Macleay Museum facts for kids
Edgeworth David Building that houses the Macleay Museum
|
|
| Former name | Museum of Antiquities |
|---|---|
| Established | 1887 |
| Location | Science Road, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia |
| Type | Natural history museum |
| Collections |
|
| Collection size | 79,000+ |
| Founder |
|
| Architect | George Allen Mansfield |
| Owner | The University of Sydney |
|
Invalid designation
|
|
| Official name | Macleay Museum; Macleay Museum Building, University of Sydney Including Interior |
| Type | Local government heritage (built) |
| Criteria | a., c., d., e., f. |
| Designated | 14 December 2012 |
| Reference no. | I79 |
| Type | Education |
| Category | University |
The Macleay Museum was a special natural history museum located at The University of Sydney in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was known for its amazing collections of plants, animals, and items from different cultures. The museum gallery is now closed to visitors. Its incredible collections are being moved to a brand new place, the Chau Chak Wing Museum, which opened in late 2020. The Macleay Museum building itself is considered an important historical site in Sydney. It was added to the City of Sydney heritage list on December 14, 2012.
A Look Back: History
The building that housed the Macleay Museum was built way back in 1887. It is located on the University of Sydney's Camperdown campus. The museum's collections grew thanks to the efforts of the Macleay family. They were a very important family in early Sydney. Alexander Macleay, William Sharp Macleay, and William John Macleay were key members. They loved collecting natural history specimens and other interesting objects. A zoologist named George Masters also helped build the collection as a curator until 1912.
Amazing Collections
The Macleay Museum was famous for its unique collections. It held over 79,000 items! The main strengths of the collection were in four areas:
- Entomology: This is the study of insects. The museum had a huge collection of insects from Australia and other places.
- Ethnography: This is the study of human cultures. The museum had many items showing how different groups of people lived.
- Scientific Instruments: It also had old tools and machines used for science.
- Historic Photographs: There were many old pictures that showed life in colonial Australia.
Many of the animals and insects in the collection are now rare or even extinct. This makes them very valuable for scientists. Some items were even collected by famous explorers. For example, there are specimens collected by Charles Darwin, who developed the theory of evolution. Another famous collector was Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay.
The museum also had a special area called the George Masters Exhibition Space. This space was used for temporary displays. Overall, the Macleay Museum held one of the most important natural history and cultural collections in Australia. In Sydney, only the Australian Museum has a larger collection.
See More: Gallery
-
Inside the Macleay Museum
-
-
