200 Treasures of the Australian Museum

What makes an object a treasure? Curator Dr Peter Emmett selected 100 objects from the Australian Museum's vast collections: scientific, cultural, curious and extraordinary, each revealing how we are entangled with people, places, animals and things across time.

Australia's first purpose-built museum gallery has captivated visitors since its opening in 1857. From live animals in the basement to a stunning heritage restoration, the Long Gallery's history is as fascinating as the treasures it holds.

When curator Gerard Krefft was dismissed in 1874, he barricaded himself inside the Museum and had to be physically carried out - reportedly still seated in this chair. Discover the objects that defined a pivotal era in Australian natural history.

A rug made from 75 platypus skins, a preserved Tasmanian Tiger pup and a lyrebird that mimics chainsaws. The Platypus Rug case brings together some of Australia's most remarkable, loved and lost native species in one compelling display.

Beautiful rainforest shields made by the Koko-Yellani people of Cape York sit alongside remarkable iridescent Morpho butterflies, larval reef fish and the only Australian mainland bird to become extinct since European arrival.

From a Morning Star Pole guiding souls to their resting place, to shell dolls used as children's toys in Arnhem Land, this case brings together objects that reveal the richness, diversity and continuity of First Nations cultures across Australia.

Explore the rich and diverse cultures and natural worlds of Asia, from sacred Balinese deities and ancient ceremonial textiles to newly discovered rainforest frogs and a pioneering Victorian fish collection.

Explore the diversity of African cultures and natural history, from Zulu shields used during a major war of resistance and a finely carved Luba bow-stand to one of Africa's most unusual mammals.

Ancient Egypt comes to life in this case, through a 2,800-year-old mummy, her painted coffin and a funerary boat placed in tombs to guide the dead on their journey to the afterlife.

From a ceremonial Kwa-guilth mask to a coiled Apache basket and a 225-million-year-old slice of petrified forest, this case brings together remarkable objects from across the Americas, each with an extraordinary story to tell.

Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–14 was one of the most extraordinary journeys in exploration history. From a sun compass strapped to a sledge, to Antarctica's first meteorite, discover the objects that tell the fascinating story.

From a 120-million-year-old opalised pliosaur discovered in a Coober Pedy mine, to the world's finest cerussite crystal and the earliest works of the Papunya art movement, this case brings together some of Australia's most extraordinary natural, geological and cultural treasures.

In 1955, a road worker unearthed 370-million-year-old fish fossils at Canowindra, NSW. From ancient armoured fish to a half-mythical parrot, exquisite glass sea creatures and a spider older than time, this case brings together some of the Museum's most surprising natural treasures.

Explore the 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum through our virtual tour, self-guided audio guide and audio description tour. Discover precious objects from across the Australian Museum's vast collections, each revealing a fascinating story about our natural world and cultural heritage.