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  1. Homepage
  2. Discover & Learn
  3. Cultural connections
  4. World Cultures Collection

World Cultures Collection

Explore the material culture of indigenous peoples throughout the world in our International Collection.

  • Main Contact
    Vanessa Finney
  • Updated
    12/10/20

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Model of a Funerary Boat

Ancient Egyptian Collection

The Australian Museum’s Egyptian Collection includes over one thousand objects and is one of the largest public collections of Egyptian antiquities in Australia.

Ancient Egyptian Timeline
Glossary of terms
Egyptian art
Find out more

African Mask E76274

African Collection

In 1884, the Museum acquired nearly 100 cultural objects of the Zulu people, South Africa. Learn more about the collection material originally from Africa.

Zulu shields
Stone Hand Axes from Somalia
Read more

E022919

Chinese Collection

A small collection from a cultural giant, discover the objects from China held in the Australian Museum's World Cultural Collection.

Chinese scroll painting
Bronze objects
Nestorian Stele
Learn more

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Balinese art

Almost 1000 Balinese artefacts including nearly 200 Kamasan-style paintings, 100 Modernist paintings, over 100 musical instruments and 170 dance costumes and accessories.

Find out more

Totem pole from Canada

Kwa-guilth Pole: British Columbia, Canada

Western Red Cedar pole of the Kwa-guilth people from British Colombia.

Find out more

Peruvian Pottery: E18348

Chimu Pottery from Cayalti, Peru

In 1910 the Australian Museum purchased 54 Peruvian pots from Mr Thomas Colston.

Discover more

Close-up of textile

Indonesian Collection

Discover cultural material and objects in our Indonesian collection. The Australian Museum holds a collection of about 300 Indonesian textiles. Many textiles reflect the traditional methods of production, design and use.

Read more

Mask - Sri Lanka: E19295

Daha Ata Sanniya Masks

Ancient dance ritual in Sinhalese culture of Sri Lanka.

Discover more

Capturing Nature book

Museum Archives and Research Library

The Museum Archives and Research Library cares for the Museum’s institutional memory and its historic natural history book and journal collections dating from 1836.

History of the Museum
Archives
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Photography
Explore our history


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Japanese Antarctica expedition and the Shirase sword

A Samurai Sword in the Museum's collection symbolises a spirit of scientific co-operation and friendship between nations. Find out how Australia, Japan and Antarctic exploration are linked through the history of this sword.

Shirase sword
Historic expedition
Read more

MalacologyCollection Area 2018

Malacology

Learn about our collection and study of molluscs; including chitons, clams, mussels, snails, nudibranchs (sea slugs), tusk shells, octopus and squid.

Molluscs
Nudibranchs
Learn more

Long-wave fluorescing minerals

Mineralogy

Learn more about our mineralogy and petrology collections and study of minerals and rocks.

Gemstones
Crystals
Learn more

Illustration of a butterfly

The Scott sisters collection

With their collecting boxes, notebooks and paintbrushes, Harriet and Helena Scott entered the masculine world of science and became two of 19th-century Australia’s most prominent natural history illustrators.

History
Stories
Art of Science app
Explore the collection

Entomology Collection Area

Entomology

Entomology is the study of insects including flies, cicadas, moths, earwigs, fleas, bugs, cockroaches, bees, dragonflies, and termites.

Butterflies
Beetles
Find out more

ACWG DNA Labs 2015

Frozen Tissue collection

Our extensive collections are a valuable resource for the investigation of biodiversity, population genetics, phylogenetics and more.

Tissue samples of species
Contain DNA
DNA Lab
Find out more

The birds of Great Britain. By John Gould, F.R.S., &c. ...

John Gould: books and illustrations

With the obsession of a collector and an eye for artistic talent, John Gould succeeded in creating one of the most recognisable and long-lasting brand names in natural history. Explore the activities of this legendary 'bird man'.

Bird illustrations
Contributions to science
Discover more

Ornithology Collection Area 2018

Ornithology

Ornithology is the branch of zoology devoted to studying birds. Around 10,000 species of bird inhabit the world, ranging from tiny hummingbirds up to huge ostriches. The Australian Museum's Ornithology Collection contains a wide cross-section of these fascinating animals.

Birds
Eggs
Find out more

Australian Museum Archival images 200 Treasures

History of our museum collections

Discover the history of the collections and construction of Australia's first museum, beginning in January 1846.

Read more

Sheldon with Eric Pliosaur

Collection care and conservation

We specialise in the preservation of archaeological and ethnographic objects, rare books and archives, and biology and geology collections. Respect for communities’ cultural property are always a major factor in our decisions.

Preventive conservation
Treatment programs
Find out more

Handwritten rare notebook

Museum Archives

The Museum Archives cares for the Museum’s institutional memory.

Collected papers
Photographic archives
History
Explore the Archives

Marine Invertebrates Collection Area 2018

Marine Invertebrates

The Marine Invertebrates section is active in research on a variety of taxa, such as annelids, cnidarians and crustaceans, and holds extensive collections of most marine phyla

Crustaceans
Polychaetes
Learn more

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The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.
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We acknowledge Elders past, present and emerging.
This website may contain names, images and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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Photo of two painted shields

The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Image credit: gadigal yilimung (shield) made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden