Australian Museum

UNSETTLED

Our untold history revealed.

On now

Permanent exhibition
Open daily
10am - 5pm

200 Treasures of the Australian Museum

The Westpac Long Gallery showcases 100 treasures from our collections alongside the stories of the 100 people who’ve helped shape Australia.

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

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.

Wild Planet

More visitor information

An interactive stomping ground for dinosaur buffs.

Open daily
10am – 4.30pm

Birds of Australia

Meet some of Australia’s most famous and fascinating feathered residents and learn about the ingenious ways they have adapted to life on the continent they call home.

Audio tours
Accessible audio descriptive guides

Audio tours of exhibitions

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

Listen now

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.

Pacific Spirit

Experience the diverse and dynamic cultures of the Pacific and admire the skill, creativity and spirituality of the region’s artists through this collection of colourful treasures from across the region.

Australian Museum news

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

News highlights Listen to our Podcasts Visit the Media Centre

Climate change exhibition 8 October 2020

Trusted over time

As the world community turns to COP26 next week, discover what the Australian Museum is doing to take action on climate change and sustainability.

25 October 2021

Balinese Collection expanded
Inspiring case

News from LIRS: Changing reefs

Each month, a selected blog from Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation is featured at the AM. For this month, we feature Changing reefs.

19 October 2021

The Faces of Mummies

Melissa Holt, project conservator at the Australian Museum, tells us about the conservation treatment of four Ancient Egyptian Cartonnage coverings, including three masks! Read part one, in this special AM blog series.

18 October 2021

Michael Abbott’s generous donation 2021

Balinese Collection expanded – an inspiring case of sharing personal passion for common benefit.

Dr Dana M. Bergstrom, Australian Antarctic Division and University of Wollongong

2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prize winners

17 individuals and teams recognised across the categories of Research & Innovation, Leadership, Science Engagement and School Science.

7 October 2021

View the full list

Opening day is here again! Let's come back to our senses

As we open our doors on Monday 11 October with a wholehearted ‘welcome back!’, we hope you’ll be as ready as we are to soak in the full effects of our treasured space.

8 October 2021

This was the cover photo for the Royal Zoological Society of NSW forum flyer. Three months after extensive, high severity fire in Kiwarrack State Forest, near Taree. Most of these trees have subsequently resprouted via epicormic buds.

Out of the ashes: Post-bushfire lessons on how we can better manage our fauna

In September 2021, the Royal Zoological Society of NSW held their annual forum online – receiving more registrations than ever before, with a tremendous range of talks focused on the impacts of the 2019-20 megafires and post-bushfire management.

28 September 2021

Russian dolls and shark snacks

What are in shark guts? And what can the contents tell us? The results can be confusing – as we find prey, within prey. To decipher this ‘Russian doll effect’, scientists from the University of Sydney, Australian Museum and NSW Department of Primary Industries tell us more.

24 September 2021

Abydos and its Relics

Abydos in central Egypt is an important source of our knowledge of ancient history.

23 September 2021

Science news
What's new at the Museum
Educational insights

Small fish find shelter among the branches of live coral.

News from LIRS: The rise and fall of turf-algae empires

Each month, a selected blog from Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation is featured at the AM. For biodiversity month, we feature the rise and fall of turf-algae empires.

17 September 2021

More from our blog

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

Read our blog posts!

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 Learning Resources

Climate change

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

What are we doing?
What is climate change?

Collections
Knowledge
Exhibitions

First Nations

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

Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Extinct animals

Animal factsheets

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

Identify an animal
Cultural objects
Fossils and minerals

Object and species identification

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

Ask an expert

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.

Megafauna
Fossil sites in Australia
Geological time scale

Virtual excursions
Educator-led tours
Learning journeys

For teachers and students

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

The Mesozoic era
Dinosaur factsheets
Australian dinosaurs

Megafauna

Megafauna are large animals such as elephant, mammoth, rhinocerous and Australia's own diprotodon.

Extinction theory

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.

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 the Australian Museum

Donate now

Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

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

Key 2021 Dates
School Science
Frequently Asked Questions

Free mobile app
Record frog calls

FrogID

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

Cut down on waste
Worm farming

Sustainability at home

Leading a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle and saving money in the process is easy with these helpful factsheets.

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.

Support our research
Help save the reef

Get involved

Andrew Trevor-Jones, citizen scientist for Australasian Fishes

Citizen science

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

DigiVol online
FrogID mobile app
Australasian Fishes

Get involved

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

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

Postgraduate Awards
Research
Fellowship

Awards & Fellowships

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

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.

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.

Aviation wildlife strike
Conservation genomic projects

Australian Museum Archival images 200 Treasures

The Australian Museum’s statement of reflection

Cultural institutions have a responsibility to critically reflect on history and how it influences the present.

By Nathan mudyi Sentance

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

Research and expeditions

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

Strategic plans
Annual reports
Protected loans

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.

Policies & Reports

Review the Australian Museum's policies and publications.

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.