Matthew Flinders and Bungaree by Helen Tiernan from her series ‘Heroes of Colonial Encounters’. ANMM Collection 00055144 and 00055142.

Blog

Curious about what goes on at the museum? These blogs give you an inside peek.

Discover stories behind the latest exhibitions, fascinating explorations into maritime science and archaeology, and the surprising details of what happens inside (and outside) a modern working museum.

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'The Ones That Got Away' wearable art by Marina DeBris. Photo By Nic Walker. Outfit made from plastic bottles & cans found washed up on Coogee Beach and Gordons Bay. Commissioned by TOMRA. This image features model Laura Wells - an environmentalist, presenter and one of Australia’s top plus-size models

Beach Couture: Art and activism for the oceans

21 Jan 2021

It is estimated that every year, 8 million tonnes of plastics enter our ocean. This is in addition to the estimated 150 million tonnes that currently circulate in our marine environments. A new exhibition at the museum, aims to raise awareness of this problem and prompt a change in our wasteful habits.

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Tony Albert - The Hand You’re Dealt, 2016, Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan + Strumpf, Photo: Sam Noonan

Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Triennial

15 Jan 2021

An exhibition now showing at the museum reflects on two significant events in the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – the arrival of James Cook in 1770 and the 1967 Referendum that recognised them as citizens in their own country.

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Mona Hussain with her daughter Aisha Duncan, 2020. Photography by Andrew Frolows

A leap of faith

16 Dec 2020

In 2001, Mona Hussain (born 1969) left her family, friends and a successful career in London to begin a new life in Australia with her American-born husband Mark (Dexter) Duncan. 

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Empathy Museum's 'A Mile in My Shoes' at The Migration Museum London, 2018. Reproduced courtesy Empathy Museum

A Mile in my Shoes

15 Dec 2020

Since the Empathy Museum was founded by Roman Krznaric in 2015, its inaugural project A Mile in my Shoes has travelled to more than 35 locations across the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as New York, Denver, São Paulo, Perth and Melbourne. Now it is Sydney’s turn to host the pop-up storytelling exhibition that allows visitors to step into someone else’s shoes and discover their story.

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Antonello and Ayumi in traditional Kimono in Oita, Japan in 2015

Family and a fresh start

10 Dec 2020

When Japanese-born Ayumi Sumiyoshi and Italian-born Antonello Abonante celebrated their son’s first birthday this year, they figured it was the perfect opportunity to register their names on the museum’s Welcome Wall and honour their new life in Australia.   

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Gina Sinozich, We are sailing the Suez Canal on our way to Australia, 2003. ANMM Collection Gift from Gina Sinozich 00037916

Sail, steam and Suez views

17 Nov 2020

This week marks the 151st anniversary of a great historic coincidence – the opening of the Suez Canal and the launch of the British tea clipper Cutty Sark.

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Coming and Going, the Sydney memorial to British child migrants by Sasha Reid, located outside the museum in Darling Harbour

Reflecting on the child migrant apology

16 Nov 2020

Eleven years ago today, the Australian government made a long-awaited national apology to the thousands of former child migrants whose lives were impacted by government-sponsored child migration schemes.

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