Australian Museum images and licensing
On this page...
Images that are Copyright Australian Museum published on this website - and do not have cultural content - may be used for education, research and other non-commercial uses without contacting us for permission.
Australian Museum (AM) images must always be credited as the source in all use cases, with appropriate attribution to the photographer or creator where applicable.
Image requests that require AM Archives research may incur an image reproduction fee for use.
Images with cultural content
Australian Museum images that hold Indigenous cultural knowledge, depict cultural activities, cultural materials or people, including cultural material from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia, indigenous communities in the Pacific, or indigenous communities around the world, most likely contain Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) and require contacting Community for approval and/or support prior to use, and then contacting the AM's First Nations team for processing.
Image requests requiring consultation to use Cultural Collection images or depicting cultural content will need to be reviewed in line with the AM’s ICIP Protocol on a case by case basis, and will incur an image reproduction fee for use. ICIP support or approval letters from the relevant community or cultural authority should preferably be done prior to submitting an image reproduction request.
Please see more information below, and use the Image Enquiry form for commercial use and/or large format AM Copyright Licensing request.
Australian Museum Copyright images may be used for education, research and non-commercial use for free without applying for explicit permission. This includes use in classrooms, academic presentations and personal study. Note: for other education resources, such as downloadable content and/or printed resources, the Australian Museum needs to be contacted.
Australian Museum images must always be credited as the source in all use cases, with appropriate attribution to photographers or individual artists where applicable.
Please use the form below and include reference to the AM webpage link if you are seeking to use an image published on this website.
Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) refers to the rights Indigenous Peoples hold over their heritage and culture. This includes cultural heritage and knowledge recorded in published works held in the Australian Museum collections.
The Australian Museum recognises and upholds First Nations People's ownership of their ICIP within our collections and actively collaborates with Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Pacific staff and communities to provide access to these collections, and the Museum has implemented the ICIP Protocol in 2019.
To request permission to use image containing cultural content and therefore containing Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, please contact First Nations collections team via First.Nations@australian.museum and visit the First Nations Collections landing page for more information.
Relevant First Nations Communities or cultural authorities need to be consulted prior to any access to collection information or before images are supplied , licenced and reproduced. This is in line with the Australian Museum’s ICIP protocols.
The Australian Museum reserves the right to refuse to licence any image(s), or to limit use of any licenced image(s).
The Australian Museum’s commitment to our Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) protocol will imply that image requests from the Australian Museum’s First Nations collections (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands and Pasifika) will need to be supported by/and cleared with community.
In cases where copyright is held externally on works held in our collections, the Australian Museum needs to see proof of copyright permissions to use, before the image is supplied.
Australian Museum Copyright image licenses for commercial use are determined on a case by case basis.
Charges are based on usage type and may include a charge for processing fees.
If you are seeking an image published on this website, please include the webpage URL and use the Image enquiry form below, as well as the intended commercial use and distribution details.
Journalists and media organisation representatives can contact our Communications team regarding image enquiries for media promotion and news purposes.
The Australian Museum regularly hosts news and documentary crews from around the world, as well as conducts media library research.
Each request for images, filming and photography is considered on its own merits and if the request is accepted as a strong promotional opportunity for the Australian Museum, the normal venue hire fees may be waived.
To discuss a photographic or film shoot for media/news purposes, please contact the Australian Museum Communications team media@australian.museum.
This website contains information and media where copyright is held by the Australian Museum as well as other people or organisations.
The Australian Museum has made all reasonable efforts to locate the owners of copyright material in our information and media. Should anyone become aware that we have used material without permission, please contact us.
If Image Copyright is owned by a person or organisation that is not the Australian Museum, you will need to seek permission from that person or organisation prior to using it.
