Australian Museum

School holidays

Discover science and culture through a diverse program of interactive workshops for kids aged 5 to 16 years.

Programs and events

Wednesday 5 October - Wednesday 7 December

Renowned marine photographer and filmmaker, Valerie Taylor.

Twilight Bites

Join us for a monthly after-hours, canapes and conversation series with renowned shark scientists and cultural experts.

Tuesday 3 - Sunday 29 January, 2023

Erth’s Shark Dive

Ever wanted to dive with sharks but been too afraid? Don’t be! Come close to the Great White without getting wet at a new shark cage dive experience at the AM, created by world-renowned puppeteers, Erth and presented as part of Sydney Festival.

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Waranara tour guide in the Garrigarrang Gallery

Waranara Tours

Expand your understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures on this unique tour of objects from the Australian Museum's exhibitions, led by a First Nations guide.

Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays
11.30am, 1pm

Indigigrow - First Nations Plant Nursery April 2022

Five Things

Discover five small steps you can take to make your home and garden a haven for native plants and wildlife in this series of Saturday morning talks by Australian ecology experts.

Programs and events

3 & 4 December, 14 & 15 January
10.30am-1pm & 2pm-4.30pm

Recycled Art Weaving workshop

Discover creative solutions to reducing waste and understand the importance of caring for Country in these in-depth, hands-on weaving workshops.

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Dinosaurs

How well do you know your dinosaurs? Discover the amazing creatures that ruled the world until 65 million years ago in this exhibition that brings the Mesozoic era to life.

Permanent exhibition
Open daily

Permanent education space
Open daily

Burra

Be transported on an immersive journey through the eyes of burra (eel) in the Australian Museum’s new learning and play space.

Virtual excursions
Educator-led tours

Wild Planet

Delve into this audio guide of Wild Planet and learn about extraordinary animal adaptations and the importance of preserving Australia's biodiversity.

Audio guide

Play now

School programs and excursions

Book school excursions at the Australian Museum, Sydney, that inspire and engage students of all ages.

Book now

Sharks

Submerge yourself in Sydney's newest hands-on family exhibition now open.

Special exhibition
Now on until 31 January 2023

Located at the entrance to the Australian Museum

Museum Shop

Come and explore our exciting range of products inspired by the Museum's collections. All proceeds help fund our science, education and exhibitions programs.

Shop for beautiful objects

Bayala Nura: Yarning Country

Explore and celebrate Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through a rich diversity of objects and stories of living culture. See more than 250 fascinating objects from Indigenous communities around Australia.

Permanent exhibition
Open daily

Highlights of exhibits
Accessible audio description

Audio guides of exhibitions

Delve into the Australian Museum exhibitions and enrich your understanding of our collection on display through our self-guided audio guides.

Listen now

Australian Museum news

Discover our research behind the scenes, read stories from our collections and learn about the latest fieldwork findings in our blog.

Read our Blog Explore Podcast Visit the Media Centre

Home sweet home: the creatures of ancient underwater volcanoes

PhD student, Beth Flaxman, who was recently onboard the CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator, sampled the mysterious creatures of the deep sea. Find out more about how scientists sampled these creatures that call ancient underwater volcanoes home.

22 November 2022

Artist’s reconstruction of Eryops megacephalus (left) and Paracyclotosaurus davidi (right).

How do you weigh an extinct amphibian?

Estimating the mass of a long-extinct animal is a challenging endeavour – and there is often no “one best method” of doing so. But Australian Museum, UNSW and UNE scientists have just helped us answer the question, in a newly published case study: how do you weigh an extinct amphibian?

21 November 2022

Professor Manfred Lenzen, Professor David Raubenheimer, Dr Arunima Malik, Dr Mengyu Li and Navoda Liyana Pathirana, University of Sydney

Harnessing interdisciplinary research to understand how healthy and unhealthy diets impact the environment

In conversation with the winners of the 2022 Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research.

16 November 2022

Specimens of different species of the goby genus Eviota collected at Lizard Island. All are less than 3 cm long.

News from LIRS: Lizard Island’s smallest fish, and where to find them

Each month, a selected blog from Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation (LIRRF) is featured at the AM. LIRRF supports scientific research & education at the AM’s Lizard Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef. This month, we feature: Lizard Island’s smallest fish, and where to find them.

15 November 2022

Watanabe's Angelfish Genicanthus watanabei

The fish list: A decade in the making

Home to the billowing sails of the Opera House and the shimmering arches of the Harbour Bridge, Sydney is famed for its magnificent harbour – but what lies beneath the water’s surface? In a recent study, Australian Museum scientists delve into the remarkable biodiversity of Sydney harbour.

10 November 2022

Professor Veena Sahajwalla, UNSW, winner of the 2022 Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science

Professor Veena Sahajwalla: shifting the mindset of the nation

In conversation with Professor Veena Sahajwalla, winner of the 2022 Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science.

9 November 2022

Will you answer the call? Help us understand how your local frogs are faring

In winter 2021, thousands of dead frogs were reported across Australia. To help us understand the impact of this event on our frogs, we need your help.

2 November 2022

Priceless archaeological artefacts found in Norfolk Island National Park by local citizen scientist

An archaeological dig on Norfolk Island has uncovered two Polynesian adzes (stone axes) and hundreds of flakes dating back to pre-European settlement.

29 October 2022

A shingleback found in its natural environment in NSW prior to genetic sampling.

Catching Lizards to stop Lizard catchers: New genetic tools to prevent shingleback poaching

In a world first, PhD candidate Amber Brown with supervising scientists have developed and validated a fit-for-purpose mitochondrial DNA kit to identify shingleback DNA – and created one of the only phylogeographic genetic databases to track the genetic lineage of confiscated shingleback lizards.

20 October 2022

Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science Journalism winner, Dr Jackson Ryan, CNET

Exploring Antarctica through the lens of the climate crisis

In conversation with Dr Jackson Ryan, winner of the 2022 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science Journalism.

19 October 2022

Yellow coffin from Akhmim

A mummy, well wrapped in bandages in a painted coffin without a lid from Thebes in Egypt, was gifted to the Museum in 1912 by brewer, politician, and philanthropist, Robert Lucas-Tooth.

18 October 2022

Watawieh (Hello)! AM visit to Norfolk Island ahead of expedition

In early September, Kim McKay AO, Professor Kristofer Helgen and Paul Flemons visited stunning Norfolk Island and met with the community. This trip was in preparation for Phase 1 of the Australian Museum led expedition to Norfolk Island, which is taking place in late October.

18 October 2022

Common eastern froglet (<i>Crinia signifera</i>) calling.

It’s a date: Citizen science data reveals what triggers frogs to breed

How do frogs know when to breed? Frogs tune into their environment, which holds important clues as to when the conditions are suitable for breeding. But what clues exactly?

18 October 2022

Cheilopogon abei, Abe’s Flying Fish, is a beautiful species of flying fish with ornately patterned wing-like pectoral fins.

Flying without wings

Out in the open ocean, the sky’s the limit. Out on the CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator, critters of fin and scale take to the air. Chadwick Biodiversity Research Fellow, Yi-Kai Tea, describes his time on deck, spotting flying fishes.

17 October 2022

Sharks: The power of pure visual presence

Sharks are instant impact. They invoke an immediate projection of our senses. Often silence. Fear. Fierce, sleek, beautiful, myths, facts and stats. They are a dominant and diverse species for the power of the visual image.

14 October 2022

Where nature, science and culture intersect

We are Australia’s first museum, and have over 21 million scientific specimens and cultural objects in our collections. Learn more from First Nations people, discover thousands of animal factsheets and explore our online education resources.

Discover & Learn Animal Factsheets Journals & Publications

For teachers and students

Our education programs and resources spark curiosity, develop scientific understanding and enhance cultural awareness in students of all ages.

Virtual excursions
Educator-led tours
Learning journeys

Identify an animal
Cultural objects
Fossils and minerals

Object and species identification

Use our enquiry form for help with Australian animal identification, natural history and cultural object enquiries.

Ask an expert

First Nations

Learn more about this land’s First Nations peoples and cultures.

Collections
Knowledge
Exhibitions

What are we doing?
What is climate change?

Climate change

The Australian Museum has been involved in raising awareness and researching impacts of climate change for over a decade.

Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Extinct animals

Animal factsheets

Discover the astonishing variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, marine life and more in the Australian Museum collections.

Why we collect
Research areas

Natural Sciences

Discover the AM's extensive collections and research areas, including the name-bearing type specimens held at the Museum.

Megafauna
Fossil sites in Australia
Geological time scale

School girl looking at megafauna display

Australia over time

Learn about our evolving landscape, Australian megafauna and other extinct animals and how we use fossils to relate the animals of the past with those of today.

The Mesozoic era
Dinosaur factsheets
Australian dinosaurs

Dinosaurs and their relatives

Discover the Mesozoic era of the dinosaurs! Dinosaurs are classified as a group of reptiles, although some of their features are found in mammals and birds living today.

Stages of Decomposition
The Human story
Virtual Autopsy

Science of life

Learn about biodiversity, the scientific study of life and organisms, and the story of human evolution.

Shaping the Earth
Minerals
Fossils

Earth science

The Mineralogy and Palaeontology collections include rocks, minerals, gemstones and fossils, and reveal how the earth was formed.

Museum news
Education programs
Collection information

Westpac Long Gallery Level 1 Collection Cases

Discover & Learn

We are Australia’s first museum, and have over 21.9 million scientific specimens and cultural objects in our collections. Learn more about our latest discoveries, animal factsheets and education programs.

Ways to join the Foundation
Our supporters

Get involved

Make a donation. Become a member or volunteer. Or put your passion into practice on a citizen science project. Find out how you can get involved with the Australian Museum.

Become a Member Make a Donation Contact Us

Donate to the Australian Museum Foundation

The Australian Museum Foundation relies on your donation to help invest in the future of Australian Museum research, education and programs.

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Become a Member

With unique benefits, special events and exclusive access, an Australian Museum Membership unlocks even more wonder.

Membership packages
Museum discounts

Join and save today

FrogID

FrogID is a national citizen science project that is helping us learn more about what is happening to Australia’s frogs.

Free mobile app
Record frog calls

Key 2022 Dates
Award Ceremony
Frequently Asked Questions

Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

Rewarding excellence in Australian research & innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science

Support our research
Help save the reef

Life at Lizard: Waging war on the Crown-of-Thorns starfish

Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation

Proudly supporting science at the Australian Museum's Lizard Island Research Station and elsewhere on the Great Barrier Reef.

Get involved

Work at the Museum

Discover the exciting roles in research, exhibitions, education and communicating the relationship between people, culture and the natural environment.

Research
Exhibitions
Communication
Scholarships

DigiVol
FrogID mobile app
Australasian Fishes

Andrew Trevor-Jones, citizen scientist for Australasian Fishes

Citizen science

See our citizen science projects and discover how you can get involved and contribute!

Get involved

Awards & Fellowships

The Australian Museum Foundation & Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) offers several different fellowships to visiting researchers.

Postgraduate Awards
Research
Fellowship

Media releases
Photography & filming
Media contact

Media Centre

Discover the latest news about the Australian Museum and Australian Museum Research Institute. The Media Centre also provides information, images and expert comment on scientific and cultural research, exhibitions and wider Museum activities.

Organisation
Governance
Our history
Future plans

About the Museum

The Australian Museum has been inspiring exploration of nature and culture for more than 190 years. Learn more about what we do, our extraordinary collections or our fascinating history.

Our Organisation Our History Museum Collections

About the Museum

Learn more about our organisational structure, what we do, the passionate people who work at the Australian Museum and our fascinating history.

Biodiversity & geodiversity
Collections-based research

Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI)

AMRI brings together scientific expertise and world-class research infrastructure to increase our knowledge of the world around us and inform environmental decision-making for a better future.

Reef research
Planning a trip
Fellowships and grants

Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station

The Lizard Island Research Station is a world-leading supplier of on-reef facilities for coral reef research and education. Located on the northern Great Barrier Reef, 270 km north of Cairns in Queensland, Australia.

Aviation wildlife strike
Conservation genomic projects

Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics

Our primary focus is on ecological applications such as species identification, individualisation, conservation and small population management.

Lord Howe Island
Solomon Islands
Historic expeditions

Expeditions and fieldwork

Learn about past Australian Museum expeditions and field work from around the globe that have contributed to our collections and research.

What are we doing?
Achieving climate neutral

Sustainability

As a leading natural history and cultural institution, the Australian Museum (AM) has a responsibility to educate, inspire and act on environmental sustainability.

Strategic plans
Annual reports
Protected loans

Policies and Reports

Review the Australian Museum's policies, plans and publications.

Future plans

As part of a $40M Blockbuster Funding agreement created by the NSW Government, the Australian Museum will be able to host and tour major exhibitions over the next four years including: Ramses The Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs and SHARKS.

Visit the Australian Museum in Sydney

Visit Australia’s first museum in the heart of Sydney to discover Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, our collection of Australian dinosaurs, and the deadliest of down under animals. See you at the Australian Museum.

General enquiries: +61 2 9320 6000
Media: +61 2 9320 6181

Contact us

Contact information for customer feedback, members team, school and group visits, website feedback, booking venues and functions, touring exhibitions and media contacts.

More information

Australian Museum collections

The Australian Museum has spent more than 190 years building a vast collection of over 21.9 million objects and specimens alongside an enviable reputation for world-leading science.

Natural Sciences
Cultural collections
Museum Archives