About Australian Museum
Australian Museum in Sydney is the oldest museum in Australia. Located in 6 College Street, Sydney, it is regarded as the premier showcase of Australian natural history. The museum has an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology, and features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology. The museum is also involved in indigenous studies, research and community programs.
The Australian Museum was founded on 30 March, 1827, by Earl Bathurst, the then Secretary of State for the Colonies. It was originally called the Colonial Museum or Sydney Museum. It was only in June 1836 that a sub-committee meeting resolved over an argument to rename it the Australian Museum.
At the beginning, the museum operated from a room in the offices of the colonial secretary. For its first 30 years, it was moved from one located to another. It only moved into its current location in 1849. The present museum building was designed by James Barnet, the New South Wales colonial architect. The original architect, Mortimer Lewis, was forced to resign because the building far exceeded the original cost. Eventually it was opened to the public in May 1857. It is an impressive sandstone structure with marble staircase that faces Hyde Park.
The Australian Museum was administered directly by the colonial government until June 1836, when a Committee of Superintendence of the Australian Museum and Botanical Garden was established. Well-known naturalist George Bennett was appointed the first curator of the Australian Museum in 1835. He was the first to catalog the museum's collection. The position of curator was renamed Director and Curator in 1918, and then, to Director, in 1921. The present director of the Australian Museum is Frank Howarth.
Getting there
Location: 6 College Street
Contact: 9320 6000
Buses to take: Sydney Explorer, 323, 324, 325, 327 & 389
Nearest CityRail Station: Museum, Town Hall
Opening Hours: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm daily, closed on Christmas Day
Nearby Sights
Anzac War Memorial
Hyde Park
Hyde Park Barracks
Queen Victoria Building
St Andrew's Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral
Sydney Mint
Sydney Tower
Sydney Town Hall
Great Synagogue
Lands Department Building
Marble Bar
Martin Place
Museum of Sydney
State Theatre
Strand Arcade
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Australian Museum Location Map
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Australian Museum
Author: Greg O'Beirne (GFDL)
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