Museum of Melbourne

Having opened in 2001, this museum is one of the newest in the city. Housed in an ultra-modern facility in verdant Carlton Park, it has exhibits over six levels, half of which are below ground level. Diverse displays offer insights into science, technology, the environment, the human mind and body, Australian society and indigenous cultures.

One of the highlights is Bunjilaka, the Aboriginal Centre. It combines exhibition galleries with a performance space and meeting rooms. Wurreka, the 50-m- (150 feet) long zinc wall etching at the entrance is by Aboriginal artist Judy Watson.

The Two Laws gallery, which treats the Indigenous Australians’ systems of knowledge, law and property, is fascinating.

The Forest Gallery is a living, breathing exhibit, featuring 8,000 plants from 120 different species. It is also home to around 20 different vertebrate species, including snakes, birds, fish and hundreds of insects. This gallery explores the complex ecosystem of Australia’s temperate forests, using plants and animals, art and multimedia installations, sounds capes and other activities.

A dedicated children’s museum is in a gallery that resembles a tilted, blue cube. The Blue Box houses multi sensory displays exploring the theme of growth. There are also Children’s Pathways throughout the rest of the museum, providing activities for children in other galleries.

One of the most popular exhibits is in the Australia Gallery. This treats the life of Phar Lap, the champion Australian racehorse of the early 1930s. Exhibits include race memorabilia of the period.  Phar Lap himself is seen in an Art-Deco inspired showcase. Other curiosities on show in the museum include the skeleton of a blue whale, a car from Melbourne’s first tram, a windmill and the Hertel, the first car to be imported. Adjacent to the Melbourne Museum is the Royal Exhibition Building, offering an interesting 19thcentury counterpoint to the Museum’s modern architecture. The Exhibition Building was built for the 1880 International Exhibition and is one of the few remaining structures from the 19th-century world fairs. It was designed by Joseph Reed, whose fine work can be found throughout Melbourne.