Museums Victoria

All roads lead to Melbourne Museum in 2026! 🏛️ Today we’re excited to announce that ROME: Empire, Power, People is opening on 1 April 2026 at Melbourne Museum. Developed with Contemporanea Progetti and curators from Museo Nazionale Romano and Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze, the exhibition draws on the extraordinary collections of two of Italy’s most prestigious museums for a never-before seen experience. From the fall of Julius Ceasar to the power and ambition of an Empire, the exhibition showcases the luxury of Imperial Rome, the spectacle of the gladiator arena, the bustling marketplaces and the everyday experiences of Romans. Explore Ancient Rome’s political, social and spiritual worlds with over 150 incredible objects from the 1st to 3rd Century CE, all on display in Melbourne for the very first time. Don't miss this monumental journey into the ancient world. 🎟️ Book your ticket today: https://brnw.ch/21wXX6s With thanks to Major Sponsor: EY, Major Donor: The Pellicano Family, Cultural Partners: Consulate General of Italy in Melbourne, Italian Institute of Culture, Italian Australian Foundation, COASIT Melbourne, ICCI Australia - Victoria and Tasmania, and Media Partner: Il Globo

Congratulations to Dr Belle Lim (Museums Victoria’s Inclusion Working Group / Immigration Museum Advisory Forum) named Young Melburnian of the Year at the 2025 City of Melbourne Awards! Belle is an inspiring emerging leader, dedicated to building a more inclusive and globally connected Melbourne. As Founder and Chair of Future Forte, she has supported more than 3,000 young leaders since 2019, creating pathways into careers, leadership and civic participation through partnerships across government, education and industry. Her contributions to Museums Victoria, through the Inclusion Working Group and the Immigration Museum Advisory Forum, have been invaluable. We are incredibly proud to see her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion recognised in this way. Recognised internationally for her leadership — including honours from Schmidt Futures, Global Citizen and the Asia Society — and inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2024, Belle continues to champion spaces where diverse young people can lead, belong and shape the future of their communities. 👏 We are proud to celebrate her incredible achievements and impact! 🔗https://lnkd.in/gaE4AciR

Museums Victoria is calling for nominations to join the Immigration Museum Advisory Forum, a subcommittee of the Museums Board of Victoria (Board). This forum brings together passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds to share insights and contribute to meaningful discussions that help the Immigration Museum foster social cohesion in Melbourne and Victoria. If you're interested in being part of this important conversation with the Immigration Museum and continuing to inspire and contribute to Victoria's multicultural community, we'd love to hear from you! Further details about the position and the application process are available here: https://brnw.ch/21wXRpX We look forward to your contribution to Victoria's multicultural community.

Our very own Dr Ken Walker, Senior Curator of Entomology at the Museums Victoria Research Institute, nominated the dazzling Graphic Flutterer Dragonfly, and it has just soared to victory as the 2025 ABC Insect of the Year! 🏆🪰 The Graphic Flutterer captured more than a quarter of nearly 24,000 votes across Australia, showing just how much people value the beauty and importance of our insects. Through this recognition, Ken hopes to inspire curiosity about Australia’s native insects and their vital role in our ecosystems. Learn more here: https://brnw.ch/21wXA7o

We are delighted to celebrate the exceptional achievements of two of our Museums Victoria team members and former staff member/Honorary Associate at this year’s Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material awards for their leadership and impact in the field of conservation. These awards recognise excellence amongst practicing Australian conservators, conservation volunteers and those who actively promote conservators and conservation. Elizabeth McCartney, Manager Conservation, has been named AICCM Conservator of the Year. Lizzie’s quick thinking and tireless dedication during the 2024 Merri-bek collection flood not only protected our collections but also inspired everyone around her. This award is a well-deserved recognition of her expertise, leadership, and enduring impact on preserving Victoria’s cultural heritage. Dr Rosemary Goodall, former Museums Victoria staff member and now Honorary Associate, has been awarded the Outstanding Service to the Profession Award. Her remarkable contributions across conservation, material science, natural history, and hazard management have left a lasting legacy of knowledge and research. Alice Cannon, Manager of History & Technology Collections, received the Colin Pearson Outstanding Research in Material Conservation Award. Sponsored by Professor Emeritus Colin Pearson, the award recognises substantial research shared within the national or international conservation community. Alice was highlighted for her Bulletin article Beyond Repair – Deaccession and the Management of Plastics, as well as her broader contributions to conservation research, co-authorship, editing, and advocacy of the Polymuse program. Congratulations again to all our award recipients, whose dedication and expertise continue to inspire and shape the future of conservation and cultural heritage.

Over 4,200 of you joined us for an unforgettable evening at Halloween at the Melbourne Museum this year. Today, we announce that the event is expanding into a full weekend celebration in 2026! Next year, along with family favourites such as trick-or-treating, science shows, face painting, The Haunted Gala will make its dazzling debut where the Royal Exhibition Building will light up, and Melbourne Museum transforms into a venue for costume glamour, theatrical performance, and the thrill of the unknown for an adults-only experience. Watch the museum transform into a full weekend celebration of the strange and the sublime, with wildly fun daytime activities and extraordinary after-dark adventures among the exhibits by night. Don’t miss your chance to be part of next year’s unforgettable experience. Join the waitlist now to get: 🕸️ First access to tickets before the general public 🕯️ Exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks 👻 Automatic entry into the draw to win a double pass to the inaugural Haunted Gala 👉 Pre-register today at: https://brnw.ch/21wXtpW Photography credit to: Tim Carrafa

Today is Remembrance Day – when we remember those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts. Today, we observe a minute’s silence to mark the moment of Armistice. This wreath that we have displayed in Melbourne Museum today was made by staff and visitors of Melbourne Museum for Remembrance Day 2018, exactly 100 years since the end of World War I. Lest we forget.

Museums Victoria is thrilled to announce that Air Playground opened at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery in Hamilton, New Zealand on Friday, 31 October 2025. Designed for families with children aged 6–10, there are also many exhibits that will appeal to visitors of all ages. Originally presented at Scienceworks in Melbourne, family audiences in New Zealand will now be able to experience hands-on the science of aerodynamics and the amazing elemental force of air. From our team here in Melbourne to the team at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery - we wish you all the best in this exceptionally fun new endeavour. We trust you will enjoy welcoming visitors and sharing this incredibly colourful learning experience as much as we did. "We’re delighted to be working with Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery to bring this incredibly popular exhibition to New Zealand audiences and beyond" - Lynley Crosswell, CEO, Museums Victoria Learn more here: https://brnw.ch/21wX8Ug

As climate change continues to reshape our planet, research like this reminds us just how interconnected our past, present and future truly are. This important study, a collaboration between the Museums Victoria Research Institute, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and international partners, reveals how the Mountain Dragon has been pushed into smaller, isolated populations over thousands of years due to changing climates. By combining fossil evidence with modern genetic data, our researchers are uncovering how species have adapted and struggled in the face of environmental change. These insights from the fossil record are not just about the past; they are vital to guiding conservation strategies for the future. Natural history collections, like those cared for at Museums Victoria, hold the keys to understanding how life responds to a changing world. They remind us that protecting biodiversity today is an investment in tomorrow. You can see 3D models of the Mountain Dragon in the Research Institute Gallery and explore Our Wondrous Planet at Melbourne Museum. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eYd3r4Ck 

Today marks 25 years since Melbourne Museum first opened its doors at Carlton Gardens 🦖🌏   Melbourne Museum showcases Australian social history, Indigenous cultures and our precious environment. The Museums Victoria Research Institute is responsible for countless discoveries and exploration in fields such as marine biology, geology, palaeontology and minerology.   To celebrate, we’ve packed 25 fast facts into one video. It moves quickly so hold to pause it anywhere that piques your interest to discover some fascinating facts about Melbourne Museum.   #MelbourneMuseum25 #25YearAnniversary #MelbourneMuseum #MuseumsVictoria