The 5 Most Popular Historical Museums in Australia

Australia was discovered by Europeans less than 250 years ago, while Aboriginal people have been living here for the last 60,000 years. No matter the race or the origin, Australians are very proud of their history. Therefore, it is no wonder that they have so many historical museums all over the country.

In this article, we will name some of the most popular historical museums in The Land Down Under. If you’re planning a trip to Australia and you’re a history buff, here are the places that you will regret not visiting.

The National Museum of Australia

Located in the country’s capital Canberra, the National Museum of Australia is an ideal place to get to know Australian history. Here, you can learn a lot about Aborigines and other islander cultures that were the first to settle at this continent. You will also get to see James Cook’s navigational instruments that he used to locate this piece of land as well as many other artifacts from the late 18th century onward.

The Australian Museum

This is officially the first museum ever to open in Australia back in 1827. It is located in Sydney and is specialized in the field of natural history and anthropology. You can see plenty of interesting items on display including Aboriginal metalwork art, modern Aboriginal art, skeletal structures of different animals and humans, minerals that were discovered on the Australian soil, and many other things.

Melbourne Museum

Melbourne Museum tells a story about the history of the region where today’s city of Melbourne is placed. Apart from being one of the oldest museums in the country (established in 1854), it is also the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere. Inside, you can see the science and life gallery that features some impressive dinosaur skeletons, the evolution gallery, the forest gallery, and more. What makes this museum stand out is the world’s biggest IMAX theatre where you can watch documentary movies.

The National Maritime Museum

Being placed on an island, you can say that Australians have a special love affair with water. Sea vessels represent one of the most important objects in the history of Australia, as they were used by everybody to reach this land, from the first settlers to European explorers. This is the reason why Australia’s National Maritime Museum is one of the most popular museums of this kind in the world. It is located in Sydney and inside it you can see all sorts of maritime vessels, including the Royal Australian Navy ships.

The Queensland Museum

The Queensland Museum was founded in 1862 and represents one of Brisbane’s most recognizable landmarks. The museum has many different exhibitions from all fields of history, but it mainly focuses on science and human achievement. It is also the place where the World Science Festival is hosted, making it one of the most popular museums in the country. The general admission entries are free, but you must buy tickets to see some special exhibitions.

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