The oldest museum in Australia, and one of the most highly respected natural history and anthropological institutions in the world, the Australian Museum has exhibits to appeal to the future Nobel Prize candidates in several fields of natural science. Its palaeontology, anthropology, mineralogy, and zoology exhibits are displayed in a suitably Neo-classical stone edifice, on suitably named College Street, where it has stood since it opened to the public in 1857.



Changes at the Australian Museum

The ensuing century-and-a-half has seen the Australian Museum transformed from a warehouse for scientific and cultural artifacts to a modern sandstone complex housing research, administrative, and educational facilities. The collections are still there, of course; they are growing every year, and even better, are now accompanied by temporary exhibitions and educational programs.

What Will You Find at the Australian Museum?

The permanent displays at the Museum include the Indigenous Australian exhibit, which preserves a record of the many native Australian tribes; the Birds exhibit, with its examples of Australian avians of every shape, size, and plumage colour; and the Skeletons: Framework for Survival exhibit, covering every life form from insects to mammals.

The self-explanatory Insect exhibit, is a great favorite with the Sydney schoolboys, as is the ?More Than Dinosaurs? collection of giant reptiles and megafauna, among which were giant kangaroos, koalas, and Tasmanian Devils.

The Biodiversity: Life Supporting Life, display shows the interconnectedness of the tremendous variety of Australian life forms

The permanent exhibits take up three entire floor of the Museum, and are expansive enough that the Highlights Self-Guided Tour Brochure is recommended. And while you probably won't have time to give each exhibit the attention it deserves, make sure you find a way to stop in at the Search and Discovery Room, where you'll be able to put your hands on some CR-ROMs, magazines, and books, as well as live exhibits. There's even something for the pre-school set at Kid's Island, where youngsters up to five years of age are free to explore.

Recommended Hotels near Australian Museum

For visitors to Sydney who want to take a fascinating look at the natural and cultural history of Australia, from prehistory to today, a visit to the Australian Museum is a must. And the Sydney Marriot, at 36 College Street, will provide them with five-star accommodations just a short walk away!