The permanent exhibitions at the National Museum of Australia range from the Dreamtime to the present day and on to the future.
Against the backdrop of the First Australians come the tangled tales and tangled destinies of a nation and its people.
The continent and its people
The permanent exhibition, Tangled Destinies, depicts Australia's natural and cultural histories, and explores the twists and turns of the relationship between the Australian continent and its people.
Natural and cultural artefacts
Among its collections are convict artefacts, the skin and carcass of the extinct thylacine or Tasmania tiger, the heart of legendary Australian racehorse Phar Lap, material from ceremonies marking the federation of Australia in 1901 to more contemporary items such as the ABC outside broadcast van from the 1956 Olympics, baby garments worn by dingo victim Azaria Chamberlain, and the frail fishing craft of Vietnamese boat people seeking refuge in Australia.
- The thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger skin on display in the National Museum’s Tangled Destinies gallery is from an animal killed in 1930. It is from one of the last thylacines taken in the wild.
The last captive animal died in Hobart Zoo in 1936. The National Museum also has the carcass of the same animal in its collection. Photo: National Museum of Australia.
Live performances, hands-on activities
The stories of the National Museum of Australia collections are told in state-of-the-art technology as well in live performances and hands-on activities.
Among the highlights are:
- The Circa, a rotating cinema introducing visitors to the museum themes of Land, Nation and People
- A huge three-dimensional map of Australia, visible from three floors, which shows the tracks of Australian settlers and explorers and the changing landscapes and boundaries over time.
Construction
The construction and outfitting of the National Museum of Australia began in February 1999 and was completed early in 1901 in the centenary of Australia's federation. It was built at a cost of $155 million.
