The Australian Museum, Sydney

Museum exterior (photo by “J Bar”)

The Australian Museum in central Sydney is Australia’s oldest museum, having been founded in 1827, and opened to the public in 1855. It specialises in natural history and anthropology.

This excellent diorama dates back to 1927 (my photo)

As well as having a collection which dates back (in part) almost two centuries, the museum hosts various special exhibits. At the time of my visit, Tyrannosaurs were wowing the kids. Dinosaur skeletons are also (of course!) part of the permanent collection.

Museum interior: dinosaur skeleton and atrium (my photo)

Having previously mentioned a frog discovery by museum staff, I was happy to see that a small display explained some of the work done by museum staff in discovering new species. There are also some nice displays of animals resident in Australian backyards.

Various displays: stuffed cockatiel from the extensive bird collection, crocoite from the mineral collection, fish skeleton, and echinoderms (my photo)

For more information, see the Wikipedia article, the museum website, and the museum blog. Sadly, the museum is not free, but admission is reasonably priced. Tourists (or residents) in Sydney should certainly consider a visit (Tripadvisor gives the museum 4 stars).

These slit drums from Vanuatu are part of the anthropological collection (my photo)

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