Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology facts for kids
The Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology is a cool museum in Caboolture, Queensland, Australia. It opened in 1986. This museum is all about old things, amazing art, and learning about history. It shows off a special collection of tools, weapons, pottery, and other items. These items tell stories from different times and places. You can see things from prehistoric hunters and the Bronze Age. There are also items from ancient civilisations like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece. The museum also covers the Roman Empire, medieval knights, and the Renaissance in Europe. Plus, it has art from India and the Far East. The museum's collection comes from an older museum called the Abbey Folk Park. That was Great Britain's first open-air museum, started in 1934. Today, the Abbey Museum is known as a very important collection in Australia.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The First Abbey Folk Park
The museum's story began with the Abbey Folk Park. This park was created by a man named Rev. John S.M. Ward. He started it in 1934 near London, England. Ward was a historian, writer, and teacher. His museum was very different for its time.
Ward wanted to show old items in a special way. He was inspired by the Skansen Folk Museum in Sweden. Instead of just putting things in glass cases, he displayed them in natural settings. People even called him "The man who collects houses." He saved many old buildings from being destroyed. Then, he moved them and rebuilt them at his museum site.
Building a Bronze Age Village
The museum site was also home to a religious group Ward founded. To show his large collection of ancient items, Ward built a replica Bronze Age village. This made him a pioneer in experimental archaeology. He was one of the first to create "open-air" museums. These museums let you walk through recreated historical settings.
Moving to Australia
The Abbey Folk Park had to close in 1940. This was during World War II, when London was being bombed. At that time, the park had 30 historical buildings. It also had copies of ancient structures. Plus, it held over 40,000 old items.
In 1945, Ward had to sell most of the museum's buildings and collections. He needed money to move himself and his community to Cyprus. Ward passed away in Cyprus in 1949. Later, his community had to move again because of fighting in Cyprus. They came to Australia in 1956. Finally, they settled in Caboolture, Queensland, in 1965.
The New Museum Opens
In 1978, the community decided to share their remaining collection with everyone. They formed a museum board. Michael Strong, an expert in archaeology, became the director. With help from the government and donations, building for the new museum began in 1983.
The Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology officially opened in June 1986. In 1999, a new part of the museum opened. This was a gallery for old manuscripts. It was named after Professor Richard Stephens, who led the museum board for many years.
What You Can See
Amazing Collections
The Abbey Museum has a truly special collection. It covers 500,000 years of human history! You can see items from many different cultures and civilisations. This includes very old stone tools from the Palaeolithic period. It also has beautiful paintings from the Renaissance.
The Abbey Church, which is nearby, also has a wonderful collection. It features stained glass windows. These windows date from the Middle Ages all the way to the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Collection Highlights
Some of the most exciting things to see include:
- An ancient Egyptian death mask.
- Stained glass from the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
- Old Master paintings from Italy and Flanders (14th to 18th centuries).
- Greek, Turkish, and Russian icons (religious artworks).
- Pottery, weapons, and special objects from the Bronze and Iron Ages.
- Roman glassware.
- A Qur'an (Islamic holy book) from the 17th century.
- Samurai armour and weapons.
- Medieval manuscripts (handwritten books).
The museum also works with experts and other museums around the world. They do a lot of research. This helps them learn even more about their amazing collection.
How the Museum Works
The Abbey Museum wants to be a top-notch public museum. It aims to tell the story of human history fairly. It does this without showing favour to any politics, religion, or gender. The museum is run by the Abbey Museum Association. A Board of Management oversees everything. This board chooses a director and CEO to manage the museum's daily operations.
