University of Queensland Anthropology Museum facts for kids
The University of Queensland Anthropology Museum is a cool place in Brisbane, Australia. It has the biggest collection of cultural items from different groups of people that you'll find at any university in Australia.
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Where to Find It
The Museum is on the first floor of the Michie Building. This building is part of The University of Queensland's St Lucia campus.
How the Museum Started
The Museum began in 1948. It all started when Dr. Lindsey Winterbotham gave over 1,000 objects to the university. At first, the Museum mainly focused on items from Aboriginal Australians. But soon, it grew to include many different things from places like Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and other parts of the Pacific Ocean region.
Some of the first people who donated items to the Museum were missionaries, researchers, and experts who study human cultures, like Ursula McConnel and AP Lyons.
Later, under new leaders like Dr. Peter Lauer, Dr. Leonn Satterthwait, and Dr. Diana Young, the Museum started having lots of exhibitions. They also worked hard to connect with the community, support research, and help with teaching.
What You Can See: The Collection
The Museum is home to more than 19,000 objects and over 6,500 photographs! This huge collection includes items found during field trips and gifts from private donors. Together, these items tell us about how different cultures connected in Queensland and the Pacific region during the mid-to-late 1900s.
You can find many different stone tools from all over Australia in the Museum. There are also smaller collections from southern Africa and Southeast Asia. Plus, they have old surveying tools used by famous explorers like William Landsborough and Augustus Charles Gregory.
Special Things to See
Here are some of the amazing things you can find at the Museum:
- Items from South East Queensland, including old photos, handwritten notes, sound recordings, and drawings. Collections from Stradbroke Island and Moreton Bay include woven baskets and ancient shell mounds.
- A large ceramic artwork called Creation III. It has 120 pieces and was made by the famous sculptor Thancoupie.
- One of the oldest collections of special ceremonial sculptures from Aurukun, Queensland.
- Shields from the North Queensland rainforest and unique bicornial baskets called jawun.
- A big collection of bark paintings from Arnhem Land, made in the mid-to-late 1900s. Some of these were created by well-known artists like David Malangi, Wandjuk Marika, and Wally Mandarrk.
- Carvings from the Solomon Islands that are over 100 years old.
- Painted bark cloth from across the Pacific, from mid-19th century salatasi from Futuna to modern works by the Omie people.
Visiting the Museum
The Museum is on the first floor of the Michie Building. It is open every day from 11 AM to 3 PM. The best part? It's free to get in!
