the Russell Street Police Headquarters. It was first constructed starting in 1839, and during its operation as a prison between 1845 and 1924, it held and executed some of Australia's most notorious criminals, including bushranger Ned Kelly and serial killer Frederick Bailey Deeming. In total, 133 people were executed by hanging. Though it was used briefly during World War II, it formally ceased operating as a prison in 1924; with parts of the jail being incorporated into the RMIT University, and the rest becoming a museum. The three-storey museum displays information and memorabilia of the prisoners and staff, including death masks of the executed criminals. At one time the museum displayed what was believed at the time to be Ned Kelly's skull, before it was stolen in 1978; as well as the pencil used by wrongly convicted Colin Campbell Ross to protest his innocence in writing, before being executed. When the Old Melbourne Gaol was built in the mid-1800s, it dominated the Melbourne skyline as a symbol of authority. Inside the Gaol, dangerous criminals were held alongside petty offenders, the homeless and the mentally ill. Old Melbourne Gaol enables visitors to immerse themselves in the stories of past inmates, explore the City Watch House or learn about justice in the Old Magistrates’ Court.
Antarctica, the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole, is a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass. Most cruises to the continent visit the Antarctic Peninsula, which stretches toward South America. It’s known for the Lemaire Channel and Paradise Harbor, striking, iceberg-flanked passageways, and Port Lockroy, a former British research station turned museum. The peninsula’s isolated terrain also shelters rich wildlife, including many penguins.Antarctica is a de facto condominium, governed by parties to the Antarctic Treaty System that have consulting status. Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, and thirty-eight have signed it since then. The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining, prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal, supports scientific research, and protects the continent's ecozone. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations.
Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, is in the south-central part of the state on the Cook Inlet. It's known for its cultural sites, including the Alaska Native Heritage Center, which displays traditional crafts, stages dances, and presents replicas of dwellings from the area’s indigenous groups. The city is also a gateway to nearby wilderness areas and mountains including the Chugach, Kenai, and Talkeetna. Anchorage is the place where young spirits and adventurous souls come to play. Alaska activities including famous wildlife, spectacular mountain vistas, fascinating cultures and icy blue glaciers all await your discovery. Metropolitan luxuries mix with unrivaled natural wonders to make Anchorage an unforgettable destination.
Perth, capital of Western Australia, sits where the Swan River meets the southwest coast. Sandy beaches line its suburbs, and the huge, riverside Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Mount Eliza offer sweeping views of the city. The Perth Cultural Centre houses the state ballet and opera companies and occupies its own central precinct, including a theatre, library and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Nature and urban life exist in harmony in Perth, on Australia's west coast. Here, where the locals soak up more sunny days than in any other Australian capital city, you can visit nearby Rottnest Island, walk-in leafy Kings Park and tour Swan Valley vineyards. For local culture, wander the nearby city of Fremantle's winding portside streets and Perth city center's museum and gallery precinct.
Honolulu, on the island of Oahu’s south shore, is capital of Hawaii and gateway to the U.S. island chain. The Waikiki neighborhood is its center for dining, nightlife, and shopping, famed for its iconic crescent beach backed by palms and high-rise hotels, with volcanic Diamond Head crater looming in the distance. Sites relating to the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor include the USS Arizona Memorial. In this cosmopolitan capital city, you’ll find everything from historic landmarks to fine dining to world-class shopping. Home to the majority of Oahu’s population, Honolulu stretches across the southeastern shores of the island, from Pearl Harbor to Makapuu Point, encompassing world-famous Waikiki Beach along the way.
Auckland, based around 2 large harbors, is a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island. In the center, the iconic Sky Tower has views of Viaduct Harbour, which is full of superyachts and lined with bars and cafes. Auckland Domain, the city’s oldest park, is based around an extinct volcano and home to the formal Wintergardens. Near Downtown, Mission Bay Beach has a seaside promenade. Rated as the third most liveable city in the world, Auckland is an exhilarating mix of natural wonders and urban adventures. The urban environment where everyone lives within half an hour of beautiful beaches, hiking trails and a dozen enchanting holiday islands. Add a sunny climate, a background rhythm of Polynesian culture and a passion for outstanding food, wine and shopping, and you’re beginning to get the picture of Auckland,
Melbourne is the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. Melbourne is the most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia and Oceania. At the city's centre is the modern Federation Square development, with plazas, bars, and restaurants by the Yarra River. In the Southbank area, the Melbourne Arts Precinct is the site of Arts Centre Melbourne – a performing arts complex – and the National Gallery of Victoria, with Australian and indigenous art.
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