McCrossin's Mill Museum, Uralla

McCrossin's Mill Museum, Uralla

McCrossin's Mill Museum - external site, Uralla, near Armidale NSW, is owned outright and operated by Uralla Historical Society Inc. - external site, whose members all work on a voluntary basis. Housed in a restored granite and brick flour mill, McCrossin's Mill is a multi-award winning museum and gallery. Upstairs its collection of Chinese artefacts from the Rocky River goldfields and a near-complete Chinese Joss House is recognised as being of national significance. McCrossin's Mill Museum, Uralla

Chinese Joss House in the McCrossin's Mill Museum originally came from the Rocky River goldfields, Uralla. Courtesy of the Museum

The downstairs is dedicated to the story of Captain Thunderbolt (Frederick Ward), one of the last roaming bushrangers in NSW, who lived around Uralla. In addition to paintings by Philip Chauncey, artefacts belonging to Thunderbolt include the table on which his body was laid out in Uralla courthouse. McCrossin's Mill Museum, Uralla

Another exhibition 'Trickett's Triumph' tells the story of rower Ned Trickett - external site, a 'forgotten piece of Australian history' about the son of a convict who became Australia's first world champion. The museum holds Trickett's world championship rowing trophy, bought by Museum director Kent Mayo out of his own pocket after a six-year hunt, and the rower's massive headstone. McCrossin's Mill Museum, Uralla

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Australian War Memorial, Canberra

Australian War Memorial, Canberra

The largest and most successful history museum in the country is the Australian War Memorial - external site. Over half of Australia's inventory of heritage items are located here. The Memorial commemorates the sacrifice of Australians who have died in war and assists Australians to understand the experience of war. It was initiated by Australia's official war historian C E W Bean and John Treloar. The memorial provides ready means to search its vast archive online for documentation on particular servicemen and servicewomen. Australian War Memorial, Canberra

Displays provide direct evidence of the lives of the men and women who served and died for Australia. The Gallipoli gallery - external site about the ANZACs, for example, uses original letters, photographs, diaries and artworks to follow the campaign from the departure of the first convoy to evacuation in December 1915. Australian War Memorial, Canberra

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Powerhouse Museum, NSW

Powerhouse Museum, NSW

The Powerhouse Museum - external site, in Sydney, is the one of the largest and most popular museums in Australia. Its collection of over 500,000 objects spans history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. Powerhouse Museum, NSW

It presents 22 permanent exhibitions, several temporary exhibitions, and over 250 interactives, all based on the ideas and technologies that have changed our world. A visit can include science experiments, virtual reality 3D theatres, performances and fascinating lectures. Learning and creativity are a strong focus. Powerhouse Museum, NSW

Digital resources include mobile apps such as Layar - external site, which allows you to walk around Sydney and discover how it looked 100 years ago, and a huge database with detailed information on the objects in the collection. Powerhouse Museum, NSW

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Museums in Australia

Museums in Australia

Museums hold our collective memory. They help us understand the world around us and nourish our sense of creative possibility. Australia has many fine museums which provide exciting experiences both online and face to face. There are more than 2,000 museums, galleries, sites and holdings in Australia. Museums in Australia

Australian museums are engaged in a prolific era of change and development. Museums now increasingly present a variety of narratives or stories, reflecting on themselves as part of the colonial framework and reviewing their collection practices. Museums in Australia

They are now seen less as buildings and more as multi-faceted arrays of activities. Museums actively communicate with their audience across wider geographic areas, making their collections available in new ways. New collaborative relationships have been developed with the Indigenous communities from whom came many of the original artefacts. Museums in Australia

Globalisation itself has affected museum practice, with curators and exhibitions more frequently travelling internationally. Museums have increasingly entered into significant partnerships with corporate sponsors. Key new museums have recently emerged, including the National Museum of Australia - external site in Canberra, the Gallery of Modern Art - external site in Brisbane, the MCA - external site in Sydney and the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) - external site in Hobart, and the regional art galleries sector has developed markedly. Museums in Australia

The Museum of Australian Democracy Eureka (MADE) - external site is a new museum in Ballarat, Victoria, near the site of the Eureka Stockade and its battle in 1854, during the gold rushes, seen as the birthplace of Australian democracy. The Museum like many other museums, MADE deals with a highly contested historical event or events that have provoked debate and discussion for more than 150 years. Like the Eureka Stockade, museums have grown to symbolise not only history and cultural heritage but also change. The Museum represents these ideas in a range of new technologies and interactive forms of engagement. Museums in Australia

However, the presentation of the iconic Eureka flag, on loan from the Art Gallery of Ballarat - external site, represents not only the creativity and ingenuity of its attributed design by miner 'Captain' Ross and the skill of the miners' wives in sewing its form but also the dedication of private family collectors, historians, collection managers, conservators and restorers. It is this continuous link of care and ascribed value that has allowed future generations to explore and understand for themselves the historical events that have shaped their lives. Museums in Australia

This is true for the material collections of many smaller museums which require the support of an army of dedicated volunteers, as well as seeking the support desired from professional experts, if they are to continue the preservation and presentation of Australia's material culture. Museums in Australia

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