National Museum of Australia

National Museum of Australia Where our stories come alive. On Ngunnawal, Ngunawal and Ngambri Country. The National Museum of Australia is where our stories come alive.
(1913)

We love using social media to share these stories with the world, and engage with diverse audiences. Please be aware that the Museum’s social media channels may include or use names, images and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Public transport: https://www.transport.act.gov.au/

* Social media community standards *

We aim to keep our social media channels relevant

, engaging and inclusive. We’d like to keep this a pleasant space for everyone, and ask that you are respectful to other members of this community and keep discussions on topic. You are expected to uphold the Museum’s social media community standards, and our moderators apply these standards when monitoring our accounts. We will remove content that is abusive, obscene, discriminatory, disrespectful, inflammatory or offensive. We will remove content that is off-topic, spam or is repetitive posting. We will remove misinformation or misleading information. We will also remove content that is defamatory, breaches copyright, confidentiality and/or moral rights laws. Please notify us if you see something that you feel breaches Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and/or our community standards. Whilst we strive for accuracy, we are human and sometimes make mistakes. If we’ve got something wrong, kindly let us know – we’ll fact-check our content as quickly as possible and correct any errors. You can view our community standards in detail here: bit.ly/34KDEKN

* Queries and account moderation *

This page is monitored and moderated weekdays from 8:30am – 5:30pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Time). During these hours, we aim to respond to relevant queries as quickly as possible and moderate content that does not meet our community standards. Outside of standard moderation hours, responses may take some time. Please free call 1800 026 132 for queries about weekend visits, or refer to our website at www.nma.gov.au. Queries submitted outside of standard operating hours will be reviewed and responded to as quickly as possible during standard business hours. If you have a query about:
- educational research
- our collection
- donating an object to our collection

please email our Duty Curator at [email protected]

The Polaris Sno-Traveller is heading to the Museum! Manufactured between 1957 and 1964, the Polaris Sno-Traveller K95 wa...
18/06/2026

The Polaris Sno-Traveller is heading to the Museum!

Manufactured between 1957 and 1964, the Polaris Sno-Traveller K95 was the first snowmobile used by Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions.

It operated in Antarctica in the 1960s and came with a standard winch system to lift the track if it got stuck in heavy snow.

‘Antarctica’ opens on July 1 | Book tickets now: https://www.nma.gov.au/antarctica

The year was 1902. Non-Indigenous women had won the right to vote AND also stand for the Australian Parliament 🙌Australi...
17/06/2026

The year was 1902.

Non-Indigenous women had won the right to vote AND also stand for the Australian Parliament 🙌

Australia was one of the first countries in the world to do so. It was an important international example.

This change was brought about by the Commonwealth Franchise Act after years of campaigning by suffragists.

Yet, First Nations activists would have to campaign for another 60 years.

First Nations women (and their male counterparts) secured voting rights for federal elections in 1962.

📷: National Library of Australia an23371784

Have you heard about the four heroes of Australia’s deadliest flood?On 24 June 1852, the Murrumbidgee River surged throu...
16/06/2026

Have you heard about the four heroes of Australia’s deadliest flood?

On 24 June 1852, the Murrumbidgee River surged through Gundagai.

The raging torrent swept away buildings and up to 100 residents perished.

Many more lives would have been lost if not for four brave Wiradjuri men. They spent three days rescuing survivors in a bark canoe and rowboat.

Only two of the men are known by name – Yarri and Jackey.

Today, a statue commemorates them on the main street of Gundagai.

The Murrumbidgee River flats have been a Wiradjuri meeting place for 50,000 years. They had warned settlers about establishing a township there.

16/06/2026

Let’s peek behind the scenes of the 'Antarctica' exhibition 🕵️

Today, conservator Daniel Bornstein is working with the Barge Caravan.

Barge caravans like this one provided temporary shelter for early Antarctica expeditioners, while the buildings were being raised at Mawson station.

See it in person from July 1!

Book tickets now: https://www.nma.gov.au/antarctica

Many of us can still sing the famous jingle. But do you remember the other unique ways Aeroplane Jelly promoted its prod...
15/06/2026

Many of us can still sing the famous jingle.

But do you remember the other unique ways Aeroplane Jelly promoted its products?

Adolphus Herbert Appleroth used bold advertising ideas to transform his backyard jelly crystal business into a household name.

The name ‘Aeroplane Jelly’ tapped into the glamour of aviation in the 1920s.

They often used vehicles to reach new communities across Australia, including a chartered Tiger Moth biplane in 1934.

And in the 1980s, this Ford Model T became a familiar sight at food fairs and events.

📷: Courtesy McCormick Foods

Which movie sequel was filmed here 45 years ago? 🎥 The outback roads and rugged landscapes of Silverton and Broken Hill ...
13/06/2026

Which movie sequel was filmed here 45 years ago? 🎥

The outback roads and rugged landscapes of Silverton and Broken Hill in NSW became the backdrop for a film where the vehicles were as memorable as the characters themselves.

A woven wicker covering hasn’t protected this from dirt and feathers on Heard and McDonald Islands. Can you guess what...
12/06/2026

A woven wicker covering hasn’t protected this from dirt and feathers on Heard and McDonald Islands.

Can you guess what it is?

Leave your answer in the comments and we’ll drop the answer on Monday.

We recently celebrated Indigenous History & Culture in the spirit of this year’s Reconciliation Week theme "All In".Aunt...
11/06/2026

We recently celebrated Indigenous History & Culture in the spirit of this year’s Reconciliation Week theme "All In".

Aunty Jude Hammond (Gunngarri/Kamilaroi Elder) curated Art and Educational displays from her multiarts project From Little Things, Big Things GROW - From Nambour to Canberra.

Highlights included the two vibrant live song & dance performances connecting to the Songlines sculptures, and sold-out coolamon-making workshops in the Gandel Atrium.

Aunty Jude's First Nations Projects demonstrate the importance of listening, creating and sharing with our youth & Community to build pride, confidence, career skills and pathways connecting back to Culture and Country.

Featured in the performance were Aunty Jude (clapsticks/vocals), Caleb Fitzpatrick (Didgeridoo), Evie Rose (lead vocals), Maddy Rose (vocals), Hannah Jane (vocals) and Ayla Carrington-Sanson’s self-choreographed dance performance. Composition by Lea Sanson.

This deadly pop-up exhibition will be also on display again in Gandel Atrium as part of our July NAIDOC Week program!

Aunty Jude acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Ngambri & Ngunnawal Nations, and thanks everyone who attended the performances and workshops.

10/06/2026

It’s time to get dressed for the Antarctica exhibition! 👗

Today, textiles conservator Melissa Bolin is working on the baleen corset of a stunning blue velvet dinner dress that was worn by a 17-year-old Louisa Griffiths in 1871.

In the 19th century, the whaling industry in the Southern Ocean produced many useful by-products, including baleen, a keratinous bristle inside the mouth of a whale.

Baleen was the 19th century’s version of plastic and was used to add structure to corsetry, creating a highly desirable narrow-waisted silhouette.

Learn more about Antarctica: https://www.nma.gov.au/antarctica

Two brolgas dance gracefully as the sun sets on the Museum. 🪶 Yolngu artist Gunybi Ganambarr used bronze to sculpt the a...
09/06/2026

Two brolgas dance gracefully as the sun sets on the Museum. 🪶

Yolngu artist Gunybi Ganambarr used bronze to sculpt the ancient and revered Djan’kawu sisters, who travelled across the land naming places, creating waterholes and trees, and giving birth to the first people of Arnhem Land.

Beneath the brolgas’ wings are crosshatched Yolngu designs.

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Lawson Crescent, Acton
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2601

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