University of Queensland Anthropology Museum facts for kids
The University of Queensland Anthropology Museum is in Brisbane, Australia. It houses the largest university collection of ethnographic material culture in Australia.
Location
The Museum is located on level 1 of the Michie Building at the St Lucia campus of The University of Queensland
History
The Museum was formed in 1948 by Dr Lindsey Winterbotham's donation of over 1,000 objects. The initial focus of the Museum was on the material culture of Aboriginal Australia, but swiftly broadened to incorporate a diverse range of material from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and the broader Pacific region. Early donors to the museum included missionaries, researchers and anthropologists such as Ursula McConnel and AP Lyons.
Under subsequent Directors (Dr Peter Lauer, Dr Leonn Satterthwait and Dr Diana Young), the Museum developed an active exhibition program and strengthened the Museum's involvement in community engagement, research and teaching.
Collection
The Museum houses over 19,000 artefacts and over 6,500 photographs. The collection includes field collections and private donations and as a whole describes mid-late 20th century intercultural engagements in Queensland and the Pacific region.
The Museum holds a broad range of stone artefacts from across Australia.
The collection includes smaller collections from southern Africa and Southeast Asia, as well as a collection of colonial surveying equipment from William Landsborough and Augustus Gregory.
Highlights
Highlights include South East Queensland material, including photographs, manuscripts, audio recordings and drawings. Collections from Stradbroke Island and Moreton Bay include basketry and midden material.
120 piece ceramic mural Creation III by renowned sculptor Thancoupie
One of the earliest collections of Aurukun ceremonial sculpture
North Queensland rainforest shields and jawun bicornial baskets
Large collection of mid to late 20th century bark paintings from Arnhem Land, including works by David Malangi, Wandjuk Marika and Wally Mandarrk
19th century carvings from the Solomon Islands
Painted bark cloth from across the Pacific, from mid 19th century Futuna salatasi to contemporary Omie works|
Visiting the Museum
The Museum is on level 1 of the Michie Building and is open 11am to 3pm daily. Admission is free
- AV-CC University Museums Project Committee (1998) Transforming Cinderella Collections: the management and conservation of Australian university museums, collections & herbaria. Canberra: Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee. ISBN: 1864084316
- Howarth, Crispin and Deborah Waite (2011) Varilaku: Pacific arts from the Solomon Islands. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia
- Leo, Daniel (2008), "An Ark of Aboriginal Relics: the collecting practices of Dr LP Winterbotham", in Nicholas Peterson, Lindy Allen and Louise Hamby (editors). The Makers and Making of Indigenous Australian Museum Collections. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press pp. 76–105
- Nicholls, Christine (2011), "Vale Thancoupie 1937-2011". Journal of Australian Ceramics 50(2):14
