Australian Museum awards

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On this page you will find accolades the Australian Museum has received for its award-winning transformation known as Project Discover, its ground-breaking exhibitions and digital platforms, and its world-leading science. For information on awards given by the Australian Museum, please visit the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes and Australian Museum Research Institute Lifetime Achievement Award pages.

Architecture and heritage

2021

November

Project Discover took home both the 2021 National Award for Public Architecture and the 2021 National Award for Heritage Architecture
October

Cox Architecture and Neeson Murcutt and Neille received the Public Design Award for Project Discover at the 18th annual Australian Interior Design Awards.
August

Architects Cox and Neeson Murcutt and Neille also won an Award of Merit for Project Discover at the DIA Designers Australia Award ceremony.
July

Project Discover received three awards at the 2021 Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) NSW Architecture Awards, including its top honour, the NSW Architecture Medallion.
The new wayfinding and visitor journey program as part of Project Discover has also received multiple awards. AM wayfinding consultants Entro have recently won the 2021 World Design Awards, a gold award in the SYDNEY Design Awards 2021, and a gold award in the Montreal-based, global awards, INT. design. Entro’s wayfinding design not only helps visitors navigate the Museum’s old and new spaces, but it also incorporates local Australian materials that complement the Museum’s heritage architectural features.

The Australian Museum featuring Crystal Hall entrance on William Street, Sydney. Image: Brett Boardman
© Australian Museum

The Australian Museum Brian Sherman Crystal Hall entrance, G. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

Project Discover AIA NSW Architecture Award photo submissions

The Australian Museum, Hintze Hall. Image: Brett Boardman
© Neeson Murcutt + Neille

The Australian Museum Hintze Hall, UG. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

The Australian Museum's Cloak Room, LG. Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

Project Discover Architecture High Resolution Images

The Australian Museum, Wild Planet gallery, UG. Image: Brett Boardman
© Australian Museum

The Australian Museum stairwell. Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

2018

The AM’s restoration of the Westpac Long Gallery in 2017 with heritage architects Design5 won a range of Heritage Awards including the 2018 Australian Institute of Architects (NSW) Award for Heritage Conservation, the 2018 National Trust of Australia (NSW) Heritage Award for Conservation - Built Heritage and an Honourable Mention at the 2019 UNESCO Asia - Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage.

The Westpac Long Gallery. Image: Daniel Boud
© Australian Museum

The Westpac Long Gallery Image: Daniel Boud
© Australian Museum

2016

Neeson Murcutt and Neille’s collaboration with the AM was awarded the AIA NSW Public Architecture Award for its design of the Crystal Hall (now known as the Brian Sherman Crystal Hall).

The Australian Museum Brian Sherman Crystal Hall, G. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

Visitors on main entrance staircase, Crystal Hall

Visitors using the new main entrance staircase off Crystal Hall, leading to Hintze Hall. Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

The Australian Museum's main entrance, exterior of Museum Walk and Crystal Hall. Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

Exhibitions

2021

Unsettled

Imagine Award Winner for Exhibition Project, Large Museums, and also receiving
Unsettled

Imagine ACHAA Award for Excellence by an Aboriginal Curator (Director, First Nations, Laura McBride)

Visitor in the Unsettled exhibition. Image: Anna Kučera
© Australian Museum

Visitors in the Continued Resistance section of the Unsettled exhibition. Image: Anna Kučera
© Australian Museum

Visitors in the Unsettled exhibition viewing the Storyboat Installation. Image: Anna Kučera
© Australian Museum

Unsettled exhibition documentation 27 May 2021

The Winhangadurinya deep listening and reflecting space in the Unsettled exhibition. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

Australia Museum's Laura McBride, Director, First Nations with Uncle Allen Madden, Gadigal Elder. Image: Anna Kučera
© Australian Museum

2018

Gadi

Australian Museums and Galleries Association National Award for Best Temporary Exhibition
Gadi

Imagine Award for Museum Exhibition Projects presented by Museums & Galleries of NSW
200 Treasures of the Australian Museum

Illuminated Engineers Society Excellence Award in the Lighting Design category for NSW

The journey through the exhibition began with the word GADI powerfully displayed in yellow on a red wall, surrounded by black silhouettes of the gadi (grass trees), in homage to the emblematic colours of the Aboriginal flag. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

The centre piece in the Gadi exhibition was a display from archaeological digs, some very close to the museum, and was curated by an emerging Aboriginal archaeologist. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

The GADI exhibition opened in March 2018 as part of the Weave - Festival of Culture program. GADI explores the culture of the gadigal people of the Eora nation in the Sydney basin. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

Launch of the Treasures Illuminated projection mapping in the Australian Museum Westpac Long Gallery created by AGB events. Image: Tim Levy
© Australian Museum

Digital

Sydney Science Trail website

Sydney Science Trail is a jam-packed online adventure of games, activities, videos and challenges for science fans of all ages, developed to move our Science Week program online during Covid-19 stay home orders. The website won Silver W3 Award, Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts 2020
#CapturingClimateChange online exhibition

The Australian Museum gallery of images capturing climate change issues across Australia won Highly Commended Program Website, Museums Australasia, Multimedia & Publication Design Awards (MAPDA) 2020
australian.museum website

Best Website Award, Museums Australasia, Multimedia & Publication Design Awards (MAPDA) 2018
Whale Trail mobile App

Best Mobile App Award, Museums Australasia, Multimedia & Publication Design Awards (MAPDA) 2018

Australian Museum Capturing Climate Change webpage

The Australian Museum 's new website, launched in 2019 won the MAPDA Award for Best Website. Image: Australian Museum
© Australian Museum

Science

FrogID

The AM FrogID team won the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science in August 2019.
FrogID

FrogID also received a Gold award for Digital –EdTech from DRIVEN x DESIGN Sydney Awards, 2019
FrogID

Natural Environment Award, NSW Government's 2018 Green Globe Awards 2018

The Australian Museum’s FrogID is a citizen science project that uses mobile phone technology and “audio DNA” to discover where frogs are at risk and how to conserve them and our waterways. Image: James Alcock
© Australian Museum