News from the Australian Museum

Scientific discoveries, ground-breaking expeditions, jaw-dropping exhibitions and Australia's biggest museum collection.

Kim McKay, frank Talbor and Anne Hoggatt

From the Director: Coral reefs in hot water

This year we celebrate 50 years of the AM’s LIRS, a globally-recognised research station devoted to understanding the incredible scale and structure of the Great Barrier Reef which can be seen from space.

By Kim McKay, Director & CEO, Australian Museum

Australian Museum wins prestigious National Awards

Sharks, Burra and Progress Shark all win at Museums and Galleries National Awards.

18 May 2023

ohn Graham with Kim McKay AO in the Sharks exhibition in Sydney

Australian Museum’s homegrown blockbuster exhibition Sharks heads to the USA

The Australian Museum’s (AM) blockbuster Sharks exhibition is embarking on a global tour with its first four stops at museums in the United States after it closes in Sydney on Tuesday 25 April 2023.

21 April 2023

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The Common Eastern Froglet (Crinia signifera) is the frog species with the most records in the FrogID database.

The FrogID dataset 4.0: almost half a million frog records now online and open access

The fourth annual release of the FrogID dataset has just been released, ready to help inform conservation!

2 June 2023

50 years of research on Lizard Island

Founded in 1973, the Lizard Island Research Station has studied reef ecologies and the impacts of climate change for fifty years.

29 May 2023

Dr Richard Major and Emily Cave on Norfolk Island expedition

The beautiful birds of Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island is home to many beautiful birds – however, Norfolk Island also has an unenviable extinction rate when it comes to its bird fauna. To understand more, our scientists studied the endemic and exotic birdlife of Norfolk Island during the recent Australian Museum-led expedition.

17 May 2023

From humble beginnings, tiny Lizard Island is a major player on the global research stage ABC News
1 Jun 2023
Little Qld station’s huge contribution to reef science AAP
28 May 2023
Australian Museum Wins Prestigious National Awards, Sharks, Burra and Progress Shark all win at Museums and Galleries National Awards news.com.au
18 May 2023
Newcastle Libraries’ Exhibition Showcases Rare Birds of Feather Mirage News
2 May 2023
Unknown jellyfish species sighted at South Cronulla intrigues marine experts at the Australian Museum The St George and Sutherland shire Leader
1 May 2023

Australian Museum Research Institute

Opalised Pliosaur Umoonasaurus demoscyllus - Eric the Pliosaur

What was Eric's last supper?

What did the most complete, opalised vertebrate fossil in Australia eat? In an Australian first, PhD candidate Joshua White & co-authors used a micro-CT scanner to examine the stomach contents of the Australian Museum’s ‘Eric the plesiosaur'. Learn how they reconstructed this unique reptile's diet.

24 April 2023

Wayne Cherry collecting botany specimens, during AM-led Norfolk Island expedition, Phase 1, 2022.

Researchers discover new plant species on recent Norfolk Island expedition

A team from the Australian Institute of Botanical Science has collected about 400 plant specimens on the recent Australian Museum-led expedition to Norfolk Island, helping the community identify new weeds that potentially could cause havoc to local ecosystems.

17 April 2023

Nemateleotris helfrichi (left), and the newly described N. lavandula (right). Both species were previously regarded as a single species.

Gobsmacking goby fish species found in museums

An exquisite new species of goby has just been described – and it was found in a museum! A new publication co-authored by Dr Yi-Kai Tea, the Australian Museum’s Chadwick Biodiversity Research Fellow, describes these showstopping fishes and highlights the importance of taxonomic research in museums.

20 March 2023

Barka: The Forgotten River

Explore the magnificent Barka (Darling River) and its plight in a free exhibition opening at the Australian Museum Thursday 16 March 2023.

16 March 2023

New acquisition: Papa He’e Nalu Hawaiian surfboards

The Australian Museums new acquisition of Papa He’e Nalu Hawaiian surfboards provides the opportunity to create a dialogue and enhance interest around surfing, and a unique way to contextualise Australian surfing culture and history.

24 January 2023

Wap-hill in front of Indigenous Artworks in Windsor 2022

Papua New Guinea Independence Day: An Interview with Wap-hill Imbun

As an acknowledgement of Papua New Guinea's 47th year of Independence, we had the honour of interviewing Wap-hill Imbun, a Papua New Guinean- Australian.

21 September 2022

Happy Earth Day

At the Australian Museum, this Earth Day we hope to inspire you to think, step up and do something you’ll be proud of.

20 April 2023

Reflections on Global Conferences: COP15 & COP27

At the Australian Museum’s Climate Solutions Centre we are delighted by the historic outcome of the global summit for nature, Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) , just concluded in Montreal.

21 December 2022