South Australian Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
South Australian Museum

The South Australian Museum, viewed from Adelaide's cultural boulevard, North Terrace.
Former name	South Australian Institute
Established	1856
Location	Adelaide, South Australia
Type	Natural history
Collection size	4.84 million objects
Visitors	1.1 million
Owner	Government of South Australia

The Mortlock Library, part of the State Library of South Australia, forms the west side of the courtyard at the front of the South Australian Museum

South Australian Museum

The South Australian Museum is a natural history museum and research center in Adelaide, South Australia. It was started in 1856 and is owned by the Government of South Australia. The museum is located in a group of buildings on North Terrace, which is a cultural area in Adelaide Parklands. There are plans to move a large part of its Australian Aboriginal cultural collection to a new National Gallery for Aboriginal Art and Cultures. This collection is the biggest of its kind in the world.

History of the Museum

How it Started

In the early days of the colony, people tried to set up places for learning, like libraries. But they struggled to find proper buildings. In 1856, the government decided to help. They promised to build the first government-funded cultural building.

The South Australian Institute was created in 1861. It included a public library and a museum. It first opened in a rented building while its main home was being built. This new building was on North Terrace.

In 1856, a law was passed to officially create the South Australian Institute. This law put the Institute under the control of a Board of Governors. All the old library and learning materials were given to this new Institute. The law made sure there would be both a library and a museum.

Early Curators and Directors

Frederick George Waterhouse became the first curator of the museum in 1859. He worked for free at first. When the main building was ready, he was officially appointed. He stayed in this role until 1882.

After him, Wilhelm Haacke took over in 1883. He suggested changing the name to the South Australian Museum. He also wanted the curator's job to be called Director. Haacke became the first Director, but he left in 1884.

Becoming the South Australian Museum

In 1939, a new law gave the South Australian Museum its own independence. Before this, it was part of the same group as the Art Gallery and Library. This law officially changed its name to the South Australian Museum.

Later, in 1997, the museum received money to create its ground floor Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery. This was a big step for the museum.

New Art and Displays

14 Pieces, a public art piece inspired by ichthyosaur bones.

In 2005, a special art piece called 14 Pieces was put in front of the museum. It uses water and was created by artists Angela and Hossein Valamanesh. The artwork looks like the bones of an ancient sea reptile called an ichthyosaur.

The museum also developed new galleries. These included the Pacific Cultures Gallery and the South Australian Biodiversity Gallery.

How the Museum is Run

The museum's main goal is to protect and study nature and culture. This helps people now and in the future learn and enjoy these things. The museum's displays, collections, and research help us understand human cultures and the natural world. They also help people keep learning throughout their lives.

The museum is managed by a Board of eight people. These people are chosen by the Minister. They help guide the museum's work. The current Director (also called CEO) is David Gaimster.

New Aboriginal Cultural Centre

The South Australian government plans to create a new gallery for Aboriginal art and culture. This new center will be built at a place called Lot Fourteen. The current museum will continue to focus on natural history.

This project involves working with the Museum, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the State Library, and Aboriginal communities. The goal is to make a world-class center. It will show the rich history and art of Aboriginal people.

The cost of this project is quite large. Experts have suggested it could be between $400 million and $600 million. This is to make sure it becomes a truly important international center.

Collections at the Museum

The museum holds more than four million items. These include objects and specimens. Some of the main permanent galleries you can visit are:

• Ancient Egypt
• Australian Aboriginal Cultures
• Australian Polar Collection
• Ediacaran Fossils (very old fossils)
• Megafauna (giant ancient animals)
• Minerals and Meteorites
• Opal Fossils, including gembones (fossils made of opal)
• Pacific Cultures
• South Australian Biodiversity (local plants and animals)
• Whales and Dolphins
• World Mammals

Australian Aboriginal Artefacts

The museum has the largest collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural items in the world. There are about 30,000 objects in this collection. Many of these items are being put online. This means people can see images and learn about them from anywhere.

In 2016, a person named Margaret Davy helped fund a new job. This job is for an Indigenous curator. This person helps to develop the collection. They make sure it is shared in a way that respects Indigenous voices and views. The first person in this role was Glenn Iseger-Pilkington.

The museum also has many carvings by an Arrernte artist named Erlikilyika, also known as Jim Kite. He was a very important artist.

Returning Ancestral Remains

The museum has a policy to return the ancestral remains of about 4600 Old People to their traditional lands. These remains are currently stored at the museum. Some of these remains were collected a long time ago. Others were found during land clearing or building projects.

In 2018, Anna Russo was appointed to manage this process. She works to make sure that returning these remains is a top priority for the museum. Kaurna elder Jeffrey Newchurch has worked for many years to make this happen.

On August 1, 2019, the remains of 11 Kaurna people were returned to their resting place. This was a special ceremony led by Newchurch. The museum is working with Aboriginal communities to return more ancestors. They also want to teach people about the importance of this process to Aboriginal people.

Cool Exhibitions

• Waterhouse Art Prize exhibitions. This is an annual art competition for natural science art. It's named after the museum's first curator. The winning artworks are shown at the museum.
• Traversing Antarctica: the Australian Experience (2013–2014). This exhibit showed rare items and displays about Australia's history with Antarctica. It highlighted science, history, and culture.
• Shimmer (2015). This was a special show with JamFactory and the Art Gallery of South Australia. It was part of an event called Tarnanthi, which celebrates Indigenous art.
• Ngurra: Home in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands (2017–2018). Ngurra means home, country, and belonging. This exhibit showed the amazing creativity of the Ngaanyatjarra people from Western Australia. It displayed their art and way of life.
• "Yurtu Ardla" (2019). Yurtu Ardla means wood in some Aboriginal languages. This exhibit showed carvings by the Nukunu and Adnyamathanha people. It included traditional items like piti (coolamon) and thiparra (shields). The exhibit showed how these carving traditions continue today.

People Connected to the Museum

Past Figures

• Edgar Ravenswood Waite: A zoologist who was the Director of the museum from 1914 to 1928.
• Amandus Heinrich Christian Zietz: A zoologist who was the assistant director from 1900 to 1910.
• Sir Douglas Mawson: A famous Antarctic explorer and geologist. He was an Honorary Curator of Minerals at the museum for many years.

Current Figures

• Philip Jones: A senior curator and award-winning historian and author.
• Jared Thomas: A Nukunu man and award-winning author. He is the William and Margaret Geary Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and Material Culture. He also works to promote Indigenous literacy.

Partnerships and Support

The museum works with many partners and sponsors. This helps them put on events, do research, and create new exhibits.

Some public partners include universities like the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. They also work with the Botanic Gardens of South Australia and CSIRO.

Corporate partners include companies like BHP, Beach Energy, and Santos. They also partner with cultural events like the Adelaide Festival.

Gallery

Opal Fossils at the South Australian Museum

See also

• List of museums in South Australia