Australian Museum

Curated for the curious
Activities for kids at home

AM Inside Out

Deep dive into fascinating stories and learning materials for inquisitive minds, everywhere.

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.

Identify a species
Cultural material
Fossils & minerals

Object and species identification

Use our online enquiry forms for help with Australian animal identification, natural history and cultural object enquiries!

Ask an expert!

For teachers and students

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

Museum in a Box
Learning resources

Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Extinct animals

Animal factsheets

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

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.

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.

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.

Australian Museum Research Institute
Wildlife genomics

Australian Museum News

Read about our latest discoveries, research expeditions and collection stories. Hear about the work we do behind the scenes and out in the field.

Latest News Listen to our Podcasts Visit the Media Centre

COVID-19 and zoonotic diseases

By understanding and protecting the natural world, we also have the potential to protect ourselves against possible pandemics.

Melinnopsis gardelli anterior end, coloured SEM image. Sue Lindsay at Macquarie University bioimaging lab. Scale bar 1 mm.

Worms under the hammer

Collected thousands of metres below the ocean surface off the coast of Eastern Australia, two new species of deep-sea worm have been discovered. Learn how an unusual auction helped scientists at the Australian Museum and the University Museum of Bergen name these worms.

A juvenile Pomacanthus imperator x P. annularis hybrid

Angels in disguise

Why do some fishes hybridize, while others don’t? A recent collaborative study with the University of Sydney, Australian Museum and University of Queensland, has asked this question of marine angelfishes. They found that hybridisation of these fishes is more widespread than previously thought.

Upper claw fragment of Pterygotidae incertae sedis from the Lochkovian-aged Humevale Siltstone, Victoria

Prehistoric sea scorpions once terrorised Australia

A new study has revealed an unexpected diversity of fossil sea scorpions (distant cousins of modern-day scorpions) that once swam across Australia, between 390–436 million years ago.

Larval Sunfish, Mola species, collected off New South Wales coast.

Who am I? The larval sunfish mystery

Isn’t this the cutest fish you have ever seen? At only 2 mm in length, this larval sunfish is one of three species of Mola found in Australian waters. The question is: which one is it?

This month in Archaeology: Three different early humans coexisted in South Africa … around 2 million years ago

A team of scientists, led by Prof Andy Herries, recently discovered three different hominin species—Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and the earliest-known Homo erectus—lived in the same place at the same time.

Good news for one of the most threatened frogs in the world

No longer known from just a single mountain top: expeditions in the mountains of northern Vietnam discover new locations for a rare frog.

More from our blog

Read about our latest discoveries, research expeditions or discover our interesting archive of blog posts.

Science news
What's new at the Museum
Educational insights

Read our blog posts!

Bushfires and our changed country

The Australian Museum, through its research and engagement with Australia’s people and biodiversity, will be continuing to deepen understandings of how best to respond to the challenges of living with climate crisis.

Mary Soady - remembering an overlooked artist

Mary Soady's legacy is recalled through her illustrative work at the Australian Museum.

Stories from the Archives

In 1827, Governor Darling on the recommendation of Macleay, allocated £200 to the establishment and running of a museum, the Colonial Museum, which was subsequently renamed the Australian Museum in June 1836. Discover more stories about our history.

Garden Palace survivors
Chusan Ball
Blaschka glass models

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

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.

Biodiversity & geodiversity
Collections-based research

Research
Facilities
Planning a Trip
Resources

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.

Lord Howe Island
Solomon Islands
Historic expeditions

Research and expeditions

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

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.

Organisation
Governance
Our history
Future plans

Organisation & Governance

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

Natural Sciences
Cultural collections
Museum Archives

Museum collections

Why do we collect things? Discover the history and future of our millions of collection treasures and research areas.

Strategic plans
Annual reports
Protected loans

Policies and reports

Review the Australian Museum's policies and publications.

Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

Rewarding excellence in the fields of research & innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science.

2020 Eureka Prizes program
FAQ and key dates

15 August - 15 September 2020

Join and Give

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

Sydney Science Trail

Join our free jam-packed online experience for National Science Week! You'll be inspired by live virtual events and interactive learning activities to make you wonder and excite the scientist in you.

Start exploring

Help us to support our community during challenging times

The Foundation supports the important work of the Australian Museum: it’s scientific research, its exceptional exhibitions and educational programs, and its acquisition of significant objects for the AM collection.

EOFY campaign
Ways to join the Foundation

Donate now

Join the DigiVol volunteers

Join one of our virtual expeditions and help capture the wealth of information hidden in our Museum.

DigiVol Lab
Online digitisation

Get involved

Australian Museum Membership

Be the first to enjoy the new-look Australian Museum in 2020, with free entry, exclusive events and much more.

Reciprocal offers
Benefits
Packages

Join now

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