Australian Museum

Overview

Founded in 1827, the Australian Museum is the nation's oldest natural history museum. Its collections span 21.9 million specimens, from megafauna fossils to the world's most comprehensive collection of Australian insects.

Highlights

• First Nations galleries: The Indigenous Australians exhibition explores 65,000 years of continuous culture through artefacts, oral histories, and digital media.
• Dinosaur gallery: Life-size casts and real fossils including a T. rex skull and Australian megafauna.
• Minerals gallery: Over 3,600 specimens including opals, gold nuggets, and meteorites.

History

Founded by the Colonial Secretary in 1827, it grew from a small collection in Macquarie Street to a major research institution. The 2020 transformation project modernised galleries while preserving the 1849 sandstone facade.

Visitor Tips

• Family-friendly: Excellent for children with interactive dinosaur exhibits.
• Free for under 16s: Children enter free.
• Duration: 1.5–2 hours.