University of Queensland Anthropology Museum facts for kids
The University of Queensland Anthropology Museum is a special place in Brisbane, Australia. It holds the biggest collection of objects from different cultures in any Australian university. These objects help us understand how people lived, what they used, and what was important to them.
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Where is the Museum?
You can find the Museum on the first floor of the Michie Building. This building is part of The University of Queensland's St Lucia campus.
A Look at the Museum's History
The Museum started in 1948 thanks to Dr. Lindsay Winterbotham. He donated over 1,000 objects to begin the collection! At first, the Museum focused on items from Aboriginal Australia. 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.
Early people who gave items to the Museum included missionaries, researchers, and experts in human cultures, like Ursula McConnel. Later, leaders such as Dr. Peter Lauer and Dr. Diana Young helped the Museum grow even more. They created exciting exhibitions and connected the Museum with the community, research, and teaching.
What's in the Collection?
The Museum is home to more than 28,000 amazing objects and over 8,000 photographs! These items come from field trips and private donations. Together, they tell stories about how different cultures interacted in Queensland and the Pacific region during the mid-to-late 1900s.
The collection includes many stone tools from all over Australia. There are also smaller collections from southern Africa and Southeast Asia. You can even see old surveying tools used by explorers like William Landsborough and Augustus Gregory.
Cool Things to See
Here are some of the exciting items you can find at the Museum:
- Objects from South East Queensland, including old photos, writings, sound recordings, and drawings. There are baskets and shell middens (old piles of shells) from Stradbroke Island and Moreton Bay.
- A large ceramic artwork called Creation III by the famous artist Thancoupie. It has 120 pieces!
- Some of the very first ceremonial sculptures from Aurukun.
- Beautiful rainforest shields and special bicornial baskets from North Queensland.
- A big collection of bark paintings from Arnhem Land, created in the mid-to-late 1900s. These include works by well-known artists like David Malangi and Wandjuk Marika.
- Carvings from the Solomon Islands that are over 100 years old.
- Painted bark cloth from across the Pacific, like a mid-1800s salatasi from Futuna and modern works from the Omie people.
Plan Your Visit
The Museum is on the first floor of the Michie Building. It's open every day from 11 AM to 3 PM. The best part? Admission is free!
